Two tablet a day treatment that can stop bladder cancer for 18 months - Daily Mail

Professor Thomas Powels, oncologist and director of the Barts Cancer Centre where the trial took place said those given the two-pronged treatment will ‘undoubtedly live for longer’.

Professor Thomas Powels, oncologist and director of the Barts Cancer Centre where the trial took place said those given the two-pronged treatment will ‘undoubtedly live for longer’.

Every year, more than 10,000 Britons are diagnosed with bladder cancer.

Last year artist Tracey Emin revealed she’d had extensive surgery to remove a tumour in her bladder, which also involved removing part of her bowel and her vagina, to stop the disease spreading.

Last year artist Tracey Emin, pictured, revealed she’d had extensive surgery to remove a tumour in her bladder, which also involved removing part of her bowel and her vagina, to stop the disease spreading.

But in 60 per cent of them, chemotherapy only works to stop the cancer growing for a few months.

Doctors may then try a course of new generation drugs called immunotherapy – which train the immune system to seek out and destroy cancer cells.

But these too can stop working within six to nine months.

While the drug alone – taken in the form of two daily pills – can keep cancer at bay for a few months, doctors found combining it with immunotherapy was especially potent.

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