Onco Actu du 3 mars 2017

	1. Biologie
Understanding the DNA-Damage “First Responders”: John Petrini at Work [memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center] Figuring out precisely how these proteins talk to each other is of more than just academic interest. By understanding how Mre11 operates to trigger the DNA damage response, Dr. Petrini says, you open up the possibility of designing drugs that could block this process.
Science Snaps: fixing a cellular ‘antenna’ [Cancer Research UK] “I’m now looking at whether turning on the cilium disassembly pathway when cells become cancerous can account for their cilia loss,” she says. And the next step is to test if cancer cells losing their cilia plays a role in their uncontrolled growth.
	3. Prévention
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month: Here are 6 prevention recommendations that confuse association with causation [HealthNewsReview] The recommendations are said to be “research-based” but that term appears to be used loosely. Here’s why.
	3.5 Prévention - UV
Some Melanoma Survivors Are Still Getting Too Much Sun Exposure [NPR] Study co-author Rachel Vogel, a cancer epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota, says she puts the findings in the "glass half full" category. "These survivors are almost 10 years out, and the fact that they're doing better [than the control group] at all is surprising," she says.
While Most Melanoma Survivors Limit Sun Exposure, Some Report Getting Suntans and Sunburns [AACR] The study comprised 724 melanoma survivors and 660 controls. All were between the ages of 25 and 59, and the survivors had been diagnosed with invasive cutaneous melanoma between July 2004 and December 2007.
	4. Dépistage, diagnostic et pronostic
Cancer Screening Test Use — United States, 2015 [MMWR] Since 2013, some progress toward meeting the HP2020 objective for colorectal cancer screening has occurred, but the trend for breast cancer screening has been static, and cervical cancer screening is declining.
	4.13 Dép., diag. & prono. - Peau
Absent tumor-suppressors allow melanoma to thwart immunotherapy [MD Anderson Cancer Center] It’s what’s missing in the tumor genome, not what’s mutated, that thwarts treatment of metastatic melanoma with immune checkpoint blockade drugs, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report in Science Translational Medicine.
	5. Traitements
Experimental drug could prevent cancer DNA repair to boost radiotherapy effects [The Institute of Cancer Research] In the new study, published in the journal Radiotherapy and Oncology, cells from bladder and head and neck tumours were irradiated after treatment with CCT244747. The cells continued to try to grow and divide despite the damage. As a result, they either died prematurely, or passed on irreparable mutations to their descendants.
Leukemia drug works so well that some patients are now quitting it [STAT] Some patients want to try, but others won’t dare. “Like playing Russian roulette,” said Jee-Won Schally, 54, a former history teacher from Milwaukee who has taken Gleevec for 10 years and doesn’t want to stop.
	5.10 Traitements - Essais
Sanofi launches new virtual trials offering with Science 37 [FierceBiotech] The ‘SanofiScience 37’ approach will allow patients to be monitored and report to researchers via an Apple iPhone (it did not say whether other providers, such as Android, would be part of this however) that are equipped with the company’s NORA technology (a.k.a. Network Oriented Research Assistant), its cloud-based mobile research platform.
	5.12.2 Immunothérapies - CAR-T
Juno ditches lead CAR-T program following patient deaths [FierceBiotech] If Juno is right, changes to conditioning regimes and inclusion-exclusion criteria will yield improved safety profiles. But, ultimately, Juno has more control over what it sees as the third factor affecting patient safety: The variability of the product.
	5.2 Pharma
Karyopharm flags a PhII overall survival failure for lead drug selinexor in acute myeloid leukemia [EndPoints] "Unfortunately, as is common in AML, the higher response rates observed with single-agent selinexor versus physician’s choice did not translate into extended survival in the overall population of these frail and heavily pretreated patients.”
