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Spallanzani et al. J Cancer Metastasis Treat 2018;4:28 Journal of Cancer
DOI: 10.20517/2394-4722.2018.31 Metastasis and Treatment

Review Open Access

Immunotherapy in the treatment of colorectal
cancer: a new kid on the block

Andrea Spallanzani, Fabio Gelsomino, Francesco Caputo, Chiara Santini, Kalliopi Andrikou, Giulia Orsi,
Margherita Rimini, Stefania Pipitone, Laura Riggi, Camilla Bardasi, Massimiliano Salati, Stefano Cascinu

Division of Oncology, University Hospital of Modena, Modena 41124, Italy.
Correspondence to: Dr. Andrea Spallanzani, Division of Oncology, University Hospital of Modena, Via del Pozzo 71, Modena
41124, Italy. E-mail: andrea.spallanzani@unimore.it
How to cite this article: Spallanzani A, Gelsomino F, Caputo F, Santini C, Andrikou K, Orsi G, Rimini M, Pipitone S, Riggi L, Bardasi
C, Salati M, Cascinu S. Immunotherapy in the treatment of colorectal cancer: a new kid on the block. J Cancer Metastasis Treat
2018;4:28. http://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2394-4722.2018.31
Received: 13 May 2018 First Decision: 29 May 2018 Revised: 1 Jun 2018 Accepted: 6 Jun 2018 Published: 19 Jun 2018

Science Editor: Guofeng Xie Copy Editor: Jun-Yao Li Production Editor: Huan-Liang Wu

Abstract
In the last few years, the success of anti-PD1 and anti-PDL1 drugs in solid cancers treatment and the advances in
molecular biology have provided new potential treatment strategies for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.
Unfortunately, only patients with mismatch repair deficiency seem to benefit from immunotherapy and they represent
a small subset of the metastatic population. New ongoing studies focus on converting an immune ignorant tumour
into an inflamed one by combination therapies and on introducing an immunotherapeutic approach in earlier stages of
disease (neoadjuvant and adjuvant setting). In this review we summarize the current knowledge about the molecular
and immune landscape of colorectal cancer and propose new potential combination strategies to enhance the efficacy
of immunotherapy.

Keywords: Colorectal cancer, immunotherapy, microsatellite instability, pembrolizumab, nivolumab, atezolizumab

INTRODUCTION
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in males and the second in females, representing
[1,2]
the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide in older adults .

However, CRC-related mortality has declined progressively in the past decades, due to cancer screening
programs, standardization of preoperative and postoperative care, improved surgical techniques and more-
[3]
effective systemic therapies for early and advanced-stage disease .

© The Author(s) 2018. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
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