A trial sponsored by Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center tests the repurposing of 6-MP for advanced hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell carcinoma (HLRCC). This approach aims to modify multiple disease manifestations, potentially shifting treatment paradigms for this rare cancer syndrome.
The sponsor is Jonsson Comprehensive ... a rare, metabolically defined hereditary cancer syndrome. For advanced HLRCC kidney cancer, today’s care often uses VEGF/EGFR-directed therapy (commonly bevacizumab + erlotinib) and/or clinical trials rather than classic clear-cell RCC standards alone, while symptomatic cutaneous/uterine leiomyomas are typically managed with procedures and symptom-directed medications—this trial tests whether systemic 6‑MP can modify multiple disease manifestations ... The sponsor is Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCLA); commercially, 6‑MP is a long-approved generic (historically associated with brands such as Purinethol), so the angle is repurposing a well-known oral antimetabolite against a rare, metabolically defined hereditary cancer syndrome. For advanced HLRCC kidney cancer, today’s care often uses VEGF/EGFR-directed therapy (commonly bevacizumab + erlotinib) and/or clinical trials rather than classic clear-cell RCC standards alone, while symptomatic cutaneous/uterine leiomyomas are typically managed with procedures and symptom-directed medications—this trial tests whether systemic 6‑MP can modify multiple disease manifestations in a genotype-selected population. An 85% complete-response rate stands out in high-risk lymphoma, and a KRAS G12C triplet reaches 56.5% ORR—plus 24 new trials. For mCRPC after progression on androgen receptor pathway inhibitors, current care is sequential systemic therapy (taxane chemotherapy, ARPI switching in select cases, PARP inhibitors for HRR-altered disease, radioligand therapy such as lutetium‑177–PSMA‑617 for eligible patients, and bone-targeted agents), while sipuleucel‑T is typically used earlier in asymptomatic/minimally symptomatic disease and has limited direct tumor-shrinkage—this trial asks whether cytokine augmentation can make the immune response more clinically meaningful. The key angle is “spare-adjuvant” de-escalation: today’s care for high-risk resectable stage III/limited stage IV melanoma commonly includes surgery plus prolonged adjuvant PD‑1 (or, for BRAF V600–mutant disease, adjuvant BRAF/MEK targeted therapy), and this trial tests whether an abbreviated pre-op immunotherapy-only approach can preserve survival while reducing treatment duration and toxicity burden.
Original title: “New in Oncology - September 3, 2026”