Neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibition in locally advanced MMR-deficient colon cancer

Neoadjuvant immunotherapy has shown promising responses in several cancer types. The multicenter NICHE-2 study in The Netherlands evaluated neoadjuvant ipilimumab (one dose) and nivolumab (two doses) for locally advanced MMR-deficient colon cancer. Pathologic response was seen in 106 of 107 patients, and pathologic complete response in 72 of 107 patients (67%). At a median follow-up of 13 months (range 1-57), none of the patients had disease recurrence. The authors conclude that these data suggest a strong potential for neoadjuvant immunotherapy to become standard of care in this patient population.