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New combination therapy for advanced endometrial cancer which can halt disease progression for twice as long as chemotherapy is being rolled out in England.
The NHS has agreed commercial deals for two drugs from different manufacturers, which will be used in combination to treat advanced endometrial cancer in between 500 and 750 women each year.
The treatment was initially rejected in draft guidance by NICE on the grounds of cost-effectiveness, but the NHS has been able to use its commercial capabilities to negotiate a deal with the manufacturers, allowing the treatment to be made available to patients.
Clinical trials have shown that pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and lenvatinib (Lenvima) used together can double the time taken for cancer to progress compared with the existing chemotherapy treatment, from just over three and half months to more than seven months.
In the trial, overall survival was also significantly longer for patients taking the combination therapy compared to existing chemotherapy treatments, with those taking pembrolizumab and lenvatinib living on average almost 19 months compared just under 12 months on existing chemotherapy. It has also been shown to work together to stimulate the body’s immune system and kill off cancer cell growth.
Offered to patients previously treated for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer
The combination treatment is being funded by the NHS immediately and will be offered to all eligible women who have previously received treatment for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.
As part of the combination treatment, pembrolizumab is delivered intravenously every three or six weeks while lenvatinib is two pills taken once a day. Currently patients undergo chemotherapy treatment every three weeks, but unlike with chemotherapy, there is a far less significant risk of hair loss as a side effect of the new combination treatment.
Around 9,400 women are diagnosed with cancer in the womb every year, making it the fourth most common cancer in UK women. Endometrial carcinoma is the most common type of womb cancer, and while it often has a better prognosis than other womb cancers if diagnosed early, advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma can be challenging to treat with short survival times.
Professor Emma Crosbie, Chair of Trustees of Peaches Womb Cancer Trust, said: “This innovative new treatment regimen will benefit patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, who currently have very few effective anti-cancer treatments available to them.
“Every year, many people are facing a diagnosis of advanced or recurrent womb cancer, and the frightening reality of very few treatment options that can improve their survival and quality of life. Those affected by womb cancer deserve more treatment options, but we hope that this is just the first step towards wider availability of more effective treatment options for those affected by this devastating cancer.”