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Professor Bernard Escudier talks about new RCC treatments
State-of-the-art lecture highlight of 2nd EMUC meeting
At the 2nd European Multidisciplinary Meeting on Urological Cancers, held from 26 to 29 November 2009 in Barcelona (ES), one of the key topics discussed is renal cell carcinoma. Professor Bernard Escudier (Paris, FR) will be giving a state-of-the-art lecture entitled ‘Medical oncology – Renal cell cancer’ on Sunday 29 November.
A lot is going on in this field. One of the interesting new developments in the treatment of advanced renal cell cancer is the development of everolimus tablets. It is intended to treat patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) whose disease progressed on or after treatment with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-targeted therapy. Everolimus is a derivative of sirolimus, and works similarly. These type of compounds are being used as an immunosuppressant to prevent rejection of organ transplants.
The occurrence rates of RCC, which accounts for approximately 2% of all new cancers, are rising steadily around the world due, in part, to smoking and obesity. “Nearly 40% of all RCC patients have advanced cancer at the time of diagnosis, meaning that their tumours have spread outside of the kidneys. Standard initial treatment for these patients may include VEGF-targeted therapies”, says Professor Escudier. Until now, there were no proven treatment options for advanced RCC patients whose cancer progressed while on or after treatment with VEGF-targeted therapy.
Everolimus proved to be successful in a pivotal Phase III trial which demonstrated that the drug, compared with placebo, more than doubled the median time without tumour growth or death in patients with advanced kidney cancer whose disease progressed following prior VEGF-targeted therapy (4.9 vs. 1.9 months). Everolimus is an mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) inhibitor, as is temsirolimus. It works by inhibiting the mTOR protein, that acts as a central regulator of tumor cell division, blood vessel growth and cell metabolism. Much research is being conducted on everolimus and other mTOR inhibitors for use in a number of cancers.
Everolimus received EMEA approval at the beginning of August this year. Professor Escudier: ”It has been introduced in Germany, and in some countries through an ‘extended access’ programme. In France, it is easily available although not yet ‘fully’ approved, but this will most likely not take long”.
“We hope to be able to establish a way in which everolimus can play an active role in combination with VEGF therapies earlier in the disease. Then we can help more patients for a longer period of time, which is of course what we aim for”, Escudier says.
“In the future we expect new treatments for renal cell carcinoma to be developed. We are thinking of new TKIs (axitinib, pazopanib, tivozanib). Other targeted agents, such as tie 2 target and cMET target look promising as well”, concludes Escudier.
Sunday 29 November
12:00 – 12:50 hours
Prof B. Escudier
State-of-the-art lecture: Medical Oncology – Renal Cell Cancer
