Personalized Medicine

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has had excellent results in late-stage leukemia and varying degrees of success in some other hematologic cancers, but thus far, solid tumors have not responded to this therapy.

PD-1 and PD-L1 expression on tumor cells is decidedly unique compared with other biomarkers currently used in oncology, and its use has been demonstrated in numerous clinical scenarios. But although the benefits associated with PD-1/PD-L1 targeted therapies have been unprecedented, the risks should not be underestimated.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have changed the treatment landscape for many cancer types. These immunomodulatory antibodies target the PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4 pathways to help restore immune responses against tumors.

San Francisco, CA—The immunotherapy combination of nivolumab (Opdivo) and ipilimumab (Yervoy) provides durable clinical benefit in patients with previously treated DNA mismatch repair–deficient (dMMR)/microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC).

Atlanta, GA—A positron emission tomography (PET)-directed approach after standard chemotherapy can guide the need for consolidation radiation therapy in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). This approach can spare patients from further treatments, such as salvage chemotherapy and stem-cell transplant, as well as unnecessary radiation therapy, according to a study presented at ASH 2017.

Atlanta, GA—Interim results from a phase 1/2 study of the combination of brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) and nivolumab (Opdivo) have demonstrated a high overall response rate (ORR) in patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma. According to data presented at ASH 2017, 83% of patients responded to the combination, which included a 62% rate among efficacy-evaluable patients.

Atlanta, GA—As single-agent immunotherapies continue to show promising results, the challenge is now to determine which combination regimens with immunotherapies can improve outcomes. According to data presented at ASH 2017, 3 approaches are currently being explored.