Dr. Leath on Agents Under Investigation in Cervical Cancer

Charles A. Leath III, MD, gynecologic oncologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, discusses agents under investigation in cervical cancer.

Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) is currently FDA approved for patients with advanced, PD-L1—positive cervical cancer with disease progression on or after chemotherapy. Data from the phase II KEYNOTE-158 trial served as the basis for the agent’s approval and provided a foundation with which to base additional immunotherapy studies on.

In addition to immunotherapy, PARP inhibitors are also under evaluation, and there is interest in antibody-drug conjugates that target tissue factor, says Leath. For example, in a small, single-arm phase II trial (NCT03438396), patients with previously treated, recurrent or metastatic disease will receive tisotumab vedotin (HuMax-TF-ADC). If these agents prove effective, the next step will be to determine their optimal sequence in treatment, concludes Leath.