Dr. Hays on Immunotherapy Research in Gynecologic Cancer

John Hays, MD, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, and member of the Translational Therapeutics Program at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center—James, discusses immunotherapy research in gynecologic cancer.

Research in gynecologic cancer is investigating the use of immunotherapy beyond checkpoint inhibitors. In hematologic cancers, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and CAR T-cell therapies are being examined, but immunotherapy in solid tumors is still in its infancy, explains Hays. Currently, there are open trials with TILs in cervical cancer and CAR T cells in ovarian cancer, but the data regarding efficacy are still limited.

Immunotherapy is evolving in gynecologic cancer. Early trials investigating single-agent immunotherapy showed, according to Hays, disappointing results, though not negative. Many trials looking at immunotherapies in combination with targeted therapies or chemotherapies are ongoing. The hope is those results will improve for patients with gynecologic cancers, concludes Hays.