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What is the success rate of Keytruda?

Medically reviewed by Leigh Ann Anderson, PharmD. Last updated on Jan 20, 2024.

Official Answer by Drugs.com

Key Points

In general, PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitors like Keytruda have been shown to significantly prolong overall survival (OS) in some patients over a wide range of cancer types. But it’s important to know that these cancer treatments do not work for everyone.

The success rate of Keytruda depends upon the type of cancer you have, the stage of cancer, your previous treatments, your overall health and other factors.

Cancer treatment is always individual, and what you may experience may be different from someone else. Only your doctor treating your cancer can answer how well Keytruda might work for you.

Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is a prescription medicine used to treat many different types of cancers, including solid tumors and blood cancers. It might be used alone or in combination with other medicines for advanced cancers, cancers that have spread in the body, or cancers no longer responding to treatment.

Related: FDA approval history and clinical trials for Keytruda

Keytruda is used to treat cancers such as:

In clinical studies of the cancer types that Keytruda is approved to treat, researchers studied groups of patients to better understand how well Keytruda works and the side effects. These study results can help to inform you and your doctor which treatment might work best for you. Ask your doctor about the success rates from the Keytruda studies that evaluated your specific type of cancer.

As an example, three types of cancer approved by the FDA for Keytruda treatment are non-small cell lung cancer, advanced melanoma (a serious form of skin cancer), and bladder cancer. Here are success rates from some of these studies.

Advanced non-small cell lung cancer (advanced NSCLC)

When used as an initial therapy, Keytruda + chemotherapy has been shown to help patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC live longer than using chemotherapy alone.

In one study, half of the patients receiving Keytruda + chemotherapy were alive without their cancer spreading, growing, or getting worse at 8.8 months, compared to 4.9 months for patients treated with the chemotherapy regimen alone. Cancer did not progress in 40% of patients receiving Keytruda + chemotherapy compared to 19% of patients receiving chemotherapy alone.

Related questions

Advanced melanoma (skin cancer)

Keytruda has also been studied in advanced melanoma, a skin cancer that cannot be removed by surgery or has spread in your body (metastatic). It can also be used after surgery to lower the risk of cancer coming back. Keytruda can help shrink tumors and help you live longer.

Researchers found that Keytruda can help patients with advanced melanoma live longer when compared to treatment with ipilimumab (brand name: Yervoy), another immunotherapy drug (KEYNOTE-006).

Advanced bladder and urinary tract cancer (urothelial carcinoma)

Keytruda was evaluated in a clinical study of patients with urothelial cancer who had previously received a platinum-based chemotherapy regimen (KEYNOTE-045). For the patients receiving Keytruda, the chemotherapy had either never worked or stopped working. Overall, patients receiving Keytruda lived longer than those receiving chemotherapy.

Bottom Line

This is not all the information you need to know about Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for safe and effective use. Review the full Keytruda information here, and discuss this information and any questions you have with your doctor or other health care provider.

References

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