"I have never seen anything like this before and I think this is the first time we’ve seen anything like this in cancer treatment," said Dr. Luis Diaz, who co-led the trailblazing research backed by drug maker GlaxoSmithKline.
The patients don’t need convincing though. In a video the hospital produced, they called what happened a miracle. "The first thing I did, I called my mom and we both cried. It was life changing," said fellow patient Imtiaz. Dostarlimab is an immunotherapy drug typically used to treat endometrial cancer. This study was the first time it was used to battle rectal cancer tumors. Usually, patients with rectal cancer must endure surgery and chemotherapy — but there was no need for either of those after patients took the drug.