A "legendary" Houston oncologist has developed a novel cancer treatment that boasts a complete remission rate among patients of 50%, ABC7 reported Feb. 3.
Philip Salem, MD, president of Houston-based Salem Oncology Center and director emeritus of cancer research at Houston-based St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, created a treatment called ICTriplex — a personalized combination of immunotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy.
A study led by Dr. Salem found 46.3% of patients had a complete response and 39% had a partial response to the treatment method. That study had 41 patients with one of 14 types of cancer tumors, including lung, pancreas, colorectal and breast.
"ICTriplex therapy is highly effective in advanced/refractory cancer and therefore should be considered when standard therapy fails, as well as for patients for whom standard therapy is not available," the study concluded.
Another study of 24 patients found 95% of treatment recipients had a response and that the treatment "was effective in primary and metastatic disease."
"I have been in cancer medicine for 55 years. I have never seen before what I'm seeing now as a result of the ICTriplex," Dr. Salem told ABC7.