Pembrolizumab with lenvatinib for previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer

Pembrolizumab in combination with lenvatinib is being developed for patients with previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Colorectal (or bowel) cancer starts in the large bowel (colon) and the back passage (rectum). The cause of colorectal cancer is unknown but various factors increase the risk of contracting it, including having a diet high in red or processed meats and low in fibre, smoking, and being overweight or obese. Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK. Metastatic cancer is cancer that has spread around the body from the place it had originally started from. There is a need for additional treatment therapies as colorectal cancer in the fourth most common cancer in the UK.