NRG-GY037 is a phase III clinical trial exploring a promising new treatment approach for locally advanced cervical cancer that has spread beyond the cervix to nearby tissues or lymph nodes. The study builds on recent advances in immunotherapy.
With this approach, researchers aim to enhance the quality of life and extend survival of patients who remain at high risk of recurrence despite current standard treatment.
Providence Cancer Institute is enrolling patients in the study. Christopher Darus, M.D., is the principal investigator. Dr. Darus is medical director, Providence Gynecologic Oncology Program and Clinic, medical director, Regional Robotic Surgery, Providence Oregon, and associate member, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, a division of Providence Cancer Institute.
Why this study matters now
For more than 20 years, the standard treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) has been a combination of chemotherapy and radiation. While this approach has improved survival overall, it has not worked equally well for all. Patients with larger tumors or cancer that has spread to lymph nodes face a significant risk of relapse.
Recent progress has come from immunotherapy. In early 2024, the FDA approved pembrolizumab in combination with chemoradiation for certain patients with advanced cervical cancer. Even with this advance, results from large clinical trials show that cancer returns in more than one-third of patients within two years.
What the study hopes to achieve
The main goal of NRG-GY037 is to determine whether adding an initial phase of chemotherapy and immunotherapy before standard chemoradiation can improve progression-free and overall survival while helping identify which patients benefit most from this intensified treatment strategy.
Researchers hope the approach will reduce the size of the tumor early, eliminate cancer cells that may not be visible on imaging, and strengthen the immune system’s ability to recognize and attack the disease.
How the study works
Study participants are randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. One group receives the current standard approach: chemotherapy, pembrolizumab and radiation, followed by brachytherapy, and then pembrolizumab as maintenance therapy. The second group begins with an “induction” phase (chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel plus pembrolizumab) before moving on to the same chemoradiation and maintenance regimen.
This approach comes on the heels of studies in other cancers, including melanoma, lung cancer and breast cancer. The studies showed that giving immunotherapy earlier led to stronger and longer responses to treatment.
Learn more about the study here:
To refer a patient:
- Call 503-215-1979
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