Dr. Smaglo Discusses the FDA Approval of TAS-102 for Gastric/GEJ Cancer

Brandon G. Smaglo, MD, FACP, assistant professor and medical director of hematology/oncology at the Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, discusses the FDA approval of TAS-102 (trifluridine/tipiracil; Lonsurf) in gastric/gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma.

On February 25, 2019, the FDA approved TAS-102 for use in adult patients with metastatic gastric or GEJ adenocarcinoma who had been previously treated with at least 2 prior lines of chemotherapy that included a fluoropyrimidine, a platinum, either a taxane or irinotecan, and if appropriate, HER2/neu-targeted therapy. The approval was based on positive data from the phase III TAGS trial, in which TAS-102 reduced the risk of death by about one-third compared with placebo in patients with heavily pretreated gastric or GEJ cancer. Findings also demonstrated improvements in progression-free survival and disease control, in addition to a predictable and manageable safety profile.

According to Smaglo, TAS-102 is going to fill an important niche for patients who still have a good performance status and want to continue with treatment after exhausting other options.