A revolutionary treatment of cancer that could stop the disease from ever coming back will soon become widely available, scientists said yesterday.

According to Sky News, US scientists developed a new cancer drug which offers hope of a lasting cure.

More than nine out of ten participants with a severe form of leukaemia saw their symptoms completely vanish.

Four out of five patients with some other blood cancers responded positively to the treatment and more than half ended up symptom free.

The technique involves the removal of immune cells called T-cells from patients and tagging them with “receptor” molecules that target cancer. Then, they are put back into the patient in an infusion.

The targeting molecules, known as chimeric antigen receptors or Cars, came from specially bred genetically engineered mice.

Once attached to the T-cells, they reduce the ability of the cancer to shield itself from the body’s natural immune system.

Lead scientist Professor Stanley Riddell, from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, US, said the results were among patients who were projected to have two to five months to live.

“This is extraordinary. This is unprecedented in medicine to be honest, to get response rates in this range in these very advanced patients.” he said.