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FDA Expands Immunotherapy’s Approval for Endometrial Cancer

More people with endometrial cancer can now receive Jemperli (dostarlimab) after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the immunotherapy drug’s approval Aug. 1. Last year, the FDA approved Jemperli along with chemotherapy for use in women with mismatch repair deficient or microsatellite instability-high advanced endometrial cancer. With the new approval, the treatment is now available for all patients with advanced endometrial cancer, Healio reported. The approval was based on results of a phase III clinical trial, which were published in the August issue of Annals of Oncology. In the trial, 494 women with stage III or IV endometrial cancer received chemotherapy and either Jemperli or a placebo for six cycles, followed by Jemperli or a placebo for up to three years. Participants who received the immunotherapy had longer overall (44.6 months vs. 28.2 months) and progression-free survival (11.8 months vs. 7.9 months) compared with those who took a placebo. “This is the only immuno-oncology treatment regimen that has shown a statistically significant overall survival benefit for the full patient population, which is a meaningful step forward in treating this challenging cancer,” Matthew Powell, a gynecologic oncologist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the trial’s lead investigator, said in a press release.

Regular Aspirin Use Could Lower Colorectal Cancer Risk

Taking aspirin regularly may reduce colorectal cancer risk, with people who have less-healthy lifestyles experiencing the greatest risk reduction, according to a study published online Aug. 1 in JAMA Oncology. Researchers analyzed survey responses from more than 107,000 people about their aspirin use and other behaviors. During 10 years of follow-up, 2,544 participants developed colorectal cancer. People who regularly took aspirin had an 18% lower risk for colorectal cancer than those who did not. Regular use was defined as taking two standard doses per week. Participants with less-healthy lifestyles had an increased benefit, including smokers and people who were overweight. Previous research has indicated aspirin use may reduce inflammation, which can be a cancer risk factor. “We try as hard as we can to get people in a healthier state, but in some people, it’s just very difficult to lose weight or quit smoking. This could be a simple option that could help, especially for those who are at highest risk,” Raymond DuBois, a past president of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and director of the Hollings Cancer Center in Charleston, South Carolina, who was not involved in the study, told CNN. (The AACR publishes Cancer Today.)

Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer May Decrease Dementia Risk

Researchers have found that people who receive hormone therapy for breast cancer may have a lower risk for dementia. In a study published online last month in JAMA Network Open, investigators followed 18,808 women diagnosed with breast cancer from 2007 to 2009, about two-thirds of whom received hormone therapy. During 12 years of follow-up, 23.7% of women who had hormone therapy were diagnosed with Alzheimer disease or related dementias, compared with 27.9% of those who did not have hormone therapy. Researchers determined people who received hormone therapy had a 7% decreased risk for dementia, but the risk reduction was greater in specific groups. Women ages 65 to 69 had a 52% reduced risk, while Black women had a 22% lower risk. “With earlier breast cancer diagnosis and advances in treatment, there are more and more breast cancer survivors,” Chao Cai, a clinical pharmacy researcher at the University of South Carolina in Columbia and a study author, told Healio. “This raises concerns about the long-term treatment implications, especially in terms of cognitive function. Our findings are a great addition to the [evidence] on this topic and also remind health care providers that there is no one-size-fits-all [strategy].”