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Novocure to Present Final Secondary Endpoint Data from the Phase 3 PANOVA-3 Trial of Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) in Pancreatic Cancer at the ESMO Gastrointestinal Cancers Congress 2025
Novocure to Present Final Secondary Endpoint Data from the Phase 3 PANOVA-3 Trial of Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) in Pancreatic Cancer at the ESMO Gastrointestinal Cancers Congress 2025

Business Wire

time01-07-2025

  • Business
  • Business Wire

Novocure to Present Final Secondary Endpoint Data from the Phase 3 PANOVA-3 Trial of Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) in Pancreatic Cancer at the ESMO Gastrointestinal Cancers Congress 2025

BAAR, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Novocure (NASDAQ: NVCR) announced today that it will present the final secondary endpoint results from the Phase 3 PANOVA-3 trial of its Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy for unresectable, locally advanced pancreatic cancer. These data from PANOVA-3 were accepted as a late-breaking abstract for oral presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Gastrointestinal Cancers Congress 2025, taking place July 2 to July 5 in Barcelona, Spain. 'In the PANOVA-3 trial, there was a significant improvement in overall survival and a significant delay in the progression of pain as well as delayed opioid medication use in patients treated with Tumor Treating Fields and chemotherapy compared to chemotherapy alone. Pancreatic cancer is associated with debilitating pain. Delaying these symptoms can preserve a patient's overall quality of life, a promising outcome we observed in this trial,' said Teresa Macarulla, MD, PhD, Medical Oncologist at Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron and Head of the Gastrointestinal and Endocrine Tumors Group at the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO). 'The overall survival and quality of life results in PANOVA-3 support Tumor Treating Fields therapy with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel as a potential standard of care for unresectable, locally advanced pancreatic cancer.' The PANOVA-3 trial evaluated the use of TTFields therapy concomitantly with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel (GnP) as a first-line treatment for unresectable, locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma, compared to GnP alone. The trial met its primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in median overall survival for patients treated with TTFields. 'The PANOVA-3 results illustrate that Tumor Treating Fields therapy can significantly improve clinical outcomes for patients, including overall survival, in unresectable, locally advanced pancreatic cancer,' said Nicolas Leupin, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, Novocure. 'These new data show that Tumor Treating Fields therapy can also have a meaningful impact preserving patients' quality of life by delaying worsening symptoms of pancreatic cancer. We look forward to submitting a premarket application for Tumor Treating Fields therapy to the FDA in the second half of 2025.' Results from PANOVA-3 The primary endpoint of overall survival and several secondary endpoints, including pain-free survival, from PANOVA-3 were previously reported at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago. The additional secondary endpoint data to be presented at the ESMO Gastrointestinal Cancers Congress 2025 are the full quality of life outcomes as well as a post-hoc analysis of the time to first opioid use. The quality of life outcomes were measured using the European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) with the pancreatic cancer specific PAN26 addendum scales. The EORTC QLQ-C30 and the PAN26 measure global health status and function as well as symptoms including pain (irrespective of cause), pancreatic pain, and gastrointestinal symptoms. There was a statistically significant delay in the time to deterioration in global health status for patients treated with TTFields concomitant with GnP compared to patients treated with GnP alone, with a median of 7.1 months compared to 5.7 months, respectively, p=0.023. The delay in time to deterioration due to pain (irrespective of cause) was statistically significant in patients treated with TTFields concomitant with GnP compared to patients treated with GnP alone, with a median 10.1 months compared to 7.4 months, respectively, p=0.003. Similarly, the delay in time to deterioration due to pancreatic pain was statistically significant in patients treated with TTFields concomitant with GnP compared to patients treated with GnP alone, with a median of 14.7 months compared to 10.2 months, respectively, p=0.006. These results complement the statistically significant extension in pain-free survival reported at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting, which was defined as the time between randomization until a ≥20-point increase of pain using a visual analog scale (VAS) from baseline or death. Patients treated with TTFields concomitant with GnP had a median pain-free survival of 15.2 months compared to a median 9.1 months in the group treated with GnP alone; HR 0.74 (95% CI: 0.56–0.97) p=0.027. All gastrointestinal symptom scales included in the EORTC QLQ-C30 and PAN26, except for indigestion and altered bowel habit, significantly favored patients treated with TTFields concomitant with GnP. In a post-hoc analysis, time to first opioid use was significantly longer with TTFields and GnP compared to patients treated with GnP alone, with a median of 7.1 months compared to 5.4 months, respectively, p=0.046. TTFields therapy was well-tolerated, no new safety signals were observed, and device related safety outcomes were consistent with prior clinical studies using TTFields. Mild to moderate skin adverse events (AEs) were the most common device-related AEs. The company will also present two posters of preclinical data from its pancreatic cancer development program. Data Presentation Details Oral Presentation: Late Breaking Abstract #LBA3: PANOVA-3: Pain and quality of life (QoL) outcomes with Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy in patients with locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma (LAPC) Presenting Author: Teresa Macarulla, MD, PhD, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Spain Time and Location: July 3, 2:10 PM CEST / 8:10 AM EDT, Barcelona Room Poster #311P: Effectiveness of tumor treating fields (TTFields) together with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) preclinical models Time and Location: July 3, 3:30 – 4:30 PM CEST / 9:30 – 10:30 AM EDT, Exhibition Area Poster #316P: Pancreatic cancer cells are sensitized to FOLFIRINOX treatment by co-application with tumor treating fields (TTFields) Time and Location: July 3, 3:30 – 4:30 PM CEST / 9:30 – 10:30 AM EDT, Exhibition Area About PANOVA-3 PANOVA-3 is an international, prospective, randomized, open-label, controlled Phase 3 clinical trial designed to test the efficacy and safety of Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy used concomitantly with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel, as a first-line treatment for locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Patients were randomized to receive either TTFields therapy concomitant with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel or gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel alone. The primary endpoint is overall survival. Secondary endpoints include progression-free survival, local progression-free survival, objective response rate, one-year survival rate, quality of life, pain-free survival, puncture-free survival, resectability rate, and toxicity. The PANOVA-3 trial enrolled 571 patients who were randomized 1:1 and followed for a minimum of 18 months. About Pancreatic Cancer Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal cancers and is the third most frequent cause of death from cancer in the U.S. i and the fifth most frequent cause in Europe. ii While overall cancer incidence and death rates are remaining stable or declining, the incidence and death rates for pancreatic cancer are increasing. iii It is estimated that approximately 67,000 patients are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year in the U.S. iv and the global incidence is more than 500,000. v Pancreatic cancer has a five-year relative survival rate of just 13%. vi Physicians use different combinations of surgery, radiation and pharmacological therapies to treat pancreatic cancer, depending on the stage of the disease. For patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer involving encasement of arteries but no extra-pancreatic disease, the standard of care is surgery followed by chemotherapy with or without radiation. Unfortunately, most locally advanced cases are diagnosed when the cancer is no longer operable, generally leaving chemotherapy with or without radiation as the only treatment option. About Tumor Treating Fields Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) are electric fields that exert physical forces to kill cancer cells via a variety of mechanisms. TTFields do not significantly affect healthy cells because they have different properties (including division rate, morphology, and electrical properties) than cancer cells. These multiple, distinct mechanisms work together to target and kill cancer cells. Due to these multimechanistic actions, TTFields therapy can be added to cancer treatment modalities in approved indications and demonstrates enhanced effects across solid tumor types when used with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibition, or targeted therapies in preclinical models. TTFields therapy provides clinical versatility that has the potential to help address treatment challenges across a range of solid tumors. To learn more about TTFields therapy and its multifaceted effect on cancer cells, visit About Novocure Novocure is a global oncology company working to extend survival in some of the most aggressive forms of cancer through the development and commercialization of its innovative therapy, Tumor Treating Fields. Novocure's commercialized products are approved in certain countries for the treatment of adult patients with glioblastoma, non-small cell lung cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma and pleural mesothelioma. Novocure has several additional ongoing or completed clinical trials exploring the use of Tumor Treating Fields therapy in the treatment of glioblastoma, non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer. Novocure's global headquarters is located in Baar, Switzerland, with U.S. headquarters located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and research and development facilities located in Haifa, Israel. For additional information about the company, please visit and follow @Novocure on LinkedIn and Twitter. Forward-Looking Statements In addition to historical facts or statements of current condition, this press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements provide Novocure's current expectations or forecasts of future events. These may include statements regarding anticipated scientific progress on its research programs, clinical trial progress, development of potential products, interpretation of clinical results, prospects for regulatory approval, manufacturing development and capabilities, market prospects for its products, coverage, collections from third-party payers and other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts. You may identify some of these forward-looking statements by the use of words in the statements such as 'anticipate,' 'estimate,' 'expect,' 'project,' 'intend,' 'plan,' 'believe' or other words and terms of similar meaning. Novocure's performance and financial results could differ materially from those reflected in these forward-looking statements due to general financial, economic, environmental, regulatory and political conditions and other more specific risks and uncertainties facing Novocure such as those set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 27, 2025, and subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Given these risks and uncertainties, any or all of these forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Therefore, you should not rely on any such factors or forward-looking statements. Furthermore, Novocure does not intend to update publicly any forward-looking statement, except as required by law. Any forward-looking statements herein speak only as of the date hereof. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 permits this discussion. ii International Agency for Research on Cancer. Cancer TODAY 2024. Data version: Globocan 2022. Accessed June 24, 2025. v International Agency for Research on Cancer. Cancer TODAY 2024. Data version: Globocan 2022. Accessed June 24, 2025. vi American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2025. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2025

