A new drug is proven more effective than standard therapies for advanced kidney cancer in patients with demonstrated drug resistance.A study trial, led by researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, compared the effectiveness of a new drug, cabozantinib, with the accepted second-line treatment, everolimus (Affinitor).

The trial enrolled 658 patients with clear cell renal carcinoma; all participants had advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma and their disease had worsened following first-line therapy.

Initial therapy for these patients had targeted the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR). Cabozantinib proved to be more effective than everolimus in slowing the growth of cancer in these patients and there were early indications that it may have improved their overall survival as well (progression-free survival was a median of 7.4 months vs 3.8 for those using everolimus).

Toni K. Choueiri, MD, clinical director of the Genitourinary Cancer Treatment Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and first author of the report, feels that cabozantinib may also have potential as a first-line treatment for kidney cancer.Cabozantinib has received breakthrough therapy designation from the Food and Drug Administration. Report data were published online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Source: New drug improves outcome in treatment resistant kidney cancer – ONA