KEYNOTE-826: Knowledge Gained for Cervivcal Cancer Treatment

Bradley J. Monk, MD, FACS, FACOG, professor, division of gynecologic oncology, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Creighton University School of Medicine, director, principal investigator, community research development, HonorHealth Research Institute, vice president and member board of directors GOG-Foundation, co-director GOG-partners, explains the implications of the phase 3 KEYNOTE-826 clinical trial.

Monk says that the results from KEYNOTE-826 have been confirmatory of the survival benefit associated with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) added to chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab (Avastin) for the treatment of persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer. The median overall survival (OS) shown with this treatment strategy in the study was 28.6 months vs 16.5 months with the placebo control. Moreover, an OS benefit was shown regardless PD-L1 expression level. The median progression-free survival observed with pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab was 10.4 months vs 8.2 months with placebo. Overall, the risk of death was reduced by 40% with the addition of pembrolizumab.

TRANSCRIPT:

0:08 | So, one of the key takeaways from KEYNOTE-826 that was presented at ASCO 2023 is that people don't really know that pembrolizumab can be added to chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab to help women live longer. Cervical cancer fortunately is rare. But in Arizona where I live, it's a serious health burden. Listen, it's serious everywhere. But not only is it serious in Arizona, it's common, particularly in the Latino population. So, community oncologists need to know that this is available.

0:43| Again, platinum taxane and then bevacizumab was approved in 2014. And then in 2021, 7 years later, we added pembrolizumab to the frontline. But now we have mature results, not only on the clinical outcomes, but on the patient-reported outcomes. So, community oncologists need to know that this is now the new standard of care. This is now NCC and recommended preferred. So, that's what community oncologists, academic oncologist and patients, advocates, [and] survivors need to know. This is the way you treat metastatic recurrent or persistent cervical cancer today.