Dr. Halfdanarson on the KEYNOTE-177 Trial in MSI-H/dMMR mCRC

Thorvardur (Thor) Halfdanarson, MD, associate professor of medicine, Division of Medical Oncology; medical oncologist; assistant program director, Hematology/Oncology fellowship program, Mayo Clinic, discusses the KEYNOTE-177 trial in microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H)/mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). 

The randomized, open-label phase 3 KEYNOTE-177 study evaluated pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in patients with MSI-H/dMMR mCRC, says Halfdanarson. Results from the trial were presented during the 2020 ASCO Virtual Scientific Program.

​Findings from the study demonstrated a doubling in progression-free survival with pembrolizumab compared with chemotherapy in this patient population.

On June 29, 2020, the FDA approved pembrolizumab as first-line therapy for patients with MSI-H/dMMR mCRC, according to results from the trial.

In recent years, the field has focused on the continuum of therapy, sparking interest in aggressive induction therapies followed by maintenance, ​as well as molecular targets, Halfdanarson concludes.