Sprycel for colon cancer – pro
Dasatinib, also known as Sprycel, is a cancer drug produced by Bristol-Myers Squibb and sold under the trade name Sprycel. It is a drug that is approved by the FDA for chronic myelogenous leukemia. It has an effect on the Src kinases, which interact with the EGFR receptor. One phase II trial(Nautiyal et al) showed that Dasatinib is inactive in previously treated metastatic colorectal patients patients. There is a trial that is studying this drug: Dasatinib in Treating Patients With Previously Treated Metastatic Colorectal Cancer, NCT00504153. This study is ongoing, but not recruiting participants.
An interesting report suggested that curcumin, a turmeric derivative, can increase the effectiveness of Sprycel in colon cancer but this needs to be proven in large, prospective trials.
G. Somlo, F. Atzori, L. Strauss, A. Rybicki, X. Wu, W. Gradishar, J. Specht;Dasatinib plus capecitabine (Cap) for progressive advanced breast cancer (ABC): Phase I study CA180004.J Clin Oncol 27:15s, 2009 (suppl; abstr 1012)
Lisa Hutchinson Targeted therapies: Dasatinib sensitizes KRAS-mutant colorectal cancer tumors to cetuximab Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology 8, 193 (April 2011)
Nautiyal J, Banerjee S, Kanwar SS, Yu Y, Patel BB, Sarkar FH, Majumdar AP. Curcumin enhances dasatinib-induced inhibition of growth and transformation of colon cancer cells.Int J Cancer. 2011 Feb 15;128(4):951-61.
For Lay version see here