International study findings link acne-like rash to effectiveness of new targeted cancer...( yet known why the rash occurred. This w...)

"We saw independently reviewed partial tumour responses in 12% of patients and a median survival time of 6.6 months," he said. "In total, 87% of patients developed this acne-like rash. Of the 46 patients who did not develop a rash none had a tumour response and their median survival was only 2.1 months. Of the 142 with a grade one rash 8% had a tumour response and median survival was 4.9 months. Among the 141 patients who had a grade two rash the response rate was 18% and the median survival was 8.9 months and for the 17 patients with a grade three rash there was a 24% response rate and median survival was 13.0 months. Patients with a grade two/three rash had a highly statistically significant improvement in tumour response and overall survival compared to those with grade one or no rash."

Professor Van Cutsem said that the trend for improved response and survival was seen across all patients irrespective of their age, sex, EGFR status and their Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) rating, which measures how their disease affected daily living.

The research team are now undertaking a randomised study prospectively correlating the rash with tumour response. "Our results could be very important," he said. "While no rash does not mean no tumour response, it does mean there is a lower chance of response from these treatments and that may have future implications for treatments with EGFR inhibitors."

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Contact: Margaret Willson
m.willson@mwcommunications.org.uk
41-227-612-205
European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer
30-Sep-2004