Study: Liver Cancer Breakthrough Found

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Study:

Liver Cancer Breakthrough Found

By LINDSEY TANNER

June 4,

2007, 7:59 AM EDT

CHICAGO -- For the

first time, doctors say they have found a pill that improves survival for

people with liver cancer, a notoriously hard to treat disease diagnosed in more

than half a million people globally each year.

The results in a multinational study of 602 patients with advanced liver cancer

are impressive and likely will change the way patients are treated, cancer

specialists including the study authors say.

Patients got either two tablets daily of a drug called

sorafenib or dummy pills in the study, which started

in March 2005. Some patients are still alive, although

on average, sorafenib patients survived 10.7 months

versus almost 8 months for those on dummy pills.

That type of survival advantage " has never happened " with liver

cancer " and is a major breakthrough in the management of the

disease, " said Dr. p Llovet,

the lead author.

" That may not sound like a lot of time, " but for liver cancer,

" this is actually a quite impressive gain, " said Dr. son

of s Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health. " It

is the first effective systemic treatment for liver cancer, which is such a

huge problem internationally. "

Sorafenib attacks cancer with a targeted

double-barreled approach. It zeros in on malignant

cells themselves and cuts off the blood supply feeding the tumor. It is believed to work on tumors within the liver and

those that have spread elsewhere.

In the study, tumors didn't shrink or disappear but in many cases they also

didn't grow.

" You are not curing the disease but you are delaying the progression of

the disease significantly and strikingly, " said Llovet,

of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Spain.

The study was halted early, in February, because of the good results, and patients

on dummy pills were switched to sorafenib.

" This is a very good step forward in this disease, " said Dr.

Chan of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tenn.

Results were prepared for release Monday in Chicago at the American Society of Clinical

Oncology's annual meeting.

The drug, sold under the brand name Nexavar, is

approved in the United States and dozens of other countries to treat

advanced kidney cancer. It is marketed by Bayer

Pharmaceuticals Corp. and Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc., which funded the liver

cancer study. They hope to receive approval for liver

cancer use from U.S. and foreign regulators.

Llovet has done consulting for the sponsors.

Liver cancer is diagnosed in about 19,000 Americans annually but is much more

common elsewhere and is the fifth most common cancer globally.

Risk factors include chronic liver infections and some forms of

hepatitis. The disease is common in China and countries without widespread use of

the hepatitis B vaccine, which is routinely given to U.S. infants.

Liver cancer doesn't respond well to conventional chemotherapy and is often

diagnosed too late for surgery to be an option. Many

patients die within a year of diagnosis.

Throckmorton, a 73-year-old attorney in Orange County, Calif., said his doctor told him " You

better get your affairs in order " after he was diagnosed with inoperable

liver cancer last August.

But then the doctor offered sorafenib off-label, and

Throckmorton readily agreed. He did not take part in

the study.

After nine months on the drug, Throckmorton said his cancer shows no sign of

progression and he has no significant side effects. He

said he walks three miles six days a week to stay active and feels fine.

Instead of thinking about wills and funerals, Throckmorton is looking forward

to get-togethers with his eight children and 18 grandchildren, and even a

possible church trip to Uruguay with his wife.

" I have good energy, " Throckmorton said. " We

are optimistic. "

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