EXCITING new Liver Cancer Treatment

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http://www.wroctv.com/content/fulltext/?sid=056e69790340cde7e0eae97f4105ddf0

& cid=9147

First drug to treat liver cancer in nearly 30 years

Reported by: Harness

02/13/2007 05:00pm

" This is probably going to become the new standard of care. " It's all in a

little pink pill called Nexavar. The drug, once used for kidney cancer,

could offer new hope for liver cancer. " The only really curative option is a

liver transplant or surgery but very few patients are diagnosed early to

undergo a liver transplant, " says Dr. Alok Khorana, an oncologist and

researcher at Rochester's Wilmot Cancer Center. Khorana helped enroll

patients in the Nexavar study at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

The U of R was one of several sites around the world testing the drug in a

Phase 3 clinical trial. " In the liver cancer population, we haven't really

seen a successful liver cancer trial in 30 years, so this is really big

news, " says Khorana. While many clinical trials are stopped due to adverse

patients reactions, even death, the Nexavar trial was stopped early because

the drug was so successful at treating the aggressive cancer. " We haven't

even had a phase three liver cancer drug to begin with, " says Khorana, " and

then to have it stopped early because it's successful, that's really

exciting. " Nexavar is part of the newer class of cancer drugs called

targeted therapies. The intricately-designed medication attacks both the

cancer cell and its blood supply. The oral medication is not chemotherapy

and it does not carry the same side effects as chemotherapy. Patients on

Nexavar must have their blood pressure closely monitored for the first six

weeks of taking the drug. " Liver cancer is very difficult to treat and the

response rates from standard chemotherapy drugs have been very dismal. " The

only drawback to Nexavar at this point, may be its cost. Targeted therapies

are often selectively covered by insurance plans. Because Nexavar it is not

classified as a cancer-fighting drug such as chemotherapy, it is not covered

by some insurance plans. It is a frustrating problem according Khorana who

says it may take federal legislation to remedy the issue. " Cost is

increasingly becoming a problem with the newer cancer drugs, it depends on

the insurance plan, " says Khorana. Nexavar still awaits approval by the U.S.

Food and Drug Administration; a process which could take more than a year.

The full results of the Nexavar Phase 3 Clinical Trial will be presented at

the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting, June 1-5, 2007.