Skip to main content

MSI-H Colorectal Cancer Rarely Recurs After Immunotherapy Cessation

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Dec 22, 2023.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Dec. 21, 2023 -- Most patients with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) colorectal cancer do not have recurrence after cessation of immunotherapy treatment, according to a study published in the December issue of Cancer Research Communications.

Kristen Simmons, M.D., from the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and colleagues reviewed records from patients with advanced MSI-H colorectal cancer from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center who received immunotherapy between 2014 and 2022 and stopped after prolonged clinical benefit. Data were reviewed for 64 patients with MSI-H colorectal cancer without progression on immunotherapy: 48 and 16 received an anti-programmed death-ligand 1 antibody alone or in combination with an anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 antibody, respectively.

The median immunotherapy exposure was 17.6 months. The researchers found that 88 percent of the 64 patients remained without disease progression after a median follow-up of 22.6 months after stopping immunotherapy. There was an association observed between lung metastases with recurrence/progression (odds ratio, 6.1), but no associations were noted for coexisting mutation, primary tumor sidedness, and immunotherapy.

"These data provide important information that oncologists can use for guiding discussions with patients with MSI-H/mismatch repair deficiency colorectal cancer by providing clearer numbers for the likelihood of progression should they decide to stop their immunotherapy treatment," senior author Van Karlyle Morris, M.D., from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, said in a statement. "If you tell patients that, based on these data, there's an 88 percent chance that their cancer won't come back if they come off of therapy, I think they may be more accepting of that decision to stop treatment."

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

DDW: 1999 to 2020 Saw Rise in Incidence of Colorectal Cancer in People Under 45

MONDAY, May 13, 2024 -- For individuals aged younger than 45 years, the incidence of colorectal cancer increased considerably from 1999 to 2020, with a 333 percent increase among...

Risk for Colorectal Cancer Is Low for Uncomplicated Diverticulitis

TUESDAY, May 7, 2024 -- The prevalence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is low for patients undergoing colonoscopy after an episode of uncomplicated diverticulitis, according to a study...

Extending Interval Between Colonoscopies Feasible After Negative Result

FRIDAY, May 3, 2024 -- For individuals without a family history of colorectal cancer (CRC), increasing the interval between colonoscopies for those with a first colonoscopy with...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.