03 Jun Treatment With Eribulin Is Step Forward for Advanced Soft Tissue Sarcomas
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Professor Patrick Schöffski
Head, Department of General Medical Oncology and the Laboratory of Experimental Oncology at the University Hospital
Leuven, KU Leuven, Belgium
MedicalResearch: What are the key points of the study?
Professor Schöffski: This is the first and only randomised controlled trial of a single agent systemic therapy to demonstrate an improvement in overall survival in people previously treated for advanced soft tissue sarcomas. The study met its primary objective for overall survival benefit (OS) for investigational use in patients treated with eribulin compared to dacarbazine. Median OS for eribulin was 13.5 months versus 11.5 months for dacarbazine representing a significant benefit, meaning that patients treated with eribulin may have a 23% reduction in the risk of death. Furthermore, an additional study endpoint included progression-free survival (PFS) at 12 weeks. While there was a numerical difference between arms favouring eribulin versus dacarbazine (33% vs 29%) this was not statistically significant. Median PFS was 2.6 months in both arms.
MedicalResearch: What is the key conclusion?
Professor Schöffski: The key conclusion in this investigational study is that eribulin represents an important breakthrough for clinicians and a significant step forward for patients living with advanced soft tissue sarcomas, who currently face few treatment options and a poor prognosis. Eribulin has shown an overall survival benefit against an active comparator, which is significant.
MedicalResearch: Any impact on clinical practice or future studies?
Professor Schöffski: The result of this investigational study is important because it is the first study to show any extension of survival with a drug treatment in soft tissue sarcoma, and is a robust, randomised phase 3 trial. I cannot comment on what the sponsor company (Eisai) will do next with eribulin in soft tissue sarcomas, but my personal opinion is that the drug is a powerful and important potential new treatment option and warrants further work to bring it closer to patients.
Citation: Presened at 2015 ASCO meeting
J Clin Oncol 33, 2015 (suppl; abstr LBA10502)
Author(s):
Patrick Schöffski, Robert G. Maki, Antoine Italiano, Hans Gelderblom, Giovanni Grignani, Veridiana Pires De Camargo, Sebastian Bauer, Sun Young Rha, Sant P. Chawla, Jean-Yves Blay, Peter Hohenberger, David R. D’Adamo, Benjamin Wang, Bartosz Chmielowski, Axel Le Cesne, George D. Demetri, Shreyaskumar Patel; University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY; CLCC Institut Bergonié, Bordeaux, France; Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands; Fondazione del Piemonte per l’Oncologia IRCC, Candiolo, Italy; Hospital Sírio-Libanês, São Paulo, Brazil; West German Cancer Center, Essen, Germany; Severance Hospital, Seoul, South Korea; Sarcoma Oncology Center, Santa Monica, CA; Université Claude Bernard & Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France; Mannheim University Medical Center, Mannheim, Germany; Eisai Inc, Woodcliff Lake, NJ; Eisai, Woodcliff Lake, NJ; UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA; Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
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MedicalResearch.com Interview with:, Professor Patrick Schöffski, Head, Department of General Medical Oncology and the Laboratory of Experimental Oncology at the University Hospital, & Leuven, KU Leuven, Belgium (2015). Treatment With Eribulin Is Step Forward for Advanced Soft Tissue Sarcomas
Last Updated on June 4, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD