According to data presented on Thursday at the World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer meeting in Barcelona, from a clinical trial, Pfizer Inc's cancer drug Sutent delayed the spreading of pancreatic cancer.

The study involved 154 patients with advanced pancreatic islet cell tumors that had progressed in the last 12 months. They were divided into two groups and while both received the best supportive care one group was given Sutent and the other group a placebo.

The researchers found that the median progression-free survival which is the time it took for the disease to worsen in half the patients was 11.1 months for those in the Sutent group as compared to 5.5 months for those in the placebo group. This result was said to be highly statistically significant.

The study was stopped early by independent safety monitors because Sutent had met the primary goal of the trial and had demonstrated significant benefit. Dr. Eric Raymond, lead investigator of the Phase III trial said, "In this study, Sutent demonstrated an impressive improvement in progression-free survival for patients with pancreatic islet cell tumors."

Pfizer said in the trial the most common side effects were low white blood cell count, high blood pressure, abdominal pain, diarrhea, low blood sugar, and a condition called "hand-foot syndrome." In this a small amount of the drug leak out of the blood vessels in the palms and the soles of the feet, causing reddened skin, tenderness, and peeling of the skin. These were side effects that were similar to those seen in previous Sutent studies.
Raymond added "This is encouraging news for patients, especially given that there are limited treatment options for this type of advanced cancer."

According to the National Cancer Institute pancreatic islet cell tumors, also known as neuroendocrine tumors, are a rare form of the disease affecting two to four people per million worldwide annually, or about 5 % of pancreatic cancer cases.

Mace Rothenberg, head of clinical development and medical affairs for Pfizer's oncology business unit, said the study's results were good news, "as there is currently no standard of care for patients with pancreatic islet cell tumors who progress on prior therapy."

Sutent, also known as sunitinib, is currently approved to treat advanced renal cell carcinoma, and gastrointestinal stromal tumors, a cancer of the digestive system in patients who are unable to tolerate Novartis AG's drug Gleevec.