Dose Escalation Study of Sorafenib and Irinotecan Combination Therapy in Pediatric Patients With Solid Tumors

Sorafenib, a multi-kinase inhibitor of several targets felt to be important in tumor growth and angiogenesis, has been well studied and shown promising clinical results in adult cancer patients and the Maximum Tolerated Dose or MTD has been determined in pediatric patients. Irinotecan is known to be effective and is widely used in pediatric malignancies. The combination of sorafenib with irinotecan is of interest as these agents have different mechanisms of action. In addition, the combination has been evaluated in adult patients and deemed tolerable without alterations in the pharmacokinetic (PK) profile at the MTD. The trial we are proposing also offers the advantage of being a completely oral regimen, adding convenience and cost effectiveness. Given these considerations, if the sorafenib/irinotecan combination proves tolerable in phase I studies and shows efficacy in phase II studies, it would be an attractive combination to incorporate into existing chemotherapy regimens for pediatric cancer.