Onco Actu du 16 novembre 2015

	1. Biologie
Enormous genetic variation may shield tumors from treatment [The University of Chicago Medicine] The finding suggests that even microscopic tumors are likely to contain extremely high genetic diversity. With so much variation, even small tumors are likely to contain cells that may be able to resist standard post-surgical cancer treatment such as chemotherapy and radiation.
Researchers develop molecular target for brain cancer [Stanford Scope Blog] The researchers also found high activity of CD146 in ovarian, liver, and lung tumors so their antibody could have a wide range of applications. However, there is a lot of research to be done before the technique could be used in the clinic.
	2.11 Etiologie - Alimentation
Crunchy toast could give you cancer, FSA warns [The Telegraph] Scientists are still unclear about what constitutes a safe level of acrylamide and the European Commission is currently considering introducing maximum levels.
	2.6 Etiologie - Environnement
Debate rages over herbicide's cancer risk [Nature News & Comment] European and UN bodies reach very different conclusions about safety of ubiquitous herbicide glyphosate.
Popular herbicide doesn’t cause cancer, European Union agency says [Science] The difference is in part due the fact that the EFSA assessment includes several unpublished studies, whereas IARC based its assessment only on published papers. That troubles critics of EFSA’s assessment.
European scientists say weedkiller glyphosate unlikely to cause cancer [Reuters] EFSA scientists, who worked with experts from EU member states, said their study differed from the IARC's in that it considered only glyphosate, whereas the IARC had assessed groups of related chemicals. They said the toxic effects could be related to reactions with other constituents.
Environmental factors may contribute to the development of some childhood cancers [ecancer - News] Scientists identified 'temporal clustering' of cases. A total of 227 neuroblastic tumours were diagnosed and accumulations occurred in children throughout northern England in the 43 years studied.
	2.7 Etiologie - Obésité
Obesity rates up for adults, steady for children [STAT] The rate of obesity in youth has hovered around 17 percent for about a decade, since 2003. Some public health experts found that encouraging, while others were worried that years of effort to push less sugar and more exercise — including through federal laws mandating healthier school lunches — haven’t had much impact.
	2.8 Etiologie - Contraceptifs, THS
Women with symptoms of menopause should not suffer in silence [NICE] Women whose lives are being affected by the symptoms menopause should not feel they have to suffer in silence, says NICE.
HRT could benefit one million women, says NHS menopause guidance [The Guardian] Guideline says GPs should explain cancer risks but that HRT offers effective menopause relief for many women.
New NHS advice means number of women on HRT 'could double' [The Telegraph] Too many women are “suffering in silence” enduring debilitating menopause symptoms because they have been frightened off taking HRT.
Leading HRT experts not consulted over NHS menopause guidance [The Guardian] Professors who advised government and led study identifying cancer risks of drugs not invited to give evidence to committee formulating new guidelines.
	4. Dépistage, diagnostic et pronostic
New "tricorder" technology might be able to "hear" tumors growing [Stanford News] A new technology has promise to safely find buried plastic explosives and maybe even spot fast-growing tumors. The technique involves the clever interplay of microwaves and ultrasound to develop a detector like the Star Trek tricorder.
	4.1 Dép., diag. & prono. - Prostate
Prostate cancer blood test could more accurately spot men who need a biopsy [Cancer Research UK] “This sort of targeted screening of high risk men is very different from screening a whole population of healthy individuals. But identifying those at higher risk may be a challenge. And this approach would need to be tested in larger clinical trials to prove it could avoid men being diagnosed and treated unnecessarily.”
	4.12 Biopsies liquides
Liquid biopsy of cerebrospinal fluid for less invasive, more effective ´policing´ of brain tumors [Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology] The exploitation of cerebrospinal fluid-derived (CSF) circulating DNA as liquid biopsy promises a more accurate, effective and less invasive approach in unmasking the molecular characteristics of brain tumors.
	4.13 Dép., diag. & prono. - Peau
More research needed on promising skin cancer tests says NICE in guidance [NICE] In final diagnostics guidance issued today NICE has said that the VivaScope 1500 and 3000 imaging systems (MAVIG) for diagnosing potentially malignant skin lesions (cancers) show promise but there is currently not enough evidence to recommend their routine use in the NHS.
	4.5 Dép., diag. & prono. - Colorectal
Choice in colon cancer screening linked to more regular testing [Reuters] Researchers focused on two widely used screenings. One, a process known as fecal occult blood testing (FOBT), looks for blood – a possible sign of cancer - in stool samples once a year. The other, a colonoscopy exam that snakes a tiny camera through the rectum to view the colon, searches for abnormal growths once a decade.
