The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on October 19 approved the drug Dostarlimab (brand name: Jemperli) for the treatment of a specific type of rectal cancer known as microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) cancer. This type of cancer arises due to the accumulation of specific genetic mutations that prevent the repair of DNA damage in rectal cells and accounts for about 5 to 10 percent of rectal cancers.
Promising Treatment Results
In a study involving 154 patients with this type of cancer who were treated with Dostarlimab, 68 percent of them showed a complete clinical response within one year, meaning that doctors could not find any evidence of tumors on imaging or other methods. In this study, patients received the drug nine times: once every three weeks for six months.
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Dr. Andrea Cercek, head of the colorectal cancer department at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the principal investigator of this study, said: “This shows that the response to treatment is durable and real.” Dostarlimab is a checkpoint inhibitor that allows the immune system to recognize and destroy tumors.
Impact on Patients' Lives
Standard treatments for rectal cancer include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery, which may lead to the need for colostomy bags for the rest of one’s life. The approval of Dostarlimab means that more patients whose tumors have specific mutations can avoid these invasive treatments. Dr. Luis Diaz, head of solid tumor oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering, noted: “This treatment has helped patients preserve their fertility.”
Kylie Spill is one such patient who was diagnosed with rectal cancer in 2020 at the age of 29, shortly after her first childbirth. After several months of searching for the cause of her gastrointestinal issues, she ultimately found a tumor in her rectum through a colonoscopy. She said: “When I was told that I could no longer have children, my world fell apart.”
Sasha Roth, another patient diagnosed with rectal cancer in 2019, also faced discouraging news. She, as the first patient in the study, was able to avoid surgery and invasive treatments using Dostarlimab.
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