Is PD-1 Inhibitor Monotherapy a New Standard Treatment for MMR-Deficient Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer?

Treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer with multimodal treatment courses can result in significant morbidity. Nonoperative management is feasible for patients with clinical complete response to neoadjuvant therapies. Several recent reports have evaluated the use of immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibition for patients with mismatch repair-deficient rectal and colon cancers, with striking results.

Automated summary

Multimodal treatment courses for locally advanced rectal cancer can lead to significant morbidity. Nonoperative management is feasible for patients who show clinical complete response to neoadjuvant therapies. Recent reports have shown promising results for immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibition in patients with mismatch repair-deficient rectal and colon cancers.