New studies answer key questions about the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers

Findings from a number of large clinical trials of new treatment regimens for gastrointestinal cancers were released today at the 45th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), being held in Orlando, May 29 - June 2, 2009 and will be highlighted in Onco’Zine – The international Cancer Blog.

“The studies presented today answer many important questions about the best care for people with gastrointestinal cancers,” said Nicholas Petrelli, MD, medical director of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center in Wilmington, Delaware. “These large, conclusive trials tell us what works, and importantly, tell us what doesn’t work. Some settle long-time debates in the field, others demonstrate that the current standard of care is actually superior to experimental treatments, and others will allow patients to avoid unnecessary side effects or surgery.”

The results presented include:

• First-ever data on bevacizumab as adjuvant therapy finds no benefit in colon cancer: A phase III trial finds that adding the targeted therapy bevacizumab (Avastin, Roche), to standard adjuvant chemotherapy did not improve disease free survival for patients with locally advanced colon cancer.
• Surgery unnecessary for majority of patients with advanced colorectal cancer: Most patients with metastatic colorectal cancer can safely avoid surgery on their primary tumors.
• A trial compares common adjuvant treatments for pancreatic cancer: A phase III trial comparing the adjuvant treatments most commonly used for pancreatic cancer in the United States and Europe, gemcitabine (Gemzar, Eli Lilly and Company) and 5-FU/FA, respectively, found that there is no difference in survival between the two regimens, though gemcitabine was associated with fewer side effects.
• The largest study to date on anal cancer supports the current standard: A phase III study finds that the current standard of care for anal cancer should not be changed, and that ongoing maintenance therapy after initial treatment is not effective.
• Oxaliplatin does not improve outcomes for rectal cancer: Adding oxaliplatin (Eloxatin, Sanofi-Aventis) to standard treatment in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer does not improve tumor response. However, a preliminary analysis seems to suggests that the treatment may reduce distant metastases.

For more information:

• American Society of Clinical Oncology
• 2009 ASCO annual meeting abstracts

Reference:

• Medical-Oncology (at Boomja.com)