Trial of Dasatinib in Advanced Sarcomas

[Olga]

Trial of Dasatinib in Advanced Sarcomas
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00464620
ASPS is one of the sarcoma types that are currently enrolled (as of September 2008), although the subjects with symptomatic central nervous system metastasis are excluded.
Of interest is that according to some articles Dasatinib crosses the blood-brain barrier.

[jcs2007]

Thanks for posting the info on Dasatinib. Our oncologist is very interested in this one so
we are possibly looking into this clinical trial. I also wondered if anyone was given
Gemcitabene(chemo). I want to try something that will help my son but also provide
answers to present and future patients.
Peace and Blessings,
Cindy

[Olga]

I posted an answer re. gemcitabine in the chemotherapy topic here :
http://www.cureasps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=315

[Bonni Hess]

Dear ASPS Community Friends,
Has anyone on this forum had experience with Dasatinib treatment? We are exploring and considering it as a possible systemic treatment option for Brittany. Her oncologist feels that Brittany might be a good candidate for the Dasatinib treatment because ASPS is one of the several types of sarcoma which it is currently being tested on at multiple locations in the United States. However, Brittany's oncologist could not provide us with any data or results regarding the effectiveness of the treatment because the Clinical Trial is still ongoing. Any anecdotal information which anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated.
With special caring thoughts and continued Hope,
Bonni Hess

[Beth]

Dear Bonni,
We too are considering this trial. We spoke to a trial investigator at the Washington Hospital Center (DC). She has no knowledge of any asps patients in the trial. I would appreciate very much too hearing from anyone who may have participated or from anyone with an educated (scientific) perspective who can explain in layman's terms how it might apply to asps. I can read the literature, but understanding it is not always possible. Dasatinib is a c-abl/Src kinase inhibitor.
love,
Beth

[jcs2007]

Hello All,
I just wanted to mentioned our Oncologist was going to get
us started in a trial with Dasatinib but we went with
Gleevec since he could go ahead and write the script now.
Well, The 3 month scan showed only a slight slowing
of progression(have not seen report yet). There were
many sites listed at CT.gov who were recruiting for Dasatinib.
We will be meeting with our oncologist this week to
discuss if we want to try Dasatinib or something else.

Just wanted to add that my thoughts and prayers are with
everyone on this journey.
Blessings,
Cindy

[Beth]

dear Cindy,

this might be off topic of this thread, but my son was on Gleevec and Taxol from Sept. 2004-April 2005 and Gleevec and Abraxane from Sept. 2007-Mar. 2008 -- the first time was a clinical trial which he stopped voluntarily to have surgery, the second he stopped when he got a new brain met. I don't think Gleevec as a single agent will help fight asps, but that is just my opinion. I read an article which I think is relevant to how this combination of drugs might have paired up to fight this insidious disease, "Simultaneous blockade of platelet-derived growth factor-receptor and epidermal growth factor-receptor signaling and systemic administration of paclitaxel as therapy for human prostate cancer metastasis in bone of nude mice." (online access to full text of the article is free from the PubMed citation (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15205332). I don't know if your doctor is willing to try to get taxol or abraxane added to your son's gleevec regimen, but considering the fact that it kept my son stable for two 6 to 7 month periods of time I think it's worth a try. the sad thing is that the trial was a Phase 1 trial (http://tinyurl.com/brxp4l) when my son was in it and now that the regimen has moved into phase II trials it is targeted to other cancers -- that's one of the may unfair aspects of battling asps.

Beth

[jcs2007]

Dear Beth,
Thanks for the info on Gleevec + Taxol. However,
our ped oncologist has suggested ARQ trial. We also
were looking at Dasatinib trial. This disease is
confusing and heartbreaking. I am so saddend of the
loss of AJ. I will keep everyone posted on which treatment
next.
Hopeful,
Cindy

[Arch]

According to the clinicaltrials.gov website, "This study is ongoing, but not recruiting participants". Sree's oncologist had also told us that it was closing shortly.
See http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT0 ... oma&rank=1

It may be available thru' some other clinical trial. The drug is also commercially available(don't know if insurance will cover it for ASPS).

[Bonni Hess]

Dear Arch,
Thank you for sharing this very important information. Do you know why the Trial is closing? Hopefully it is because Dasatanib has proven to be safe and effective, and has now qualified for FDA approval. However, as you indicated, if it has to be prescribed by a doctor as a commercial medication it may not be covered by insurance for ASPS patients which would make it financially impossible for most patients to be able to afford it. It is such a terrible Catch 22 because FDA approval indicates that a medication has been proven in Clinical Trials to be safe and effective , but if it is not covered by insurance and it is not affordable, patients are tragically and unfairly denied access to a drug which could potentially be successful in treating their disease.
With appreciation for your sharing, and with special caring thoughts and continued Hope,
Bonni

[Olga]

Bonni - it wasn't said that the Trial "is closing" but "not recruiting participants" and it most probably means that they already have the targeted enrollment number of the participants and now they will follow them for the duration of their time on the trial and collect the stats for the length of the trial.

[Bonni Hess]

Hi Olga,
I was basing my information about the Trial "closing" on the information that Arch provided in her entry which said "Sree's oncologist had also told us that it was closing shortly." Perhaps Sree's oncologist just meant that it is closing for the recruitment of any new patients, but this is still a concern for any ASPS patients who may want to try Dasatanib in Clincal Trial, such as Brittany since we were considering and exploring Dasatanib as a possible treatment option in the event that she heartbreakingly eventually develops resistance to Cediranib and we need to find another promising TKI medication to begin her on to prevent aggressive rebound.
With special caring thoughts and continued Hope,
Bonni

[Ivan]

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/drug ... -dasatinib Looks like it's already approved for leukemia, so I am guessing it might be possible to get a hold of it regardless.

[Bonni Hess]

Thank you Ivan. However, the concerning issue remains that if Dasatanib is not covered by insurance for ASPS, it will not be financially accessible for most ASPS patients, unless of course an appeal can be made based on data regarding documented successful ASPS response to Dasatanib, which is one of the reasons that updated shared anecdotal treatment information on this Board is so critically important for all of us.
With special caring thoughts and continued Hope,
Bonni

[Ivan]

Good point, Bonni I hadn't thought of that. Do you think they could be persuaded simply by the fact that it seems to have had an effect on one or two patients on the board, though?