November 23, 2019 - 16:13 AMT
Cancer immunotherapy drug "less toxic and prolongs life"

An immunotherapy drug that could save some cancer patients from the ordeal of extreme chemotherapy may also help them live longer, researchers say, according to the BBC.

In a trial, pembrolizumab kept head and neck cancers at bay for an average of two years - five times longer than under chemotherapy.

The patients also suffered far fewer side-effects.

Cases of head and neck cancers are rising in the UK and most are diagnosed late, when they are hard to treat.

Immunotherapyis a treatment that does not kill cancer cells itself but instead stimulates the body's immune system to attack them.

Pembrolizumab is already being used to treat a wide range of advanced cancers, including melanoma - a type of skin cancer that spreads easily.

Experts believe the drug has the potential to treat many more.