We are so proud to see Dr. Hans Hammers’s clinical trial of RADVAX selected for presentation at ASCO GU 2020. ASCO is the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and ASCO GU focuses on genitourinary cancers.
RADVAX combines SBRT with immunotherapy. This clinical trial showed that high-dose radiation added to immunotherapy can help more patients respond to immunotherapy. Using SBRT to inflame tumors can help the immune system recognize the tumor and therefore increases the response rate to immunotherapy. Higher response rates show that radiation is helping turn some people whose cancer would not respond to immunotherapy (non-responders) into responders.
The encouraging results for kidney cancer patients from this preliminary trial led to the selection of Dr. Hans Hammers and RADVAX for a presentation at ASCO.
This trial was 100% patient and community funded through the grassroots efforts of Ralph and Brenda Knapp and KidneyCAN.
After impressive response rates, Bristol Myers Squibb has funded this SBRT and immunotherapy combination for continued research, which we hope to see translate quickly to clinical use. Ralph was one of the first patients to receive RADVAX and is pictured here with his wife Brenda and Dr. Hammers.
You can check out Dr. Hammers’s ASCO GU abstract here, but do follow us on Facebook and Twitter to see our live updates of the event this week!
