A study led by researchers at UCLA has shown that a combination of the targeted therapy drug zanzalintinib and the immune checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab improves survival for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer compared to the standard treatment regorafenib. The research was published in The Lancet and presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress.
According to Dr. J. Randolph Hecht, professor of clinical medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and first author of the study, “This study represents an important step forward for a group of patients who have historically had very few treatment options. We may finally be finding ways to make immunotherapy work for more patients with colorectal cancer.”
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Outcomes for those with metastatic disease remain poor, as only about 15% survive five years after diagnosis. For most patients whose cancer stops responding to standard therapies, life expectancy is limited and there are few effective treatments available.
Immunotherapy drugs like immune checkpoint inhibitors can help some people with metastatic colorectal cancer, but they typically benefit only about 5% of patients whose tumors display certain genetic features known as MSI-H or dMMR. For the remaining 95%, immunotherapies have not previously shown clear benefits, underscoring a significant need for improved treatment options once conventional therapies fail.
More details about this research can be found on the UCLA Health website.
