St Albans resident becomes one of the first to receive revolutionary cancer jab
89-year-old, Shirley Xerxes received the treatment at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre
St Albans resident Shirley Xerxes has become one of the first patients in the UK to receive a revolutionary cancer immunotherapy jab that takes only a minute to administer.
The 89-year-old received the treatment at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, managed by East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust, and hailed it as ‘unbelievable’ for the decreased time spent in the hospital chair, granting her ‘more time to live her life.’
The NHS rollout of pembrolizumab (Keytruda), in a new injectable form, promises to benefit tens of thousands of patients by significantly cutting treatment duration for 14 different types of cancer, including lung, breast, head and neck, and cervical.
Normally requiring an intravenous infusion taking up to two hours, the process now involves a simple one-minute injection every three weeks or a two-minute injection every six weeks, depending on the cancer type.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS National Clinical Director for Cancer, expressed optimism, saying, "This immunotherapy offers a lifeline for thousands of patients and it’s fantastic that this new rapid jab can now take just a minute to deliver – meaning patients can get back to living their lives rather than spending hours in a hospital chair."
Shirley says, "I was really happy to try out this new way of getting my treatment. I can’t believe how little time it took. It’s made such a difference and gives me more time to live my life, including spending more time gardening."
The transition to a ready-to-administer subcutaneous injection both eliminates lengthy preparation and frees up crucial clinic resources, allowing NHS teams to see and treat more individuals, helping to reduce waiting times.
The treatment, manufactured by MSD, operates by triggering immune cells to kill cancer cells through the blocking of a protein called PD-1, which acts as a brake on immune responses.
Wes Streeting, Health and Social Care Secretary, highlighted the initiative as part of the National Cancer Plan’s commitment to faster, more convenient patient care while freeing up clinicians’ time.
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive at Cancer Research UK said: "This will speed up the delivery of treatment, allowing people to spend more time living their lives outside of hospital, as well as freeing up time for staff to care for other patients."
Patients who receive pembrolizumab alongside other intravenous therapies may continue with infusion where needed.
The NHS expects around 14,000 patients commencing pembrolizumab therapy each year in England to benefit from this enhancement.