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Dual immunotherapy shows promise to treat recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal cancer
Medical Xpress / SingHealth / Nature Communications ^ | June 7, 2023 | Darren Wan-Teck Lim et al

Posted on 06/11/2023 10:05:22 AM PDT by ConservativeMind

A team have evaluated that the dual immunotherapy, PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab and CTLA-4 targeting drug ipilimumab, is effective in treating recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

NPC is often diagnosed at a late stage where patients present with metastatic disease and have increased chance of recurrence. The current, standard treatment for this group of patients is chemotherapy.

The team initiated a single-arm, phase 2 trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of combination nivolumab and ipilimumab in 40 patients with metastatic and/or recurrent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated NPC in 2017. EBV is a virus associated with NPC.

Patients who had failed prior chemotherapy received nivolumab every two weeks, and ipilimumab every six weeks, until disease progression or development of toxicities.

Trial results were measured based on the patients' best overall response rate (BOR), partial response (PR) to the therapy, progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results showed that the cohort of patients had a BOR of 38% and PR of 37.5% with median PFS of 5.3 months and 19.5 months of OS. This is comparable to historical response rates and survival benefits conferred by chemotherapy, as second line treatment.

There was better response and PFS in patients with low pre-treatment plasma EBV DNA levels suggesting the possibility that this could be used to select patients more likely to benefit from the dual immunotherapy.

However, they found that during treatment, gene expression between patients who had PR to treatment compared to those who did not was significantly different. This suggests that to identify patients who would respond, future studies should focus on obtaining data after the start of treatment rather than before. They were able to identify that these differences lay in PD-1 and CTLA-4 expressing CD8 gene subpopulations, and could potentially predict response to this combined therapy.

(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: cancer; ipilimumab; nasopharyngealcancer; nivolumab; npc; treatment
This alternative to chemo as a second-line treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma is currently available.
1 posted on 06/11/2023 10:05:22 AM PDT by ConservativeMind
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To: Mazey; ckilmer; goodnesswins; Jane Long; BusterDog; jy8z; ProtectOurFreedom; matthew fuller; ...

The “Take Charge Of Your Health” Ping List

This high volume ping list is for health articles and studies which describe something you or your doctor, when informed, may be able to immediately implement for your benefit.

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2 posted on 06/11/2023 10:05:54 AM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: ConservativeMind

This is the third article today that the treatment is currently available. Why does it matter? Do we have people with testicular cancer who also have nasopharyngeal cancer that need chemotherapy for both conditions?


3 posted on 06/11/2023 11:06:35 AM PDT by webheart
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To: webheart

You strike me as someone who used to do stupid work, supporting a profession of ill repute. I bet I’m right, correct? You refuse to answer my questions of you, yet, I have answered your questions. What was the industry you supported? Let’s get out in the open what trash you did, troll.


4 posted on 06/11/2023 11:27:29 AM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: webheart

I believe chemotherapy envolves different drugs for different places in the body.


5 posted on 06/11/2023 3:03:51 PM PDT by TribalPrincess2U (D.I.S.T.R.A.C.T.I.O.N.S.)
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