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NHS approves new treatment for advanced womb cancer
The combination has been shown to stimulate the body’s immune system and kill off cancer cell growth
Hundreds of women with advanced womb cancer in England are to be offered a new “lifeline” option, as the NHS rolls out a new combination therapy that could halt the progression of the disease.
The NHS has agreed landmark commercial deals for two drugs from different manufacturers, which will be used in combination to treat advanced endometrial cancer in between 500 and 750 women each year.
Clinical trials have shown that pembrolizumab and lenvatinib used together can double the time taken for cancer to progress compared with the existing chemotherapy treatment, from just over three and half months to more than seven months.
In the trial, overall survival was also significantly longer for patients taking the combination therapy compared to existing chemotherapy treatments, with those taking pembrolizumab and lenvatinib living on average almost 19 months compared just under 12 months on existing chemotherapy.
Set for approval today by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the combination has been shown to stimulate the body’s immune system and kill off cancer cell growth.
As part of the combination treatment, pembrolizumab is delivered intravenously every three or six weeks while lenvatinib is two pills taken once a day.
Currently, patients undergo chemotherapy treatment every three weeks, but unlike with chemotherapy, there is a far less significant risk of hair loss as a side effect of the new combination treatment.
Around 9,400 women are diagnosed with cancer in the womb every year, making it the fourth most common cancer in UK women.
While the treatment was initially rejected in draft guidance by NICE on the grounds of cost-effectiveness, the NHS has been able to use its commercial capabilities to negotiate a deal with the manufacturers, allowing the treatment to be made available to patients.
“It is fantastic news that this innovative combination therapy can now offer a new lifeline to hundreds of women living with advanced endometrial cancer, giving hope of precious extra time to live with a better quality of life,” said NHS national cancer director Professor Peter Johnson.
“Now in its 75th year, the NHS is leading the world in making the latest treatments available through its unique commercial capabilities and commitment to innovation on behalf of patients and their families across the country.”
Grace Teeling, a 33-year-old from Bristol who was diagnosed with advanced stage three womb cancer in 2019, said: “I have been incredibly fortunate to receive treatment for the past two years and I had a really good response, which means there is currently no evidence of cancer on my recent scans,” she said.
“It has enabled me to thrive despite having an advanced and incurable cancer diagnosis.
“I am able to work, travel, socialise and exercise, including paddleboarding, which I may not have been able to do on chemotherapy. I am delighted others will now be able to access this treatment as I don’t think I would be alive today if I hadn’t.”
Professor Emma Crosbie, chair of trustees of Peaches Womb Cancer Trust, said: “This innovative new treatment regimen will benefit patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, who currently have very few effective anti-cancer treatments available to them.
“Every year, many people are facing a diagnosis of advanced or recurrent womb cancer, and the frightening reality of very few treatment options that can improve their survival and quality of life.
“Those affected by womb cancer deserve more treatment options, but we hope that this is just the first step towards wider availability of more effective treatment options for those affected by this devastating cancer.”
David Long, head of oncology at MSD UK, which manufactures pembrolzimab, said: “Endometrial cancer is one of the few cancers with rising incidence and mortality, and historically there has been limited treatment options for people with advanced stages of the disease.
“We are therefore very pleased that a new treatment option has been made available to patients which will help address this unmet need.
“We are proud to have worked alongside Eisai, NICE and NHS England to ensure patients can access this treatment.”
The combination treatment will be funded by the NHS and will be offered to all eligible women who have previously received treatment for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.
Transdermal HRT best protects bone density in women with functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea, a condition that stops periods, a review of trials has found.
The meta-analysis pooled randomised clinical trials involving 692 participants and found transdermal hormone replacement therapy and teriparatide increased bone mineral density by between 2 and 13 per cent.
Functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea can follow anorexia or intense exercise. Bone mineral density measures bone strength and the amount of mineral in bone.
Around half of women with the condition have low bone mineral density, compared with about 1 per cent of healthy women, and their fracture risk is up to seven times higher.
The research was conducted by scientists at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
Professor Alexander Comninos, senior author of the study and consultant endocrinologist at the trust, said: “Bone density is lost very rapidly in FHA and so addressing bone health early is very important to reduce the lifelong risk of fractures.
“Our study provides much needed comparisons of all the available treatments from all available studies.
“Clearly the best treatment is to restore normal menstrual cycles and therefore oestrogen levels through various psychological, nutritional or exercise interventions – but that is not always possible.
