{"entity":{"id":"rechallenge","kind":"term","name":"Rechallenge and retreatment","aka":["re-challenge","rechallenged","retreatment","re-treatment","re-treated","platinum rechallenge","anti-EGFR rechallenge","immunotherapy rechallenge","re-exposure","re-induction","drug holiday","treatment holiday","treatment break","intermittent therapy","intermittent dosing","stop-and-restart","stop and go","drug holidays"],"tldr":"Giving a drug again after a break, on the theory that the cancer's resistance faded while it was off the drug. Sometimes it works: bowel cancers can respond again to EGFR antibodies once resistant clones have receded.","summary":"Anti-EGFR rechallenge in RAS wild-type colorectal cancer works when ctDNA shows RAS-mutant clones have declined (CHRONOS, CRICKET). Platinum rechallenge is standard for platinum-sensitive relapse in ovarian and small-cell lung cancer; BTK inhibitor or venetoclax retreatment after fixed-duration CLL therapy is effective; checkpoint inhibitor rechallenge after stopping for toxicity or after a treatment-free interval gives responses in a minority. Planned drug holidays (intermittent ADT, stop-and-go FOLFOX in OPTIMOX, adaptive therapy in prostate cancer) trade some disease control for toxicity relief and may slow resistance by preserving sensitive cells.","asOf":"2026-09-09","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_holiday","links":[{"label":"Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_holiday"}],"tags":[],"related":["platinum-sensitivity","fixed-duration","clonal-evolution","cross-resistance"],"cancers":[],"sections":["chemotherapy"],"technologies":[],"targets":[],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":[],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"category":"Treatment jargon"},"route":"/terms/rechallenge/","neighbours":{"term":[{"id":"cross-resistance","kind":"term","name":"Cross-resistance","route":"/terms/cross-resistance/"},{"id":"fixed-duration","kind":"term","name":"Fixed-duration vs continuous therapy","route":"/terms/fixed-duration/"},{"id":"platinum-sensitivity","kind":"term","name":"Platinum-sensitive / platinum-resistant","route":"/terms/platinum-sensitivity/"}],"pathway":[{"id":"clonal-evolution","kind":"pathway","name":"Clonal evolution & minimal residual disease","route":"/pathways/clonal-evolution/"}],"section":[{"id":"chemotherapy","kind":"section","name":"Chemotherapy","route":"/fronts/chemotherapy/"}]}}