Breakthrough Treatment for Advanced Colon Cancer: Pfizer’s Combination Therapy Doubles Survival Time
A groundbreaking combination therapy, developed by Pfizer, has shown significant promise in treating patients with an aggressive form of colorectal cancer. According to data published in The New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago, the treatment doubled the survival time for patients with advanced colon cancer.
The treatment combination consists of a standard chemotherapy drug, an antibody drug called cetuximab, and a pill from Pfizer called Braftovi, which targets a specific cancer mutation known as BRAF V600E. This mutation is present in approximately 10% of patients with colorectal cancer, and those who have it tend to have a poorer prognosis, with a survival rate of less than a year after diagnosis. Dr. Lionel Kankeu Fonkoua, a gastrointestinal oncologist at the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Rochester, Minnesota, noted that patients with this mutation often do not respond well to standard chemotherapy treatments.
The risk of death for patients with the BRAF V600E mutation is more than double compared to those without the mutation, according to Pfizer. Braftovi was initially approved in 2020 for use with cetuximab in patients with this specific mutation after other treatments had failed. The new trial, however, looked at the drug combination as a first-line therapy. The Food and Drug Administration granted the treatment fast-track approval as a first-line approach in December, pending additional data confirming its effectiveness.
Dr. Christopher Lieu, a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, described the results as "very impactful." "Patients are clearly living longer, and this represents the new standard of care for this specific subset of patients with this specific mutation," Lieu said.
The trial involved over 600 patients with the BRAF V600E mutation who had metastatic colorectal cancer. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either the three-drug combination treatment or standard chemotherapy alone, with some patients in the latter group also receiving bevacizumab, a first-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer. The trial found that patients who received the combination treatment lived, on average, about 30 months, compared to about 15 months for those who received standard chemotherapy, with or without bevacizumab.
Notably, 47% of patients who received the combination treatment had no disease progression after two years, meaning their cancer did not grow or spread. The treatment was well-tolerated, with no unexpected safety concerns that would have caused investigators to stop the trial. Dr. Scott Kopetz, a professor of gastrointestinal medical oncology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas and a co-principal investigator in the trial, described the findings as "really remarkable." "When we bring this together with standard of care chemotherapy, we get really substantially prolonged survival for these patients that are really unprecedented for this disease type," Kopetz said.
Colorectal cancer is a significant public health concern, with over 141,000 new cases diagnosed in the US each year, making it the fourth most common cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 52,900 people in the US are expected to die from colorectal cancer this year. For patients like Laurie Ritchie, 61, of St. Louis, who received the combination treatment in October 2023, the results have been life-changing. Ritchie had been diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer with the BRAF mutation, which had spread to her lungs and ovaries. Since receiving the combination treatment, her blood tests have consistently shown no trace of cancer.
While Ritchie still worries about the cancer returning, she is now focused on living fully, including going water skiing and downhill skiing. "I’ve kind of learned to think of it as something in the trunk, not in the front seat," she said. "It still feels a bit like a ticking time bomb inside me, but I think the work I’ve done on my mental health has really helped me live with it."
The promising results of this trial, as reported by NBC News, offer new hope for patients with advanced colon cancer. As further research and data become available, it is clear that this combination therapy has the potential to become a new standard of care for patients with this specific mutation.
Pfizer’s combination therapy has shown significant promise in treating patients with advanced colon cancer, and its potential to improve patient outcomes is substantial. As Dr. Kopetz noted, the results of this trial are "really remarkable" and represent a major breakthrough in the treatment of this disease.
The American Cancer Society and other health organizations have emphasized the importance of early detection and treatment of colorectal cancer. With the development of new treatments like Pfizer’s combination therapy, patients with advanced colon cancer have new hope for improved outcomes.
According to NBC News, the combination therapy has been well-tolerated by patients, with no unexpected safety concerns. This is a significant finding, as patients with advanced colon cancer often face significant challenges in managing their disease.
The results of this trial, as reported by NBC News, have significant implications for the treatment of colorectal cancer. As researchers and clinicians continue to explore new treatments and therapies, it is clear that Pfizer’s combination therapy has the potential to make a major impact on patient outcomes.
In conclusion, the combination therapy developed by Pfizer has shown significant promise in treating patients with advanced colon cancer. With its potential to double survival time and improve patient outcomes, this treatment has the potential to become a new standard of care for patients with this specific mutation. As further research and data become available, it is clear that this therapy will continue to play a major role in the treatment of colorectal cancer.
Source: NBC News
