Immunotherapy

On August 17, 2021, the FDA accelerated the approval of Jemperli (dostarlimab-gxly; from GlaxoSmithKline) injection, an immunotherapy and a PD-1 inhibitor, for the treatment of all adults with recurrent (coming back) or advanced mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) solid tumors, including lung cancer, that progressed during or after systemic therapy and for whom there are no satisfactory alternative treatment options.

For the first time, the use of immunotherapy after surgical removal of the tumor and chemotherapy has shown benefits in patients with early-stage non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and PD-L1 expression, a biomarker found in some patients with NSCLC.

In this special issue focused on immunotherapy, we take a deep dive into this exciting type of treatment, highlighting the role of genetic testing and new developments in lung, skin, and bladder cancer in improving patient outcomes.

Christie Bevington shares her story of how immunotherapy was the only treatment that helped stop her cancer progression and relieve her back pain caused by lung cancer.

Tim Dorius, MD, explains the role of molecular profiling in relation to immunotherapy, and how oncologists can now look at the genetic makeup of a tumor to identify specific mutations or other biomarkers.

Michael Morigi shares his very positive experience with immunotherapy in the treatment of his stage III bladder cancer.

Immunotherapy is showing good results in patients with advanced skin cancer, one of the most common types of cancer diagnosed in the United States.

Two experts discuss the advances made in lung cancer with the introduction of new immunotherapies, which have extended life for patients, and why testing for biomarkers is crucial.

In April 2021, the FDA approved Jemperli (dostarlimab-gxly) for patients with recurrent or advanced endometrial cancer and the biomarker mismatch repair-deficient. This is the first immunotherapy approved for patients with this type of cancer.