Andrea Cercek, MD, on Rectal Cancer: Durable Complete Responses to PD-1 Blockade Alone
2024 ASCO Annual Meeting
Andrea Cercek, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses expanded data on the durability of complete response to dostarlimab-gxly, a PD-1 single-agent therapy administered to patients with locally advanced mismatch repair–deficient rectal cancer. The drug yielded recurrence-free responses, lasting longer than a year, without the need for chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery (LBA3512).
Transcript
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We're presenting data on the durability of clinical complete responses in mismatch repair-deficient locally advanced rectal cancer to PD-1 therapy alone. We designed a phase II clinical trial of neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade with dostarlimab in mismatch repair-deficient rectal cancer, with the idea that we could use immunotherapy alone, dostarlimab alone to treat locally advanced rectal cancer, and potentially omit standard approaches to therapy, including chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. And we initially presented the data two years ago. In June of 2022, we noted complete responses, 100% complete responses in 14 consecutive patients. So now we're presenting the expanded data. The trial has been ongoing, and we continue to see a hundred percent complete clinical responses now in 42 patients treated with dostarlimab.
None of our patients have needed chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery. The second primary endpoint of the trial was the durability of these complete responses. And we have seen now that 24 patients have had more than a year of complete clinical responses after completion of dostarlimab. Really showing that not only are we seeing 100% complete responses, but that these responses are in fact durable in patients. And in terms of quality of life, this has been incredibly impactful for patients. None have needed chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery. And we've seen very little toxicity, only grade 1 or 2 toxicity on trial to dostarlimab, so the patient's quality of life is maintained after treatment.
There is now a global study called AZUR-1 with the same exact design, looking at neoadjuvant therapy with dostarlimab in mismatch repair-deficient rectal cancer. Which is a registration study that will hopefully provide care to all patients with early-stage mismatch repair-deficient rectal cancer, and change the standard of care in this population.
The ASCO Post Staff
David J. Andorsky, MD, of the Sarah Cannon Research Institute and Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers, discusses EPCORE NHL-6, an ongoing study of patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and follicular lymphoma (FL). As outpatients, the study participants were given subcutaneous epcoritamab-bysp to see whether they could be safely monitored and cytokine-release syndrome appropriately managed in the outpatient setting (Abstract 7029).
The ASCO Post Staff
Don S. Dizon, MD, of Legorreta Cancer Center at Brown University and Lifespan Cancer Institute, discusses final phase II results of the BrUOG 354 trial showing that, for patients with ovarian and other extrarenal clear cell cancers, nivolumab and ipilimumab warrant further evaluation against standard treatment, given the historically chemotherapy-resistant nature of the disease (LBA5500).
The ASCO Post Staff
Christos Kyriakopoulos, MD, of the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, discusses data suggesting that adding cabazitaxel to abiraterone and prednisone improves progression-free survival in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who previously received chemohormonal therapy with docetaxel for hormone-sensitive disease compared with abiraterone plus prednisone alone (Abstract LBA5000).
The ASCO Post Staff
Axel Hauschild, MD, of Germany’s University of Kiel and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, discusses phase III study results on neoadjuvant intralesional daromun vs immediate surgery for patients with fully resectable, locally advanced melanoma (Abstract LBA9501).
The ASCO Post Staff
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