USC Explores Electric Fields Approach to Attack Deadliest Form of Brain Cancer
USC Explores Electric Fields Approach to Attack Deadliest Form of Brain Cancer

Los Angeles Times

time18-06-2025

  • Health
  • Los Angeles Times

USC Explores Electric Fields Approach to Attack Deadliest Form of Brain Cancer

A new study led by Keck Medicine of USC researchers may have uncovered an effective combination therapy for glioblastoma, a brain tumor diagnosis with few available effective treatments. According to the National Brain Tumor Society, the average survival for patients diagnosed with glioblastoma is eight months. The study finds that using Tumor Treating Fields therapy (TTFields), which delivers targeted waves of electric fields directly into tumors to stop their growth and signal the body's immune system to attack cancerous tumor cells, may extend survival among patients with glioblastoma when combined with immunotherapy (pembrolizumab) and chemotherapy (temozolomide). TTFields disrupt tumor growth using low-intensity, alternating electric fields that push and pull key structures inside tumor cells in continually shifting directions, making it difficult for the cells to multiply. Preventing tumor growth gives patients a better chance of successfully fighting the cancer. When used to treat glioblastoma, TTFields are delivered through a set of mesh electrodes that are strategically positioned on the scalp, generating fields at a precise frequency and intensity focused on the tumor. Patients wear the electrodes for approximately 18 hours a day. Researchers observed that TTFields attract more tumor-fighting T cells, which are white blood cells that identify and attack cancer cells, into and around the glioblastoma. When followed by immunotherapy, these T cells stay active longer and are replaced by even stronger, more effective tumor-fighting T cells. 'By using TTFields with immunotherapy, we prime the body to mount an attack on the cancer, which enables the immunotherapy to have a meaningful effect in ways that it could not before,' said David Tran, MD, PhD, chief of neuro-oncology with Keck Medicine, co-director of the USC Brain Tumor Center and corresponding author of the study. 'Our findings suggest that TTFields may be the key to unlocking the value of immunotherapy in treating glioblastoma.' TTFields are often combined with chemotherapy in cancer treatment. However, even with aggressive treatment, the prognosis for glioblastoma remains poor. Immunotherapy, while successful in many other cancer types, has also not proved effective for glioblastoma when used on its own. However, in this study, adding immunotherapy to TTFields and chemotherapy was associated with a 70% increase in overall survival. Notably, patients with larger, unresected (not surgically removed) tumors showed an even stronger immune response to TTFields and lived even longer. This suggests that when it comes to kick-starting the body's immune response against the cancer, having a larger tumor may provide more targets for the therapy to work against. This study demonstrates that combining TTFields with immunotherapy triggers a potent immune response within the tumor – one that ICIs can then amplify to bolster the body's own defense against cancer. 'Think of it like a team sport – immunotherapy sends players in to attack the tumor (the offense), while TTFields weaken the tumor's ability to fight back (the defense). And just like in team sports, the best defense is a good offense,' said Tran, who is also a member of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Keck Medicine is participating in the multicenter Phase 3 clinical trial to validate the efficacy of TTFields with immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Tran, who has been researching TTFields for more than a decade, serves as the chair of the steering committee for this trial. Frances Chow, MD, neuro-oncologist with USC Norris, is the principal investigator of the Keck Medicine study site. This Phase 3 trial, currently open at 28 sites across the United States, Europe and Israel, aims to enroll over 740 patients through April 2029, including those with gross total resection, partial resection or biopsy-only tumors to assess the extent of how surgically removing tumors influences immune response. Information was sourced from Keck Medicine. To learn more, contact

