Onco Actu du 11 mai 2017

	1. Biologie
Gene Sequencing Study Reveals Unusual Mutations in Endometriosis [Johns Hopkins] For reasons the researchers say are not yet clear, the mutations they identified have some links to genetic mutations found in some forms of cancer. They emphasize that although abnormal tissue growth in endometriosis often spreads throughout the abdominal cavity, the tissue rarely becomes cancerous except in a few cases when ovaries are involved.
Biologists identify key step in lung cancer evolution [MIT News] MIT biologists have now identified a major switch that occurs as adenomas transition to adenocarcinomas in a mouse model of lung cancer. They’ve also discovered that blocking this switch prevents the tumors from becoming more aggressive.
Scientists ‘carbon date’ cancer and unearth secrets about what could help make it deadly [Institute of Cancer Research] Studying a single case of bowel cancer in great detail revealed that in some patients the disease can start to spread within only a year of cancerous cells first appearing, much more quickly than previously thought.
Century-old tumours offer rare cancer clues [Nature] DNA sequences from 100-year-old tumour samples could bolster childhood cancer research.
	4. Dépistage, diagnostic et pronostic
Prescription history could help GPs diagnose cancer earlier [Cancer Research UK] A GP will see a child with a brain tumour probably only once in their professional lifetime. But they will see around two children a week with symptoms of a brain tumour, such as visual problems, headache, or problems with gait. The work from this study could help identify which patients to refer for an MRI.
	4.14 Dép., diag. & prono. - Thyroïde
New thyroid guidelines demonstrate why we need an independent USPSTF [HealthNewsReview] We so often act as if everything in medicine is an unequivocal benefit. That’s simply not the case. Everything has harms as well. Ideally the benefits outweigh the harms. Sometimes, however, that is not the case …
	4.5 Dép., diag. & prono. - Colorectal
Gut Check: This Smart Capsule Is Making Colon-Cancer Screening Easier To Swallow [GE] Users simply swallow the device, which is roughly the size of a large vitamin, and then the device spends the next two to three days traveling through the digestive tract, scanning the inside of the colon with precisely timed X-rays. It wirelessly transmits information to a data recorder that users attach to their backs. Doctors then collect the data recorder and analyze the data.
	5.10 Traitements - Essais
Collection of Patient-Reported Outcomes Feasible in Cancer Clinical Trials [NCI] Overall, patient-reported outcomes were successfully collected at 86% of scheduled visits. The most common reasons that the data could not be collected were missed clinic appointments, simple oversights (such as forgetting to provide tablet computers to participants), and technical problems (such as computer malfunctions or Internet connectivity issues).
New Review Article Looks at Collaborations among Researchers, Patient Groups, and Industry [Now@NEJM] In the article, the authors describe three examples — in cystic fibrosis, multiple myeloma, and type 1 diabetes — when academic institutions, industry partners, federal agencies, and disease-focused foundations shared relevant information.
	5.12.1 Immunothérapies - partenariats
Bristol-Myers Squibb and Calithera Biosciences Expand Collaboration Evaluating Opdivo (nivolumab) in Combination with CB-839 into Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Melanoma [BMS] Study to evaluate potential of CB-839 plus Opdivo to target immunosuppressive cancer metabolism in the tumor microenvironment.
	5.12.5 Immunothérapies - Pharma
Roche’s shocking Tecentriq fail raises red flag for bladder cancer rivals [FiercePharma] Roche’s Tecentriq wasn’t supposed to fail its phase 3 trial in second-line bladder cancer. But that’s what it just did—and the data shortfall not only endangers the drug’s conditional FDA approval, but could augur trouble ahead for other checkpoint inhibitors that followed Tecentriq into the field.
The Cancer Immunotherapy Fallout from Roche's Bladder Cancer Failure [The Street] Lastly, the failure of Tecentriq in bladder cancer, like last year's Opdivo failure in first-line lung, is a reminder that cancer immunotherapies are not infallible. Trials that should work sometimes don't, so investors need to check their enthusiasm.
	5.12.6 Immunothérapies - AMM
Merck increases grip on its lead in lung cancer, winning approval for Keytruda/chemo combo as first-line therapy [EndPoints] High PD-L1 expressers did even better, though the approval comes through for all patients regardless of biomarker status.
