Latest news with #MMRd
Fox News
28-04-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Alternative cancer treatment could replace chemo and surgery, study suggests
New cancer research pioneered by Memorial Sloan Kettering points to a strong alternative to chemotherapy, surgery and radiation for some forms of cancer. Nearly 80% of patients who suffered from a variety of cancer types were successfully treated with only immunotherapy, according to a new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The immunotherapy protocol successfully treated 100% of rectal cancer patients involved in the trial. "My husband, Tommy, and I were preparing for the worst," recalled Maureen Sideris, who was diagnosed with gastroesophageal junction cancer in 2022 and subsequently became a participant in the trial. "After being treated with only immunotherapy, I had no evidence of cancer and didn't have to undergo surgery, chemo or radiation," she said in an MSK press release. "I felt like I won the lottery!" Dr. Andrea Cercek, a gastrointestinal oncologist, oversaw the research along with fellow gastrointestinal oncologist Dr. Luiz Diaz. The pair sought to develop this approach in part due to the negative impacts of traditional treatment, according to the release. "Using the standard-of-care treatment of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy to treat rectal cancer is effective," Cercek said. "But the treatments can leave people infertile and severely affect bowel, urinary and sexual functions, as well as other aspects of daily life." "After being treated with only immunotherapy, I had no evidence of cancer and didn't have to undergo surgery, chemo or radiation." Participants in the trial were all patients with tumors ranging from stage 1 to stage 3, meaning the tumors had not yet spread, the release indicated. The tumors also had a genetic mutation called mismatch repair-deficient (MMRd), which makes them particularly vulnerable to a type of immunotherapy called "checkpoint inhibitors." This therapy "unmasks" tumor cells, MSK stated, making it easier for the patient's own immune system to recognize and kill cancer cells. The first clinical trial testing the therapy started with only 18 patients, all of whom had rectal cancer. "We knew there was a broad range of cancer types that had this same MMRd genetic mutation," Cercek said. "We hoped this approach could help people facing these other cancers, too." In the expanded trial, which contained 103 patients, there were 49 rectal cancer patients and 54 patients with other types of cancer. Participants received checkpoint inhibitor infusions intravenously over the course of six months, per the release. In all 49 rectal cancer patients, there was no evidence of cancer after immunotherapy. Of the 54 patients with other cancers, 35 saw all signs of cancer disappear after therapy, according to a variety of tests performed for the study. "This is a very significant response, and the results were even better than we had hoped," said Cercek. "We found that some cancer types responded extremely well to the immunotherapy, including colon and stomach cancer." In the 20% of non-rectal cancer patients who still needed surgery post-therapy, researchers saw that the immunotherapy often shrunk the tumor and even lowered the stage classifications of some of the tumors, according to Cercek. Timothy Yap, Ph.D., a medical oncologist at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, agrees that the immunotherapy treatment's effectiveness for multiple kinds of cancer is "exciting." "We are always seeking to improve treatment strategies for cancer patients through innovative clinical trials, and this is no exception," Yap, who was not involved in the study, told Fox Digital. "Responding patients may avoid the need for surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and benefit by improving their quality of life," he said. "This is a very significant response, and the results were even better than we had hoped." Based on the results of the original trial with rectal patients, the immunotherapy-only approach has been incorporated into the treatment guidelines of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, which is the doctor's group that sets cancer treatments in the U.S., the release stated. For more Health articles, visit Some of the original participants of the 2022 trial are still cancer-free today, multiple years after the initial treatment.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Immunotherapy Could Replace Surgery for Certain Types of Cancer, New Study Finds
Results from a groundbreaking clinical trial could soon change the way certain types of cancers are treated. A study published Sunday in the New England Journal of Medicine found that immunotherapy could replace surgery for patients with locally advanced mismatch repair-deficient (MMRd) solid tumors — which would preserve their quality of life. According to the American Cancer Society, immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment in which a patient's own immune system is boosted or changed to fight cancer cells. Sometimes, it can work by stimulating someone's natural defenses to make them stronger and more effective at finding and attacking cancer. Other times, it can involve using lab-m substances that act like components of the immune system — like the proteins monoclonal antibodies, which bind to targets on cancer cells so the immune system can identify them better and destroy them. The phase 2 study was conducted by gastrointestinal oncologists Andrea Cercek, MD, and Luis Diaz Jr., MD and led by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. It was an extension of game-changing research from MSK that came out in December 2024, which saw rectal cancer disappear in 100 percent of patients who took dostarlimab (also known as Jemperli), a form of immunotherapy, in the small trial. 42 people completed the treatment and showed no signs of having cancer afterwards. Because of the success of the treatment, the FDA granted dostarlimab a 'Breakthrough Therapy Designation' for treating people with MMRd rectal cancers. The follow-up trial included 103 patients with stage 1-3 cancer. 