NovoCure's Tumor Treating Fields Boost One-Year And Pain-Free Survival In Pancreatic Cancer Trial
NovoCure's Tumor Treating Fields Boost One-Year And Pain-Free Survival In Pancreatic Cancer Trial

Yahoo

time02-06-2025

  • Business
  • Yahoo

NovoCure's Tumor Treating Fields Boost One-Year And Pain-Free Survival In Pancreatic Cancer Trial

Zai Lab Limited (NASDAQ:ZLAB) and NovoCure Limited (NASDAQ:NVCR) revealed additional data on Saturday from the Phase 3 PANOVA-3 trial of Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy for pancreatic cancer. The data were presented at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting. The Phase 3 PANOVA-3 trial evaluated the use of TTFields therapy concomitantly with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel as a first-line treatment for unresectable, locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma compared to gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel trial met its primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in median overall survival (mOS) for patients treated with TTFields. In the intent-to-treat population, patients treated with TTFields therapy concomitantly with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel had an mOS of 16.2 months compared to 14.2 months for patients treated with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel alone, a statistically significant 2.0-month improvement. TTFields therapy concomitant with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel demonstrated improvement in several secondary endpoints, including one-year and pain-free survival rates. The one-year survival rate showed a statistically significant improvement in the TTFields concomitant with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel treated group, 68.1%, compared to 60.2% for those who received gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel alone. Patients treated with TTFields concomitant with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel had a median pain-free survival of 15.2 months compared to a median of 9.1 months in the group treated with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel alone. This is a statistically significant 6.1-month extension in pain-free survival. Pain-free survival was defined as the time from baseline until patients reported an increase of 20 or more points on a visual scale for pain or until death. There was no statistically significant difference in additional secondary outcome measures of progression-free survival, local progression-free survival, objective response rate, puncture-free survival, or tumor resectability rate between the TTFields with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel and the gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel arms. TTFields therapy was well-tolerated, no new safety signals were observed, and safety was consistent with prior clinical studies. Mild to moderate skin adverse events (AEs) were the most common device-related AEs. Price Action: NVCR stock is trading lower by 8.63% to $17.46 at last check Monday. Read Next:Photo by Aunt Spray via Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article NovoCure's Tumor Treating Fields Boost One-Year And Pain-Free Survival In Pancreatic Cancer Trial originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Novocure announces results from Phase 3 PANOVA-3 trial
Novocure announces results from Phase 3 PANOVA-3 trial

Business Insider

time02-06-2025

  • Health
  • Business Insider

Novocure announces results from Phase 3 PANOVA-3 trial

Novocure (NVCR) announced that results from the Phase 3 PANOVA-3 trial of Tumor Treating Fields therapy for pancreatic cancer will be presented at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology, ASCO, Annual Meeting in Chicago and simultaneously published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The trial met its primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in median overall survival for patients treated with TTFields. TTFields therapy concomitant with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel demonstrated improvement in several secondary endpoints including the one-year survival rate and pain-free survival. The one-year survival rate showed a statistically significant improvement in the TTFields concomitant with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel treated group with compared to those who received gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel alone. Patients treated with TTFields concomitant with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel had a median pain-free survival of 15.2 months compared to a median 9.1 months in the group treated with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel alone. This is a statistically significant 6.1-month extension in pain-free survival. Pain-free survival was defined as the time from baseline until an increase of 20 or more points was reported by patients on a visual scale for pain or until death.

