Immunotherapy has brought promising breakthroughs to several types of cancer. Cervical cancer has a relatively large number of mutations (gene changes), which may make it more sensitive to immunotherapy drugs and may apply immunotherapy to cervical cancer.
A number of clinical trials are in full swing, and the researchers recently summarized a phase II trial of single drug nivolumab (Opdivo) for recurrent cervical cancer. Among the 24 patients: 19 had cervical cancer, 5 had vaginal cancer, and 26% of cervical cancer patients responded to the drug, which is an encouraging result.
Researchers will continue to improve the single-drug program through further trials, but are also pursuing another approach: combination trials. Studies using single-agent immunotherapy with drugs such as pembrolizumab (Keytruda) or nivolumab show that 15% -25% of patients are active, but the remaining patients are inactive, and there is much room for improvement. For this reason, the researchers are more focused on combined trials of cervical cancer.
Satu eksperimen sedang dijalankan untuk memasangkan ubat imunoterapi atezolizumab (Tecentriq) dengan agen anti-angiogenik bevacizumab, yang menghalang sel barah dari membentuk saluran darah baru yang perlu tumbuh. Bevacizumab adalah ubat aktif untuk melawan barah serviks, dan ada data praklinikal yang mengatakan bahawa bevacizumab dapat meningkatkan keberkesanan imunoterapi. Oleh itu, ini adalah gabungan kanser serviks yang menarik, dan kami tidak sabar-sabar menunggu hasil kajian ini.
In another clinical trial, researchers are studying how two immunotherapy drugs, durvalumab (IMFINZI) and tremelimumab, can be combined with radiation therapy to see if radiation can enhance the immune response.
Semakin banyak penyelidikan imunoterapi kanser pangkal rahim telah menambah harapan besar kepada pesakit barah serviks, dan kami mengharapkan kesan rawatan yang lebih baik.
