The Importance of Early Tumor Shrinkage and Deepness of Response in Assessing the Efficacy of Systemic Anticancer Treatment with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Czech version

Authors: L. Holubec ^1,2; V. Liška ^2,3; J. Fínek ¹
Authors‘ workplace: Onkologická a radioterapeutická klinika LF UK a FN Plzeň2 Biomedicínské centrum, LF UK v Plzni3 Chirurgická klinika LF UK a FN Plzeň ¹
Published in: Klin Onkol 2015; 28(2): 89-93
Category: Review
doi: https://doi.org/10.14735/amko201589

Overview

Background:
The efficacy of anticancer therapy is regularly evaluated using the following indicators – objective response rate, progression free survival and overall survival. The change in the tumor burden extent is assessed by the cumulative change in the size of target tumor lesions using imaging methods where WHO and RECIST criteria are most frequently used. The main problem of these criteria is that they use different definitions of response rate evaluation. Generally, existing results of these evaluations do not confirm a direct correlation between the objective response rate and survival (progression free survival or overall survival). Another problem of these methods is that the results of the assessment do not correlate with the biological activity of tumor growth, since it is a static evaluation of clinical status.

Aim:
This review article provides an overview of results related to new possibilities for evaluating the efficacy of anticancer therapy using the concept of ‘depth of response’ and the concept of ’early tumor shrinkage’ in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Conclusion:
The results of numerous post‑hoc and exploratory analyses of clinical studies consistently suggest that early tumor shrinkage and depth of response are important variables in assessing the efficacy of systemic anticancer treatment.

Key words:
colorectal cancer – neoplasm metastases – RECIST – early tumor shrinkage – deepness of response

This work was supported by the project ED2.1.00/03.076 from European Regional Development Fund and by the grant IGA MZCR 12025 and IGA MZCR 14329.

The authors declare they have no potential conflicts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study.

The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE “uniform requirements” for biomedical papers.

Submitted:
12. 8. 2014

Accepted:
30. 9. 2014

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