A new drug shows efficacy against advanced endometrial cancer, according to a phase 3 trial
The incidence of and mortality from endometrial cancer (cancer of the uterine lining) have been rising in recent years. When diagnosed at an advanced stage, the prognosis is very poor. A phase 3 clinical trial, coordinated across nearly 30 countries—including Spain—has tested a new treatment for patients whose cancer has progressed following chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The drug combines an antibody designed to target the tumor with a chemotherapy agent that is released once the antibody binds to the tumor cells. The trial, which involved 776 women, showed that the new treatment reduced the risk of cancer progression by 41% and the risk of death by 32% during the study period, compared to standard treatment. The findings are being presented at ESMO, the European Society for Medical Oncology congress currently taking place in Madrid, and are being published simultaneously in The Lancet.