Onco Actu du 24 juin 2015

	1. Biologie
Extra DNA Base Discovered [The Scientist] An epigenetic variant of cytosine is stable in the genomes of living mice, suggesting a possible expansion of the DNA alphabet.
	2. Etiologie
Viagra 'may raise the risk of skin cancer by 30 per cent' [The Telegraph] “This study is extremely weak evidence for an increase in risk of malignant melanoma with erectyle dysfunction drugs, and seems much more likely to be associated with other factors, especially exposure to sunlight.”
	2.6 Etiologie - Environnement
Insecticide lindane found to cause cancer [The Guardian] The WHO concluded today that the substance is carcinogenic and specifically said that exposure to the chemical could increase the risk of the rare immune cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, by 60%.
WHO agency says insecticides lindane and DDT linked to cancer [Reuters] In a review of various agricultural chemicals, IARC's specialist panel said it had decided to classify lindane as "carcinogenic to humans" in its Group 1 category, DDT as "probably carcinogenic to humans" in its Group 2A class, and the herbicide 2,4-D as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" in its Group 2B.
	3.1 Tabac
Teens confused about harms of marijuana and e-cigarettes, Stanford study finds [Scope Blog] The researchers asked 24 high-school students in one Northern California school district about the benefits and risks they perceived from cigarettes, e-cigarettes and marijuana, and where they were getting information about each.
In twist, scientists join tobacco companies to fight cancer [Reuters] The tobacco industry has recruited healthcare experts before, but not on today's scale. Past veterans and many public health experts question the motives behind the current recruiting. They fear e-cigarettes will do nothing to benefit smokers and may instead simply introduce a new generation to nicotine at a time traditional cigarette smoking rates are falling.
	3.3 Prévention - Vaccins
Dangerous cervical lesions reduced since start of HPV vaccination [Reuters] “There is growing evidence of the population impact of HPV vaccines, and other monitoring studies have found decreases in HPV prevalence and genital warts after vaccine introduction,” but changes in screening recommendations probably also led to less detection of lesions, Hariri told Reuters Health by email.
	4. Dépistage, diagnostic et pronostic
Researchers develop new breath test to diagnose oesophageal and gastric cancer [Imperial College] Researchers analysed breath samples of 210 patients using the test. They found that the test can discriminate between malignant and benign oesophageal cancer in patients for the first time.
	4.2 Dép., diag. & prono. - Génome
Precision Oncology: Creating a Genomic Guide for Melanoma Therapy [NIH Director's Blog] These findings provide yet another example of how cancer research has been leading the way in precision medicine, thanks in large part to TCGA and other science supported by NIH. Still, much more remains to be done.
	4.9 Dép., diag. & prono. - Sein
Journal of Surgical Oncology Publishes Study Showing Oncotype DX® DCIS Score™ Result Changes Treatment Recommendations in 30 Percent of DCIS Breast Cancer Patients [Genomic Health] Physicians Ranked Oncotype DX DCIS Score Most Important Factor in Treatment Planning.
Many Women with Dense Breasts May Not Need Additional Screening [National Cancer Institute] The findings could have important implications for many women, the researchers believe, because 22 states currently have laws that require physicians to tell women if they have dense breasts and encourages these women to discuss with their providers undergoing additional imaging procedures—such as MRI, PET, or screening ultrasound—after a normal result on a screening mammogram.
	5.2.3 Pharma - économie
Chris Viehbacher explains: "If I had $2 billion to invest…" [FierceBiotech] In Viehbacher's view, Big Pharma is still trying to act in the way the old movie studios once operated in Hollywood, with everyone from the stars to writers and stunt men all roped into one big group.
Agenus (AGEN) Gets Billion-Dollar Valuation From Analyst Based on Cancer Drug That Doesn't Exist [TheStreet] We've reached the stage of the biotech bull market where a sell-side analyst can value a company on sales of a cancer drug that doesn't exist.
Ex-Sanofi CEO talks about his new $2 billion investment fund [Fortune] I really do think that we’re seeing revolutionary new medicines and healthcare technologies coming along — more than we’ve seen in the last 15 to 20 years — to the point where some companies now are in the business of curing diseases, which hasn’t been done in a long, long time…
	5.4 Traitements - Economie
Current blood cancer drug prices not justified, MD Anderson study finds [MD Anderson Cancer Center] The researchers were able to re-analyze 20 of the 29 studies with updated drug prices in the current U.S. market. Upon doing this, they found that 63 percent of those studies had costs per additional life-year higher than the $50,000 threshold.
ASCO proposes cancer drug scorecard, with some scary examples for Big Pharma [FiercePharma] It rates treatment regimens on a 0-to-100 scale--0-to-130 in some cases, with bonus points--and the physicians' group hasn't been shy about awarding low scores.
	5.6 ESMO
Josep Tabernero to serve as ESMO President 2018-2019 [Vall d'Hebron Institute Oncology] The ESMO President is elected by ESMO Full members, who can choose between two candidates put forward by the ESMO Nominating Committee following the recommendations from the Society’s Leadership.
	6. Lutte contre les cancers
Happiness and the art of care and conversation on the cancer ward [The Conversation] In this age of unrelenting dissatisfaction with every aspect of our life, is it even possible to aim for a happy patient, or should doctors just accept that customer service delivered with civility, efficiency and accuracy ought to be enough?
	6.10 Politiques
Senate panel approves $2 billion raise for NIH in 2016 [Science] The Senate measure matches the president’s request of $200 million for a Precision Medicine Initiative.
Data overprotection [Nature News & Comment] Draft European rules governing privacy threaten to hamper medical research.
Cancer society makes first ever public pitch to parties ahead of election [The Globe & Mail] For the first time in its 77-year history, Canada’s largest health charity, is making a public pitch to political parties before a federal election, calling for commitments to cancer care and research to be written into campaign platforms and pointing to gaps it says have been created by “Ottawa’s broader disengagement from health issues.”
	6.11 Patients
Your stories: The difference a cancer diagnosis makes [BBC News] Here, four people recount their experiences of diagnosis, from the benefits to the delays.
	6.6 Publications
Not 25%, But Still Not Good [In the Pipeline] He chose three different journals in the oncology field, picked one hundred and twenty papers, at random, from their recent issues, and carefully looked every one of them over for duplications in the figures and data. On PubPeer, you can see what he found. Nearly a quarter of the papers had problems.
	6.7 DMP, Big Data & applis
Welcome To The Sharing Economy. Cancer Researchers Are Next. [Xconomy] Linking hospitals and research centers via data networks isn’t the stuff of screaming headlines, but people like Sawyers say breakthroughs in care with price tags society can afford won’t come regularly without those data connections.