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The past, present, and future of immunotherapy for endometrial adenocarcinoma

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Abstract

Incidences of endometrial adenocarcinoma are increasing in the USA with poor prognosis for patients with advanced disease. The current treatment standard is surgery including total hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy with surgical staging and adjunct treatment, such as chemotherapy or radiation. However, these methods do not present as an effective treatment option for poorly differentiated advanced cancers. Advancements in immunotherapy now offer a new approach for various types of cancer and specifically show promise in the treatment of endometrial adenocarcinoma. This review summarizes immunotherapeutic treatment options relevant to endometrial adenocarcinoma, such as immune checkpoint blockades, bispecific T-cell engager antibodies, vaccinations, and adoptive cell transfer. This study could be helpful for clinicians to identify treatment options more suitable for women with late-stage endometrial adenocarcinoma.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a grant from Des Moines University for Dr. Yujiang Fang (IOER 112-3749).

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  1. Anna C. Jones, Karah H. Brown, and Tianyun Guan have equally contributed.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Pathology, Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Des Moines, IA, 50312, USA

    Anna C. Jones, Karah H. Brown, Cole R. Formslag & Yujiang Fang

  2. Department of Surgery, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA

    Anna C. Jones, Karah H. Brown, Luke A. Smith, Emerson D. Farjado, Qian Bai, Harrison D. Luechtefeld, Mark R. Wakefield & Yujiang Fang

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Nanhua Hospital Affiliated to Nanhua University, Hengyang, China

    Tianyun Guan & Lijun Dong

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Contributions

YF initiated the idea. ACJ, KHB, TG, LAS, CRF, EDF, QB, and HDL wrote the draft. YF, LD, and MRW made critical revision to the draft.

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Correspondence to Lijun Dong or Yujiang Fang.

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Jones, A.C., Brown, K.H., Guan, T. et al. The past, present, and future of immunotherapy for endometrial adenocarcinoma. Med Oncol 40, 186 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-023-02040-7

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