Gastrointestinal Cancer

Patients 75 years of age or older with stage III colon cancer may expect a survival benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy that rivals that previously reported in younger patients.

Regorafenib significantly delays disease progression in virtually all subgroups of patients with GIST in the second-line setting, and may even confer benefits when continued after progression.

Patients with heavily pretreated metastatic colorectal cancer who received regorafenib experienced a sustained survival benefit across all prespecified subgroups.

Two analyses, two different conclusions in Asian START trial when docetaxel was added to S-1 for patients with previously untreated advanced or recurrent gastric cancer.

Gefitinib improved progression-free survival and some quality of life measures when used as second-line therapy for esophageal cancer.

The FDA has approved regorafenib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, to treat patients with metastatic colorectal cancer whose disease has progressed after prior therapy.

A secondary analysis of a combination of an investigational hypoxia-targeted agent called TH-302 with gemcitabine slightly improved overall survival, but the results were not statistically significant.

The Trials in Progress Poster Session at the ASCO Annual Meeting, now in its third year, is intended to stimulate discussion in the oncology community about ongoing clinical trials and to promote collaboration.

Colonoscopy is effective for the prevention of colorectal cancer deaths, according to the results of a large, population-based, case-control study.

Tivantinib has demonstrated statistically significant improvements in time to progression and overall survival versus placebo among patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

The oral multikinase inhibitor regorafenib extended OS in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and improved PFS in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

The FDA announced that aflibercept has been approved to treat metastatic colorectal cancer when given in combination with the FOLFIRI chemotherapy regimen.

The phase III VELOUR trial demonstrated that the addition of aflibercept to FOLFIRI improved overall survival compared with placebo plus FOLFIRI in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Dr. RuiRong Yuan, from Daiichi Sankyo, on the Efficacy of Tivantinib for Patietns With Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Colon cancer is equally as likely as breast and ovarian cancer to be hereditary (approximately 10% of cases, overall) and there are many different genes responsible for these cases.

The FDA has approved cetuximab in combination with the FOLFIRI regimen as a first-line treatment for patients with mCRC who express EGFR and wild-type KRAS mutations.

Three-fourths of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma associated with hepatitis C infection achieved disease control with antibody therapy directed at a T-cell antigen.

The phase III EXPAND trial of cetuximab in combination with standard chemotherapy for patients with advanced gastric adenocarcinoma failed to show a significant improvement in progression-free survival.

Four studies reflected the growing interest in-and the volume of evidence for-using the diabetes drug metformin as a potential cancer therapy.

Dr. Dirk Arnold, from the University Cancer Center Hamburg, Germany, on Second-Line Bevacizumab Continuation Therapy for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

We all have to balance competing demands on our time. But as an academic oncologist, I have to keep a foot in 2 worlds, research and clinical, while still keeping my balance.

Dr. Marie Wood, from the University of Vermont, on Family Histories and Genetic Counseling for Breast and Colorectal Cancers.

Only half of those with breast cancer and one-quarter of those with colon cancer were referred for genetic counseling or testing by their physicians.

Dr. George Demetri, from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Discusses Regorafenib for Patients with GIST Trial Results.

The oral multikinase inhibitor regorafenib reduced the risk of disease progression by 73% in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors who had exhausted all other treatment options.