Review provides reassurance over stopping sunitinib therapy

摘要

SUNITINIB does not cause kidney cancer metastasis to speed up after treatment ends, despite mouse studies that suggest otherwise, claim researchers (Cell Reports, online 7 February 2013). They reviewed data, provided by Pfizer, from a randomised, phase in trial (n=750) comparing sunitinib and interferon alfa. Sunitinib was not associated with accelerated tumour growth or shortened survival after discontinuation in patients with established metastatic renal cell car- cinoma, the researchers conclude. But the same conclusion cannot be drawn for smaller tumours that might be encountered in the adjuvant setting, they warn.