What the trial was testing
The KEYNOTE-177 enrolled 307 patients with colorectal cancer. The study was sponsored by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was a large trial designed to confirm whether the treatment works well enough for wider use. Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
Pembrolizumab doubled the time before cancer worsened — 16.5 months versus 8.2 months with chemotherapy.
The New England journal of medicine · 2020 · NCT02563002
These findings — that time before cancer worsened was doubled with pembrolizumab — were published in the The New England journal of medicine and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 307 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with colorectal cancer, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
Pembrolizumab is FDA-approved for MSI-H or dMMR colorectal cancer. If you have advanced colorectal cancer, ask your doctor about testing your tumor for MSI-H or dMMR status. If positive, pembrolizumab may be an option as first-line treatment instead of chemotherapy.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open colorectal cancer trials
A Study of BL-B01D1 in Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Gastrointestinal Tumor and Other Solid Tumor
In phase Ia study, the safety and tolerability of BL-B01D1 in patients with locally advanced or metastatic gastrointestinal tumor and other solid tumor will be investigated to determine the dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of BL-B01D1. In phase Ib study, the safety and tolerability of BL-B01D1 at the phase Ia recommended dose will be further investigated, and recommended phase II dose (RP2D) for phase II clinical studies will be determined. In addition, the preliminary efficacy, pharmacokinetic characteristics, and immunogenicity of BL-B01D1 in patients with locally advanced or metastatic gastrointestinal tumor and other solid tumor will be evaluated.
New bioMarkers tO straTIfy cOlorectal caNcer Referrals
The goal of this observational study is to evaluate if a blood test for circulating progastrin (hPG80) and transposable elements (TEs) can accurately predict colorectal cancer (CRC) or polyps in adult patients referred to the 2-week wait (2WW) or Straight to Test (STT) pathways for suspected lower gastrointestinal cancer. The main questions it aims to answer are: Can plasma hPG80 levels accurately predict a diagnosis of CRC or polyps in patients undergoing standard 2WW investigations? Can transposable elements (TEs) in the plasma serve as predictive biomarkers for CRC diagnosis in these patients? What are the patient preferences for different diagnostic tests for CRC, particularly a blood-based test compared to more invasive methods? Participants will: Provide a 20ml blood sample during a routine hospital visit for their 2WW diagnostic test (e.g., colonoscopy, CT Colon). Undergo standard clinical investigations as determined by their treating clinicians. Have their final diagnosis (cancer, polyp, or normal) correlated with their plasma hPG80 levels. For a subset of 100 participants (25 with confirmed CRC, 75 non-cancer), have their plasma analyzed for circulating signatures using RNAseq and DNAseq. Complete an electronic post-study questionnaire to explore their preferences and experiences with different CRC diagnostic tests used within the 2WW pathway.