Tumor Treating Fields Boost Pancreatic Cancer Survival
Tumor Treating Fields Boost Pancreatic Cancer Survival

Medscape

time01-06-2025

  • Business
  • Medscape

Tumor Treating Fields Boost Pancreatic Cancer Survival

The addition of low-intensity electric tumor treating fields (TTFields) therapy to first-line standard chemotherapy was associated with significantly improved overall survival in a phase 3 trial for patients with unresectable, locally advanced, pancreatic adenocarcinoma (LA-PAC). The PANOVA-3 trial 'establishes tumor treating fields with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel as a potential new standard treatment paradigm for unresectable, locally advanced pancreatic cancer,' reported Vincent J. Picozzi, MD, first author of the new research, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2025 Annual Meeting. The new study, which was simultaneously published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology , is the first phase 3 trial to show an overall survival (OS) benefit for any treatment added to standard chemotherapy in this patient population, where the current 5-year OS rate is less than 8%, said Picozzi in his presentation. TTFields is a non-invasive therapy that delivers electricity to the tumor site via a wearable device and transducer arrays placed on the skin. The electric fields 'disrupt processes critical for cancer cell division and may do a variety of other things, such as trigger an enhanced anti-tumor response,' he explained. The therapy has already been approved in the United States and Europe for use in various cancers, including glioblastomas, metastatic pleural mesothelioma, and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Study Methods The open-label study, conducted across 20 countries and 196 sites, included 571 patients with unresectable, locally advanced, biopsy-confirmed, and previously untreated pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Participants had a life expectancy of at least 3 months and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) of 0-2. The patients (median age 67 years, 47.6% male) were randomly assigned to receive only gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 and nab-paclitaxel 125 mg/m2 by intravenous infusion once a day on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle (n = 286), or the same chemotherapy plus TTFields (n = 285). Patients wore the devices about 15 hours per day for about 28 weeks on average. Notably, almost 30% of the patients were non-White, almost 4% were ECOG PS 2, 'and perhaps most importantly, almost 30% had CA 19-9 levels greater than 1000, suggesting a high incidence of occult, unrecognized metastatic disease,' said Picozzi, a hematologist-oncologist and director of the Pancreaticobiliary Program at Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Follow-up visits were every 4 weeks, with chest, abdomen, and brain CT or MRI performed every 8 weeks to assess disease progression. Study Results After a median follow-up of about 13 months, the primary endpoint of OS was statistically improved in the TTFields arm compared with controls (16.2 vs 14.2 months, hazard ratio [HR] 0.82, P = .039), and the 1-year survival rate was similarly better (68.1% vs 60.2%; P = .029). There was no significant difference between groups in median progression-free survival (PFS), at 10.6 vs 9.3 months, respectively. However, the 1-year PFS rate was higher in the TTFields arm (43.9% vs 34.1%, P = .026). 'Perhaps somewhat surprisingly,' a post-hoc analysis showed a statistically significant benefit to TTFields in distant PFS, Picozzi said. Importantly, TTFields showed benefit in quality of life. 'In pain-free survival, another secondary endpoint — which really is freedom from progression of pain over time — we see a very distinct difference' (median 15.2 vs 9.1 months, 1-year pain-free survival rate 54.1% vs 45.1%), he reported. 'Pain is a common and debilitating morbidity in patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma and a predictor of survival. Thus, by mitigating cancer pain, TTFields may preserve the quality of life of patients with LA-PAC, further supporting TTFields' utility as first-line treatment of this disease,' the authors write in the paper. Patients also performed quality-of-life analyses using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire, along with the pancreatic cancer–specific PAN26 addendum, 'and using these tools, there was an improvement in deterioration of global health status, pain, and digestive problems,' said Picozzi. Most serious adverse events (SAEs), occurring in 53.6% of the