The immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab could help treat the recurrence of a deadly cancer, said the US researchers. The findings of their study are described in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.

Previously, pembrolizumab, manufactured under the name Keytruda, was used in cancer immunotherapy, including in the head and neck areas. This drug supports the immune system and helps it attack cancer cells more effectively. This route of administration of pembrolizumab showed significant improvements in 20% of patients.

In a new study, scientists were trying to see if the drug could be used to prevent cancer from recurring. With previous treatments that included chemotherapy, surgery, and other methods, the risk of cancer returning was about 30-50%.

The results of a new study showed a high level of effectiveness of pembrolizumab. In many subjects, the tumors disappeared even after the first dose. In the group of patients where the drug began to work before surgery, statistics showed 100% relapse-free. In addition, pembrolizumab eliminated tumors before surgery in almost 50% of patients, which is much better than previous studies.