Immunotherapy shows potential in reducing death and recurrence rates by half for colon cancer patients.
Unleashing a Revolution in Colon Cancer Treatment
Colon cancer, one of the most prevalent types of cancer globally, is tackled with a variety of treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy. However, the effectiveness of these treatments varies significantly among different forms of the disease.
For instance, deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) colon cancer accounts for 5-15% of cases and can be less responsive to chemotherapy compared to other types. This form of cancer occurs when cancer cells spread to the body's lymph nodes but have not spread elsewhere.
Enter the stage an exciting new study, presented at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, that could potentially change the treatment landscape for dMMR stage 3 colon cancer. The researchers found that adding immunotherapy to chemotherapy after surgery for stage 3 colon cancer may improve a person's chances of survival by half.
During this phase III clinical trial, researchers recruited participants with an average age of 64 who had dMMR stage 3 colon cancer and had undergone surgery to have their cancer removed, but still had cancer cells in their lymph nodes. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy coupled with an immunotherapy drug called atezolizumab.
Atezolizumab, best known by its brand name Tecentriq, is a humanized monoclonal antibody that functions by blocking the PD-L1 protein. PD-L1 is an immune checkpoint that allows cancer cells to evade the immune system, so by inhibiting this pathway, atezolizumab strengthens the body's immune response against cancer cells.
At the conclusion of the study, researchers found that participants receiving chemotherapy with immunotherapy had a 50% decrease in cancer recurrence and death - known as disease-free survival (DFS) - compared to those who only received chemotherapy.
"The findings from our study represent a major advance in the adjuvant treatment of dMMR stage 3 colon cancer and will now change the treatment for this type of cancer," says Frank Sinicrope, MD, oncologist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and lead author of this study.
Glenn S. Parker, MD, vice chairman of surgery and chief of colorectal surgery at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center in New Jersey, describes the results as a "significant step forward in the care of our patients." He goes on to express that further studies should explore whether immunotherapy could potentially reduce the length of adjuvant chemotherapy and whether it could eventually be used instead of chemotherapy in some cases.
Overall, this study offers a glimmer of hope for the countless individuals affected by colon cancer. With the combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy, there is a real possibility for more personalized and effective treatments in the future. As researchers continue to explore the potential benefits and applications of atezolizumab and similar immunotherapy drugs, we move one step closer to a cancer-free world.
- The immune system plays a crucial role in the effectiveness of treatments for colon cancer, particularly in the case of deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) colon cancer, which can be less responsive to chemotherapy.
- A new study has unveiled exciting possibilities for the treatment of dMMR stage 3 colon cancer, suggesting that adding immunotherapy to chemotherapy after surgery could potentially double a person's chances of survival.
- The study, which recruited participants with dMMR stage 3 colon cancer and assigned them to receive either chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy coupled with the immunotherapy drug atezolizumab, found a 50% decrease in cancer recurrence and death in those receiving the combined therapy.
- Atezolizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody, functions by blocking the PD-L1 protein, an immune checkpoint that allows cancer cells to evade the immune system, thus strengthening the body's immune response against cancer cells.
- The potential benefits of immune checkpoint inhibitors like atezolizumab, such as personalized and more effective treatments for colon cancer, could move us one step closer to a cancer-free world.
