Onco VEX, the virus that causes cold sores (herpes simplex 1) has been used in small scale study to treat patients with mouth, neck and head cancer. Researchers injected the virus into the affected lymph node of 17 patients with mouth, neck or head cancer. The virus was injected in up to four doses. In 14 patients, tumor shrinkage was noted, and more than 75% of these patients did not show any signs of cancer in the treated lymph nodes. Two years later, more than 75% of the patients were still living. Because these cancers are typically aggressive with a high rate of recurrence, the results are promising. The researchers suggest that larger trials are warranted to further study this technique.
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