New NHS Drug is Game-Changer for Blood Cancer Patients

Hundreds of patients across England will soon have access to a cutting-edge treatment for an aggressive form of blood cancer.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is treated with a new drug called CAR-T cell therapy.

For many years, treatment options for DLBCL have been limited. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are often used, but they can cause severe side effects. CAR-T cell therapy is a new type of treatment that uses the patient's immune system to fight cancer cells.

The treatment involves taking immune cells from the patient's blood and genetically modifying them so that they can target and destroy cancer cells. The modified cells are then infused back into the patient's body.

CAR-T cell therapy has been shown to be very effective in treating DLBCL. In clinical trials, the treatment has led to remissions in over 50% of patients.

The availability of CAR-T cell therapy on the NHS is a major breakthrough for patients with DLBCL. The treatment offers new hope for patients who have not responded to other treatments.