The new experimental drug axitinib has shown promise against advanced kidney cancer when options are at a dead-end once tumors don't respond to novel therapies.

According to lead investigator Dr Brian I. Rini, an associate professor of medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, and a paid member of the Pfizer scientific advisory board:

"More than half the patients - 51 percent - experienced tumour shrinkage and in 23 percent of them the shrinkage is considered significant. Preliminary analysis shows the progression-free survival was on average more than 7.7 months.

We think these results are impressive because these patients were heavily pre-treated and with drugs thought to be similar to axitinib. The disease progressed in only 24 percent of patients, which we think is low in this kind of setting.

The study found the tumour remained stable in 37 percent of the patients."

Advanced or metastatic kidney cancer is difficult to treat. This study result suggests that many more patients will benefit from this drug.

Axitinib is product of Pfizer and is also being tested in advanced pancreatic, thyroid, lung and breast cancers.

Take note though that Pfizer paid for the study. There goes...now we can start doubting if the results are really what it should be. ;-)

The findings though have been presented September 26 at the European Cancer Conference in Barcelona.

Find more details from the European Cancer Conference.

[Photo Credit: irishhealth]