New drug used to shrink Thyroid Cancer tumors [wow]

Hello friends - I am trying to keep us updated on the new info regarding Thyroid cancer. Generally there isn't much news to report as far as advances but this is a good one to pass along. Especially offers hope down the road in the event myself or someone else out there has a recurrence in the future. Hopefully *NOT* but it is comforting to know there will be even more options for us!

~ Christy


Axitinib (AG-01373) Shows Promise for Stabilising Thyroid Cancer, Shrinking Tumours: Presented at ASCO

By Cameron Johnston CHICAGO, IL -- June 4, 2007 -- The investigational drug axitinib (AG-013736) may have substantial activity in producing shrinkage of thyroid tumor, and possibly stabilising the disease, researchers reported here at the 43[^rd American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (ASCO).

There has not been a new treatment for thyroid cancer in more than 30 years, and though more than 30,000 people are diagnosed with the disease every year in the US, the standard of care has remained either surgery or treatment with radioactive iodine. Still, a substantial percentage of people with the disease progress and fewer than 30% of those who fail standard therapy survive more than 5 years.

Axitinib is a potent inhibitor of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFr) 1, 2, and 3. It is delivered orally in pill form.

The small study presented on June 2nd at ASCO was conducted by investigators at the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States, and headed by Ezra Cohen, MD, assistant professor of medicine, section of haematology/oncology.

The study involved 60 patients who had failed conventional therapy; 80% had had prior surgery and 70% had had prior radioactive iodine treatment. They represented several histological subtypes of the cancer but most were either papillary (48%) or medullary (25%), which are the 2 most common subtypes.

Patients were treated with 5 mg/day twice daily of oral axitinib.

The duration of response in patients ranged from 1 to 26 months, and overall, 18 patients responded to treatment (30%). Stable disease was seen in 25 patients (42%).

No response was seen in 28% (n = 17) patients.

Although this was a small and preliminary trial, Dr. Cohen said at least 37 patients (62%) were still alive and without evidence of progressive disease after more than 18 months of follow-up, and this was very promising for the future of the drug.

Axitinib also produced a relatively manageable adverse effects profile, with half of patients developing fatigue, of whom 3 (5%) were grade 3 or 4; and 28 (47%) who developed any degree of diarrhoea. Stomatitis/mucositis was seen in 26 (43%) patients. Five patients dropped out of the study due to adverse events.

According to Dr. Cohen, these findings represent a significant breakthrough in the treatment of refractory thyroid cancer, particularly since it has been so long since any new treatments were developed. There are no treatment options beyond surgery and/or radioactive iodine, he said.

It is clear that for certain patients, this may offer an important opportunity for treatment, Dr. Cohen said, but at this stage it may be useful to develop ways to identify patients who would respond best to this treatment, as well as to identify patients who are not likely to respond well to conventional therapies.


[Presentation title: A Phase I Study of Axitinib (AG-013736) in Patients With Advanced Thyroid Cancers. Abstract 6008]