Dr. Makker on Unmet Needs for Patients with Advanced Endometrial Cancer

Vicky Makker, MD, medical oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses unmet needs and treatment challenges for patients with advanced endometrial cancer.

This is the most common gynecologic malignancy in the United States, Makker says, but the problem with endometrial cancer compared with other gynecologic cancers is that incidence and mortality rates are sharply on the rise. Early-stage endometrial cancer can often be cured and have a good prognosis; however, in recurrent or advanced disease, the prognosis is generally poor with very limited treatment options. This is particularly true for the microsatellite stable patient population, which makes up the majority of recurrent cases of endometrial cancer.

Prior studies suggest that high levels of VEGF are associated with aggressive disease. Modest activity has been shown with bevacizumab (Avastin) as a method to target this pathway. Makker is the lead author of a trial investigating the efficacy of lenvatinib (Lenvima) and pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in patients with advanced disease.