Prof Janet Brown talks to ecancer about the STAR trial. A Randomised multi-stage phase II/III trial of standard first-line therapy (sunitinib or pazopanib) comparing temporary cessation with allowing continuation, in the treatment of locally advanced and/or metastatic renal cancer.

She begins by discussing the rationale behind the trial. The main focus being to determine if a tyrosine kinase inhibitor drug-free interval strategy (DFIS) was non-inferior to a conventional continuation strategy (CCS) in the first line treatment of advanced RCC.

Prof Brown then talks about the methodology, explaining that after 24 weeks of sunitinib/pazopanib treatment, DFIS patients took a treatment break, until disease progression, with additional breaks dependent on disease response and patient/clinician choice. Trial strategy continued until intolerance, progression on treatment or death.

She concludes that although overall survival fell short of overall defined non-inferiority using this rigorous approach, probably due to fewer than expected events, DFIS was seen to be acceptable to patients and clinicians. DFIS also appeared to be highly cost-effective compared to CCS.

ecancer's filming has been kindly supported by Amgen through the ecancer Global Foundation. ecancer is editorially independent and there is no influence over content.