You can’t actually have 5 year survivors running a trial like that for just 5 years, or even 6 years. Patients are enrolled over time. Besides, OS was secondary. PFS was primary, and the company says itself, the trial was stopped prematurely, on an interim review of data. Period. Full stop.
The 5 year rate was statistically predicted, based on PFS.
And PFS results can be influenced by pseudoresponse.
More importantly, there is no known mechanism by which it kills tumor cells. It is claimed it has no impact on normal tissue and SLOWS tumor tissue growth. It is therefore hard to imagine anyone being free from paying $21,000 per month forever. That is an outrageous cost for a palliative treatment.
Like I said, should be made available. But I understand why systems limit it, because it is highway robbery. There is no reason it should cost so much forever. None. That is re Optune, by Novocure, just to be clear.