“The foundation for bone health is good calcium and vitamin D intake (through diet and/or supplements) but we have additional treatments that are more effective.”
When FHA is diagnosed, clinicians first try to restore periods through lifestyle measures, including psychological and dietary support, but these can fail. Guidelines then recommend giving oestrogen, though the best form was unclear.
The team reviewed all prior randomised trials comparing therapies, including oral and transdermal oestrogen, and also assessed teriparatide, a prescription bone-building drug used for severe osteoporosis.
They found no significant benefit for oral contraceptive pills or oral hormone therapy.
A recent UK audit reported that about a quarter of women with anorexia-related FHA are prescribed the oral contraceptive pill for bone loss; the study suggests using transdermal therapy instead.
Comninos said: “Our goal is simple: to help women receive the right treatment sooner and to protect their bone health in the long-term.
“We hope this study provides clinicians with better evidence to choose transdermal oestrogen when prescribing oestrogen and so inform future practice guidelines.
“Right now, millions of women with FHA may not be receiving the best treatments for their bone health.”
An AI tool cut interval breast cancers by 12 per cent in a Swedish screening trial of more than 105,000 women.
The study also found 27 per cent fewer aggressive breast cancers detected at screening when AI was used.
Interval cancers are cancers found between routine screening appointments because they were missed at the original scan. They are often more dangerous and linked to higher death rates than cancers found at screening.
The MASAI trial is described as the first large randomised study to test whether AI can improve mammography screening, which uses low-dose X-rays to examine breast tissue for signs of cancer.
The AI tool, called Transpara Detection and developed by ScreenPoint Medical, supported radiologists in analysing mammography images.
Earlier results from the same trial showed that Transpara Detection increased cancers found by 29 per cent and reduced radiologist workload by 44 per cent compared with standard double-reading, where two radiologists independently review each scan.
The latest findings indicate higher accuracy with AI support. Sensitivity, the ability to detect cancer, was 6.7 percentage points higher in the AI group while specificity, the ability to rule out healthy cases, was maintained. Results were similar across age groups and breast density levels.
Women screened with AI had 16 per cent fewer invasive interval cancers and 21 per cent fewer large interval cancers than those in the standard screening group.
The system also helps doctors assess risk more precisely by subdividing suspicious findings into BI-RADS 4 categories A, B and C. BI-RADS (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System) is a standardised scale that guides whether a patient needs closer monitoring, further tests or treatment.
Ageing anxiety may accelerate biological ageing in women, with fears about worsening health linked to faster epigenetic ageing, according to new research.
The study found that greater anxiety about growing old was associated with accelerated epigenetic ageing, as measured by the DunedinPACE clock, based on biological markers in blood samples.
Epigenetic changes are shifts in how genes are switched on or off without altering DNA itself, which can influence how the body ages and functions.
“Our research suggests that subjective experiences may be driving objective measures of ageing,” said Mariana Rodrigues, a PhD student and the first author of the study.
“Ageing-related anxiety is not merely a psychological concern, but may leave a mark on the body with real health consequences.”
Researchers analysed data from 726 women in the Midlife in the US study.
Participants were asked how much they worried about becoming less attractive with age, having more health issues and being too old to have children.
Blood samples were used to assess ageing with two epigenetic clocks: DunedinPACE, which estimates the pace of biological ageing, and GrimAge2, which estimates cumulative biological damage.
The study was conducted by researchers at NYU School of Global Public Health.
Worrying about declining health showed the strongest links with epigenetic ageing, while anxiety about attractiveness and fertility was not significantly associated with biological markers.
The authors suggest health worries are more common and persist over time, whereas concerns about appearance and reproduction may fade with age.
“Women in midlife may also be multiple in roles, including caring for their ageing parents,” Rodrigues said.
“As they see older family members grow older and become sick, they may worry about whether the same thing will happen to them.”
The authors caution that the study offers a snapshot in time and other factors may influence these biological changes.
When analyses were adjusted for health behaviours such as smoking and alcohol use, the link between ageing anxiety and epigenetic ageing decreased and was no longer significant.
“Our research identifies ageing anxiety as a measurable and modifiable psychological determinant that seems to be shaping ageing biology,” said Adolfo Cuevas, associate professor of social and behavioural sciences and the study’s senior author.
They call for more research to clarify how this anxiety influences ageing over time, to guide support for those experiencing ageing anxiety.
“Ageing is a universal experience.” Rodrigues said.
“We need to start a discourse about how we as a society, through our norms, structural factors and interpersonal relationships, address the challenges of ageing.”
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