Investigational Drug Effective in Treating Resistant GIST, Colorectal Cancer
Regorafenib, which targets two cancer cell pathways, extended survival in both cancers in two separate studies for GIST and metastatic colorectal cancer.
Patients with GIST, a rare gastrointestinal sarcoma, benefited from major advancements in chronic myelogenous leukemia when Gleevec (imatinib) revolutionized therapy for both cancers a decade ago. Now, an experimental drug in metastatic colorectal cancer may have the same effect. Regorafenib, which targets two cancer cell pathways, extended survival in both cancers in two separate studies.
In the GIST study, progression-free survival was extended from less than one month on placebo to 4.8 months on regorafenib. Patients in the placebo group whose cancers progressed were allowed to receive regorafenib. Because patients were allowed to cross over from the placebo group to regorafenib, the trial did not produce a statistically significant overall survival difference; however, researchers noted a trend for longer survival with regorafenib.
In the CORRECT trial, patients with colorectal cancer who received regorafenib also saw an improvement in median overall survival (6.4 months versus 5 months).
Nearly two thirds of patients with GISTs — a rare type of cancer that often begins in the digestive system — indicated that their overall quality of life after treatment had been affected by cancer-related cognitive impairments, also referred to as “chemo brain,” according to analysis of survey data.
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