UK has officially started giving new vaccine to people to treats 15 cancers. In a groundbreaking achieve for cancer care, England has become the first country in Europe to offer cancer patients an injectable form of the immunotherapy drug nivolumab, known commercially as Opdivo.

The injection, which treats up to 15 types of cancer that includes lung, bowel, and skin, takes just three to five minutes to administer compared to the traditional one-hour intravenous drip. This swift treatment option is expected to benefit up to 15,000 patients a year and significantly ease hospital workloads, saving more than a year’s worth of treatment time annually.

This move marks a major step forward in the NHS’s drive to modernize cancer treatment system. This system was approved by the MHRA, the injectable form works by helping the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells, offering a more convenient and equally effective alternative for thousands of patients. Experts say this innovation underscores the promise of a “golden age” in cancer research, with pressure now on the government to back continue reform and investment through its upcoming national cancer plan.

With patients needing treatment fortnightly or monthly, NHS England said the move would save more than a year’s worth of treatment time each year.

NHS England’s national clinical director for cancer Prof Peter Johnson, said the time savings would “allow teams to treat even more patients” and free up hospital capacity.

He added, “Immunotherapy has already been a huge step forward for many NHS patients with cancer, and being able to offer it as an injection in minutes means we can make the process far more convenient”.

Nivolumab helps our immune system to fight cancer by blocking signals from tumor cells that stop the immune system from attacking them. It binds to a protein called PD-1 (programmed death-1) on T-cells, which is a type of immune cell. This blocks cancer cells from switching off T-cells which allowing our immune system to detect and destroy cancer cells immediately.

NHS England said about 1,200 patients a month could be benefited from moving to the jab, and that most new patients would be likely to receive it.

Up to 15,000 could be given nivolumab in injectable form to treat 15 cancers including lung, bowel and skin cancer.

Please listen this article here-

Innovations like this will be vital for treating cancer patients sooner and more efficiently. We’re in a golden age of cancer research, and it’s essential that our health service continues to adapt to deliver the best possible care for patients.