Dr. Colombo on Practice-Changing KEYNOTE-826 Data in Metastatic Cervical Cancer

Nicoletta Colombo, MD, PhD, associate professor, obstetrics and gynecology, University of Milan-Bicocca, director, Ovarian Cancer Centre, chair, Program of Gynecology, European Institute of Oncology, discusses efficacy achieved with the addition of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) to chemotherapy in patients with persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer. 

The phase 3 KEYNOTE-826 trial (NCT03635567) examined the addition of pembrolizumab to chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab (Avastin) in this patient population and results demonstrated a significant improvement in overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

Immunotherapy and PD-1 inhibitors have previously shown efficacy as monotherapy in patients with metastatic cervical cancer, Colombo says. However, the KEYNOTE-826 study provided evidence that the combination of an anti–PD-1 agent and chemotherapy can improve OS and PFS compared with standard-of-care treatment, Colombo notes. This combination could represent a new standard of care for this population, and the data are practice changing, Colombo concludes.