TTFields arm and 48% of controls, were related to chemotherapy or the underlying disease, and were not device-related, the authors wrote. The most common SAEs, which were relatively balanced between arms, were sepsis (6.9% TTFields vs 9.5% controls), cholangitis (5.8% vs 3.7%), bile duct obstruction (5.5% vs 3.3%), and pneumonia (5.1% vs 3.3%), which is a toxicity profile expected for gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel, Picozzi said. Most device-related AEs were mild-to-moderate skin reactions, consistent with previous trials of TTFields, and could be managed with topical steroids and calcineurin cream. In total, 23 patients (8.4%) had device-related AEs leading to TTFields discontinuation, while discontinuation of chemotherapy due to chemotherapy-related AEs occurred in 17.2% in the TTFields group and 15.8% of controls. Pros and Cons of the Device Study discussant Brian M. Wolpin, MD, a medical oncologist and director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Center at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, said, 'Assuming appropriate regulatory approvals, I think the combination of the survival increase and quality-of-life benefits suggests this could be an approach that we could use in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer.' But 'there are some lifestyle constraints of wearing the device 18 hours a day continuously for months,' he noted. Wolpin's comments also raised the question of whether TTFields could be combined with other first-line choices for LA-PAC, and pointed out that some oncologists treat locally advanced disease with chemotherapy other than gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel. 'Many of the newer trials have now started to use multi-agent chemotherapy, many different chemotherapy programs, and different lengths of of these trials have used radiation, some have not,' he said. Indeed, the addition of radiation to first-line chemotherapy for LA-PAC is 'very, very routine' in the United States, Michael Chuong, MD, told Medscape Medical News . Nevertheless, Chuong, a professor of radiation oncology at Florida International University in Miami and medical director of radiation oncology at Miami Cancer Institute, called PANOVA-3's results exciting. 'The use of chemotherapy, plus any other non-chemo treatment, has never before shown a survival difference,' he said. 'For example, randomized trials of chemotherapy, plus or minus definitive radiation therapy, showed only differences in local control. I would say [this trial] definitely is going to lead to this becoming a standard-of-care option now. Whether all patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer should be getting this remains to be seen.' He said the trial's ad hoc finding of statistically significant benefit for TTFields in distant PFS — but not local PFS — suggests that TTFields may be most effective at delaying metastasis. 'If it's delaying onset of liver and peritoneal disease, which almost every one of these patients will ultimately develop, that's huge,' he said, adding that the trial's high number of participants with CA 19-9 levels greater than 1000 suggested a certain amount of metastatic disease in the cohort. Other TTFields Research Is Ongoing Chuong is conducting a single-arm, phase 2 study in the same type of population. In his study, TTFields is being combined with stereotactic ablative body radiation (SABR) in the first-line setting, and he has hypothesized that this will delay metastasis. 'From a mechanistic standpoint, this is a treatment that's applied to the entirety of the abdomen. These low electrical fields are delivered to the peritoneum, into the liver, and that's where the predominant site of distant metastatic disease is in these patients.' The study was funded by Novocure GmbH. Picozzi disclosed stock and other ownership interests in Amgen, Cigna, Iovance Biotherapeutics, Johnson & Johnson, Lilly, McKesson, and Thermo Fisher; a scientific consulting or advisory role with Revolution Medicines, TriSalus Life Sciences; and research funding from AbbVie, Amal Therapeutics, Astellas Pharma, FibroGen, Ipsen, and NovoCureBrian. Wolpin disclosed a consulting or advisory role with Agenus, BeiGene, EcoR1 Capital, Harbinger Health, Ipsen, Mirati Therapeutics, Revolution Medicines, Tango Therapeutics, and Third Rock Ventures; and research funding from Amgen (Inst), AstraZeneca (Inst), Harbinger Health (Inst), Lilly (Inst), Novartis (Inst), and Revolution Medicines (Inst). Chuong disclosed funding from Novocure, Viewray, and Stratpharma.

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