One study showed a 100% positive response rate in 42 patients with a specific type of rectal cancer treated with an experimental immunotherapy.
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It’s a rare fact: rectal cancer disappeared in all patients who participated in a clinical trial of a new immunotherapy treatment, according to results published this month.
The study is a collaboration between the US-based Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and pharmaceutical company GSK.
It focused on a new treatment, dostarlimab-gxly, aimed at treating patients with a specific type of rectal cancer, caused by a genetic mutation.
“As a clinician, I have seen firsthand the low impact of standard treatment for MMRd rectal cancer, and I am excited about the potential of dostarlimab-gxly in these patients,” said in the press release Dr. Andrea Cercek, section head of colorectal cancer at MSK, and principal instigator of the study.
MMRd type cancer means “mismatch repair deficient”, in other words, the cells in this case present a dysfunctional DNA repair system. These cancers represent approximately 5% of rectal cancers detected.
Currently, this rare pathology is treated by radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery, but these therapeutic options can be combined.
These heavy treatments often degrade the patient’s quality of life, leading in particular to intestinal disorders, intestinal incontinence or sexual disorders, according to Dr. Clélia Coutzac, oncologist, who did not take part in the study.
How does dostarlimab work?
“As dMMRs are hypermutated tumors, they are very visible to the immune system which, at first, considers the cancer cells as foreign and will kill them. But after a certain time, the cancer progresses and the system immune system stops working”, continues Dr Clélia Coutzac.
“What works very well on these tumors is that we reactivate the system through immunotherapy, in this case, GSK’s dostarlimab, a drug that will guide the lymphocytes to recognize the cancer cells again as harmful and kill them,” she added.
According to the GSK release, patients who completed the treatment for six months showed a complete clinical response and had no evidence of tumor on MRI, endoscopy or clinical examination during the treatment period. follow up.
“Astonishing” results, says Dr. Coutzac.
Other ongoing research
Before dostarlimab – also known by the trade name Jemperli – can be brought to market to treat MMRd rectal cancer, more research is needed.
A global study, called Azur-1, aims to test the effectiveness of dostarlimab-gxly when used alone, in place of chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery, and to confirm the results of the MSK study.
