Cabozantinib is a type of cancer medication currently used to treat renal cell carcinoma, medullary thyroid cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Researchers are now exploring this treatment for people living with advanced adrenocortical carcinoma, a cancer that affects the adrenal gland.
Elana Gotkine reports in Medical XPress that researchers evaluated cabozantinib in a Phase 2 clinical study in adults with advanced adrenocortical carcinoma for whom surgery is not a curative option. 18 participants enrolled. During the course of the study, participants received 60mg orally administered cabozantinib each day.
In study results published in The Lancet Oncology, the research team shares that cabozantinib displayed signs of efficacy. After four months, 72.2% of participants experienced progression-free survival, meaning their cancer had not progressed over the course of those four months.
While the drug displayed strong efficacy, researchers did note that a majority of participants experienced more severe adverse reactions to treatment, though no deaths occurred. Researchers consider this a manageable safety profile. Participants experienced high blood pressure, low phosphate levels in the blood, and elevated lipase, alanine aminotransferase, and γ-glutamyl transferase.
About Adrenocortical Carcinoma
Adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare cancer that forms in the adrenal cortex, or the outer layer of the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are responsible for releasing hormones that play a role in stress management, metabolism, and blood pressure. In adrenocortical carcinoma, the tumor(s) on the adrenal gland release abnormally large amounts of hormones, affecting different systems within your body. Adrenocortical carcinoma affects middle-aged females more than other groups, though it can occur in males or children. People with this cancer may show signs of:
- A feeling of fullness
- Lower back and abdominal pain
- High blood sugar
- Weight gain
- A lump in the abdomen
- Hirsutism (excess body or facial hair)
- High blood pressure
- Swollen sex organs
- Muscle weakness
- Frequent urination
- A round, full face
- Lump of fat on the back of the neck
- Deepened voice
- Irregular periods and/or vaginal bleeding in women who have gone through menopause
- Lowered sex drive
Symptoms may differ based on which hormone (cortisol, testosterone, or aldosterone) is being overproduced.
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adrenocortical carcinoma cabozantinib clinical trial medical research oncology rare cancer
Last modified: May 10, 2024
