“Metastases cancer” or stage 4 cancer, is the medical term for describing a condition where a tumor originating in a certain organ, “primary tumor”, is identified in another organ or in a distant location from the original organ, e.g., metastases of breast cancer can be found in the lungs, brain, bones and liver.
It is important to note, metastases are the same type of the original primary tumor, even if its location is in distant organs and so are the treatments regarded as such, for example, a treatment for a metastatic lung cancer that has spread to the liver, is determined by the treatment for metastatic lung cancer and not by the treatment for liver cancer.
Metastases formation
Cancer cells of the primary tumor can be released into the bloodstream and lymphatic system and circulate to distant organs or adjacent organs and tissues to the primary tumor and “settle” in them and grow.
There are different types of cancer which is known where metastases can be formed, for example,
Breast cancer can spread to the bones, brain, liver and lungs
Lung cancer can spread to the brain, bones, liver and kidney
Prostate cancer can spread to the bones
Colon cancer, rectal cancer, colorectal cancer can spread to the liver and lungs
Breast cancer can spread to the bones, brain, liver and lungs
Stage IV metastatic cancer and recovery
In the vast majority of the metastatic cases, the treatments do not cure. Treatment goals are slowing tumor growth rate, prolonging life and reducing the symptoms of the disease, improving the quality of life of the patient.
The efficacy of the treatments is affected by many factors, among them are the type of cancer, number of metastases (also called “lesions”) and their location, how much cancer the patient has in his or her body, growth rate of the tumor lesions, medical history of the patient, background diseases, microenvironment between the tumor cells themselves, resistance the tumor has developed to previous treatments and other.
Advanced treatments and clinical trials for stage 4
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) highlights the fact that for a certain group of metastatic cancer patients, the best treatment option is to join one of the many clinical trials existing worldwide aiming to increase their chances of therapeutic success.
This is also recommended by the USA national comprehensive cancer network, NCCN, (USA national comprehensive cancer network)
“Patients with cancer should be encouraged to participate in clinical trials during all aspects of their diagnosis and treatment”
Currently, every patient will be offered the standard protocols described above. Sometimes the oncologist may suggest integrating these therapies with trials carried out in the Institute.
Advances in cancer therapies may be found in clinical trials prescribing cutting edge, interesting drugs, some of which have already been recognized by the FDA (US Food & Drug Administration) as “breakthrough treatments” and require further information input before being finally and fully approved.
An entire world of clinical trials and compassionate drugs and treatments are open and available worldwide. It is important to know which cutting edge treatments exist which patients can gain far more from them than the standard care offered.
For most patients with stage 4 metastatic cancer, current treatments are insufficiently effective. This gives rise to the need for innovative strategies with greater efficacy in fighting the disease.
Read our publications on innovative treatments for stage 4 metastatic cancer:
Published on January 21, 2020 Background In this trial, 137 cancer patients with NO AVAILABLE STANDARD THERAPEUTIC OPTIONS were treated with the combination of Lenvima
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The trial was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of adding Capivasertib to Taxol as first-line therapy for metastatic TNBC
Background This phase II trial was designed to evaluate the benefit of Keytruda® plus Zolinza® for recurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, HNSCC and
Background Metastatic colorectal cancer, mCRC, is a group of distinct diseases, with clinical and molecular differences between right-sided and left-sided tumors driving varying prognosis. Patients
When was it reported? The outcome of the phase II, multicenter, open-label, single-arm DESTINY-Breast trial was reported at the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium,
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In this trial, 137 cancer patients with NO AVAILABLE STANDARD THERAPEUTIC OPTIONS were treated with the combination of Lenvima plus Keytruda.
Eligible patients had metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC), Endometrial Cancer, Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck (SCCHN), Melanoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) and Urothelial Cancer.
Results
At 24 weeks, this is the percentage of patients that were still responding to the combination and their cancer has stopped from continuous growing and/or has shrunk:
63% of Renal Cell Cancer patients
52% of Endometrial Cancer patients
48% of Melanoma patients
36% SCCHN
33% NSCLC
25%Urothelial Cancer
Adverse Events
The most common treatment-related adverse events were fatigue (58%), diarrhea (52%), hypertension (47%), and hypothyroidism (42%).
Conclusion
The combination of Lenvima plus Keytruda had promising efficacy among patients with selected solid tumors, with a manageable safety profile.
The best treatment for a cancer patient is to get the most advanced cancer drugs in advanced stages of development. There, the hope and the chance to extend life go far beyond the standard protocols.
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