Dr. Venook Discusses Implications of the 80405 Study

Alan P. Venook, MD, a professor in the Department of Medicine (Hematology/Oncology) at the University of California, San Francisco, discusses implications from the CALGB/SWOG 80405 trial on the targeted therapies administered in colorectal cancer.

One of the implications from recent studies is that all RAS mutations may be making patients unlikely to benefit from the EGFR antibodies, rather than just the traditional KRAS mutations. The similar FIRE-3 study demonstrated that RAS mutations were more predictive of benefit, Venook notes as an example. At this point, researchers are currently analyzing RAS mutations in the 80405 trial.

Venook does not believe that results from the 80405 trial will change practice, in terms of which frontline therapy is administered. Most physicians are familiar and comfortable with either the EGFR antibodies or the VEGF inhibitor bevacizumab in the frontline setting, and this trial did not show superiority for either therapy.

Each of the monoclonal antibodies commonly administered in the frontline setting is effective. Venook is hopeful that further analysis on data collected from this trial will bring further clues on who will benefit from each type of treatment.

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