Atezolizumab Plus FOLFOX Halves Recurrence in dMMR Stage III Colon Cancer

The ATOMIC trial establishes adjuvant anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy added to standard oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy as a new option for resected deficient mismatch repair stage III colon cancer, a change already reflected in guidelines.

atezolizumabmFOLFOX6oxaliplatinfluorouracilPD-L1 inhibitorimmune checkpoint inhibitordeficient mismatch repairdMMRMSI-Hstage III colon canceradjuvant therapyATOMIC trialphase 3 RCTdisease-free survival Oncology Pharmacy

Background Information

Atezolizumab enhances survival in dMMR colon cancer.

Exploring new therapies to improve outcomes in stage III mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) colon cancer is crucial for advancing patient care. The combination of atezolizumab and mFOLFOX6 resulted in a 3-year disease-free survival rate of 86.3% compared to 76.2% with mFOLFOX6 alone, showing a significant benefit. This study suggests adding atezolizumab to standard chemotherapy could be beneficial for stage III dMMR colon cancer patients, though it is associated with higher rates of severe adverse events. Atezolizumab with mFOLFOX6 improves disease-free survival in dMMR colon cancer.

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Authors: Sinicrope FA, Ou FS, Arnold D, Peters WR, Behrens RJ, Lieu CH, Matin K, Cohen DJ, Potter SL, Nixon AB, Kottschade LA, Kathol E, Frankel WL, Shergill A, Hsu D, Reinacher-Schick A, Mehan P, Gold PJ, Khalil MF, Zemla T, Gatten C, O'Reilly EM, Meyerhardt JA

Citation: Sinicrope FA, Ou FS, Arnold D, et al. Atezolizumab plus FOLFOX for Stage III Mismatch Repair-Deficient Colon Cancer. The New England journal of medicine. 2026;394(12):1155-1166. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2507874

Article Links: PubMed · Journal / DOI · Free Full Text (PMC)

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