An EORTC study coordinated by Prof. Bernard Nordlinger of the Hôpital Ambroise Paré has shown that perioperative chemotherapy with FOLFOX4 improves progression-free survival as compared to surgery alone but did not demonstrate a significant improvement in overall survival. EORTC trial 40983 evaluated the benefit of combining chemotherapy with surgery for patients with liver only metastases from colorectal cancers which, based upon pre-operative imaging, were considered to be resectable.
Results of the EORTC led intergroup 20012 trial show similar event free survival rates in patients with advanced stage Hodgkin Lymphoma treated with BEACOPP or ABVD. In a previous study (GHSG HD9), escalated BEACOPP had achieved superior freedom from treatment failure and overall survival over COPP/ABVD for stage III – IV high risk advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma. EORTC trial 20012 was the first phase III trial conducted to compare BEACOPP with ABVD in this patient population.
An EORTC study has shown that health related quality of life parameters provide prognostic information regarding the survival of patients with cancer. However, no single health related quality of life scale or single quality of life parameter can predict survival across all cancers, and each cancer site requires careful examination.
A Phase III study conducted by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) has shown that giving combination chemotherapy after standard radiation therapy delayed tumor growth and extended the lives of patients with anaplastic oligodendroglial tumors, a hard-to-treat form of brain cancer. A sub-analysis of the study showed the survival benefit of chemotherapy may be limited to patients
EORTC trial 55041 results show that maintenance erlotinib after first-line treatment in ovarian cancer did not improve progression-free survival.
Gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GC) is a standard regimen in patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer, but a phase I/II study suggested paclitaxel plus GC (PGC) may have greater antitumor activity and could possibly improve survival. EORTC trial 30987 was a randomized phase III study designed to compare PGC with GC in patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma.
626 patients were randomized, 312 to PGC and 314 to GC. The median follow-up was 4.6 years.
For patients with advanced soft-tissue sarcoma whose disease has progressed following standard chemotherapy, treatment with pazopanib nearly tripled progression free survival (PFS) compared with placebo, according to the results of the PALETTE trial, published Online First in The Lancet. This is the first time a randomized phase 3 trial of advanced and metastatic soft tissue sarcoma has shown improvement in PFS.
GlaxoSmithKline announced on 26 April 2012 that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Votrient® (pazopanib) for the treatment of patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma who have received prior chemotherapy. The U.S. label contains the following limitations: the efficacy of Votrient® for the treatment of patients with adipocytic soft tissue sarcomas or gastrointestinal stromal tumors has not been demonstrated.
Oral Presentations
EORTC Gastrointestinal Tract Cancer Group
EORTC liver metastases intergroup randomized phase III study 40983: Long-term survival results. Bernard Nordlinger, Halfdan Sorbye, Bengt Glimelius, Graeme John Poston, Peter M. Schlag, Philippe Rougier, Wolf Bechstein, John Neil Primrose, Euan Thomas Walpole, Murielle E. Mauer, Thomas Gruenberger.
EORTC Quality of Life Group
