Dr. Colombo on the Next Steps With Pembrolizumab in Cervical Cancer

Nicoletta Colombo, MD, PhD, associate professor, obstetrics and gynecology, University of Milan-Bicocca, director, Ovarian Cancer Centre, chair, Program of Gynecology, European Institute of Oncology, discusses the next steps with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in cervical cancer.

On October 13, 2021, the FDA approved pembrolizumab in combination with chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab (Avastin) for the treatment of patients with persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer whose tumors express PD-L1 per a combined positive score (CPS) of at least 1. The regulatory decision was based on findings from the phase 3 KEYNOTE-826 trial (NCT03635567), in which pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab led to a statistically significant improvement in overall survival and progression-free survival vs placebo plus chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab in patients whose tumors have a PD-L1 CPS of 1 or higher.

As such, pembrolizumab should be considered a new standard of care for women with persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer, Colombo explains. Now, pembrolizumab is being evaluated in earlier lines of treatment. The ongoing phase 3 KEYNOTE-A18 trial (NCT04221945) is evaluating chemoradiation with or without pembrolizumab in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer, Colombo explains.

Additionally, other PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors are being evaluated in this patient population, Colombo concludes.