Finding Hope With Immunotherapy
- A 63-year-old mother of 3 diagnosed with late-stage endometrial cancer first thought her symptoms were the onset of menopause. Despite a challenging diagnosis, she found hope with immunotherapy treatment, which helped her reach remission.
- Endometrial cancer begins when cancerous cells form in the tissues of the endometrium or lining of the uterus. Symptoms typically associated with this type of cancer include vaginal bleeding and pelvic pain.
- Immunotherapy is a common cancer treatment method that uses the body’s immune system to target cancer cells.
- Studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed a significant increase in progression-free survival in certain people with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer when they were given immunotherapy and chemotherapy at the same time instead of just chemotherapy.
A mother of three experiencing symptoms she believed to be signs of menopause were actually symptoms related to endometrial cancer. By the time her cancer was discovered, it was already in its later stages. However, Carol Kernaghan, 63, managed to overcome despair after finding hope with immunotherapy, a type of cancer treatment that put her in remission from the disease.
Kernaghan says she started experiencing pain in her hip and blood spots in her pants. As a dementia caregiver, she dismissed these unusual symptoms as the onset of menopause.
Read MoreAccording to the National Cancer Institute, endometrial cancer begins when cancerous cells form in the tissues of the endometrium or lining of the uterus. Symptoms typically associated with this type of cancer include vaginal bleeding and pelvic pain.
“Once they were inside, they realized things were a heck of a lot worse than they thought,” Kernaghan said.
“I had an MRI scan, and they found [the cancer] was in my bladder, my cervix, my bowel, my pelvic wall – it was everywhere,” she continued.
Kernaghan said her doctors told her there was “nothing they could do, and it was inoperable.”
Around the time she was diagnosed, Kernaghan’s daughter was pregnant, and she wondered if she would ever get the chance to meet her grandchild.
Then, a treatment offered the proud mother of three a fighting chance.
“Luckily for me, the treatment did more than give me a quality of life – it gave me back my life,” Kernaghan said.
Kernaghan was treated with immunotherapy. This cancer treatment uses the body’s immune system to fight cancer cells. Like many cancer treatments, immunotherapy comes with potential side effects, which may include fatigue, nausea or stomach discomfort, and joint pain, among other symptoms.
WATCH: The side effects of immunotherapy.
“The side effects of immunotherapy are not, quote, forever,” medical oncologist Dr. Anna Pavlick tells SurvivorNet.
“Depending upon the severity, it depends upon how we manage it. Some patients will get diarrhea, and we can give them treatments to calm down their diarrhea, and it lasts a couple of days,” Dr. Pavlick continued.
After undergoing treatment, immunotherapy helped Kernaghan reach remission or no evidence of disease. After treatment, she proudly rang the cancer treatment completion bell.
“I just rang the bell and cried,” she said.
“My little grandson is two now, and he’s just gorgeous. I’m so glad I could meet him,” Kernaghan said.
RELATED: For Advanced Endometrial Cancer: Immunotherapy, PARP Inhibitor Drug Combination Shows Promise
Another notable moment during Kernaghan’s cancer journey came when she learned she has Lynch syndrome, which makes her more susceptible to certain cancers, including colorectal, uterine, ovarian, endometrial, and more. Genetic testing can help screen for Lynch syndrome.
WATCH: Understanding Lynch Syndrome
“It’s very important to ask your health care provider if you might have Lynch syndrome and if you can see a genetic counselor to discuss it further. In fact, there are a number of genes involved in Lynch syndrome. What is it really? It’s sometimes referred to as hereditary colon cancer, but that doesn’t really quite cover it. It includes an increased risk of colon cancer, rectal cancer, uterine or endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, and a range of other cancers as well.” Dr. Ophira Ginsburg, a medical oncologist at NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet.
Kernaghan’s children were also tested for Lynch syndrome, and they learned they also carry the genetic mutation.
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Understanding Endometrial Cancer
Endometrial cancer begins when cancerous cells form in the tissues of the endometrium or lining of the uterus.
After a woman has been diagnosed with endometrial cancer, her doctor will stage the cancer based on its spread within the body. A pelvic exam and imaging tests help your doctor learn if the cancer has spread or metastasized.
Some common risk factors for endometrial cancer include:
- Obesity
- Taking estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy after menopause
- Having never given birth or started menstruation at an early age
- Having a family history of endometrial cancer
Common symptoms of endometrial cancer include:
- Vaginal bleeding
- Finding it difficult or painful to urinate
- Experiencing pain during sexual intercourse
- Experiencing pain in the pelvic area
Treatment for endometrial cancer includes surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy. Surgery is the most common treatment method.
During radiation therapy, high-energy beams such as X-rays are aimed at cancer cells to kill them. Chemotherapy destroys cancer cells by using drugs designed to stop the cancer cells from growing. Chemo drugs are usually taken orally or intravenously.
Treating endometrial cancer with hormone therapy involves removing hormones or blocking their ability to help cancer cells grow. Targeted therapy treatment uses drugs designed to target specific cancer cells.
Each of these treatment methods can come with side effects. Depending on the treatment type, the impact on the body may differ. If you are moving toward treating endometrial cancer, talking with your doctor about potential side effects and how to minimize their impact is important.
Treatment Advancements for Endometrial Cancer
Advancements in treatment for endometrial cancer are also giving patients more hope.
A combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy could help slow disease progression compared to chemo alone, new studies support, opening the door for a possible new treatment path for women with later stages of the disease.
Immunotherapy is a common cancer treatment method that uses the body’s immune system to target cancer cells.
Two recent studies, both published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, showed a significant increase in progression-free survival in certain people with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer when they were given immunotherapy and chemotherapy at the same time, instead of just chemotherapy.
Immunotherapy is currently only approved to treat endometrial cancer after chemo as a second-line treatment.
One study combined the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (also known by its brand name Keytruda) with chemotherapies paclitaxel (brand name Abraxane) and carboplatin injections. The chemotherapy combination is the current standard of care.
The second study combined the immunotherapy drug dostarlimab (brand name Jemperli) with the standard chemo treatment and found similar “significantly increased progression-free survival among patients with primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, with a substantial benefit” for certain patients.
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