Dr. Grothey on Investigational Combinations in MSI-High CRC

Axel Grothey, MD, medical oncologist and director of Gastrointestinal Cancer Research at West Cancer Center and Research Institute, discusses investigational combination therapies in microsatellite instability–high (MSI-H) colorectal cancer (CRC).

A number of encouraging combination therapies are being explored in CRC for patients who have MSI-H tumors. For example, combinations with PD-1 inhibitors and chemotherapy ​or CTLA​-4 inhibitors appear promising, Grothey says. For example, nivolumab (Opdivo) ​plus ipilimumab (Yervoy)​, given in the first-line setting, appears to be active in clinical studies, Grothey says.

With a host of therapeutic approaches available, along with new regimens in the pipeline, the paradigm of CRC ​is expanding. However, it’s critical to identify whether a patient has MSI-H disease because it will guide treatment selection and ​potentially allow patients to achieve more durable responses​, Grothey explains. For example, ​immunotherapy is potentially curative for patients with MSI-H tumors. However, this is not the case with chemotherapy, Grothey concludes.