The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has approved a new immunotherapy drug for the treatment of aggressive stomach cancer on the NHS. The drug, durvalumab, also known as Imfinzi and manufactured by AstraZeneca, is indicated for adults whose stomach cancer has not spread extensively and can be surgically removed. An estimated 1,500 people per year could benefit from this decision.
First Major Advance in Nearly a Decade
Immunotherapy works by harnessing the body's immune system to fight cancer. Clinical trials have demonstrated that combining durvalumab with chemotherapy increases the time before cancer progression and improves overall survival rates. This approval has been hailed as the first major advance in stomach cancer treatment in nearly a decade.
Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at Nice, stated: "Stomach cancer is a devastating disease with high rates of recurrence after surgery, so there is an urgent need for treatments like durvalumab that meaningfully extend both the length and quality of patients' lives."
Patient and Expert Reactions
Sheena Dewan, executive director at Stomach Cancer UK, said: "This is the first major advance in curative-intent treatment for stomach cancer in nearly a decade. Adding immunotherapy to perioperative chemotherapy offers a real opportunity for lower recurrence and longer survival. For too long, patients have been enduring the dual burden of life-altering surgery and high rates of recurrence. This treatment gives individuals and families living with the constant fear that the cancer will return a meaningful opportunity for more time with loved ones, more time at work and more time to live well beyond treatment and even cure."
According to Cancer Research UK, stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, occurs when abnormal cells in the stomach start to grow and divide uncontrollably. Symptoms include difficulty swallowing, weight loss, indigestion, and feeling or being sick. There are approximately 6,800 new cases of stomach cancer in the UK each year, making it the 18th most common cancer.
