Prof David Ferry talks to ecancer at the 2012 ESMO meeting in Vienna about the first randomised phase II clinical trial in metastatic oesophageal cancer.

Previously, after first line chemotherapy, which only provides an average of 10 months survival, no second line therapy could be offered. Between 1996-2011, only 55 phase II trials had been conducted for oesophageal cancer and just five trials resulting in response.

Prof Ferry and his team investigated gefitinib with 450 patients, but with results not meeting the primary goal of overall survival. However, secondary goals of increased progression free survival and quality of life in patient reported outcomes were reported.

Future studies from the data are already occurring in the translational setting with analysis of biopsy samples for potential biomarkers.

Filming supported by Amgen