Gastrointestinal Cancers
Innovative combinations in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Each year, esophageal cancer (EC) is responsible for more than half a million deaths worldwide. Among them, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) accounts for the vast majority (~ 85 %) of EC incidences . At diagnosis, 70 % of ESCC is unresectable [3] and the 5-year survival rate is limited (30 % - 40 %). Patients with advanced or metastatic ESCC have a poor prognosis; their overall survival (OS) after standard first-line chemotherapy is limited to less than a year and other treatment options are scarce.
Established and novel chemo-free combinations in immuno-oncology
Immunotherapy was the major breakthrough in the treatment of lung cancer in the past years. The PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab is approved for the treatment of various tumor entities including advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (a/mNSCLC). Lenvatinib, a multikinase inhibitor and antineoplastic agent that is so far approved for certain solid tumors but not NSCLC, already showed promising antitumoral effects and a manageable safety profile when combined with pembrolizumab in a phase I/II trial.
Novel approaches in gastric/gastroesophageal cancer
Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Although gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer, a form of gastric cancer arising in the area of the digestive tract where esophagus and stomach connect, has a lower prevalence than GC, it is continuously rising.
Colorectal cancer – personalized medicine for a heterogeneous disease
Metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), a major cause of death in the Western world, continuous to have a 5-year survival rate below 15 %, with microsatellite stable (MSS) mCRC representing the greatest clinical challenge due to its poorly characterized immune microenvironment and immune response.
New horizons in colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. About 20 % of CRC patients are diagnosed at the metastatic stage (mCRC), with a 5-year survival rate of 14 %.
Esophageal cancer: taking immunotherapy one step further
In 2020, more than 604,000 new cases of esophageal cancer (EC) were diagnosed; EC was the sixth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide [1]. Especially in Asia, the incidence of EC is high; for instance in China, its mortality rate reaches the fourth place of all deaths caused by cancer. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) accounted globally for approximately 85 % of all EC affected patients, with more than half of all ESCC cases worldwide are observed in China.
Early insights for CPI combinations in solid tumors
mmunotherapy using anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs), which is a major therapeutic option in oncology, can potentially achieve synergistic effects once combined with targeted therapies. Drugs targeting proangiogenic factors, such as VEGF and angiopoietin 2 (ANG2), can improve therapeutic responsiveness through their immunosuppressive activity in the tumor environment.
Anti-PD-1 compounds targeting MSI-H/dMMR tumors
Accurate and timely repair of DNA is essential for maintaining genetic stability. Microsatellites are repetitive DNA sequences and particularly prone to replication errors that are normally repaired by the mismatch repair system. Mismatch repair-deficient tumors (dMMR) harbor many mutations in microsatellites, resulting in high levels of microsatellite instability (MSI-H).
