New immunotherapy for endometrial cancer patients | OSUCCC – James

An impressive immunotherapy is showing great promise for endometrial cancer patients at Ohio State.

While previously-existing treatments for endometrial (also known as uterine) cancer can be successful, they often result in serious side effects for the impacted women.

“We had limited options and they had significant toxicity,” says David O’Malley, MD, the director of the OSUCCC – James Division of Gynecologic Oncology.

In search of a better option for their patients, O’Malley and the university’s Gynecologic Oncology Phase I Program launched a clinical trial using pembrolizumab (marketed as Keytruda), an immunotherapy already used to treat several types of cancer.

The innovative treatment targets cellular receptors used by cancer cells to shield themselves from patients’ immune systems.

“Removing the blockers allows immune systems to identify and attack the cancer cells,” O’Malley says.

The treatment has already improved outcomes for many patients involved in the study, with some women experiencing complete responses.

“There were 79 patients in the trial — 48 percent responded markedly, and for 14 percent, their cancers were completely gone,” O’Malley says.

Learn more about endometrial cancer, including risks, symptoms and treatment options at Ohio State: https://go.osu.edu/CPKy

Learn more about clinical trials at the OSUCCC – James: https://go.osu.edu/CPKz

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