Keytruda (pembrolizumab) approved for treatment
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Additional important information regarding the use of Keytruda (Pembrolizumab)
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The approval provides another option for some patients who would not otherwise be candidates for treatment with pembrolizumab, such as those with pancreatic cancer, Dr. Gulley continued. But for some cancer types, he cautioned, only a small number of patients typically have these genetic features.These genetic features can spontaneously occur in tumors and have been found in patients with several cancer types—most commonly colorectal, endometrial, and gastrointestinal cancers.
Compared with other tumors, dMMR and MSI-H tumors have a higher frequency of DNA mutations and, as a result, higher levels of abnormal antigens.
Things are looking up for our cancer. Yeah…
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MarionFDA approved for patients with the microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) biomarker.
Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with unresectable or metastatic solid tumors that have been identified as having a biomarker referred to as microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR). This indication covers patients with solid tumors that have progressed following prior treatment and who have no satisfactory alternative treatment options and patients with colorectal cancer that has progressed following treatment with certain chemotherapy drugs.
Pembrolizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody, a molecule produced in the lab to stimulate the immune system to attack a target. In this case, the target is a protein on the surface of certain immune cells called PD-1. When an immune cell uses PD-1 to bind a protein called PD-L1 on the surface of another cell, it stays in the “off” position and won’t attack the cell. That’s why some cancers load up on PD-L1 to evade the immune system. But pembrolizumab blocks PD-1 binding, keeping the immune system active in the hunt to recognize and kill cancer cells. Common side effects were usually manageable, and included fatigue, skin inflammation, joint pain, and thyroid dysfunction.
The Clinical trial of pembrolizumab, which was expanded to include 86 adults with 12 different types of mismatch repair-deficient cancers that had been previously treated with at least one type of standard therapy [1]. After a year of biweekly infusions, more than half of the patients had their tumors shrink by at least 30 percent—and, even better, 18 had their tumors completely disappear!
This link shows a graph noting improvement for 5% choangiocarcinoma patients harboring the microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) biomarker.
https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2017/06/20/precision-oncology-gene-changes-predict-immunotherapy-response/All patients should request to be tested for this biomarker
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Marion
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