In August 2022, 71-year-old Maureen Sideris was diagnosed with gastroesophageal cancer after experiencing swallowing difficulties. Traditional treatment involves chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery to remove parts of the esophagus, which can be quite challenging, as noted by Dr. Luis Diaz from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Instead, Sideris participated in a clinical trial focusing on immunotherapy, which aims to teach the immune system to attack cancer cells. Remarkably, she has been in remission for two years, avoiding the harsh effects of standard treatments.
Dr. Andrea Cercek led this Phase 2 trial that specifically targeted tumors with mismatch repair deficiency, a genetic mutation that allows cancer cells to accumulate errors in their DNA. This mutation occurs in certain cancers, offering a unique opportunity for immunotherapy effectiveness because it presents multiple targets for immune attack. While only a small percentage of cancers exhibit this deficiency, the trial demonstrated substantial promise. In previous studies, all patients with mismatch repair-deficient rectal cancers responded completely to immunotherapy without needing surgery.
The trial included early-stage patients from various cancer types, including esophageal and endometrial cancers. Preliminary results show that a significant percentage of patients, like Sideris, experienced complete responses and avoided further treatments. Although Sideris had one side effect—kidney failure—she considered her experience akin to “winning the lottery.” Experts emphasize that while immunotherapy is not a universal cure, these findings pave the way for it to become a potential first-line treatment for specific cancers, allowing many patients to preserve their quality of life by avoiding invasive surgeries. Future research could solidify immunotherapy’s role in standard cancer care.
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