MSD, a pharmaceutical company, has welcomed a new recommendation from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in England. This recommendation allows the use of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (brand name KEYTRUDA) along with standard chemotherapy and radiation therapy to treat adults with advanced cervical cancer. The cancer must be in stage III or IVA as defined by the FIGO 2014 classification and must not have spread to distant parts of the body. This is the first time immunotherapy has been approved for this type of cervical cancer in England. The recommendation is based on a large clinical trial called KEYNOTE-A18. In this trial, patients who received pembrolizumab along with chemoradiation had better outcomes, including longer survival without cancer progression and longer overall survival, compared to those who received only standard chemoradiation therapy. The drug pembrolizumab is approved in the UK for use with external beam radiation therapy followed by brachytherapy, which is a specialized type of radiation treatment. This treatment is for adults who have not received prior definitive therapy for their cancer. Louise Broadbelt, a cervical cancer survivor, shared her experience: “Being diagnosed with cancer is overwhelming. All you want to know is that you’re getting the best possible treatment and that there’s hope. I was diagnosed with stage III locally advanced cervical cancer in 2021 and was fortunate to participate in a clinical trial that included pembrolizumab. I’m incredibly grateful to have had that opportunity and am still here today. The results of this trial may also help other patients in the future.” Alexandra Taylor, a Clinical Oncology Consultant at The Royal Marsden Hospital, added: “This approval is a significant step forward for women with stage III to IVA locally advanced cervical cancer. It’s encouraging that more patients will now have access to a treatment that can improve their long-term outcomes.” John McNeill, who directs the Oncology Business Unit at MSD UK, stated: “We welcome NICE’s recommendation, which is an important advance for women living with locally advanced cervical cancer. This type of cancer disproportionately affects women from underserved communities, and there has long been a need for better treatment options. Today’s decision is a meaningful development for these patients, who may now benefit from an additional treatment choice.”