New treatment for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer

A new drug for treating advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer in adults who have had platinum-based chemotherapy is being rolled out for woman across England.

Dostarlimab is an immunotherapy treatment which could benefit 124 people a year in England as a second-line treatment for endometrial cancer with high microsatellite instability or mismatch repair deficiency.

The treatment, which takes just 30 minutes to administer through the blood stream every three weeks over a 12-week period, offers patients real hope of extending their lives and improving their quality of life.

National Medical Director of the NHS in England Professor Steve Powis said: “This is a significant moment for patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, as this new drug gives real hope to the around 100 patients a year who have had limited success with other treatments, taking just four 30-minute sessions, meaning it is also less invasive.

“This deal could only be made thanks to the Cancer Drugs Fund, which allows the NHS to get early access to the latest treatments, and is just the latest example of NHS England using its commercial capabilities to deliver on the NHS Long Term Plan commitment to provide patients with the latest cutting-edge treatments for cancer.”

Dostarlimab has less side effects than current clinical options

Previous treatment options for patients whose endometrial cancer returned after surgery, radiotherapy and any hormonal treatment, would have had to undergo an invasive and tiring programme of chemotherapy, which for these patients would only have a limited benefit.

Dostarlimab has less side effects than current clinical options and offers a considerable improvement in quality of life and is also less burdensome for patients due to the short treatment time.

Endometrial is the fourth most common cancer among women in the UK. It forms in the uterus lining and can potentially cause severe symptoms such as vaginal bleeding after menopause or between periods and/or pelvic pain.

The deal through the Cancer Drugs Fund allows patients to access to the new treatment while further data is collected on its clinical and cost effectiveness, to support NICE in making a final recommendation around its routine use in the NHS.

Hilary Maxwell, CEO and Chair of GO Girls, which helps support women with gynaecological cancers, said: “For far too long, choice in treatment options for women with advanced endometrial cancer has been very limited. Dostarlimab represents the first real advance in treatment for those women who sadly again find themselves with more progressive disease. Women’s gynaecological cancer health has for far too long remained in the shadows. It’s great to see this change.”