Prospective pilot study of low-dose lenvatinib plus anti-PD-1 therapy for pretreated recurrent ovarian or endometrial cancer

Treatment options for pretreated patients with recurrent ovarian or endometrial cancer are limited. Lenvatinib plus anti-PD-1 combination therapy has been efficacious in advanced endometrial cancer, but at the recommended dose level, high-grade adverse events occur and lead to drug discontinuation. A pilot study at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (Beijing, China) evaluated low-dose lenvatinib (8 or 12 mg once daily based on body weight) in combination with standard dose anti-PD-1 therapy for pretreated recurrent ovarian and endometrial cancer. The treatment was tolerated with only one of 21 patients discontinuing both drugs, and no grade 4 or 5 adverse events. The objective response rate was 46.7% in ovarian cancer and 66.7% in endometrial cancer, with median progression-free survival 4.1 and 6.6 months, respectively. The author conclude that low-dose lenvatinib in combination with anti-PD-1 therapy had promising efficacy and favorable tolerability in patients with previously treated ovarian or endometrial cancer.