Reducing risk of cancer returning in patients

MANILA, Philippines – Data published in the online edition of the Lancet show that imatinib, when taken after surgery, substantially reduces the rate of recurrence of Kit-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) compared with placebo.

The published Phase 3 study was led by the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG) and examined post-surgery, or adjuvant, treatment of more than 700 GIST patients.

Researchers found that 98 percent of patients receiving 400 mg of imatinib daily remained tumor-free one year after surgery.

The study also found imatinib to be safe and well tolerated, with a low rate of serious adverse events.

GIST is a life-threatening cancer of the gastrointestinal tract. After initial surgery to remove the tumor, GIST can return in one of two patients, within a median of two years.

Recurrent GIST is often more aggressive than primary tumors, with relapses associated with lower survival rates.

“The standard of care after surgical removal of primary GIST has been clinical and radiologic observation since standard chemotherapeutic agents have been ineffective in this disease. This frequently resulted in tumor recurrence,” said Dr. Ronald DeMatteo of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

“Now, as the Lancet reports, by treating patients with imatinib after removal of their initial tumor, we can proactively impact the course of this disease by delaying, and in some patients possibly preventing, the return of the cancer.”

Imatinib was recently approved in the Philippines, United States, Switzerland and several other countries for the treatment of GIST in the adjuvant setting, based on the ACOSOG data.

In its thrust of caring for Filipino patients, Novartis Oncology has instituted a patient access program, the Novartis Oncology Access (NOA) program.

The NOA program is an innovative shared-contribution access program that is addressing a huge need in a country with no healthcare reimbursement system and very limited healthcare support from the government.

As a new and broader access model, the NOA program is benefiting more Filipino cancer patients and, with new approved indications for imatinib, will provide effective treatment to even more patients.