ICARE Newsletter Summer 2020

Treatment Advances Among Those with Lynch Syndrome

There continue to be ongoing advances in treatment studies among those with inherited cancer gene mutations, which are rapidly being followed by FDA approval for specific cancer treatments. Select studies and advances are summarized below:

Lynch Syndrome: 

Colorectal Cancer: Among patients with MSI-H or MMR-deficient colorectal cancers (frequently seen among those with Lynch syndrome), pembrolizumab (an immunotherapy drug) improved survival [1], which then led to subsequent FDA approval of its use as first-line treatment in unresectable or metastatic, MSI-H or MMR-deficient colorectal cancer.

Endometrial Cancer: Among women with MMR-deficient endometrial cancer, a recent study showed potential benefit from avelumab (an immunotherapy drug) [2].

[1] Andre, et al. ASCO Meeting. 2020 May. Available at: https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/186928/abstract; [2] Konstantinopoulos, et al. J Clin Oncol. 2019 Aug. PMID: 31461377

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