New drug cocktail aims to make inoperable abdominal cancers operable

This phase 2 trial tested a combination of two drugs—paclitaxel (given intravenously and directly into the abdomen) and oral nilotinib—in 21 adults with cancers that had spread to the lining of the abdomen and could not be surgically removed. The goal was to see if the treatment could shrink the tumors enough to allow surgery. Participants received the drugs in 3-week cycles for up to 6 cycles, with the option to continue for a year. The study measured how many patients became eligible for surgery after treatment.