Let’s face it – when you think of cancer treatment, you most likely imagine long hours hooked to an IV drip, surrounded by beeping machines and sterile hospital smells. But what if your local hospital told you that, for thousands of cancer patients, this tedious experience is about to be turbo-charged into a quick 5 minute jab?
Sounds like science fiction but it most definitely is science fact. The NHS has become the first healthcare system in Europe to roll out an injectable form of nivolumab: a powerful immunotherapy used to treat more than 15 types of cancer – including skin, bladder and oesophageal cancers.
Now, instead of spending up to an hour every fortnight or month connected to an IV, patients can receive the same life-extending treatment via a subcutaneous injection (under the skin) in just 3 to 5 minutes. That’s shorter than the 5 minute break between lessons.
So… what is a nivolumab?
Great question, I mean it is so foreign a word that even my dictionary isn’t recognising it. So, as you can imagine, this is definitely a word that needed to be researched. Nivolumab is an immune checkpoint inhibitor, which basically means it takes the brakes off your immune system so it can recognise and attack cancer cells more effectively. It’s part of a group of cancer drugs revolutionising treatment by harnessing the body’s own defences – pretty epic right?
Traditionally, it’s been delivered intravenously (IV), which can take 30 to 60 minutes per session. But with this new jab, not only do patients spend less time in hospital, but NHS staff can also see more patients. In fact, switching to the injection could save around 1,000 hours of treatment time every month, which adds up to over a full year’s worth annually. That’s like finding a whole extra doctor in the system — without the stress of medical school.
Thanks to an agreement between NHS England and the drug’s manufacturer Bristol Myers Squibb, this snazzy upgrade won’t cost the NHS an extra penny. That’s right — faster, more convenient treatment for patients and saved capacity for the health service, all without breaking the bank.
According to clinical trials, patients actually prefer the jab to the IV version which of course is a major factor to consider when developing more innovative treatments – the patient, rather than convenience. If the patient doesn’t like it, then what’s the point? But who wouldn’t? It’s quicker, less invasive, and way more convenient, especially for people juggling work, family, and the harsh emotional toll of treatment.
Roughly 1,200 patients per month in England are expected to benefit from this innovation — and that’s just to start with. Around 2 in 5 current IV patients are eligible to switch, and most newly diagnosed patients who need nivolumab are likely to begin with the injection straight away.
To put it simply: we’re entering a new era of cancer treatment. It’s faster, smarter, and kinder on not only patients’ time and energy but doctor’s ridiculous workload and overtime shifts.
I hope you learnt something new and I look forward to seeing you, after a hopefully restful Christmas holidays, with a new question and a new answer.
