Louise Broadbelt, 55, credits a pembrolizumab clinical trial with giving her renewed hope after a Stage 3 cervical cancer diagnosis. NICE has approved pembrolizumab — a PD‑1 immunotherapy that helps the immune system attack cancer — for some patients, with two‑year progression‑free rates of 68% versus 57% for chemoradiotherapy alone. The NHS expects about 550 people to be eligible over the next two years, while HPV vaccination at 12–13 greatly reduces the risk of early cervical cancer death.
NHS Approves Pembrolizumab for Some Cervical Cancer Patients — Surrey Woman Credits Trial With Saving Her Life
Louise Broadbelt, from Surrey, took part in a trial for a new immunotherapy treatment for cervical cancer [Supplied]
Louise Broadbelt, 55, from Surrey says she feels incredibly "blessed and lucky" after taking part in a clinical trial of pembrolizumab following a Stage 3 cervical cancer diagnosis. The immunotherapy drug has now been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and will be offered as an option to some patients from Thursday.
Pembrolizumab is a PD‑1 inhibitor — an immunotherapy that helps the body's T cells recognise and attack cancer cells, often described by clinicians as "taking the handbrake off" the immune system. The drug can be given as an injection or an infusion and has been added to treatment options for locally advanced cervical cancer through the Cancer Drugs Fund.
Results from the trial that led to the decision showed improved outcomes when pembrolizumab was added to standard chemoradiotherapy. Two years after starting treatment, 68% of patients who received pembrolizumab were alive without their cancer progressing, compared with 57% of those treated with chemoradiotherapy alone, an NHS spokesperson said.
The NHS estimates roughly 550 people will be eligible to receive pembrolizumab over the next two years. Around 3,300 people are diagnosed with cervical cancer in the UK each year, according to Cancer Research UK.
"Nothing can prepare you for being diagnosed with cancer," Broadbelt said. "All you want to hear is you will get the best possible treatment and have hope. I'm very grateful I was offered the chance to go on the pembrolizumab trial in 2021. I feel incredibly blessed and lucky that I was offered to participate and that I am still here today."
Lyndsey Ambler, representing Cancer Research UK, commented: "Adding immunotherapy to standard cancer treatment could improve people's chances of survival, so it's encouraging that pembrolizumab is being made available for some people with locally advanced cervical cancer through the Cancer Drugs Fund. This decision may also allow some patients to access the drug earlier in their treatment than before."
Separate research also highlights the impact of prevention: girls vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) at ages 12–13 have a near‑zero risk of dying from cervical cancer before age 30. This underscores the combined value of vaccination, early detection and improved treatment options.
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