New Drug for Colorectal Cancer Shows Promise in Phase II Trial*

PhillieG

Full article on TAS-102.
"A phase III trial to test TAS-102 in a large colorectal cancer population is already underway, scheduled to be completed by the end of 2014. The international RECOURSE phase III clinical trial began in June of this year. The trial is randomizing approximately 800 advanced, recurrent colorectal cancer patients to either a twice-daily dose of TAS-102 or placebo. All patients have colorectal cancer that is refractory to chemotherapies including irinotecan, fluoropyrimidines, and oxaliplatin, or EGFR antibodies if the patient has KRAS-positive colorectal cancer. The trial will compare TAS-102 to best supportive care for these patients."
It's certainly not "The Cure" but it can hopefully provide another options for those who choose it.

*This is a Clinical Trial, there are stats which state: "Patients in the TAS-102 arm had a median overall survival of 9 months compared to 6.6 months in the placebo group" and other lovely numbers. If most of us were to look back at our initial prognosis, we all were probably told we'd be dead by now.
Anyone reading this (most likely) isn't dead.

steved

Tas102
There is short discussion on this here
http://csn.cancer.org/node/245628

Interesting new drug, steve

PhillieG

steved said:

Tas102
There is short discussion on this here
http://csn.cancer.org/node/245628

Interesting new drug, steve

Thanks Steve
I lost a week or two somewhere!
TAS 102
Looks like this might also be a short discussion

Vickilg

PhillieG said:

Thanks Steve
I lost a week or two somewhere!
TAS 102
Looks like this might also be a short discussion

Thank you!
Thank you for the information!

smokeyjoe

Vickilg said:

Thank you!
Thank you for the information!

Thanks for the info. BTW,
Thanks for the info. BTW, you're remarks always make me chuckle. Is this drug like irrinotecan (sp.) but in an oral form??

PhillieG

smokeyjoe said:

Thanks for the info. BTW,
Thanks for the info. BTW, you're remarks always make me chuckle. Is this drug like irrinotecan (sp.) but in an oral form??

Not a Problem...
I didn't invent it, I'm just trying to share more info!
:-)
It seems to be an oral drug that can be used when treatments like irinotecan, fluoropyrimidines, and oxaliplatin, or EGFR antibodies (if the patient has KRAS-positive colorectal cancer) aren't effective.

I truly believe that many people on different fronts are fighting to beat cancer.
This isn't THE solution but hopefully it will help some people who need the help.
-phil

steved

PhillieG said:

Not a Problem...
I didn't invent it, I'm just trying to share more info!
:-)
It seems to be an oral drug that can be used when treatments like irinotecan, fluoropyrimidines, and oxaliplatin, or EGFR antibodies (if the patient has KRAS-positive colorectal cancer) aren't effective.

I truly believe that many people on different fronts are fighting to beat cancer.
This isn't THE solution but hopefully it will help some people who need the help.
-phil

Where new drugs are placed
Phil is right that at present the evidence for this drug is in the most severe disease group but that mainly reflects how these drugs are developed- they are always trailed first in treatment refractory illness and if then licenced are approved in that group only initially. That has been tru for regorefenib and aflibercept. However, the hope is in time experience and further trials lead to them moving up the protocols to be used earlier as well as in earlier staged disease. However, just because something is effective in late illness doesn't mean it will be in earlier illness.

I have to say the stage two trial is almost of good and I suspect further trials will be less impressive but iris stilla genuine new hope for treating colorectal cancer.

Steve

smokeyjoe

steved said:

Where new drugs are placed
Phil is right that at present the evidence for this drug is in the most severe disease group but that mainly reflects how these drugs are developed- they are always trailed first in treatment refractory illness and if then licenced are approved in that group only initially. That has been tru for regorefenib and aflibercept. However, the hope is in time experience and further trials lead to them moving up the protocols to be used earlier as well as in earlier staged disease. However, just because something is effective in late illness doesn't mean it will be in earlier illness.

I have to say the stage two trial is almost of good and I suspect further trials will be less impressive but iris stilla genuine new hope for treating colorectal cancer.

Steve

I was looking at this more
I was looking at this more closely.....looks like it may be the case of an older drug being applied in a new way, or am I wrong....from what I could figure out it has been used as a herpes drug??

PhillieG

smokeyjoe said:

I was looking at this more
I was looking at this more closely.....looks like it may be the case of an older drug being applied in a new way, or am I wrong....from what I could figure out it has been used as a herpes drug??

Could Be
I didn't research it throughly so it very well could be. Often old drugs are given new life because they either find new things out and/or stumble on things by accident. Even Thalidomide, which caused many birth defects in the 50's-60's has been given "New Life" as a cancer drug in the past few years.

pepebcn

PhillieG said:

Could Be
I didn't research it throughly so it very well could be. Often old drugs are given new life because they either find new things out and/or stumble on things by accident. Even Thalidomide, which caused many birth defects in the 50's-60's has been given "New Life" as a cancer drug in the past few years.

KRAS positive means Mutant?
Hugs!