Kidney Cancer and the Search for Effective Treatments
Kidney cancer is a challenging disease that affects many individuals worldwide. Researchers have been exploring various treatment options to improve outcomes for kidney cancer patients.
One promising avenue of investigation is a drug called everolimus, which has shown potential in clinical trials.
Everolimus and the EVEREST Study
Everolimus is a medication that inhibits the growth of cancer cells. It belongs to a class of drugs known as mTOR inhibitors.
The UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center participated in a significant clinical trial called the EVEREST study, led by Dr. Christopher W. Ryan from Oregon Health & Science University.
Dr. Primo “Lucky” Lara, Jr., the director of the UC Davis Cancer Center, played a key role in the research.
Assessing Everolimus in Kidney Cancer Patients
The study focused on individuals who had undergone surgery to remove kidney cancer.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo (a pill with no active medication) or a daily dose of 10 milligrams of everolimus for 54 weeks. In total, 1,545 patients were part of the study.
The results of the study were encouraging. Many kidney cancer patients who had surgery remained alive several years after their procedures.
Moreover, everolimus appeared to benefit a subgroup of patients with the highest risk of cancer recurrence. These individuals experienced longer periods of being cancer-free.
However, it’s important to note that everolimus did not provide the same benefits to all participants.
It primarily helped those with very high-risk disease, while those with intermediate high-risk disease did not experience significant improvements.
Despite this variability in responses, Dr. Lara and his team found the results promising and believe that further investigation is warranted.
Future Directions in Kidney Cancer Research
The EVEREST study sheds light on the potential benefits of everolimus, an mTOR inhibitor, in treating kidney cancer after surgery.
Similar drugs are already being used to assist patients with other types of cancer, such as breast cancer.
Moving forward, researchers aim to explore new medications through clinical trials conducted after kidney cancer surgery. This proactive approach seeks to prevent cancer recurrence and metastasis before it has a chance to develop.
Dr. Lara emphasized the ongoing commitment to discovering and testing new therapeutic agents to enhance outcomes for kidney cancer patients.
The research community’s dedication to advancing kidney cancer treatments offers hope for improved prognosis and quality of life for individuals facing this challenging disease.
If you care about kidney health, please read studies about drug that prevents kidney failure in diabetes, and drinking coffee could help reduce risk of kidney injury.
For more information about kidney health, please see recent studies about foods that may prevent recurrence of kidney stones, and common painkillers may harm heart, kidneys and more.
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