An innovative, new treatment for patients with a specific type of primary advanced or recurrent womb cancer has been advised for use by the Scottish Medicines Consortium within NHS Scotland. This development means that patients in Scotland will get early access to a treatment that may help them live longer lives.
There have been no new treatments for primary advanced and recurrent endometrial cancer for over 10 years.
Currently, the majority of patients are treated with chemotherapy with or without surgery or radiotherapy but, while many womb cancers show an initial response, the cancer often returns. This means survival time for patients with advanced or recurrent womb cancer is often poor.
The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has now recommended patients receive a type of immunotherapy called dostarlimab with chemotherapy as a combined first-line treatment.
Dostarlimab works by stopping the cancer hiding from the body’s immune system. This helps the body’s immune system to kill the cancer cells and stop the cancer growing.
This new treatment has been recommended for a specific type of advanced or recurrent womb cancer called mismatch repair deficient or microsatellite instability-high endometrial cancer.
Overall, 9,700 people in the UK are diagnosed with womb cancer every year. Over 2,500 are diagnosed with primary advanced (stage 3 or 4) cancer, and cancer recurs in a further 1,260 people. Around 2,500 people in the UK die each year from womb cancer.
Dr Helen Clarke, Trustee and Advocacy Lead at Peaches Womb Cancer Trust, said:
“Today’s decision is very welcome news for patients living in Scotland. We hope that this is just the first step towards wider availability of more effective first-line treatment options for those affected by this devastating cancer.”
“This new treatment for primary advanced or recurrent mismatch repair deficient or microsatellite instability-high endometrial cancer will provide options for patients currently facing the frightening reality of very few effective anti-cancer treatments.”
“Peaches Womb Cancer Trust has welcomed the opportunity to contribute to appraisals of dostarlimab in both Scotland and England. 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.”