Onco Actu du 9 juin 2016

	1.1 Biologie - Gènes
Scientists uncover 11 types of acute myeloid leukaemia [The Guardian] But, Kaiser said, the study has some limitations. “It covers trials for patients up to the age of 65 and actually the majority of AML patients are in the over-65 age bracket and have even worse survival chances.”
Scientists decipher 11 subtypes in acute leukemia gene study [Reuters] "We can now start to decode these genetics to shape clinical trials and develop diagnostics."
	3. Prévention
Good oral hygiene linked to reduced risk of head and neck cancers [Reuters] The researchers combined data from 13 studies including a total of almost 9,000 mouth, pharynx or similar tumor patients and more than 12,000 comparison subjects without cancer. The studies were done in the Americas, Europe and Japan.
	3.1 Tabac
Well: Graphic Cigarette Warnings Deter Smokers [NY Times] In a four-week trial, 2,149 smokers were randomly assigned to use packs of cigarettes with either pictorial or text-only warnings. At the end of each week, researchers surveyed the participants about their smoking.
	4. Dépistage, diagnostic et pronostic
Scientists discover biomarkers that could give cancer patients better survival estimates [EurekAlert!] SURVIV (for "survival analysis of mRNA isoform variation") is the first statistical method for conducting survival analysis on isoforms using RNA-seq data.
	5. Traitements
Stem cell gene targeted to treat drug-resistant pancreatic cancer [FierceBiotech] The investigators developed antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) inhibitors that targeted and blocked Msi-expressing cells, which arrested tumor growth in animal models as well as in cancer cells obtained from patients. ASO inhibitors work by selectively binding to messenger RNA from the chosen disease-linked gene and inactivating it.
	5.2.3 Pharma - économie
Pharma Group, Under Pressure, Punches Back on Prices [Bloomberg] A top pharmaceutical lobbying group will begin a counteroffensive against scrutiny of industry pricing practices, responding to criticism from both major U.S. political parties in a contentious presidential election season.
'There's no point giving free cancer drugs to Africa' [BBC News] "In some parts of Africa, we could give our products away and it would make no difference. It is not only a question of medicine, it is a question of infrastructure. Where is the hospital? Where is the doctor?"
	5.3 Traitements - FDA, EMA,...
FDA Moves To Speed Access To Compassionate-Use Drugs [NPR] Doctors will now file an application for FDA approval that contains just 11 questions, 15 fewer than the old form. They should be able to complete this new version in 45 minutes, the FDA said.
	5.4 Traitements - Economie
Yes, Providing Cancer Drugs In Multiple Vial Sizes Could Save Patients and Payers Money [Health Affairs] A recent review of cost effectiveness analyses ‎of cancer drugs shows, in fact, that most pharmacoeconomic analyses do not incorporate leftover drug into their drug cost calculations which led cost effectiveness ratios to appear falsely favorable.
	5.5.1.1 ASCO (général) - Industriels
12 European Biotechs at World most Important Cancer Meeting [Labiotech.eu] These companies have presented many important results at this key conference, some of which could be headed to market soon, as potential alternative treatments to some of the most difficult cancers.
	5.5.13 ASCO (divers)
Palliative Care: Improving the Quality of Life of Patients and Families [CANCER RESEARCH Catalyst] Novel research presented at the recent American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting showed caregivers of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients receiving early palliative care had significantly fewer symptoms of depression and better social functioning and vitality than caregivers of patients who received standard care.
Artificial Intelligence 'outsmarts cancer' [BBC News] Dr Niven Narain, one of the founders of Berg, said it was still early days for the drug, but claimed supercomputing was the future of cancer.
	5.5.16 ASCO (médecine de précision)
Personalised medicine is the talk of Chicago at the ASCO world cancer conference [The Institute of Cancer Research] Dr Yap said: “This is my 10th year at ASCO and it is staggering how much progress the oncology field has made over this time in terms of precision medicine and novel therapeutics.
	5.5.2 ASCO (sein)
Report Touts Benefits Of Prolonged Medication After Breast Cancer. Is It Persuasive? [Forbes] Dr. Goss began the plenary with what he called a “simple question” about the continued benefit of extending treatment with an aromatase inhibitor. The answer is far from straightforward. So far, I’m not convinced.
	5.5.4 ASCO (immunothérapies)
Cancer MoonShot 2020 Announces Head and Neck Working Group and the Launch of GPS Cancer™ AT ASCO 2016 [Cancer MoonShot 2020] Physicians and researchers from multiple leading institutions join to collaborate on the development of combination immunotherapy clinical trial protocols
Cancer sufferer riddled with 26 tumours is 'effectively cured' by radical new treatment [The Telegraph] The trial, led by Dr Luis Diaz, from Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in Baltimore, Maryland, studies a genetic abnormality called mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency to see if those with it are more likely to respond to the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab.
Immune Modulation in Colorectal and Anal Cancers [ESMO] PD-1 blockade alone or in combination with CTLA-4 inhibition in microsatellite unstable colon cancer, MEK inhibition plus PD-L1 in microsatellite stable colon cancer, and PD-1 blockade in anal squamous cell cancer warrant further investigation.
	5.9.3 EHA
Kite Pharma to Highlight Key Data from CAR T-Cell Therapy Pipeline in Oral Presentations at the 2016 European Hematology Association (EHA) Annual Congress [KITE] Updated data from Phase 1 of Kite's ZUMA-1 study of KTE-C19 in patients with chemorefractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) will be presented in an oral presentation. An additional oral presentation will feature data from the SCHOLAR-1 study, the first and largest meta-analysis of outcomes in patients with chemorefractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), an aggressive and common form of NHL that is difficult to treat.
	6.10 Politiques
United States adopts major chemical safety overhaul [Science] The measure aims to make chemical safety reviews more science-based, and includes provisions designed to reduce the use of animals in chemical testing and promote the study of so-called cancer clusters.
	6.11 Patients
Cancer care in England and Scotland – what do patients really think? [Cancer Research UK] Earlier this week, the results of the Cancer Patient Experience Survey were published, both for England and, for the first time, for Scotland. And they give us a valuable and fascinating snapshot of how real patients feel about the care they’ve had.
	6.8 Communication
Scientists aren’t gods. They deserve the same scrutiny as anyone else [The Guardian] Everything is awash with “astonishing breakthroughs” and “sensational cures”. But lay people cannot assess this news. We know only that sufferers’ hopes are sent soaring and then crashing. And all so someone’s clinic can win a research contract.
	6.9 Controverses
Tranparency International Reports on Massive Corruption in the Pharmaceutical Sector - Media Hardly Notices [Health Care Renewal] In my humble opinion, the report is particularly significant in that it classifies as corrupt various kinds of activities that occur within the pharmaceutical sector (and also in other parts of health care) which are often discussed publicly as anything from standard operating procedure through unfortunate errors to unethical behavior.