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Endometrial Cancer: Targeted and Immunotherapies

Targeted therapies are designed to kill cancer cells, while sparing normal cells. Immunotherapies help the immune system detect and attack cancer cells. Learn more about how they are used for endometrial cancer.

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Risk Management & Treatment > Cancer Treatment > By Cancer Type > Endometrial > Endometrial Cancer: Targeted and Immunotherapies

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Targeted and Immunotherapies for Endometrial Cancer

This section covers the following topics:


What is

Immunotherapies are cancer treatments that help the body’s immune system detect and attack cancer cells. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a type of used to treat several types of cancer, including endometrial cancer. Some cancer cells can switch off the immune system. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are drugs that prevent this from happening. This allows the immune system to find, unmask and destroy cancer cells.  


Which immunotherapies are used for endometrial cancer? 

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are used in the advanced or setting, most often to treat cancers that have biomarkers known as MSI-H or . People with often develop cancers with these biomarkers. The immunotherapies used in endometrial cancer include: 

  • Imfinzi (durvalumab) is used in combination with chemotherapy followed by Imfinzi alone as first line treatment for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer. 
  • Jemperli (dostarlimab) is used in combination with chemotherapy followed by Jemperli alone as first line treatment for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer. Jemperli may be used in this setting regardless of MSI/MMR status. 
  • Jemperli is used alone to treat MSI-H or advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, which came back or got worse after platinum chemotherapy. 
  • Keytruda is used alone to treat MSI-H or advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, in people whose cancer came back or got worse after previous treatment and who are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation. 
  • Keytruda is used alone to treat advanced cancers with the tumor mutational burden-High (TMB-H) that have progressed after treatment and for which there are no other treatment options.
  • Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is used to in combination with the targeted drug lenvatinib in women with advanced endometrial cancers that are not or MSI-H, usually after other treatments have been tried.

side effects

Like any medication, can come with side effects. Most are manageable, but some can be serious or even life threatening. You can learn more about on our Side Effects page. 


What is ?

Targeted therapies are treatments designed to attack or kill cancer cells, while sparing normal cells as much as possible. These therapies are often designed to target abnormal proteins, receptors or genes that are found in high quantities in cancer cells or the surrounding tissue. Tumor testing can help doctors identify the patients most likely to benefit from a .


Which targeted therapies are used for endometrial cancer?

is still fairly new in the treatment of endometrial cancer. Currently, these agents are only prescribed if the cancer has recurred or as part of a clinical trial. Targeted therapies for endometrial cancer include:

  • Vitrakvi (larotrectinib) is approved for treatment of endometrial cancer that is or cannot be removed with surgery and has worsened with other treatments. It targets a specific genetic change called an NTRK fusion. This type of genetic change is found in a range of cancers, including a rare type of uterine cancer known as uterine sarcoma.
  • Lenvima (lenvatinib) helps block tumors from forming new blood vessels. Lenvima can be used along with the drug Keytruda to treat some advanced endometrial cancers, typically after at least one other drug treatment has been tried.
  • Afinitor (everolimus) is a type of known as an mTOR inhibitor that has been used (off label) to treat some people with advanced endometrial cancer. Afinitor does not have approval for use in endometrial cancer. 
  • Avastin (bevacizumab) helps block tumors from forming new blood vessels. Avastin does not have approval for use in endometrial cancer. 
  • Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) is a type of targeted therapy approved for treatment many different types of advanced cancers (including endometrial cancer) if tumor testing shows a  called

Speak with your doctor if you have advanced endometrial cancer and you are not sure if you had testing, or if you don't understand your test results.

Researchers are studying new ways to use targeted therapies to treat endometrial cancer. Visit our Featured Research section for more information.


side effects

Like any medication, can come with side effects. Most are manageable, but some can be serious or even life threatening. You can learn more about on our  Side Effects page. 

In the News

Immunotherapy improves outcomes of advanced endometrial cancer

Study : Immunotherapy improves outcomes of advanced endometrial cancer

Standard treatment for advanced endometrial cancer may soon change. A study found that people with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer who received immunotherapy with chemotherapy...

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Table of targeted and immunotherapies for endometrial cancer

Open Table
Targeted and immunotherapies for endometrial cancer : Table listing the targeted and immunotherapies used for the treatment of endometrial cancer

Name of Drug

Cancer Stage

Indication

Biomarker

Type of Agent

Imfinzi (durvalumab)

Recurrent or advanced endometrial cancer

In combination with chemotherapy, followed by Imfinzi alone to treat primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer

Mismatch Repair Deficiency (dMMR or MMR-D)

Immune checkpoint inhibitor

Jemperli (dostarlimab)

Recurrent or advanced endometrial cancer

In combination with chemotherapy, followed by Jemperli alone to treat primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer

No biomarker required

Immune checkpoint inhibitor

Jemperli (dostarlimab)

Recurrent or advanced endometrial cancer

For treatment of recurrent or advanced endometrial cancer that is mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) that has progressed on or following a prior platinum-containing regimen

Mismatch Repair Deficiency (dMMR or MMR-D)

Immune checkpoint inhibitor

Keytruda (pembrolizumab)

Advanced endometrial cancer

For the treatment of MSI-H or dMMR advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer that came back or got worse after previous treatment and for which there are no other treatment options

Microsatellite Instability High (MSI-H) or Mismatch Repair Deficiency (dMMR or MMR-D)

Immune checkpoint inhibitor

Keytruda (pembrolizumab)

Metastatic or unresectable solid tumors

For the treatment of solid tumors that have progressed after treatment and for which there are no other treatment options

Tumor Mutational Burden High (TMB-H)

Immune checkpoint inhibitor

Keytruda (pembrolizumab)

Advanced endometrial cancer

Combined with Lenvima (lenvatinib) for patients whose cancer has progressed after treatment and who are not candidates for surgery or radiation

Tumors that are not MSI-H or dMMR (or MMR-D) - they may be referred to as MSI-Low, MSS, pMMR or MMR-P).

Immune checkpoint inhibitor

Lenvima (lenvatinib)

Advanced endometrial cancer

Combined with pembrolizumab, for the treatment of patients whose cancer has progressed after treatment and who are not candidates for surgery or radiation

Tumors that are not MSI-H or dMMR (or MMR-D) - they may be referred to as MSI-Low, MSS, pMMR or MMR-P).

Targeted therapy known as a tyrosine kinase inhibitor

Enhertu (fam-trastuzumab-deruxtecan-nxki)

Metastatic or unresectable solid tumors

For adult patients with unresectable or metastatic, HER2-positive solid tumors (including endometrial cancer) who have received prior systemic treatment and have no alternative treatment options

HER2 overexpression (HER2-positive)

Antibody-drug conjugate (chemotherapy attached to antibody targeting HER2 receptor)

Vitrakvi (larotrectinib)

Metastatic solid tumors

For treatment in metastatic solid tumors for which there are no other treatment options

NTRK fusion

Targeted therapy known as a kinase inhibitor


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Last updated July 16, 2024