Cancer patients have come from all over the world to a Houston oncologist who has developed a groundbreaking treatment that achieves complete remission in 50 percent of patients.
Philip Salem, 82, combined immunotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy to create a groundbreaking cancer treatment called ICTriplex.
‘I have been working in cancer medicine for 55 years. What I see now as a result of ICTriplex is something I have never seen before,” Salem said ABC7.
The 82-year-old oncologist, a leader in the field of cancer research, published his findings in the American Society of Clinical Oncology Journal in June 2022.
The compelling results of his research drew desperate patients from around the world, who traveled thousands of miles to Houston, Texas, in search of hope and the possibilities offered by this groundbreaking treatment.
Cancer patients have come from all over the world to a Houston oncologist, Philip Salem, who has developed a groundbreaking treatment that helps 50 percent of patients achieve complete remission.
Salem, 82, combined immunotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy to create a breakthrough cancer treatment called ICTriplex
Petra, a cancer patient who called the treatment a miracle, said: “I had a lot of pain at first when I came here, and in the first month it was gone.”
Bianca Gurrado, a patient who traveled from Italy to Houston, said she first heard about Dr. Salem heard as her cancer continued to worsen and spread.
‘I did start therapy in Italy, but unfortunately the results of the therapy were not good, which meant I was in constant progression of the disease.’
Gurrado, who battled the challenging disease for three years, is now in a state of complete remission, Salem said.
Petra, a cancer patient who called the treatment a miracle, said: “I had a lot of pain at first when I came here, and in the first month it was gone.”
The Salem Oncology Center is the only facility using the combination of immunotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy to treat advanced cancer, the doctor said.
“We took patients who were told by the major cancer centers to go home and die, and we achieved a complete remission rate of 50 to 60 percent.”
“Zero percent versus 50 percent, that’s an easy choice,” says cancer patient Marco Praagman.
Bianca Gurrado, a patient who traveled from Italy to Houston, said she first heard about Dr. Salem heard as her cancer continued to worsen and spread.
Gurrado, who battled the challenging disease for three years, is now in a state of complete remission, Salem said
Salem’s research on ICTriplex was published in the American Society of Clinical Oncology Journal, one of the most influential journals in the field.
He studied 41 patients with multiple types of cancer, including lung, pancreatic, colorectal and breast cancer, all of which were in late stages of progression.
The overall remission rate, considering patients in both partial remission and complete remission, was an impressive 90 percent.
In contrast, conventional treatments typically achieve a remission rate of less than 30 percent, he said.
He told Houston Chronicle in 2022: ‘And to our surprise, this combination appears to be very effective for a broad spectrum of cancer diagnoses. It is not limited to one diagnosis or to one tumor.’
The groundbreaking treatment has proven to be more effective in lung and pancreatic cancer patients, with a complete remission rate of 70 percent.
Salem said: ‘We recommend the treatment as a first-line treatment because it was very effective in the lungs and pancreas.’
“Zero percent versus 50 percent, that’s an easy choice,” says cancer patient Marco Praagman
Salem studied 41 patients with multiple types of cancer, including lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer and breast cancer, all of which were in late stages of progression.
Patients are grateful to Salem and recognize him as a beacon of hope in their battle against what is often considered the most difficult disease in the human world.
Ellie Moore, who was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer a decade ago, has been in remission since 2019.
“I knew I had to do everything I could to fight and Dr. Salem assured me that we would not give up,” she said.
“Living in Houston, I was able to leave my office to receive treatment and return to work the same day,” she added.
“I love Dr. Salem; he is my hero,” Gurrado said with genuine happiness.