United States: Data from the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrates that early-stage cancer patients can possibly forego surgical procedures after receiving dostarlimab immunotherapy.
Out of 103 participants who received this drug therapy, 82 experienced such positive results they did not require any surgical procedures.
More about the news
The checking point conducted results at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, but these data come from only one New York City facility, while some participants need extended monitoring to determine cancer recurrence potential.
The results became difficult to analyze because the study included diverse cancer types, which produced small numbers of patients per cancer type.
A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that some people with early-stage cancers may be able to skip surgery after being treated with the immunotherapy drug dostarlimab. https://t.co/XmoSSiL7Mw
— ABC News (@ABC) April 29, 2025
The research specifically studied cancer patients with a “mismatch repair defect,” which creates genetic troubles in DNA error correction and enhances their potential reaction to immune therapy.
According to Dr. Luis Diaz, one of the study’s authors and head of the Division of Solid Tumor Oncology at MSK, “They kind of selected themselves, in that they had a specific genetic alteration, and that genetic alteration occurs about 2% to 3% of all cancer patients,” ABC News reported.
Life-Altering Impact
Patients with early-stage cancer tumors need extensive surgical procedures to work toward removing the cancer mass, yet they might additionally undergo harsh treatments, including chemotherapy or radiation.
Patients with these types of cancers in their bellies or digestive systems will experience significant life changes because of surgical procedures.
A study in @NEJM was presented at @AACR this week. It shows neoadjuvant immunotherapy (PD-1 blockade w/ dostarlimab) enabled organ preservation in >80% of patients with early-stage dMMR solid tumors across multiple cancer types, including #rectalcancer. TY @AndreaCercek, Dr. Luis… pic.twitter.com/lWehhwlvTN
— Fight Colorectal Cancer (@FightCRC) April 28, 2025
The removal of the stomach and/or esophagus leads patients to develop eating limitations or complete food consumption inability.
The treatment requires patients to use a bag to collect their stools or prevent them from getting pregnant.
The 49 patients with early-stage rectal cancer who underwent six months of immunotherapy treatment succeeded in preventing surgery for their condition.
Furthermore, as co-author of the study, Dr. Andrea Cercek, head of the Colorectal Section at MSK, stated, “And it’s after six months of treatment, their tumors were completely gone,” ABC News reported.
“They didn’t need any other treatment,” Cercek noted.
As the report suggested, 92% of the patients remained cancer-free two years later.