Breakthrough cancer treatment plan 'could be cure' for death sentence form of disease

A potential "cure" for a deadly form of cancer could be on the horizon.

Dr Paul Mulholland, a brain cancer expert at University College London, is leading the charge with an experimental treatment that's showing promise in patients - and it might just be ready for widespread use in five years' time.

Brain cancer strikes over 12,000 people in Britain annually, and survival rates are grim, with only one in ten living ten years post-diagnosis, often due to late detection and rapid progression of the disease, coupled with a lack of effective treatments.

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However, this innovative approach involves using ipilimumab, an immunotherapy drug already employed in skin cancer care, administered intravenously to shrink tumours before surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy can be used to eliminate any remaining cancerous tissue. This could be a game-changer for many battling the illness.

Sara Sjolund, a London entrepreneur, faced her own brain cancer battle at 38, as reported by MailOnline. Despite trying everything from radiotherapy to surgery, nothing stopped her astrocytoma from growing, reports the Express US .

That changed when she joined Dr Mulholland's trial. Six months in, her tumour has nearly disappeared and is now deemed "inactive" by Dr Mulholland.

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Sara likened her condition to "like a dead tree, it is still there but at the moment it does not look like it will regrow". Only a select few patients have had the chance to try the treatment, but with support from the National Brain Appeal charity, Dr Mulholland is gearing up to kick off a comprehensive trial early next year.

Commenting on Sara's condition, Dr Mulholland remarked: "Sara's scans show remnants of the tumour. As long as it stays as it is she will be fine."

Dr Mathew Clement of the Cancer Research Centre in Wales optimistically noted: "It is not out of the question that it could be a cure." He added, "We know ipilimumab is effective for other cancers and we have shown that we can apply them to treat brain tumours."

Looking ahead, he suggested, "We could see this treatment offered on the NHS within five years."

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