New Subcutaneous Treatment Shrinks Advanced Head and Neck Tumors

A recent clinical trial involving 102 patients with head and neck cancer across 11 countries revealed that a new treatment successfully reduced or completely eliminated tumors in 43 patients, with 15 experiencing full tumor disappearance. Experts described this outcome as an unprecedented achievement for advanced cases of this cancer type, according to the British newspaper The Guardian.

Professor Kevin Harrington, a cancer biological therapies professor at the London Cancer Research Institute, stated, "These are unprecedented strong responses in patients whose disease had become resistant to both chemotherapy and immunotherapy." He added, "This patient group has very limited treatment options, so seeing this level of benefit is remarkable."

Harrington also highlighted that the new therapy "has the potential to benefit thousands of patients annually," reflecting the high expectations within the medical community.

Triple Mechanism of Action Against Cancer

The drug, named amivantamab, operates through a three-pronged mechanism targeting cancer from multiple angles simultaneously. It inhibits the EGFR protein, which stimulates tumor growth, suppresses the MET pathway that cancer cells use to evade treatments, and activates the immune system to directly attack the tumor.

Moreover, the treatment is administered via a small injection under the skin rather than traditional intravenous infusion, making it more convenient and comfortable for patients and quicker to deliver in outpatient clinics.

Patient Experience with the New Therapy

Among those who benefited from the treatment is Carl Walsh, 56, who was diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2024 after chemotherapy and immunotherapy failed to control his disease. Walsh shared, "I was initially treated with chemotherapy and immunotherapy, but unfortunately, they did not work. Then I was selected to participate in the OrigAMI-4 trial. I am now on my seventeenth treatment cycle and very pleased with the progress I have made."

He explained that the swelling and pain that had impaired his ability to speak and eat significantly decreased following the start of the therapy. Gradually, he returned to his normal life and regained his capacity to work and communicate effectively.

Encouraging Survival Outcomes

The study reported a median survival time of 12.5 months for patients receiving the treatment, despite this group typically facing limited prognoses after conventional therapies fail.

Professor Christian Heiling, CEO of the Cancer Research Institute, commented, "This study demonstrates how developing new treatments through precision cancer research can achieve real progress even for patients with very limited treatment options." He added, "Achieving this level of tumor response and encouraging survival outcomes in this difficult-to-treat group represents an important step forward."

Although the results are promising, researchers emphasize that amivantamab remains under clinical evaluation and has not yet been confirmed as a cure for all cancer types. Nonetheless, early indications suggest it could usher in a new phase in combating the disease, particularly for patients for whom traditional therapies are no longer effective.