	4.9 Dép., diag. & prono. - Sein
Blood test detects when hormone treatment for breast cancer stops working [The Institute of Cancer Research] Researchers initially took blood samples from 171 women with ER-positive breast cancer, and then validated their results in three independent groups of patients.
Women panic less when abnormal breast cells are not called cancer [Reuters] To test how the name for DCIS impacts patients’ level of concern about the diagnosis and their treatment preferences, researchers presented a group of 269 women with two hypothetical scenarios: one calling the condition “abnormal cells” and another calling it “pre-invasive breast cancer cells.”
An Online Tool Helps Women Sort Out The Mammogram Question [NPR] There are plenty of online tools to calculate risk, but Polaneczky wanted to also give an estimate of the effects of screening and help women think about their own values.
ATEC system for vacuum-assisted breast biopsy [NICE] The automated tissue excision and collection (ATEC) system is a vacuum‑assisted breast biopsy device. The system can be coupled with ultrasound, stereotactic or MRI techniques to help locate the suspicious lesion during breast biopsy.
	5. Traitements
Study reveals why chemotherapy may be compromised in patients with pancreatic cancer [MD Anderson Cancer] The MD Anderson study in mice suggests that suppressing a cellular plasticity process known as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in combination with gemcitabine, may boost the drug’s effectiveness.
Combining antiangiogenesis with radiation therapy may improve treatment of NF2-associated tumors [Massachusetts General Hospital] Vascular normalization allows reduction of radiation dosage, potentially reducing nerve damage, in animal models.
Brain tumor breached with ultrasound in medical first [STAT] Using tiny bubbles and waves of ultrasound, Canadian doctors have succeeded in delivering chemotherapy deep inside a cancer patient’s brain.
First-in-class Investigational Therapeutic Shows Early Promise for Lymphoma Patients [AACR] Pevonedistat is a first-in-class, investigational small-molecule inhibitor of the NEDD8-activating enzyme.
	5.10 Traitements - Essais
Sorafenib modestly increases progression-free survival but not overall survival in NSCLC patients who failed previous therapies [IASLC] A team of international investigators from 33 countries in Europe, North and South America, and Asia-Pacific conducted a relatively large phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial comparing sorafenib plus best supportive care to best supportive care.
	5.12 Immunothérapies
Immunologist Jim Allison on cancer immune therapy [STAT] For nearly two decades, immunologist Jim Allison pursued an idea his peers thought was crazy: That taking the brakes off the immune system would unleash it to fight cancer. His research helped spur one of the hottest areas of drug development today. Tens of thousands of cancer patients have now received life-saving immune therapies based on Allison’s vision.
Gut commensal Bifidobacterium promotes anti-cancer efficacy of anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy. Part II [NIHilist's Immunology] This model, however, lacks data that could meaningfully explain why and how only Bifidobacterium has such influence on anti-cancer immunity. Also, it would have been more relevant to test FDA approved anti-PD1 antibody here rather than not-yet-approved anti-PD-L1 antibody therapy.
	5.2 Pharma
Bristol-Myers Squibb to Present New Data for Opdivo (nivolumab) in Advanced Melanoma, as Monotherapy and in Combination with Yervoy (ipilimumab), at the Society for Melanoma Research 2015 International Congress [BMS] The new research to be presented at SMR, including long-term overall survival data from two of our clinical trials, reinforces our understanding of the Opdivo + Yervoy Regimen and Opdivo monotherapy in advanced melanoma.
MiRagen Lands $41M for MicroRNA Drugs in Cancer, Fibrosis [Xconomy] MiRagen plans to use the funding for the clinical development of a candidate, MRG-106, for cancers that affect blood, bone marrow, and lymph nodes, such as leukemias and lymphomas. MiRagen believes its candidate can cause a specific microRNA—one that impacts blood and lymph cells that MiRagen labels as “155”—to reduce a type of cell proliferation that is characteristic of cancerous cells.
Idea Behind Warp Drive's New Cancer Attack Was Hiding In Plain Sight [Xconomy] The scientists behind Cambridge, MA-based Warp Drive Bio say they have found a way to open some of those doors—in particular, a way to match drugs with a family of genes called RAS implicated in more than 30 percent of all cancers.
Boehringer Ingelheim will invest 11 billion euros in Research and Development in the next five years to accelerate the discovery of next generation medical breakthroughs [Boehringer Ingelheim] Of the total investment, 5 billion euros will go to preclinical R&D with 1.5 billion euro thereof planned for collaborations with external partners.
	5.3 Traitements - FDA, EMA,...
AbbVie Submits IMBRUVICA® (ibrutinib) Phase III Combination Data to U.S. FDA [AbbVie] Phase III HELIOS (CLL3001) trial assessed the safety and efficacy of Imbruviva plus bendamustine and rituximab in patients with relapsed/refractory lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma.
