Results from a phase 2 study were presented at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Genitourinary Symposium last week and showed that neoadjuvant cabozantinib was safe and induced a reduction in the size of the tumour in all patients with locally advanced, non-metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Neoadjuvant treatment is medication that is given before surgery to try to shrink the cancer, making it easier to remove. Neoadjuvant cabozantinib caused a reduction in the size of the tumour in all 17 patients in the study. Five patients (29.4%) had a partial response and 12 patients had stable disease. Progression of disease was not observed in the patients treated with cabozantinib. The average reduction in the size of the tumour was 23%.

All patients had 12 weeks of treatment with cabozantinib, and all but one patient had surgery after completing a 4-week wash-out period.

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