Aug 28, 2012 - Controversy Around Use of Suntinib for Mesothelioma Treatment
Suntinib (Sutent) is a drug designed as a second-line treatment for gastrointestinal tumors. The drug was created to be used in patients who either failed to respond to treatment with the more common front-line drug imatinib or those who could not take imatinib. The drug is an anti-angiogenesis compound, which means it prevents the growth of new blood vessels, specifically in cancerous tumors – thus cutting of the blood and nutrient supply they require to survive.
Several studies have examined the potential of suntinib with other more aggressive tumors such as mailignant mesothelioma, but results have been mixed as to its effectiveness.
A recent Phase II study of the drug in Australia found that well over half of the study’s participants experienced progression-free survival. Fifty-one mesothelioma patients were enrolled in the study which used suntinib as a second-line treatment. Second line treatment means that the patients had already tried a more traditional therapy with little or no results and have now turned to another form of treatment as a result. Patients participating in this clinical trial were given just two cycles of the drug.
While only 12% (just 6) of the patients showed disease regression during treatment, 65% (or 34 patients total) had progression-free survival for a time. This means that while their mesothelioma didn’t get better, their tumors didn’t grow nor did the disease travel to other parts of their body.
From this single study the team of researchers enthusiastically concluded that suntinib could very well be an effective second-line treatment for mesothelioma patients who had not responded to other more common drugs.
However, a similar study whose results were published just last year showed widely different results.
This research took place on the opposite side of the globe from the original study at the Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.
Suntinib was given daily in doses of up to 50mg for a period of 4 weeks. For the purposes of the study, researchers separated participants into two groups: one composed of patients who had already undergone another form of chemotherapy and one composed of patients for whom suntinib would be their first treatment.
This study was a bit smaller with just 35 patients involved in total. However, the results were completely opposite of what the Australian team had previously reported.
Indeed, researchers reported that only one patient showed a positive response to treatment with suntinib. Similarly, the rates of progression-free survival or stable disease were relatively small, just 2.8 months for patients that had undergone previous chemotherapy treatments and 2.7 months for those who were subject to suntinib treatment first.
These results were a bit surprising given the relative success reported by the Australian team. Indeed, the Canadian researchers recommended that research into the use of suntinib as a treatment for mesothelioma be discontinued.
There has been no speculation as to the disparity in these reports and unless the medical background of each study participant is examined and correlated there may never be anyway to discover why these two teams of researchers had such different experiences with suntinib.
However, it is important to keep in mind that mesothelioma treatment is a very individual matter and each case should be examined independently. Indeed, what works well for one patient may not work for another. Patients should research and discuss any possible treatment with their mesothelioma specialist and medical team as to which course of treatment is best.
Back to Treatment Research Listing