Cancer trials with Immunotherapy

Hi Steady. Immunotherapy is obtaining excellent results. There’s a few in here at minute having it hopefully someone will pop on. You can put  immunotherapy in search bar and this  will bring up some conversations.  Did the trial have a name ? There’s a lady on a vaccine trial with scan cells. Where your cancer hospital ?  they may be taking  part in that one. 
I know I would explore every option and grab anything that was offered. 
good luck Hazel x

Hi Steady. What’s the trial called? Maybe can help with contacts when we know that 

The Scancell trial is called Modi1 but there are quite a few others 

For me, I would be very very keen to trial if I had a recurrence. 
The elephant in the room, of course, is in randomised trials. 
You’d have to find out how the trial is structured. I wouldn’t be happy not having the new drug which with randomisation would be down to computer choice.  
For example with Modi one cohort get just the vaccine and the other get immunotherapy as well. 
You really need some proper detailed info from your oncologist 

HI

thank you both for your replies, it really is appreciated

yes it is a random trial. At Christies in Manchester

A combination therapy of EFTI & Pembrolizumab  or Pembrolizumab only 

Thanks for the update. At least you’ll be getting pembro whichever way you go. The other is an immune enhancer targeting white blood cells. It’s all complicated stuff. There are some clever people out there. 
Me? I’d go for it. 
Good luck and let us know how you get on. 

Fingers x update when you can we’re here for you to rant rave or just chat. 
Hugs Hazelxx

thank you both

With a poor prognosis (all though I am feeling well at the moment) I'm wondering whether its worth just doing the Pembro and having the best quality of life I can 

as side effects of the trials seem quite grim!

I'll let you know what I deceed

HI RR,

Did being HPV pos have any effect on how your cancer was treated? I wasnt told I was HPV at first post  post surgery out patients.  When you raised this in one of your replies I asked the nurse on my care team and she said I was positive but was never told - just finding that out now over 2 years later has been a blow as I feel I would have approached thing differently at the time of consultation and ongoing out patients appointments. I'm not impressed I was never told this. 

Hi Being h p v positive means your tumour was caused by the human papilloma virus there’s many strains p16 and p18 the most common which causes HPV  oral driven tumours. The treatment is the same chemo radiotherapy or just radiotherapy for both positive and negative. The main difference ys how the tumours respond to treatment with HPV driven ones usually responding extremity well with over 90% 5 year sucess rate. Sadly there’s always some.  that don’t respond as well. 
As for immunotherapy there’s some  excellent results around. I csn direct you to a guy who is undergoing immunotherapy who also had  tonsil cancer diagnosis in 2020 he’s running ultra marathons whist under treatment . Let me know if you want the link. He’s a professor so quite a technical blog. 
Hazel x

Steady said:

Did being HPV pos have any effect on how your cancer was treated?

Not at the moment. There are trials to reduce the amount of radiation we get because HPV driven oropharyngeal cancer responds very well to it. I had six weeks. I know somebody who had only 4. In time the four weeks may be the advised treatment. 
Over 80% of OP cancer is caused by HPV and many patients here seem to have to ask. I think being HPV negative is more important and I thing people should definitely be told about that. 

thank you, the link would be helpful