Dr. Bekaii Saab on Immunotherapeutic Options in CRC Beyond PD-1/PD-L1

Tanios Bekaii-Saab, MD, professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, discusses immunotherapeutic options being explored in the treatment landscape of colorectal cancer (CRC) beyond PD-1/PD-L1 agents.

There are other strategies that investigators are exploring in this area aside from the PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, Bekaii-Saab explains. Some of these include knocking down the wnt/β-catenin pathway, which could be a more powerful stimulant for the immune system for tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and is more likely to benefit patients when combined with PD-1/PD-L1 agents. There is a high level of activity there, but there are other pathways still being investigated.

Additionally, he says, there will be a larger subgroup of patients with metastatic CRC who have microsatellite-stable disease that will eventually be eligible for immunotherapy.