Dr. Coleman on the Use of Immunotherapy in Cervical Cancer

Robert L. Coleman, MD, FACOG, FACS, professor in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the use of immunotherapy in patients with cervical cancer.

Viral cancers are thought to be immunogenic, which has led to the evaluation of single-agent PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in cervical cancer, says Coleman. Currently, pembrolizumab (Keytruda) is FDA approved for use in patients with PD-L1—positive tumors. However, responses to pembrolizumab are relatively low, says Coleman, paralleling those seen with bevacizumab (Avastin) in the recurrent setting.

Given that it is a biomarker-directed therapy, it provides a foundation on which to explore its use in earlier lines of therapy, specifically, in the adjuvant setting, or in the frontline setting, where curative therapy is being administered, adds Coleman. Ultimately, the field is looking for ways to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy that has been reported to date, trials of which are ongoing, he concludes.