Using existing drugs to treat cervical cancer before standard treatment could lead to a 35% reduction in the risk of relapse or death, a new study suggests. Researchers from the UCL Cancer Institute and UCLH looked into whether a short course of induction chemotherapy (IC), where a drug is used to destroy as many cancer cells as possible, before chemoradiation (CRT), could help with this. Here’s everything you need to know about the findings… What is cervical cancer? According to the NHS website, cervical cancer is a type of cancer found anywhere near the cervix – the opening between the vagina and the womb (uterus), which is also known as the neck of the womb. Most cervical cancers grow very slowly and are caused by an infection from specific types of human papillomavirus (HPV) and mostly affect women under the age of 45. According to Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, symptoms include vaginal bleeding that is unusual to you, changes to vaginal discharge, discomfort during sex and pain in your lower back or pelvis. Changes to cells can be spotted by a cervical screening, and then treated before they turn into cancer. There are around 3,200 new cases every year in the UK, with the five-year survival rate being around 70%, according to Cancer Research UK. CRT has been the standard treatment for cervical cancer patients since 1999, but even though there have been overall significant developments in radiation therapy techniques, up to 30% of people experience their cancer coming back. What did the research involve? Over a 10-year period, 500 patients who had been diagnosed with cervical cancer – that was large enough to see without a microscope but hadn’t spread to other parts of the body – took part in the Interlace trial at hospitals in the UK, Mexico, India, Italy and Brazil. Researchers looked into whether a short course of IC before CRT could reduce rates of relapse and death. What results were found? After five years, researchers discovered that 80% of the people who received a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy were alive, whilst 73% had not seen their cancer return or spread. A major benefit, according to researchers, is that it can be incorporated into standard of care treatment relatively quickly, because cheap, accessible and already-approved ingredients such as carboplatin and paclitaxel are needed for IC. “Our trial shows that this short course of additional chemotherapy delivered immediately before the standard CRT can reduce the risk of the cancer returning or death by 35%,” said Dr Mary McCormack, lead investigator of the trial from UCL Cancer Institute and UCLH. “This is the biggest improvement in outcome in this disease in over 20 years. “I’m incredibly proud of all the patients who participated in the trial; their contribution has allowed us to gather the evidence needed to improve treatment of cervical cancer patients everywhere. “We couldn’t have done this without the generous support of Cancer Research UK.” Why is the research important? Dr Iain Foulkes, executive director of research and innovation at Cancer Research UK, said: “Timing is everything when you’re treating cancer. The simple act of adding induction chemotherapy to the start of chemoradiation treatment for cervical cancer has delivered remarkable results in this trial. “A growing body of evidence is showing the value of additional rounds of chemotherapy before other treatments like surgery and radiotherapy in several other cancers. “Not only can it reduce the chances of cancer coming back, it can be delivered quickly using drugs already available worldwide. “We’re excited for the improvements this trial could bring to cervical cancer treatment and hope short courses of induction chemotherapy will be rapidly adopted in the clinic.”

Boxer and rapper KSI and YouTuber-turned-WWE-star Logan Paul sure have hit the jackpot with their drinks company Prime, to the extent it’s sold for ridiculous prices, made one shop in Wakefield go viral, and even been reviewed by foul-mouthed chef Gordon Ramsay. The collaboration between Paul and KSI (real name Olajide “JJ” Olatunji) was announced back in January last year, with the pair just recently touring Munich, Barcelona, Copenhagen and Oslo to promote the drink. Prime has even become the drinks partner for both Arsenal and Barcelona football clubs. However, such success has also caught the attention of legislators, with one US senator, Democrat Chuck Schumer, calling for the company to be investigated by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). In a letter to the regulator, Mr Schumer wrote: “A simple search on social media for Prime will generate an eye-popping amount of sponsored content, which is advertising. “This content and all the claims made should be investigated, along with the ingredients and the caffeine content in the Prime energy drink.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter While Prime Hydration is caffeine-free, the Prime Energy brand contains 200mg of caffeine per 12 ounces, which is about the same as six cans of Coca-Cola or almost two Red Bulls. On Twitter, Mr Schumer went further and claimed the drink contains so much of the stimulant that it “could endanger kids’ health”, but is being “marketed to kids” anyway. “Parents and paediatricians are worried. The FDA must investigate Prime for its absurd caffeine content and its marketing targeting kids on social media,” he wrote. Representatives for Prime, meanwhile, argue the product is clearly labelled as “not recommended for children under 18”. Although the FDA is yet to announce an investigation into the drinks brand, and therefore it’s not yet at risk of being banned in the US, how much money would KSI and Logan Paul stand to lose if such a decision was ever taken? Some insight into just how popular the brand is was given by Paul during an interview on the Australian radio show The Kyle and Jackie O Show in February, in which he said they had garnered “$250m in retail sales [and] $110m gross internally”. “In January of this year, we did $45m,” he added. But of course, Olatunji and Paul won’t see all of that money, with Prime being part of the Congo Brands company and the YouTuber duo reportedly having a combined share of 20 per cent in the brand. Although we don't have the exact estimations, but we imagine the answer to the big question is that the pair would certainly lose a lot of money if they were blocked from selling in a market as big as America. That’s yet to happen, though, and so instead, Prime looks to be getting more and more popular… Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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