Author: By Christopher Darus, M.D., MS, medical director, Providence Gynecologic Oncology Program, principal investigator on the AFT-50 Endo-MAP study
In this article:
- Endometrial cancer is on the rise in women in the United States. The incidence and death rate of women with the disease has increased 1-3% in the past decade.
- This new clinical trial aims to fill a treatment gap for women with persistent or recurrent endometrial cancer – a patient group with poor prognosis.
- The hypothesis suggests a combination of therapies in this study will improve the response and overall survival in women with endometrial cancer.
Endometrial cancer is the most common cancer of the female reproductive organs in the United States. Over the past decade, the incidence of endometrial cancer and the death rate of women with the disease has increased by 1% per year in white women and 2-3% per year in women of all other racial and ethnic groups, according to the American Cancer Society.
Filling a gap in treatment options
Many women with endometrial cancer are diagnosed at an early stage when it can be treated with surgery. However, the disease may still return and women who experience persistent or recurrent endometrial cancer have a poor prognosis. The average survival for this group is 12 months and treatment options are limited.
A new clinical trial at Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, a division of Providence Cancer Institute of Oregon, will evaluate the efficacy and safety of a combination of targeted therapies paired with immunotherapy in women with recurrent or persistent endometrial cancer.
This study will use genomic sequencing in patients to deliver tailored therapies.
Why this study is important
This phase II study, known as AFT-50 Endo-MAP, will evaluate targeted agents with or without cancer immune checkpoint therapy with atezolizumab in recurring endometrial cancer.
Atezolizumab is a type of immunotherapy that binds to the protein PD-L1 to help immune cells kill cancer cells better. It is being studied as a single agent in advanced cancers, as an adjuvant therapy, as well as in combination with other treatments, such as chemotherapy.
Recent studies evaluating immunotherapy using anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown some encouraging results. Approximately 30% of endometrial cancers are mismatch repair (MMR) deficient and are particularly sensitive to immune checkpoint inhibitors. MMR-deficient cancer cells usually have many mutations.
The hypothesis is that the combination of the therapies in this study will improve the response and overall survival in women with endometrial cancer.
Multi-cohort study design
The targeted agents in this study are selected based on genomic sequencing of patients’ tumors completed within 60 days prior to the study treatment. Advanced sequencing technology allows researchers to quickly generate large amounts of data on a tumor genome.
Empowered with the sequencing results, patients will be assigned to the AFT-50A Protocol (atezolizumab+targeted agent) or the AFT-50B Protocol (non-atezolizumab targeted agents).
Approximately 20 participants will be enrolled in one of five study cohorts in AFT-50A and 24 participants in one of several study cohorts in AFT-50B. The study cohorts will open and close independently of each other.
Providence Cancer Institute is the only site in the Pacific Northwest enrolling patients in this trial.
Learn more about the trial:
EndoMAP: A Phase IB/II Multi-Cohort Study of Targeted Agents and/or Immunotherapy with Atezolizumab for Patients with Recurrent or Persistent Endometrial Cancer
Refer a patient
To refer a patient to this clinical trial, contact our clinical research office:
- Call 503-215-2614
- Submit a referral form
- Send an email
New research studies are added frequently. To see more clinical studies, visit:
- Studies for gynecologic studies
- All cancer studies at Providence Cancer Institute
Gynecologic care at two Providence locations
The Providence Gynecologic Oncology Program provides specialized care for women with suspected or known gynecologic malignancies and complex precancerous conditions. We offer care at two locations: Robert W. Franz Cancer Center at Providence Portland Medical Center and Providence St. Vincent Medical Center.
At Providence patients receive advanced treatments, such as robotic surgery and immunotherapy and have access to the latest research and clinical trials.
About the Author
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