A clinical trial at Duke University is testing the use of immunotherapy as a first-line treatment for patients with microsatellite stable colorectal cancer. The trial, led by gastrointestinal oncologist Dr. Nicholas DeVito, monitors the effects of bi-weekly infusions on patients who have not yet undergone chemotherapy for their condition.
The standard treatment for this type of cancer typically involves chemotherapy and radiation. According to Dr. Michael James Overman of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, chemotherapy controls the disease for at least six months in approximately 80% to 90% of these patients. Immunotherapy is traditionally reserved as a later "line of defense" after multiple chemotherapy treatments have failed, with previous studies showing disease control in about 70% of those cases.
One participant in the trial, 30-year-old Spencer Laird, joined the study in February 2025 after his cancer returned and spread to his lungs. Initial scans in December 2024 showed 13 tumors, including one the size of a golf ball. After receiving immunotherapy infusions every two weeks, scans in December 2025 indicated three remaining tumors, the largest measuring 0.6 millimeters. Laird reported initial side effects including rashes and nausea, which subsided by late spring 2025.
The scale of the reported impact is demonstrated by the tumor reduction in trial participants like Laird, who saw 13 lung tumors reduced to three over the course of one year. While the specific per-person cost of these infusions was not reported, the regimen requires a clinical commitment of one infusion every two weeks and diagnostic scans every six to eight weeks. For the patient, this represents a shift from a terminal diagnosis with an estimated two-to-five-year life expectancy to a state of remission, though researchers note it is not yet known how long such remissions will last or if they are permanent.
This research sets a precedent for "proof of concept" in front-line immunotherapy for colorectal cancer, which Dr. Overman noted is a novel, non-chemo approach. If successful, the results could influence future policy regarding standard-of-care protocols and patient selection based on biomarkers. However, medical experts emphasize that more research is needed to determine if this can be applied to a broader population. The full results of this specific 15-patient trial at Duke University are scheduled for publication in April.