Cancer trial shows 'unprecedented' results as 100% of participants see cancer disappear
MIAMI - A groundbreaking cancer trial is showing unprecedented results, as 100% of its participants saw their cancer disappear.
"I'm a miracle right here, standing without any surgery, and I don't have cancer," said Imtiaz, one of the 19 trial participants, in a promotional video released by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the hospital conducting the groundbreaking research.
"I've never seen a trial where a 100% of the participants had a positive response so that's what's so amazing about this," said Dr. Micheal Zinner, the CEO of Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute.
Dr. Zinner said during the trial rectal cancer patients were given an experimental cancer drug called dostarlimab, which allowed their own immune system to target and distort their cancer cells.
"To almost everyone's amazement all of the patients in the trial responded to immunial therapy that's what is so amazing because they all expected it to fail in some way and then go on to the traditional therapy," added Zinner.
But the medication didn't fail, and instead of using chemo, radiation, or even surgery their cancer went into remission.
"The world just stopped for a second and I couldn't believe it and I could barely react I wasn't expecting to hear that news," said Avery, another trial participant in the promotional video released by the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
"I didn't see the tumor, so I was thinking 'where's the tumor' it's hiding somewhere inside, then the doctor told me there is no more tumor," echoed Nisha, who also opened up about her results in the video.
Results, Dr. Zinner said is a game-changer in cancer treatment.
"I think this is next generation, of how we're going to treat cancer,"
In the meantime, Imtiaz said his life will never be the same.
"The first thing I did was call my mom, yeah, we both cried. It was life-changing".
Now, while officials say this will eventually be used for all cancers, the trial is only for rectal cancer patients.
In the coming weeks, other hospitals Baptist Health will be applying to participate in the study.