Immunotherapy could work against bowel cancers resistant to important targeted treatment

Patients with bowel cancer who have stopped responding to a widely used targeted drug could benefit from immunotherapy, a major new study reveals. Scientists found that bowel tumours which had initially responded to cetuximab before developing resistance became more visible to the immune system — potentially leaving them vulnerable to immunotherapies. A phase II clinical trial has already begun to test the possible benefit of immunotherapy in patients who have stopped responding to cetuximab.