Posted on 03/28/2023 8:29:45 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
In a study, researchers found the combination of immunotherapy (pembrolizumab) and chemotherapy in patients with advanced or recurrent/advanced endometrial cancer resulted in a significant reduction in disease growth when compared with chemotherapy alone.
Endometrial cancer, a type of cancer that begins in the lining of the uterus, is one of the few cancers with a rising incidence and death rate.
In the past four decades, there have been limited advancements in treatment for patients with advanced endometrial cancer.
"These results may transform the way we care for patients with advanced stage or recurrent/advanced uterine cancer. Currently, chemotherapy alone is used in the first-line treatment for patients with this disease," said Ramez N. Eskander, MD.
In the blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized Phase III trial, 816 people with Stage III or IV endometrial cancer were assigned to two groups: deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) and proficient mismatch repair (pMMR), and treated with either immunotherapy in combination with chemotherapy or with chemotherapy alone.
In cancer, mismatch repair (MMR) proteins describe cells that have mutations in certain genes that are involved in correcting mistakes made when DNA is copied in a cell. pMMR is the "normal" state our cells are in, where the MMR pathway is active and functional. dMMR is the "mutant" state, where the MMR pathway is not working as usual.
At a follow up time of 12-months, the dMMR group showed a 70% reduction in the risk of disease growth in the participants who received immunotherapy in addition to chemotherapy. The pMMR group showed a 46% reduction in the risk of disease growth in the participants who received immunotherapy in addition to chemotherapy.
Eskander emphasizes that endometrial cancer is most common in post-menopausal women, and vaginal bleeding/spotting in this patient population can sometimes be overlooked.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
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