Nexavar prolongs survival among Liver cancer patients

The findings of a clinical trial presented by doctors at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago on Monday provided hope to the deadly liver cancer patients as Nexavar, a drug developed by Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Bayer AG, can now help them extend their lives by almost 3 months or 44% longer than patients given a placebo.

The doctors consider this finding as a breakthrough in the field of medicine as this is the first drug that has provided some sort of advancement in the search for a liver cancer cure considering there had been 100 unsuccessful trials of drugs for liver cancer in the last 30 years. But the results would not apply to other forms of liver cancer or to cancers originated elsewhere in the body like lung or breast and then spread to the liver. Liver tumors are generally removed surgically, if possible, or are otherwise subjected to radiation or chemotherapy.

The study led by Joseph Llovet, a liver cancer specialist at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, involved 602 patients suffering from the most common form of malignant liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a cancer starting during adulthood in cells in the liver and is also called adult primary liver cancer. Primary liver cancer is different from cancer that has metastasized (spread) from another place in the body to the liver.

The signs and symptoms of this cancer may include a hard lump just below the rib cage on the right side (from swelling of the liver), discomfort in the upper abdomen on the right side, pain around the right shoulder blade, or yellowing of the skin (jaundice).

“We did not have anything for these patients,” said Dr. Josep M. Llovet. “Now we have an effective drug that prolongs survival. For the first time, we have a drug that is working.'' said Llovet.

The patients under the study were divided randomly and were either given placebos or Nexavar, also called sorafenib, along with the standard therapy. After the study concluded it was noticed that the cancer cells in patients treated with Nexavar spread slowly (28 weeks) as compared to those treated with placebos (12 weeks) and as a result the former subjects lived a median time of 10.7 months compared with 7.9 months for patients on a placebo.

Nexavar is taken as an oral pill and is targeted to blocks proteins on cells, to stop tumor cells from proliferating and cut off the blood supply to tumors.

Side effects after consuming Nexavar included diarrhea in about 11% of the patients, swelling in hands and feet in another 8%, skin rash and hypertension. The patients suffering with kidney cancer experienced similar side effects.

The Californian biotechnology company based in Emeryville, Onyx Pharmaceuticals and German Pharmaceutical company, Bayer have already attained FDA’s approval for the drug as a cure for kidney cancer on December 20, 2005 and are now headed to apply for a regulatory approval to sell it as a drug for liver cancer too that affects the lives of around 17,000 Americans every year.

According to Lovet the drug however didn’t meet a pre-specified goal for improving the quality of life. It is also expensive and costs around $4,500 a month. Apart from liver cancer it is also being studied in melanoma, lung and breast cancers.

Nexavar containing the active ingredient sorafenib is a type of medicine called a multikinase inhibitor which works by interfering in the working and growth of certain cancer cells which grow abnormally due to enzymes called kinases.

Liver cancer is associated with Hepatitis B and C infection and is called Hepatic tumor which is growth on or in the liver. This growth can be malignant (cancerous) or benign.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is potentially curable by surgery but it only helps a small fraction of people who have localized disease. Laparoscopy may detect metastatic disease, tumor in both lobes of the liver, or an inadequate liver remnant, and avoid the need for open surgery to explore the liver.

In some parts of the world, Primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) is very common but it is still relatively uncommon in the US although it is rising every year due to the increasing incidence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

People suffering from cirrhosis are more likely to develop adult primary liver cancer. People who have both hepatitis B and hepatitis C may be at a higher risk if they consume more than 3 oz. (80 grams) of alcohol a day. A first-degree relative with hepatocellular carcinoma also increases the risk.