New drug could let some rectal cancer patients skip chemotherapy, radiation and surgery

The FDA granted accelerated approval to dostarlimab-gxly (Jemperli) for previously untreated stage 2/3 dMMR rectal cancer, based on a 154-patient trial in which about 75% of patients avoided surgery, radiation and chemotherapy within two years of follow-up. An earlier MSKCC study of 50 patients showed no evidence of cancer in all of them, with only 1 recurrence among 27 followed for three years. Patient Jessica Acosta, 29, with a 6 cm tumor, achieved no evidence of disease after treatment. GSK must continue tracking long-term benefit.