Gastrointestinal Cancer

Paulo Marcelo Hoff, MD, PhD, FACP, University of São Paulo, Brazil, discusses a meta-analysis of randomized trials that examined the effect of chemotherapy delivered until progression versus complete stop on the overall survival of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

The combination of the immunotherapy CRS-207 and the vaccine GVAX Pancreas has received a breakthrough therapy designation from the FDA for its potential as a treatment for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa, MD, Gastrointestinal Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the findings from the STORM trial, a phase III randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of adjuvant sorafenib after resection or ablation to prevent recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

David H. Ilson, MD, PhD, medical oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the conclusions of the RTOG 0436 trial, a phase III trial of cisplatin, paclitaxel, and radiation with or without cetuximab in the non-operative treatment of esophageal cancer.

Marwan G. Fakih, MD, professor, director, Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, City of Hope, discusses recent advances in liver-directed therapies in colorectal cancer (CRC).

Dirk Arnold, MD, director, Department of Medical Oncology, Tumour Biology Centre, Freiburg, Germany, discusses a phase III trial looking at options for maintenance therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

Takayuki Yoshino, MD, medical oncologist, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba, Japan, discusses the safety profile of TAS-102 as seen in a phase III study of the agent versus placebo, with best supportive care, in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) refractory to standard therapies.

A head-to-head comparison of cetuximab and bevacizumab in a phase III trial that was nearly 10 years in the making showed equivalence for chemotherapy plus either agent in terms of OS, PFS, and response rates for patients with certain previously untreated metastatic colorectal cancers.

Initial treatment with surgical resection of the primary tumor followed by systemic treatment yielded a 4.7-month OS benefit compared with the same treatments administered in the reverse order in patients with mCRC receiving palliative care.

Johanna Bendell, MD, director of GI Cancer Research Program, associate director, Drug Development Program, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, discusses a randomized phase III placebo-controlled trial that explored apatinib as a treatment for patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Alan P. Venook, MD, a professor in the Department of Medicine (Hematology/Oncology) at the University of California, San Francisco, discusses implications from the CALGB/SWOG 80405 trial on the targeted therapies administered in colorectal cancer.

Treatment with the oral nucleoside TAS-102 significantly extended OS and PFS for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer refractory to standard therapies.

Andrea Wang-Gillam, MD, PhD, from the Siteman Cancer Center, discusses the trial design and results of the phase III NAPOLI-1 trial that examined MM-398 with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer following progression on gemcitabine-based therapy.

Two active maintenance regimens following disease stabilization with standard induction therapy demonstrated superior disease-free outcomes compared with no treatment in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

A geographic analysis of clinical trial results supporting the use of ramucirumab in advanced gastric cancer demonstrated that patients in the United States and other Western nations experienced similar survival gains and adverse events as did their counterparts in two other regions of the world.

Treatment with regorafenib significantly improved OS and PFS in an Asian population of patients with previously treated mCRC.

Second-line treatment with MM-398 plus 5-FU and leucovorin extended OS, PFS, and ORR compared with 5-FU and leucovorin alone for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.