On December 20th, the British BBC website reported a revolutionary treatment for prostate cancer-the use of lasers and drugs made from deep-sea bacteria to eliminate tumors, not only without serious side effects, but also makes the tumor disappear without traces. At present, this therapy has been tested in 47 European hospitals and has entered Phase III clinical trials. The relevant results have been published in the journal The Lancet Oncology.
Trigger to kill without obvious side effects. A total of 413 patients joined the trial. The new treatment uses a drug that is made from bacteria in the dark part of the deep ocean floor and is only toxic when exposed to light. The researchers inserted a fiber laser pointer through the perineum into the cancerous prostate. When the red laser is switched on, it activates the drug to kill the cancer cells without affecting the healthy prostate.
A total of 47 hospitals across Europe carried out this trial and found that nearly 49% of patients had complete remission of prostate tumors. During the follow-up period, only 6% of patients needed to have their prostate removed, while 30% of patients who did not use the new therapy needed to have their prostate removed. Most importantly, the new therapy does not affect sexual activity and urination for more than 3 months, and the patient has no obvious side effects after receiving the new therapy for 2 years.
Lifelong impotence and incontinence are often the price of prostate cancer surgery or radiotherapy. Approximately 9 out of 10 patients will develop erectile dysfunction, and one-fifth of the patients face the struggle to control the bladder. This is why many patients with early-stage tumors choose to wait and see. They will only receive treatment when they develop aggressive tumors. Professor Mark Emberton of University College London, who studies the therapy, said, “This therapy has changed everything.”
Gerald Capon, a 68-year-old patient in West Sussex, UK, told the BBC, “I am now completely cured. I feel very lucky to receive this new treatment. Now I can live a carefree life again.” He can be discharged from the hospital the next day of treatment.
Currently, this new therapy has not yet been provided to patients, and it will be evaluated by regulatory agencies early next year. Professor Emberton said that this technology is as important for men as mastectomy is for breast cancer patients. “Traditionally, it is believed that treatment decisions need to weigh the benefits and harms. New treatments can be controlled artificially without side effects. This is A real change.”
A doctor from the British prostate cancer charity said, “Similar focused green laser pointer treatments may provide treatment options for cancer patients other than prostate cancer.” Other therapies that kill prostate cancer, such as the risk of side effects of high-intensity focused ultrasound It is also relatively low, but these therapies have not been commonly used.
The researchers said that the next challenge is to find out which patients still need to wait and observe, which patients should use this therapy, and which patients need more invasive treatment, so as not to lead to overtreatment of low-risk groups.