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New type of drug shows promise in attacking melanoma in an innovative way
September 27, 2007Barcelona, Spain: An experimental drug that attacks cancer in an entirely new way has shown promise in treating advanced melanoma, delaying progression of the disease and prolonging the lives of patients.
New research presented today (Wednesday) at the European Cancer Conference (ECCO 14) in Barcelona found that giving the new drug in addition to chemotherapy more than doubled the amount of time patients survived without progression of their cancer.
The study, according to Dr Anthony Williams, vice president of clinical research at Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. in Lexington, Massachusetts, USA, included 81 patients with metastatic melanoma. Of those, 28 received treatment with the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel alone and 53 received paclitaxel plus the new drug, STA-4783.
"The median progression free survival was 1.8 months in the group who got chemotherapy alone, but 3.7 months in the group who got the combination," Williams said. "This doubling in progression free survival is impressive for this cancer, and the result was achieved without substantial additional toxicity."
He added: "Progression-free survival was linked to improvements in overall survival. Patients on the experimental combination survived on average for 12 months after being diagnosed, while those getting only paclitaxel survived on average 7.8 months. This is the first time an improvement in survival has been seen in a randomised, double-blind, multi-centre controlled trial for metastatic melanoma."
The drug is the first in a new class called oxidative stress inducers. It works by increasing the amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as hydrogen peroxide and superoxide, in cells. When the level exceeds the antioxidant capacity of cells, the cells are in a state of oxidative stress. All cells have some low level of ROS, but cancer cells naturally operate with a higher level of ROS and oxidative stress relative to normal cells. However, too much oxidative stress for too long results in cell death. STA-4783 kills only tumour cells because the additional stress introduced pushes cancer cells, but not healthy cells, over the critical threshold. Melanoma is one of several cancer types that are known to operate at a higher level of oxidative stress.
The concept of cancer cells operating at a higher level of oxidative stress than normal cells has been around for many years. However, it is only recently becoming a greater focus of attention in the oncology field.
Metastatic melanoma, where the skin cancer has spread to other parts of the body, is difficult to treat. Current therapies either have limited power or are highly toxic. The average survival of patients diagnosed with advanced melanoma is about six months.
The study also indicated that STA-4783 might boost the efficiency of chemotherapy drugs that induce cell death, or apoptosis, because it appears to lower the hurdle for activating that process, Williams said.
"These results are encouraging not only because of the findings in themselves but also because there are so few treatment options for patients. We believe STA-4783 has the potential to improve survival with a manageable side effect profile," he said.
"We also believe there is nothing unique about metastatic melanoma and that oxidative stress has the potential to be an entirely new class of cancer treatment that could have applications in other types of cancer," Williams added.
A larger study of STA-4783 in melanoma patients across Europe is now under way to further investigate the drug's potential. Synta, the drug's developer, funded the study presented at ECCO.
ECCO-the European CanCer Conference
"The median progression free survival was 1.8 months in the group who got chemotherapy alone, but 3.7 months in the group who got the combination," Williams said. "This doubling in progression free survival is impressive for this cancer, and the result was achieved without substantial additional toxicity."
He added: "Progression-free survival was linked to improvements in overall survival. Patients on the experimental combination survived on average for 12 months after being diagnosed, while those getting only paclitaxel survived on average 7.8 months. This is the first time an improvement in survival has been seen in a randomised, double-blind, multi-centre controlled trial for metastatic melanoma."
The drug is the first in a new class called oxidative stress inducers. It works by increasing the amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as hydrogen peroxide and superoxide, in cells. When the level exceeds the antioxidant capacity of cells, the cells are in a state of oxidative stress. All cells have some low level of ROS, but cancer cells naturally operate with a higher level of ROS and oxidative stress relative to normal cells. However, too much oxidative stress for too long results in cell death. STA-4783 kills only tumour cells because the additional stress introduced pushes cancer cells, but not healthy cells, over the critical threshold. Melanoma is one of several cancer types that are known to operate at a higher level of oxidative stress.
The concept of cancer cells operating at a higher level of oxidative stress than normal cells has been around for many years. However, it is only recently becoming a greater focus of attention in the oncology field.
Metastatic melanoma, where the skin cancer has spread to other parts of the body, is difficult to treat. Current therapies either have limited power or are highly toxic. The average survival of patients diagnosed with advanced melanoma is about six months.
The study also indicated that STA-4783 might boost the efficiency of chemotherapy drugs that induce cell death, or apoptosis, because it appears to lower the hurdle for activating that process, Williams said.
"These results are encouraging not only because of the findings in themselves but also because there are so few treatment options for patients. We believe STA-4783 has the potential to improve survival with a manageable side effect profile," he said.
"We also believe there is nothing unique about metastatic melanoma and that oxidative stress has the potential to be an entirely new class of cancer treatment that could have applications in other types of cancer," Williams added.
A larger study of STA-4783 in melanoma patients across Europe is now under way to further investigate the drug's potential. Synta, the drug's developer, funded the study presented at ECCO.
ECCO-the European CanCer Conference
Melanoma Current Events and Melanoma News RSSLaser therapy can aggravate skin cancer
High irradiances of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) should not be used over melanomas.
Quarter of a million children in England at risk of skin cancer from sunbeds
An estimated quarter of a million 11-17 year olds in England are being put at increased risk of developing malignant melanoma by using sunbeds, warn researchers in a letter to this week's BMJ.
Hundreds of genes distinguish patients likely to survive advanced melanoma
Although the chances of surviving advanced melanoma aren't very good with current therapies, some patients can live for years with cancer that has spread beyond the skin to other organs.
New Notre Dame study provides insights into the molecular basis of tumor cell behavior
A new study by a team of researchers led by Crislyn D'Souza-Schorey, associate professor of biological sciences at the University of Notre Dame, sheds light on the molecular basis by which tumor cells modulate their surroundings to favor cancer progression.
Switching immunosuppressants reduces cancer risk in kidney
Switching to a newer type of immunosuppressant drug may reduce the high rate of skin cancer after kidney transplantation, according to research being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 42nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in San Diego, CA.
Cancer survivors may not be getting the help they need to stop smoking
More than a quarter of cancer survivors who still smoke have not been advised to quit smoking by their health care providers in the last year, according to a study published by researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center in the current issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Melanoma treatment options 1 step closer
A targeted chemotherapy for the treatment of skin cancer is one step closer, after a team of University of Alberta researchers successfully synthesized a natural substance that shows exceptional potential to specifically treat this often fatal disease.
Resident physicians seldom trained in skin cancer examination
Many resident physicians are not trained in skin cancer examinations, nor have they ever observed or practiced the procedure.
New findings on the formation of body pigment
The skin's pigment cells can be formed from completely different cells than has hitherto been thought, a new study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet shows. The results, which are published in the journal Cell, also mean the discovery of a new kind of stem cell.
Studying cancer in pet dogs to find new treatments for human patients
A team of scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda, USA, says that studying pet dogs with cancer could yield valuable information on how to diagnose and treat human cancers.
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