;)
Immunotherapy Drug Keytruda Approved For Colon Cancer Patients With Specific Tumor Abnormalities
Posted by Charles Decuir on June 14, 2021 8:15 AM EDT
A new option for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer, immune checkpoint inhibitor Keytruda, has been approved by the FDA -- marking historic progress for certain patients
A new, exciting, first-line treatment option has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of colon cancer patients with tumor abnormalities. A leading expert tells SurvivorNet that this approval could make a historic impact in helping delay patients’ cancers from worsening.
Pembrolizumab (brand name Keytruda) is an immunotherapy checkpoint inhibitor that has been approved by the FDA as a first-line treatment option in the form of an intravenous injection for a subset of colorectal cancer patients — specifically those with metastatic or unresectable microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR). Patients with MSI-H or dMMR make up 5-10% of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, and have tumors that contain specific abnormalities which hinders DNA from repairing itself.
