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Cancer study: Immunotherapy before surgery could dramatically improve cancer survival rates

Updated earlier today at 1:49am

Reversing the order of treatment for patients with certain cancers could increase survival rates by up to 60 per cent, Queensland scientists have found during an experiment on mice.

Researchers at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute trialled giving immunotherapy drugs to mice with breast cancer before surgery, rather than after.

Survival rates are usually very low, but about half of the mice treated in this order were cured.

Dr Michele Teng, who led the study, said if they results were replicated in humans it could lead to widespread changes in oncology practices.

"To our surprise, when we gave mice a combination of two immunotherapy drugs before surgery, between 40 and 60 per cent were cured of triple-negative breast cancer," she said.

"It appears that this therapy destroyed any cancer cells that had spread to other parts of the body and stopped the cancer from returning."

Treatment creates 'SAS officers' to destroy cancer

In the past five years, immunotherapy has revolutionised the treatment of some cancers.

It has been shown to be effective against 15 types, such as melanoma and kidney cancer.

It works by activating a patient's immune system to recognise and destroy cancer cells.

The QIMR Berghofer researchers found the mice that received immunotherapy before surgery had higher levels of an immune cell known as tumour-specific T cells, which destroy cancer cells.

Furthermore, the T cells were found to be better quality and lasted a long time, preventing the cancer's return.

"Giving these drugs while the primary tumour is present not only increases the number of soldiers fighting the battle, but also turns them from regular fighters to SAS officers," Dr Teng said.
The next step is for the researchers to understand in more detail why giving immunotherapy before surgery led to better survival rates in mice and whether this could also apply to other cancers.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-06/cancer-study-immunology-before-surgery-boost-survival-in-mice/8095214