Dr. Grothey on Investigational Combinations in MSI-High CRC
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Axel Grothey, MD, discusses investigational combination therapies in microsatellite instability–high colorectal cancer.
Axel Grothey, MD, medical oncologist and director of Gastrointestinal Cancer Research at West Cancer Center and Research Institute, discusses investigational combination therapies in microsatellite instability–high (MSI-H) colorectal cancer (CRC).
A number of encouraging combination therapies are being explored in CRC for patients who have MSI-H tumors. For example, combinations with PD-1 inhibitors and chemotherapy or CTLA-4 inhibitors appear promising, Grothey says. For example, nivolumab (Opdivo) plus ipilimumab (Yervoy), given in the first-line setting, appears to be active in clinical studies, Grothey says.
With a host of therapeutic approaches available, along with new regimens in the pipeline, the paradigm of CRC is expanding. However, it’s critical to identify whether a patient has MSI-H disease because it will guide treatment selection and potentially allow patients to achieve more durable responses, Grothey explains. For example, immunotherapy is potentially curative for patients with MSI-H tumors. However, this is not the case with chemotherapy, Grothey concludes.