Drug makers need to disclose more clinical trial data [STAT] According to the study, 35 percent of all trial results for 15 drugs that were approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2012 were not disclosed. Additionally, nearly 30 percent of the trials conducted for those drugs failed to meet legal disclosure requirements.
	5.3.4 Traitements - AMM (FDA, EMA)
FDA approves new pill to treat certain patients with non-small cell lung cancer [FDA] The safety and efficacy of Tagrisso were demonstrated in two multicenter, single-arm studies involving a total of 411 patients with advanced EGFR T790M mutation-positive NSCLC whose disease worsened after treatment with an EGFR-blocking medication.
TAGRISSO™ (AZD9291) approved by the US FDA for patients with EGFR T790M mutation-positive metastatic non-small cell lung cancer [AstraZeneca] One of fastest development programmes – from start of clinical trials to approval in just over two and a half years to meet unmet patient need.
FDA approves Roche's Cotellic for combination skin cancer therapy [Reuters] Roche is counting on the addition of Cotellic to help it revive flagging sales of five-year-old Zelboraf, which dropped 25 percent during the first nine months of 2015 and has been under intense pressure from rivals' drugs as the standard of care moves to combination therapy.
Genentech, Exelixis win FDA OK to market cobimetinib combo for skin cancer [FierceBiotech] Back in May, Exelixis announced a progression-free survival rate of 12.3 months for their combo, compared with 7.2 months for Zelboraf alone. At least one analyst had forecast peak potential sales at $790 million.
FDA approves Cotellic as part of combination treatment for advanced melanoma [FDA] The safety and efficacy of Cotellic taken in combination with vemurafenib were demonstrated in a randomized clinical study of 495 patients with previously untreated, BRAF V600 mutation-positive melanoma that is advanced or cannot be removed by surgery.
FDA approves Roche’s Cotellic (cobimetinib) in combination with Zelboraf (vemurafenib) in advanced melanoma [Roche] The final overall survival analysis from the coBRIM study will be presented at the Society for Melanoma Research 2015 International Congress (SMR) held in San Francisco, California from November 18-21.
AstraZeneca lung cancer drug given green light in US [The Guardian] The approval comes just two-and-a-half years since Tagrisso was first tested on humans. It had received breakthrough status in the US and has also received accelerated assessment in the EU following its filing in the summer, as well as priority review in Japan.
U.S. approves AstraZeneca's potential $3 billion lung cancer pill [Reuters] A spokeswoman said AstraZeneca would make Tagrisso available to eligible U.S. patients as soon as possible and its price would be "comparable to other oral cancer therapies".
	6. Lutte contre les cancers
A Holistic Approach to Cancer Health Disparities [CANCER RESEARCH Catalyst] To involve the research community in setting priorities in cancer health disparities research, NCI has organized a meeting of leading researchers, to be held later this month in Atlanta.
	6.1 Observation
Mouth cancer rates are increasing, but why? [Cancer Research UK] In fact, smoking is linked to around two thirds of oral cancer cases, and not eating enough fruit and veg is linked to more than half. And alcohol is linked to just less than a third.
Unacceptable cancer waiting times are testing patients’ patience [Cancer Research UK] It’s completely unacceptable that, for nearly two years, the 62-day target has been missed in successive quarters across England. As the graphic below shows, the problem first emerged between January and March 2014, and since then things have got steadily worse.
	6.10 Politiques
European Commission names seven researchers as its top science advisers [Nature News & Comment] It is still not clear exactly how the group will operate — in particular, notes Wilsdon, whether it will mainly address topics handed down by the commission, or whether it will initiate its own enquiries. But it will have a 25-person-strong secretariat.
	6.4 Médico-éco
Preventable Colon Cancer Deaths Cost The Economy $6.4 Billion [NPR] Lower-income communities in the United States face $6.4 billion in lost wages and productivity because of premature deaths due to colon cancer, according to researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
	6.5 Médecines alternatives
This Book Won’t Cure Your Cancer, But It Will Help You Think More Clearly About It [Science-Based Medicine] The gradually unfolding episodes of his personal story are interwoven with what amounts to a primer on how to think critically about science-based medicine vs. alternative treatments. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.
	6.9 Controverses
ORI's Deal with Potti Doesn't Address The Role Duke Deans Played in Scandal [The Cancer Letter] “A case with millions of taxpayer dollars misused, totally fabricated research, damage to hundreds of patients recruited for treatment with ‘the holy grail’ of cancer treatment, and a pathetic institutional response is being closed with a five-year funding ban for one investigator, individually and alone.“