49 patients had rectal cancer and 54 had non-rectal cancers, including gastroesophageal, hepatobiliary, colon, genitourinary, and gynecologic. They all had MMRd cancer, which means the cells have mutations in the genes that help correct mistakes when DNA is copied — and if a cell cannot fix the mistakes, it becomes cancerous. According to the National Cancer Institute, MMRd cancer is most common in colorectal cancer. The usual course of treatment for MMRd cancers is surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. The study set out to examine whether just treating patients with immunotherapy for six months would be effective at treating cancer. In the study, 100 percent of the patients with rectal cancer had a clinical complete response (meaning all signs of cancer had disappeared) and 65 percent of those with other types of cancer saw their tumors disappear. In total, about 80 percent of patients who were treated with immunotherapy did not have to undergo surgery. 'This study shows that immunotherapy can replace surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy for mismatch repair-deficient solid tumors, which could help patients preserve their organs and avoid the harsh side effects of chemo and radiation,' said Dr. Andrea Cercek, gastrointestinal oncologist and co-director of the Center for Young Onset Colorectal and Gastrointestinal Cancer at MSK. 'Preserving a patient's quality of life while also successfully achieving positive results in eliminating their cancer is the best possible outcome. They can return to their daily routines and maintain their independence.' Maureen Sideris, a participant in the trial who was diagnosed with gastroesophageal junction cancer in 2022, said, 'I was afraid that if I got surgery on my esophagus, I wouldn't be able to talk for a while, which would be awful.' Sideris did not have to undergo surgery thanks to the success of the immunotherapy alone, which she said, 'was just amazing.' Dr. Cercek and Dr. Diaz now hope to be able to use this approach to treat even more types of post Immunotherapy Could Replace Surgery for Certain Types of Cancer, New Study Finds appeared first on Katie Couric Media.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Immunotherapy Could Replace Surgery for Certain Types of Cancer, New Study Finds
Results from a groundbreaking clinical trial could soon change the way certain types of cancers are treated. A study published Sunday in the New England Journal of Medicine found that immunotherapy could replace surgery for patients with locally advanced mismatch repair-deficient (MMRd) solid tumors — which would preserve their quality of life. According to the American Cancer Society, immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment in which a patient's own immune system is boosted or changed to fight cancer cells. Sometimes, it can work by stimulating someone's natural defenses to make them stronger and more effective at finding and attacking cancer. Other times, it can involve using lab-made substances that act like components of the immune system — like the proteins monoclonal antibodies, which bind to targets on cancer cells so the immune system can identify them better and destroy them. The phase 2 study was conducted by gastrointestinal oncologists Andrea Cercek, MD, and Luis Diaz Jr., MD and led by Memorial Sloan Kettering. It was an extension of game-changing research from MSK that came out in December 2024, which saw rectal cancer disappear in 100 percent of patients who took dostarlimab (also known as Jemperli), a form of immunotherapy, in the small trial. 42 people completed the treatment and showed no signs of having cancer afterwards. Because of the success of the treatment, the FDA granted dostarlimab a 'Breakthrough Therapy Designation' for treating people with MMRd rectal cancers. The follow-up trial included 103 patients with stage 1-3 cancer. 49 patients had rectal cancer and 54 had non-rectal cancers, including gastroesophageal, hepatobiliary, colon, genitourinary, and gynecologic. They all had MMRd cancer, which means the cells have mutations in the genes that help correct mistakes when DNA is copied — and if a cell cannot fix the mistakes, it becomes cancerous. According to the National Cancer Institute, MMRd cancer is most common in colorectal cancer. The usual course of treatment for MMRd cancers is surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. The study set out to examine whether just treating patients with immunotherapy for six months would be effective at treating cancer. In the study, 100 percent of the patients with rectal cancer had a clinical complete response (meaning all signs of cancer had disappeared) and 65 percent of those with other types of cancer saw their tumors disappear. In total, about 80 percent of patients who were treated with immunotherapy did not have to undergo surgery. 'This study shows that immunotherapy can replace surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy for mismatch repair-deficient solid tumors, which could help patients preserve their organs and avoid the harsh side effects of chemo and radiation,' said Dr. Andrea Cercek, gastrointestinal oncologist and co-director of the Center for Young Onset Colorectal and Gastrointestinal Cancer at MSK. 'Preserving a patient's quality of life while also successfully achieving positive results in eliminating their cancer is the best possible outcome. They can return to their daily routines and maintain their independence.' Maureen Sideris, a participant in the trial who was diagnosed with gastroesophageal junction cancer in 2022, said, 'I was afraid that if I got surgery on my esophagus, I wouldn't be able to talk for a while, which would be awful.' Sideris did not have to undergo surgery thanks to the success of the immunotherapy alone, which she said, 'was just amazing.' Dr. Cercek and Dr. Diaz now hope to be able to use this approach to treat even more types of post Immunotherapy Could Replace Surgery for Certain Types of Cancer, New Study Finds appeared first on Katie Couric Media.
