Massey Pioneers New Stage III Colon Cancer Therapy

VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center plays vital role in phase III clinical trial establishing new standard of care.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 7:18am

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VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center and its NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) affiliates played a crucial role in a phase III clinical trial that has established a new therapeutic standard for patients with stage III colon cancer with deficient DNA mismatch repair (dMMR). The findings show that adding immunotherapy to standard chemotherapy after surgery can significantly improve outcomes for these patients.

Why it matters

Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and the standard adjuvant treatment for stage III colon cancer has remained largely unchanged since the 1990s. This new approach represents a pivotal advancement that will elevate the standard of care for patients with non-metastatic dMMR colon cancer.

The details

The international phase III ATOMIC trial evaluated adjuvant treatment strategies for patients with stage III colon cancer and dMMR. The study found that treating these patients with a combination of the immunotherapy drug atezolizumab and standard chemotherapy after surgery lowered the risk of the cancer returning or causing death by 50%, with 86.3% of patients remaining disease-free at three years compared to 76.2% receiving chemotherapy alone.

  • The ATOMIC trial results were recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
  • The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines now include the ATOMIC trial results and apply them to patients with stage II T4bN0 dMMR colon cancer.

The players

Khalid Matin, M.D.

A medical oncologist and Massey's associate director of global oncology, as well as a research collaborator with the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology (Alliance).

Terri Matson

The executive director of clinical and translational research at Massey.

Frank A. Sinicrope, M.D.

The Alliance Study Chair, professor of oncology and clinical investigator of the Mayo Foundation at the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center.

VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center

A leading cancer center that played a vital role in the ATOMIC trial through its NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) affiliates.

Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology

The NCI-funded organization that led and conducted the ATOMIC trial.

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What they’re saying

“This is the first randomized phase III study to show benefit with immunotherapy in the adjuvant treatment of dMMR colon cancer after surgery. The findings show that immunotherapy can be safely added to chemotherapy and increase the likelihood of cancer cures.”

— Khalid Matin, M.D., Medical oncologist and Massey's associate director of global oncology

“Our NCORP grant allows us to make treatment options more accessible to all Virginians. Participating in a clinical trial offers the potential of receiving tomorrow's treatment, today; and that was exactly the case for several patients, without whom we wouldn't be able to make treatment advances like this.”

— Terri Matson, Executive director of clinical and translational research at Massey

“The results of this study represent a pivotal advancement for the treatment of non-metastatic dMMR colon cancer. The demonstrated improvement in outcomes supports a fundamental shift in how we approach adjuvant therapy for this molecular subgroup. These results provide compelling evidence that will inform and elevate the standard of care.”

— Frank A. Sinicrope, M.D., Alliance Study Chair, professor of oncology and clinical investigator of the Mayo Foundation at the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center

What’s next

The new NCCN guidelines incorporating the ATOMIC trial results will now be implemented across cancer centers nationwide, providing a new standard of care for patients with stage III dMMR colon cancer.

The takeaway

This breakthrough clinical trial led by Massey and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology represents a major advancement in the treatment of stage III colon cancer, offering hope to patients with this difficult-to-treat form of the disease and setting a new standard of care that will save lives.