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News
2013
- Author: Nick Maisey
- Category: Uncategorized
ASCO update: Monday 3rd June 2013 – Dr Nick Maisey
For some time there has been debate about the effectiveness of second-line chemotherapy for patients who have metastatic cancer of the oesophagus or stomach. This cancer can be aggressive and there have been concerns about whether a second course of chemotherapy can effectively control the disease, and whether the side-effects from treatment are worse than the disease itself. In today’s session a team from Cambridge presented the results of a large randomised trial in which patients who had relapsed followed standard chemotherapy were treated with the chemotherapy drug Docetaxel or received symptom control alone (the COUGAR-02 Trial).
The results of the study, which was also conducted in my department at Guy’s Hospital, gave a very clear message. Provided patients were reasonably fit, second-line chemotherapy with Docetaxel prolonged their lives. The investigators performed a very careful analysis of patients’ quality of life, and found that patients treated with Docetaxel had a better quality of life than those receiving symptom control alone, and symptoms were also better controlled. The drug did have some side-effects but for most patients this was reported as being tolerable. The results of this important study mean that all fit patients whose cancer relapses after initial chemotherapy should be offered second-line treatment.
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