New treatment option for metastatic colorectal cancer prolongs survival

A new therapy is on the horizon for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who have run out of treatment options. Results from an international clinical trial, published June 15 in The Lancet, show that the selective targeted therapy, Fruquintinib, resulted in a statistically significant improvement in overall survival and progression-free survival.

The FRESCO-2 clinical trial for Fruquintinib was conducted at 124 sites across 14 countries. The study recruited patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who had not responded to other treatments and who had received a median of four prior lines of therapy.

Patients who received Fruquintinib had a median survival rate of 7.4 months compared to 4.8 months for patients who received a placebo plus best supportive care and progression-free survival of 3.7 months vs. 1.8 months. Participants who received Fruquintinib had a 34% reduction in death compared to the placebo group. At six months, 24% of patients on Fruquintinib were progression-free versus 1% on placebo.

The majority of stage IV patients will have surgically unresectable disease. Hence, we must continue to pursue new treatment options to extend the overall survival of our patients with the quality of life they concluded.

Reference: New treatment option for metastatic colorectal cancer prolongs survival; JOURNAL:The Lancet.