Merck Extends Immunotherapy Lead With Lung Cancer Combination Therapy Approval [The Street] To date, there is no survival advantage for Keytruda-chemo versus chemo alone. Merck is expected to present an update from this clinical trial in June at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting.
FDA Approves Merck’s KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) as First-Line Combination Therapy with Pemetrexed and Carboplatin for Patients with Metastatic Nonsquamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), Irrespective of PD-L1 Expression [Merck] First Approval for an Anti-PD-1 Therapy as a Combination in Metastatic Nonsquamous NSCLC.
U.S. FDA approves Merck immunotherapy/chemo combo for lung cancer [Reuters] Merck may be asked to conduct another trial to confirm the clinical benefit of the combination.
	5.2 Pharma
Astellas Announces Decision to Discontinue ASP8273 Treatment and Close Randomization for Clinical Study Protocol 8273-CL-0302 [Astellas] Following a recommendation by the trial's Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC), Astellas is voluntarily closing study randomization and is informing investigators that ASP8273 treatment must be discontinued.
	5.3 Traitements - FDA, EMA, NICE...
Progress on science, medicines and health [EMA] In 2016, the Agency recommended a marketing authorisation for 81 medicines for human use, including 27 new active substances. Many of these innovative substances build on the advances made in biomedical science and have the potential to make a difference for patients.
	5.4 Traitements - Economie
Examining the “Drug Innovation Paradox”: Should the Length of Exclusivity Reflect the Time it Takes to Develop a Drug? [FDA Law Blog] The post-market reward to the sponsor of a drug is flat (or even decreases) if the company spends a greater amount of time in pre-market research and development. This means that whole areas of medicine could remain underdeveloped.
Drug Money [National Post] “It is becoming increasingly difficult to disregard the costs of these new therapies — side-effect costs, costs to quality of life and financial costs … especially when the benefits are very, very small,” said Dr. Chris Booth, an oncology professor and researcher at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. “The vast majority … are associated with extremely modest advances.”
	5.5.1.1 ASCO (général) - Industriels
Roche to present new data on personalised medicines and cancer immunotherapies at the 2017 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting [Roche] 20 Roche medicines are included in more than 190 abstracts during ASCO 2017.
	6. Lutte contre les cancers
Seeking a Second Opinion [Cancer Research Catalyst] There is relatively little research on the impact of seeking input from a second doctor, but those studies that exist suggest that second opinions can result in significant changes in treatment, writes contributor Stephen Ornes in an article published in the spring 2017 issue of Cancer Today.
Opioids in Oncology Care [Oncology Times] When using opioids, the provider should assess risk for addiction and provide education to the patient of potential adverse effects. Ongoing monitoring and assessment of the four A’s are important and documentation of improvement in function and quality of life is always the goal.
	6.10 Politiques
Nick Hopkinson: Conservatism and the cancer drugs fund [BMJ Blogs] The defining political question can be framed as “which matters more, many people going without what they need, or a few having what they do not deserve.” Politics has focussed on the latter and society is the worse for it.
	6.11 Patients
Mark Taylor: What impact does research have? [BMJ Blogs] How do we ensure that impact is described in a manner consistent with the patient experience? Through impact assessment can we give patients more tools to help shape the research future, their future itself?
	6.6 Publications
Former UCLA vice-chancellor loses cancer paper for image manipulation [retraction Watch] The journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics received a letter about the problems with the paper from the UCLA Research Integrity Officer, and a retraction request from last author James Economou, also the chief of surgical oncology.
Science publishers try new tack to combat unauthorized paper sharing [Nature] Rise in copyright breaches prompts industry to discuss ways to allow ‘fair sharing’ of articles.
	6.7 DMP, Big Data & applis
A Day at The Future of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Healthcare Conference [medGadget] The keynote introduced a recurring theme of the day: that the global demand for access to healthcare professionals is exponentially outstripping our ability to train them. To combat this problem Babylon’s app provides an AI platform for diagnosis with the possibility of connecting to a doctor for confirmation and a prescription.