Immunotherapy treatment offers hope for men with hard-to-treat prostate cancer

10 July 2023

Research coordinated by the CR UK & UCL CTC is showing promising signs for men with a certain type of prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer remains the most common type of cancer among men in the UK, with over 50,000 cases diagnosed each year. Because the disease requires the hormone testosterone in order to grow, some of these men have either hormone therapy or their testicles removed as part of treatment. Whilst this can initially keep their cancer from returning, it often becomes ineffective over time.

The NEPTUNES trial has been treating a number of patients whose cancer has returned after this treatment with a pair of immunotherapy drugs called nivolumab and ipilimumab. These stimulate the body's immune system to fight the cancer, with a third of patients on the trial having a positive response.

Speaking to The Daily Mail, the study's Chief Investigator Dr Mark Linch explained why this is promising: "I recently received an email from a woman whose husband had been told by doctors there was no further treatment for his prostate cancer and they were struggling to control his symptoms. He is now doing really well after having the [immunotherapy] treatment as part of a trial"

The full article, which summarises recent innovations in prostate cancer screening and treatment in the UK, can be read here.

Image shows University College Hospital building, part of UCLH, one of the sites where the Neptunes trial took place.

Credit: Mary Hinkley

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