Open AccessDegarelix as a new antiangiogenic agent for metastatic colon cancer?
Author(s) -
François Ghiringhelli,
Nicolás Isambert,
Sylvain Ladoire
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
world journal of gastroenterology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.427
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 2219-2840
pISSN - 1007-9327
DOI - 10.3748/wjg.v19.i5.769
Subject(s) - medicine , carcinoembryonic antigen , colorectal cancer , context (archaeology) , prostate cancer , cancer research , hormone , oncology , cancer , biology , paleontology
Recently, follicle stimulating hormone receptor was found to be selectively expressed by endothelial cells on tumor-associated blood vessels in a wide range of human cancers. In this context, we hypothesized that degarelix, a new gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor antagonist developed for patients with prostate cancer, may have antiangiogenic effects via its capacity to block follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) production. We report the case of a patient with metastatic colon cancer exhibiting tumor progression after failure of all conventional chemotherapeutic regimens. The addition of degarelix to the last chemotherapeutic regimen was proposed as compassionate treatment. Degarelix induced a rapid decrease in FSH level. This treatment induced radiological stabilization and carcinoembryonic antigen stabilization during 1 year. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography demonstrated reduction of tumor vasculature. This case represents the first report of an antitumoral effect of degarelix in metastatic colon cancer and suggests an antiangiogenic property of this drug.