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New Approved Use for Keytruda

Diane S Aschenbrenner1

  • 1Diane S. Aschenbrenner is a former member of the faculty at Notre Dame of Maryland University and the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. She coordinates Drug Watch : diane.aschenbrenner@gmail.com .

The American Journal of Nursing
|June 23, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) is now approved for advanced endometrial cancer. This treatment is for patients with microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair deficient tumors who have not responded to prior therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Endometrial carcinoma is a significant gynecologic malignancy.
  • Tumors with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) represent a distinct molecular subtype.
  • Limited treatment options exist for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To announce the regulatory approval of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for a specific patient population with advanced endometrial carcinoma.
  • To highlight the efficacy of pembrolizumab as a single agent in this context.

Main Methods:

  • This is an approval announcement based on clinical trial data.
  • The approval targets patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma.
  • Eligibility requires disease progression after prior systemic therapy and unsuitability for curative surgery or radiation.

Main Results:

  • Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) has received regulatory approval.
  • The drug is indicated for advanced endometrial carcinoma characterized by MSI-H or dMMR.
  • This approval applies to patients whose disease progressed despite prior systemic treatments.

Conclusions:

  • Pembrolizumab offers a new therapeutic option for a defined subset of patients with advanced endometrial cancer.
  • The approval underscores the importance of molecular profiling (MSI-H/dMMR) in guiding treatment decisions for endometrial carcinoma.

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