Hedgehog Fails to Help Advanced Colorectal Cancer Patients

In disappointing news, adding the Hedgehog inhibitor GDC-0449 to standard chemotherapy failed to increase the time before advanced colorectal cancer got worse.

Researchers compared progression-free survival between patients who got either FOLFOX or FOLFIRI chemotherapy with Avastin and a group who got the same chemo regimen with GDC-0449. There was no difference Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on June 18th, 2010
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: clinical trials, Hedgehog, metastatic colorectal cancer

No Benefit Adding Cetuximab to Chemo for Stage III Colon Cancer

Adding Erbitux® (cetuximab) to standard chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer didn’t improve patient outcomes and added more side effects.

All of the patients in the NO147 trial had cancer that had spread to their lymph nodes and had surgery before beginning chemotherapy. They had normal or wild-type KRAS genes in their tumors.They were randomly assigned to FOLFOX chemotherapy for 6 months or FOLFOX plus Erbitux. 

The trial was closed before the planned number of patients were enrolled because an analysis showed that there was no benefit to the additional Erbitux and continuing the trial would not help patients. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on June 10th, 2010
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: cetuximab, clinical trials, Erbitux, stage III colon cancer

BRAF a new marker? And a New Solution.

Patients with colon cancer have learned over the last two years that we have now a genetic marker which can predict efficacy of antibodies against EGFR which are used in patients with metastatic colon cancer.

We have learned that tumors with mutations in KRAS will not benefit from this treatment. All patients should be tested for KRAS mutation if they have advanced or metastatic disease.

However patients who have mutations of the KRAS gene don’t do worse than patients with wild type. The only difference is that the drugs which target EGFR will not work. Continue reading…

Posted by Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD on June 3rd, 2010
Posted in: From the Desk of Dr. Lenz | No Comments »
Tags: BRAF, clinical trials, Treating Colorectal Cancer

Clinical Trial at NIH for Unresectable Liver Tumors

Patients with liver tumors, including those that have spread from colorectal cancer, can enroll in a clinical trial at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda.

The trial will test the effectiveness of infusing the drug melphalan through the artery that feeds the liver.

Colorectal cancer patients with liver metastases are eligible for the trial if they have already had chemotherapy including irinotecan or oxaliplatin.  Limited cancer outside of the liver is acceptable if the most serious problem is within the liver itself. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on May 28th, 2010
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | 1 Comment »
Tags: clinical trials, liver metastases, NIH Clinical Center

Colorectal Cancer Briefs: PSA Contest,Medicare Co-Pays, NCI Bethesda Clinical Trials

Briefly

• The Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada is sponsoring a contest for print and video ads that raise awareness of colorectal cancer.
• Clinical trials at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD are an option for cutting-edge treatment at no cost.
• When co-pays are raised for Medicare, the elderly make fewer outpatient visits but are hospitalized more often and stay in the hospital longer.

Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on February 1st, 2010
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: clinical trials, co-pays, colorectal cancer awareness, Medicare