ASCO: Cabozantinib improves progression-free survival in RCC

(HealthDay)—For patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma, cabozantinib is associated with improved progression-free survival (PFS), with consistent improvement across all patient subgroups, according to a study scheduled to be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, held from Jan. 7 to 9 in San Francisco.

Bernard J. Escudier, M.D., from the Institut Gustave Roussy in Villejuif, France, and colleagues examined PFS and overall response rates across patient subgroups in the METEOR phase 3 trial. The trial compared cabozantinib with everolimus in 658 patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma; in early findings from 375 patients, cabozantinib improved PFS versus everolimus.

Based on new analyses of data from all 658 patients, the researchers found that 75 percent of patients treated with cabozantinib experienced tumor shrinkage compared with 48 percent of those treated with everolimus. Patients receiving cabozantinib had a trend for improved survival versus everolimus. The improvement in PFS seen with cabozantinib versus everolimus was consistent across patient subgroups defined by risk category, tumor burden, and prior therapy. Patients with liver metastases or a combination of visceral and bone metastases had more benefit from cabozantinib.

"Our preliminary results suggest that cabozantinib may help overcome treatment resistance and provide new hope to patients with this aggressive cancer," Escudier said in a news release.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to pharmaceutical companies, including Exelixis, which manufactures cabozantinib and funded the study

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