309 A groundbreaking clinical trial suggests that hundreds of thousands of people with advanced head and neck cancer could live longer without their cancer returning, thanks to a promising immunotherapy drug. This marks the first significant breakthrough in treating this challenging form of cancer in over 20 years, according to scientists leading the research. One inspiring case is that of Laura Marston, 45, from Derbyshire. Diagnosed with advanced tongue cancer six years ago and given a grim prognosis, she says she’s “amazed she’s still here.” Laura received the immunotherapy treatment both before and after surgery – an approach that researchers believe is key to its effectiveness. By administering the drug prior to surgery, the immune system learns to recognise and attack the cancer, potentially preventing it from returning. Six years on, Laura is working full-time and says she’s “in a good place and doing really well.” “It’s been phenomenal for me because I’m here, able to talk to you,” she says. “I wasn’t expected to come this far. My prognosis was quite dire. Just having this amazing immunotherapy has given me my life back.” Her treatment included reconstructive surgery, in which muscle from her left arm was used to rebuild her tongue—a tough journey that she says was made worthwhile by the results of the immunotherapy. Professor Kevin Harrington, one of the lead researchers, says the drug has the potential to “change the world” for these patients. “It significantly decreases the chance of cancer spreading around the body, at which point it’s incredibly difficult to treat,” he explains. Each year, approximately 12,800 people are diagnosed with head and neck cancers in the UK alone. The new approach was found to work especially well for some, but Prof Harrington emphasises it was “really exciting” to see benefits across all patient groups in the trial. He added that the treatment should now be made available on the NHS. The findings are being presented at the prestigious American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting. The clinical trial – named Keynote – was led by Washington University Medical School in St. Louis and involved 192 hospitals across 24 countries. It was funded by pharmaceutical company MSD.