Home / Health / NHS Cancer Treatment Gets Speed Boost
NHS Cancer Treatment Gets Speed Boost
4 May
Summary
- New injectable immunotherapy takes under two minutes to administer.
- Treatment saves NHS over 100,000 hours annually.
- Two rapid immunotherapies now available for nearly 30 cancers.
Thousands of patients in England are set to benefit from a new, rapid immunotherapy treatment for several cancer types. This injectable form of pembrolizumab, administered in under two minutes, targets cancer cells by blocking the PD-1 protein, thereby enabling the immune system to attack the disease.
This new method replaces the older intravenous drip administration, which required extensive preparation and took around two hours per session. The shift is estimated to save the NHS more than 100,000 hours annually in preparation and treatment time.
Approximately 14,000 patients currently receiving pembrolizumab are expected to transition to the new injectable version. This development, alongside another immunotherapy injection available since last year, means nearly 30 types of cancer now have rapid immunotherapy options on the NHS.
Professor Peter Johnson highlighted that this innovation offers a lifeline by reducing patient time spent in hospitals, allowing them to 'get back to living their lives'. It also increases capacity for NHS teams to treat more patients and reduce waiting times.
Shirley Xerxes, an 89-year-old patient, shared her positive experience, noting the significant time saved compared to her previous hour-long treatments. University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust and East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust are among the first sites to offer this treatment.
