Women with advanced womb cancer in England will now be offered a new ‘lifeline’ alternative from today.
The NHS will be rolling out a life-extending new combination therapy that can stop the development of the disease for twice as long as chemotherapy.
Two drugs from different manufacturers will be used together to treat endometrial cancer in between 500 and 750 women each year.
The clinical trials highlighted that the use of both pembrolizumab (Keytruda®) and lenvatinib (Lenvima®) can double the amount of time for cancer to grow compared with the current chemotherapy treatment, that is just over three and half months to more than seven months.
During the trial, the survival rate was notably longer for patients taking the combination therapy compared to existing chemotherapy treatments.
People taking pembrolizumab and lenvatinib lived for 19 months on average compared to just under 12 months when taking existing chemotherapy.
Lenvatinib and pembrolizumab which are both set for approval today by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) appear to work well together to stimulate the body’s immune system and kill off cancer cell growth.
The mixed treatment is being backed by the NHS and will be offered to all eligible women who have previously received treatment for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.
Pembrolizumab will be injected into patients every three or six weeks whilst they take two pills of lenvatinib a day. Under existing chemotherapy patients receive treatment every three weeks, but unlike with chemotherapy, there is a far less significant risk of hair loss as a side effect of the new combination treatment.
Womb cancer is the fourth most common cancer in UK women with 9,400 women being diagnosed with the disease every year.
Endometrial carcinoma is the most common type of womb cancer, and although it often has a better prognosis than other womb cancers if diagnosed early, advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma can be difficult to treat and often has short survival times.
At first, the treatment was rejected by NICE as they questioned the cost-effectiveness. But, the NHS has been able to use its commercial capabilities to negotiate a deal with the manufacturers, allowing the treatment to be made available to patients.
“Most cancers of the womb can be cured if we catch them early, but for the women whose cancers can’t be dealt with in this way it is great news that we now have a more effective treatment that can help them to live longer and better,” NHS national cancer director Professor Peter Johnson said.
“The NHS is leading the world in making the latest treatments available through its unique commercial capabilities and commitment to innovation on behalf of patients and their families across the country,” he adds.