New approaches are needed to treat advanced melanoma. Melanoma is the type of skin cancer that can be deadly if it travels to distant parts of the body. Survival is usually only 6-9 months for patients with metastatic melanoma.
Synta Pharmaceuticals says that an agent called STA-4783 when added to Taxol can double the progression free survival compared with using Taxol alone. STA-4783 can enhance the cancer killing effects of the immune system.
Researchers from 21 clinical sites in the US recently conducted a clinical trial to evaluate the addition of STA-4783 to Taxol in patients with Stage IV melanoma. Anticancer responses occurred in 15 percent of patients treated with STA-4783 and Taxol and only 4 percent had anticancer response from the Taxol alone.
Patients should ask their physicians about the clinical trials that are available for STA-4783 plus Taxol.
1. I am reading in the Journal of Clinical Oncology internet October 06 edition, that a drug called genasense in combination with DTIC is proven to be superior over the standard DTIC chemo.
In normal LDH patients there is a clear survival benefit when genasense is taken.
All trial end points including progression free survival, time to disease progression, complete response, durable response overall response and survival is better with genasense in combination with DTIC.
The drug is being reviewed in Europe and hopefully will be approved early next year.
Dr. Eggermont, the President of the EORTC did two independant data analysis and confirmed the genasense only survival benefit in advance melanoma. Dr. Eggermont said genasnese is the first drug to reach first base, not a homerun but at least to first base.
Mike
Posted at 4:45PM on Sep 25th 2006 by Mike Godfrey