In what researchers are calling the biggest leap in decades, a new clinical trial has shown that the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab can nearly double the time head and neck cancer patients remain cancer-free. The study followed over 700 patients across 24 countries and found that those treated with the drug before standard surgery and radiation stayed cancer-free for an average of five years—far longer than the current average of 30 months. The drug works by supercharging the immune system to fight off cancer cells, and it proved effective across all patient types, even those without high immune markers.
For many, this isn’t just another treatment, it’s a second chance at life. Laura Marston, once diagnosed with stage 4 tongue cancer, now remains disease-free six years after starting the trial. Experts say the results could change how doctors approach early-stage and locally advanced cancers, offering hope to thousands. Some patients are even outliving the expected averages, giving researchers more reason to be optimistic about immunotherapy’s future.