A new treatment for people with primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer (also called womb or uterine cancer) has been recommended by NICE for use on the NHS in England.
The treatment, an immunotherapy called dostarlimab, is given together with chemotherapy drugs such as carboplatin and paclitaxel. It can now be offered as a first-line option for primary advanced or recurrent womb cancer in people whose tumours are mismatch repair proficient (also called microsatellite stable) as well as in those with mismatch repair deficiency (microsatellite instability).
This is welcome news, marking the second first-line immunotherapy plus chemotherapy combination recommended by NICE this year for all subtypes of advanced or recurrent womb cancer.
Peaches welcomes these developments, which bring hope and the potential for people with advanced womb cancer to live well for longer.
Dostarlimab helps the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells, while the chemotherapy drugs damage cancer cells so they cannot grow or divide.
Dr Eleanor Jones, Specialist Registrar in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Chair of Trustees of Peaches Womb Cancer Trust said:
“Today’s decision is very welcome news for patients living in England. This news will mean that all eligible patients with primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer will now have the option of this additional treatment, where previously only some did. There are very few effective cancer treatment options for people with primary advanced and recurrent endometrial cancer, so access to this innovative first-line treatment fills an unmet need. Peaches Womb Cancer Trust has welcomed the opportunity to contribute to appraisals of dostarlimab. We could not have done so without the contributions of Peaches Patient Voices, a group of people affected by womb cancer whose powerful testimonies and experiences informed our submissions.”
