Explained: What is Rectal cancer? What is Dostarlimab and why did it make headlines?

In a clinical trial in the United States, all the participating rectal cancer patients were cured. The medical marvel took place in the country's famous Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Experts say this is perhaps the first time in the history of modern medical science that an experimental procedure was this successful against the most dreaded disease. According to media reports, 18 patients took a drug called Dostarlimab for six months. The cancerous tumours in all the patients disappeared. Dr Luis A. Diaz J, a researcher at the New York-based hospital, said it is a major breakthrough in mankind's war against cancer. 

What is rectal cancer?

In Rectal cancer, malignant cells form in the tissues of the rectum. One of the major symptoms of rectal cancer is a change in bowel habits. Blood in the stool is another major symptom. 

The rectum is a part of the body's elaborate digestive system. The rectum and the anus are the last two parts of the system and deal with the passing of waste material out of the body after digestion.

The overall five-year survival rate for rectal cancer is 63 per cent. The five-year survival rate for those whose cancer has not spread out of the rectum is 91 per cent. 

Symptoms of rectal cancer

The symptoms include: blood in the stool, a change in bowel habits, constipation, diarrhea, unusual shape of stool, gas pains, bloating, change in appetite, sudden and unexplained weight loss, fatigue. Treatment options include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, surgery or the combination of all the three strategies. 

What is Dostarlimab?

Dostarlimab is an experimental drug. It contains laboratory-produced molecules. It acts as substitute antibodies. It is sold under the brand name Jemperli. It was approved for medical use in the United States and the European Union in 2021. Its side-effects include vomiting, joint pain, itching, rash, fever etc.

The 18 patients that took part in the study had locally spread cancer, which means the cancer had not spread to other parts of the body. These patients had been planning to undergo conventional cancer treatments like chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. However, they received the pleasant but unexpected news. The initial results are promising; however, the efficacy of the drug cannot be ascertained in such a small trial. A much bigger study involving a large number of patients will have to be done to draw the final picture as to the drug's effectiveness.