Results from one of the first clinical studies of a highly-publicized cancer drug designed to halt tumor growth by cutting off its blood supply indicates it is safe when combined with radiation therapy in the treatment of advanced cancers. Daily doses of the drug candidate Angiostatin, along with radiation, were given to 20 patients with advanced cancer, particularly cancers of the head and neck, prostate, breast and lung at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. The patients did not suffer any ill effects from the treatment, other than what would normally be expected from receiving radiation, notes Adam Dicker, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of radiation oncology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, who led the trial along with Walter Curran, Jr., M.D., professor and chair of radiation oncology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and clinical director of Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Center.

Many patients had a response to the radiation and drug treatment, meaning their disease either temporarily stopped growing or regressed somewhat. "The majority of patients experienced some regression of their tumor. This is sometimes seen with radiation, but we can't rule out that this is due to Angiostatin or Angiostatin and radiation," says Dr. Dicker, who is also director of the Division of Experimental Radiation Oncology at Jefferson Medical College. Dr. Dicker presents the team's results May 20 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Orlando.

The Jefferson team previously presented evidence last month at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting in San Francisco showing Angiostatin enhances the effects of radiation and "delays tumor regrowth" in the laboratory. They have seen little evidence to date of toxicity from the drug. "We think Angiostatin is very safe both preclinically and clinically," Dr. Dicker says. "We haven't seen any toxicity o
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Contact: Steve Benowitz
steven.benowitz@mail.tju.edu
215-955-5291
Thomas Jefferson University
20-May-2002

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