‘One-minute’ jab that cuts cancer treatment time from two hours to 60 seconds for 14 types of the disease is rolled out by the NHS

Tens of thousands of cancer patients could benefit from a new NHS vaccine that ‘rapidly’ treats more than a dozen cancers in just 60 seconds.

The healthcare is preparing to launch an injectable form of immunotherapy that helps immune cells fight disease and will cut treatment time by 90 per cent.

The vaccine, called pembrolizumab, is effective in 14 different types of cancer, including lung, breast, head and neck and cervical, helping patients spend less time in hospital and increasing NHS efficiency.

Approximately 14,000 patients start treatment in the UK each year and the majority are now expected to benefit from ‘rapid’ treatment.

According to the NHS, the jab will replace intravenous infusion, which can take up to two hours per session, saving patients unnecessary time in treatment units and freeing up the capacity for clinicians to treat more people.

The new treatment will be given as a one-minute injection every three weeks or a two-minute injection every six weeks, depending on the cancer.

Professor Pete Jonson, NHS national clinical director for cancer, said: ‘This immunotherapy offers a lifeline for thousands of patients.

‘Managing cancer treatment and regular hospital trips can be really tiring, and this innovation not only makes treatment much faster, but also helps free up vital appointments for NHS teams to continue reducing waiting times.’

The medication is injected into the fatty tissue just under the skin of the thighs or abdomen.

It works by blocking a protein called PD-1, which acts as a brake on immune responses and teaches the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.

Shirley Xerxes, 89, from St Albans in Hertfordshire, was one of the first patients in the UK to receive the new vaccine at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre.

He said: ‘I can’t believe how little time it took. I stayed in the chair for only a few minutes, not an hour or more.

‘This has made a huge difference and given me more time to live my life, including spending more time gardening.’

However, since the treatment targets the immune system, it can cause some serious side effects such as shortness of breath, fluid retention and hypothyroidism due to a decrease in red blood cells.

When thyroid hormones drop, this can cause fatigue, weight loss, depression, and a deepening of the voice.

If medication is prescribed to replace low hormone levels, the patient will need to take these medications for the rest of his or her life.

Rarer side effects include inflammation of the heart, gastroenteritis, pancreatitis, and even inflammation of the brain, known as encephalitis.

However, these side effects are rare and occur regardless of whether the drug is administered intravenously or by injection.

Welcoming the innovation, Health Minister Wes Streeting said: ‘Our National Cancer Plan promised to do more for patients and move faster – we are already delivering on that change.’

‘As a cancer survivor, I know how important prompt treatment is and this app will deliver faster, more convenient care, saving patients time and helping them recover with less time spent in hospital.’

‘Not only that, but it will also save valuable time so clinicians can care for more people and potentially save more lives.

‘The government is providing healthcare with record funding, nearly 40,000 more people are starting treatment on time, and early diagnosis rates are reaching record levels,’ he added.

‘With innovations like this, we make every penny and every second count and ensure patients receive NHS care that suits their lives, not the other way around.’

Recent damning analysis has revealed that 106,810 cancer patients waited more than 62 days to start urgent treatment on the NHS last year.

More than four in five trusts failed to meet the key target of treating 85 per cent of patients within this time frame.

Cancer charities warn that such delays reduce the chances of survival, can make some treatments less effective and increase anxiety.

Studies show that every four-week delay reduces a patient’s survival rate by an average of 10 percent.

Following a rise in cases over the past decade, someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer every 75 seconds and more people in their 50s are now being diagnosed than ever before.

The Department of Health and Social Care has said the NHS will meet all current cancer targets by March 2028, alongside the Government’s National Cancer Plan, which promises to embrace a robotic revolution to improve survival rates.

Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: ‘At a time when capacity across the NHS is severely limited, innovations like this are vital.

‘It is important that the UK Government continues to allocate resources to ensure proven treatment reaches patients quickly and fairly.

He added that it was ‘fantastic news’ that the new treatment, which is already used to treat multiple cancers, is being quickly rolled out as a vaccine on the NHS.

“This will speed up the delivery of treatment, allowing people to have more time to live their lives outside of hospital and freeing up staff to care for other patients,” he said.

John McNeill, Business Unit Director, Oncology, at MSD, the manufacturer of the drug, added: ‘We are pleased to offer this new treatment option for patients, which is significantly faster than IV delivery and can be administered within one minute every three weeks or two minutes every six weeks.

‘Not only does this improve the patient experience for many, it also saves clinicians valuable time. ‘This innovation provides a practical, patient-centred solution to increase productivity, capacity and convenience in NHS cancer care.’