For the first time in a long time, a real alternative to surgery in the treatment of rectal cancer. At the Estro 2025 conference in Vienna, scientists from the United Kingdom presented the promising results of the clinical trial of Prime-RT, which combined radiotherapy with immunotherapy.
The team from the University of Glasgow, under the guidance of Professor Campbell Roksburg, investigated the effectiveness of the combination of Durvalumab - a drug for immunotherapy - with two schemes of radiation therapy (short and prolonged). The study involved 46 patients with locally common rectal cancer, traditionally treated surgically. The share of complete remission was 52%, significantly exceeding the expected 30%. With a short course of radiotherapy, the level of full response reached 67%. The participants of the study maintained remission even 18 months after the end of treatment. The side effects of treatment were minimal and did not go beyond the usual framework.
Many patients have managed to avoid invasive surgery with colostomy imposing - one of the most painful aspects of traditional treatment that significantly impairs quality of life. The study opens the path to less traumatic methods of combating the disease and personalized cancer therapy.
Rectum cancer takes thousands of lives every year in the United Kingdom. Of particular concern is the sharp increase in the incidence of young people aged 25-49 years - by more than 50% in two decades. A new approach to treatment hopes that this challenge can be overcome more efficiently and humane.
