Researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute report that about one in three penile cancer patients with limited lymph node metastases respond to immunotherapy. This finding comes from a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The disease is rare, representing less than 1% of all malignant tumors diagnosed. Because of its rarity, treatment options are often limited and typically begin with platinum-based chemotherapy, which can cause a range of challenging side effects. The new study adds a meaningful data point to a field where evidence has historically been scarce.
In this investigation, scientists assessed the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors, a class of immunotherapy drugs designed to unleash the body’s own immune system against cancer cells. The team pooled data from 92 patients who received these drugs across multiple trials conducted in several countries. By comparing results across different trial settings, they aimed to glean real-world signals about how penile cancer responds to ICT therapy.
Among the immune checkpoint inhibitors tested, pembrolizumab, nivolumab, and cemiplimab emerged as the most frequently used options. A subset of patients also received combination therapy that paired nivolumab with ipilimumab, reflecting an approach used in other cancers to enhance immune activity. Across the entire cohort, about 13% of patients showed objective responses to ICT therapy. Notably, the subgroup with limited lymph node metastases experienced responses in roughly one-third of cases, highlighting a potential stratification of benefit based on disease spread.
Despite these encouraging signals, the authors emphasize that robust, prospective clinical trials specifically focused on ICTs for penile cancer are difficult to conduct due to the rarity of the tumor. As a result, researchers continue to pursue a deeper understanding of why some patients respond to these agents while others do not. Ongoing studies are needed to identify predictive biomarkers, optimize treatment regimens, and determine how best to integrate ICTs with existing therapies to improve outcomes for this patient population.
Overall, the current evidence suggests that immune checkpoint inhibitors offer a meaningful, though not universal, therapeutic option for penile cancer. Clinicians emphasize careful patient selection and close monitoring for immune-related side effects, as with other cancers treated with ICTs. As research advances, it is hoped that broader access to immunotherapy will help more patients with penile cancer achieve disease control and better quality of life.