Dr. Al-Batran on Paclitaxel Plus Everolimus in Gastric Cancer

Salah-Eddin Al-Batran, MD, medical oncologist and director at the Institute of Clinical Cancer Research — Frankfurt, Germany, discusses the results of trial combining everolimus (Afinitor) with paclitaxel in the treatment of patients with gastric cancer.

This was a randomized, double-blind, multicenter phase III study evaluating paclitaxel with and without RAD001 in patients with gastric cancer who have progressed after therapy with a fluoropyrimidine/platinum-containing regimen (RADPAC).

The study aimed to improve outcomes of patients by adding everolimus to paclitaxel chemotherapy in patients who have received prior lines of chemotherapy. Those with gastric cancer were administered either paclitaxel plus everolimus or paclitaxel monotherapy plus placebo.

In the population studied, the addition of everolimus did not improve progression-free survival or overall survival, except in a small subset of patients. The study was stopped prematurely due to being under enrollment.