In continuation of my update on Pazopanib, I found this interesting info. In my earlier blog , I mentioned that lots of research groups are trying the same drug for other forms of cancer. Dr. Cora Sternberg and co authors (Chief of the medical oncology department at the San Camillo and Forlanini Hospital in Rome, Italy), have come up with interesting results from a phase 3 study included 233 patients with previously untreated kidney cancer (also known as renal cell carcinoma) that was locally advanced or had spread, and 202 patients with renal cell carcinoma who had previously been treated with cytokine therapy (interferon or interleukin). The patients were randomly assigned to take pazopanib tablets (290 patients) or a placebo drug (145 patients).
As per the claim by the authors, in the pazopanib group, it took an average 9.2 months for the cancer to progress, vs. an average 4.2 months in the placebo group. The difference was greatest in previously untreated patients (11.1 months for the pazopanib group and 2.8 months for the placebo group), but also was found among patients previously treated with cytokines (7.4 months in the pazopanib group vs. 4.2 months in placebo group).
Common side effects of pazopanib treatment included diarrhea (52 percent), high blood pressure (40 percent), hair color changes (38 percent), nausea (26 percent), weight loss (22 percent) and vomiting (21 percent).
Ref : http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/abstract/JCO.2009.23.9764v1
