Background
Cervical cancer, especially when it spreads beyond the cervix or comes back after treatment, can be difficult to manage. In these advanced cases, doctors usually rely on a combination of chemotherapy and newer drugs like bevacizumab (Avastin), which stops cancer cells from forming new blood vessels. This combination has improved outcomes for some women, but researchers are constantly looking for new ways to further improve survival rates.
What is Atezolizumab?
Atezolizumab is a type of immunotherapy drug. It works works by blocking a protein that stops the immune system from working properly and attacking cancer cells. It helps to make your immune system find and kill cancer cells. Atezolizumab has shown promise in treating other types of cancer, like lung cancer and urinary bladder cancer. The BEATcc Trial was launched to see if adding atezolizumab to chemotherapy and bevacizumab would help women with advanced cervical cancer live longer.
Mechanism of Action of Immunotherapy
The BEATcc Trial
The BEATcc Trial began in 2018 and included 410 women with advanced or recurrent cervical cancer. These women were divided into two groups: one group received the standard treatment of chemotherapy and bevacizumab, while the other group received the same treatment plus atezolizumab (immunotherapy).
The main goal of the trial was to determine if the addition of atezolizumab could improve survival and delay cancer progression.
BEATcc Trial Scheme
Outcome
In 2024, the results of the BEATcc trial were published. The trial found that adding atezolizumab significantly improve outcomes for women with advanced cervical cancer. Here are the key findings:
· Improvement in Survival: Women who received atezolizumab along with chemotherapy and bevacizumab live about 10% longer than those who received the usual treatment without atezolizumab.
· Time Without the Cancer Getting Worse: The new treatment helped keep the cancer from growing or spreading for about 20% longer compared to the group who didn’t get atezolizumab.
· Shrinking the Tumor: In the group that got the new treatment, more patients saw their cancer shrink. About 40% of these patients had a positive response, compared to 30% in the group with just the usual treatment.
Conclusion
The BEATcc trial gives new hope to people with advanced cervical cancer. Adding atezolizumab to the usual treatment helped patients live longer and slowed down the growth of the cancer. With patients living 10% longer and seeing the cancer grow slower by 20%, this trial shows that the new treatment could become an important option in the future. However, more research is needed to confirm the results and see how well it works for different patients.
This trial highlights how important it is to continue researching new therapies, even if they don’t always lead to immediate changes in treatment. It helps doctors learn which approaches work best, guiding future innovations in cancer care.
References:
1. Oaknin, A., Gladieff, L., Martínez-García, J., Villacampa, G., Takekuma, M., De Giorgi, U., Lindemann, K., Woelber, L., Colombo, N., Duska, L., Leary, A.,
Godoy-Ortiz, A., Nishio, S., Angelergues, A., Rubio, M. J., Fariñas-Madrid, L., Yamaguchi, S., Lorusso, D., Ray-Coquard, I., Manso, L., … ENGOT-Cx10–GEICO 68-C–JGOG1084–GOG-3030 Investigators (2024). Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab and chemotherapy for metastatic, persistent, or recurrent cervical cancer (BEATcc): a randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial. Lancet (London, England), 403(10421), 31–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02405-4
