Pazopanib can be considered as a first line alternative treatment to doxorubicin in patients over age 60 with advanced, inoperable soft tissue sarcomas, based on the results of the phase 2 EPAZ study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Pazopanib outcomes compared to those with doxorubicin in the study; but unlike doxorubicin, pazopanib was not associated with neutropenia, reported Viktor Grünwald, MD, of the Medical School Hanover, Germany. “The distinct AE (adverse event) profile may be used to council patients and tailor therapy to individual needs.”
In the randomized study with a median 12-month follow up of previously untreated patients with a median age of 71 years, the incidence of grade 4 neutropenia and neutropenic fever were 56% and 10% for 39 patients given doxorubicin and 0% and 0% for 81 patients given pazopanib, respectively. Overall survival was 14.3 months and 12.3 months, a nonsignificant difference. The most frequent adverse events for doxorubicin were fatigue (64.9%), alopecia (56.8%) and nausea (48.6%), and for pazopanib they were fatigue (58%), nausea (43.2%) and diarrhea (43.2%). Similar outcomes were reported for global EORTC QLQ-C30 measures.
EPAZ included patients aged 60 years and older (median 71 years) with no prior systemic treatment for soft tissue sarcoma, progressive disease, ECOG 0-2, and adequate organ function. After 1:2 randomization, patients received either doxorubicin 75 mg/m2 every 3 weeks for a total of 6 cycles or oral pazopanib 800 mg/day given continuously. ECOG 2 and liposarcoma histology were used for stratification.
Dr. Grunwald and several of his co-authors disclosed financial relationships with various drug companies including Novartis, the maker of pazopanib (Votrient). Clinical trial information: NCT01861951
SOURCE: Grunwald V et al. ASCO 2018 (annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology), Abstract 11506.