NIH-funded study shows sorafenib improves progression-free survival for patients with rare sarcomas

Interim results from a randomized clinical trial for patients with desmoid tumors or aggressive fibromatosis (DT/DF) show that the drug sorafenib tosylate (Nexavar) extended progression-free survival compared with a placebo. Progression-free survival is the length of time patients lived before their disease worsened. Based on these interim results, the data and safety monitoring board overseeing the trial recommended that the primary results of the study be released.

The trial was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH); designed and conducted by researchers with the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology (Alliance); and supported by Bayer HealthCare AG, which provided the study drug.