Chi-Med declares PhIII success for pioneering cancer drug in China, seeking quick OK [EndPoints] Hogg started out as CEO of the company when it launched 17 years ago. He was the first staffer and fruquintinib came out of its labs. Now Chi-Med, domiciled in Hong Kong for tax reasons, listed in London and on Nasdaq, with a $1.55 billion market cap, has 330 scientists and staff in Shanghai.
	5.2.1 Pharma - Partenariats
Boehringer Ingelheim expands collaboration with Vanderbilt University to tackle some of the most difficult-to-treat cancers [Boehringer Ingelheim] New collaboration with Vanderbilt University investigates novel approaches to block KRAS: the Kerstin Rat Sarcoma viral oncogene that is an important driver in lung, colorectal and pancreatic cancer.
	5.2.3 Pharma - économie
Roche's Perjeta chalks up needed win in Herceptin combo trial, but questions remain [FiercePharma] Until the specifics on the Aphinity results are presented—likely at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in June—it’s unclear just how much the new data would change clinical practice.
No Details Yet, But Genentech Drug Combo Wins in Big Breast Cancer Study [Xconomy] Holford noted, for instance, that pertuzumab is priced at a 50 percent premium over the $4,000 monthly cost of trastuzumab, meaning the cost of the combination could push past $10,000 a month.
Roche's New Drugs May Protect its Old Ones [Bloomberg] Roche expects a Herceptin biosimilar to hit the U.S. market this year. But due to regulatory issues, the fact that biosimilars are new to the U.S. market, and the expense of creating these more-complicated drug copies, Herceptin's sales drop-off is expected to be relatively slow compared to that of a drug facing a traditional generic.An expansion of Perjeta's approval might slow that decline down even more.
Roche shares spike as PhIII breast cancer combo with Perjeta scores a success, Puma takes a beating [EndPoints] Tim Anderson, who expects to see Perjeta worldwide sales double to more than $4 billion in the next five years, wants to see the data at ASCO. “Without full details of the data, however, some degree of hand-wringing will likely continue, in terms of just how big the clinical benefit is likely to be,” he added.
	5.3.4 Traitements - AMM (FDA, EMA)
Buoyed by Dana-Farber-led research, FDA approves first oral drug for cancer-related diarrhea syndrome [Dana-Farber Cancer Institute] The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Xermelo™, the first oral treatment for carcinoid syndrome diarrhea, a rare but potentially debilitating condition in patients with neuroendocrine tumors.
	5.4 Traitements - Economie
NICE expands reach of Erbitux in colorectal cancer [PharmaTimes] The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has issued a positive Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) endorsing the use of Erbitux (cetuximab) in combination with either FOLFIRI or FOLFOX as a first-line treatment for patients with RAS wild-type mCRC.
	5.9 AACR
Leaders Preview the AACR Annual Meeting 2017 [Cancer Research Catalyst] During the “Unsolved Mysteries” sessions, which are designed to stimulate dialogue about how basic science can help overcome pressing clinical problems, a clinical researcher will start by highlighting a particular problem, then a basic researcher will discuss recent basic science advances in the area, before the floor is turned over to a panel discussion.
	6. Lutte contre les cancers
How employers can greatly transform cancer care [STAT] Employers are uniquely suited to help lead the transition from paying for cancer by the pill or infusion to paying for it based on outcomes.
	6.1 Observation
Malignant Mesothelioma Mortality — United States, 1999–2015 [MMWR] Continuing occurrence of malignant mesothelioma deaths in persons aged <55 years suggests ongoing inhalation exposure to asbestos fibers and possibly other causative EMPs.
	6.11 Patients
Living With Cancer: Who Needs Another Cancer? [NY Times] “No thanks, I already have cancer,” I said to the radiologist. Since the magnified images of calcifications in my right breast looked neither obviously benign nor obviously malignant, he had just recommended a biopsy. Even after I explained that I have been dealing with advanced ovarian cancer since 2008, he must have judged me daft. But I was thinking: Who needs another?