Does the miracle cure for cancer gives hope to Indians? This is what the experts has to say

MUMBAI: The news about Dostarlimab, a drug that can completely cure cancer, came out last day. An experiment conducted on a small number of patients with colorectal cancer found that the drug was 100 percent successful. Nisha Varghese, an Indian-origin woman was also among those cured. Leading oncologists Pragya Shukla and Pramod Kumar Julka explain how the use of this drug, which gives great hope to the world, is benficial in the Indian context.

Although the discovery which provides treatment to patients without painful chemotherapy and surgery is great, both say that more experiments are needed in this regard. The study was conducted in a very small group (18 people). If it is experimented in more people, then more reliable the result will be. The follow-up period of six to twenty-five months after treatment is crucial for a cancer patient. This is because the risk of recurrence of the disease is very high at different period in different ways. As part of the experiment, the patients took the drug for only six months. Researchers say that cancer cells were not found in any tests. Therefore, patients should be monitored for a longer period of time to ensure that the disease does not recur.

Expense

Another issue is that whether Indians can afford this treatment. Patients were given Dostarlimab once every three weeks for six months. At the Indian market rate, six-month treatment would cost at least Rs 30 lakh. This is beyond the reach of an average Indian. Although it is expensive, the cost might be reduced after conducting further experiments.

Dostarlimab is used as an immunotherapy drug for cervical cancer. For the first time, researchers have tested the drug's effectiveness for colorectal cancer. All patients were diagnosed with genetically mutated cancer. These cancer cells are less likely to be removed by chemotherapy and radiation. Until now, the only possibility was that of surgical removal. The current finding is that such patients can avoid surgery. These people usually develop chronic health problems such as infertility, bowel and bladder problems and sexual dysfunction following treatment.

Dr Luis A. Diaz J. of New York's Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center said this was 'the first time this has happened in the history of cancer'. He said that the treatment gives hope to the people. The experiment was conducted in partnership with the Simon & Eve Colin Foundation, Glakso SmithKlein, Stand Up to Cancer, Swim Across America and the National Cancer Institute.