UCLA scientists recently discovered a treatment combination that extends the lives of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Key details of the study are reported in an article written by Denise Heady, MA.
The full study was published in The Lancetand sponsored by Exelixis. The researchers wanted to see if using a combination of targeted therapy zanzalintinib and Roche-provided immunotherapy atezolizumab would extend longevity more efficiently than regorafenib.
Heady reported that this is “the first time an immunotherapy-based regimen has demonstrated a survival benefit in the vast majority of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.”
The 901 participants were split evenly into two groups, one receiving regorafenib and the other receiving the combination. They were followed for nearly 18 months. Study results showed that the combination treatment lowered patients’ death risks by nearly 20%. 10% more participants taking the combination were still alive after two years compared to patients who received regorafenib.
Additionally, “The combination also delayed cancer progression, meaning tumors took longer to grow or spread (median 3.7 months vs. 2.0 months), and more patients saw some tumor shrinkage (4% vs. 1% response rate).”
