Onco Actu du 29 juin 2017

	1. Biologie
The breast cancer genome’s “dark matter” starts to give up some secrets [Broad Institute] “How many samples do we need in order to find events like these?” Getz asked. “The number is quite large. With the 360 tumors we had, we were just barely able to find these promoter mutations at statistically significant levels. To find the complete landscape of noncoding driver mutations in breast and other cancers, we will need many more samples.
	3.3 Prévention - Vaccins
Vaccine ruling from Europe's highest court isn't as crazy as scientists think [Nature] Media and scientific uproar over admissible evidence 'exaggerated', say legal scholars.
	4. Dépistage, diagnostic et pronostic
A New Optical System Can Detect Cancer in Real Time With High Accuracy During Surgery [AACR] In the validation study, Petrecca, Leblond, and colleagues investigated the use of the optical system among 15 patients with grade II-IV gliomas and metastatic brain cancers (from primary lung or colon cancer or melanoma), who were undergoing open cranium surgery at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital.
Fibre-optic device can detect stray cancer cells, improve tumour removal: study [Globe and Mail] Frederic Leblond, an associate professor of engineering physics at Polytechnique Montreal and a researcher at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre who developed the probe with Petrecca, said that based on study results so far, they believe “there’s no real limits to what we can achieve for cancer detection with this tool.”
	4.10 Dép., diag. & prono. - Poumon
Cancer Genetics, Inc. Launches FDA-Approved Universal Companion Diagnostic for Lung Cancer Leveraging Thermo Fisher's Next Generation Sequencing Panel Oncomine Dx Target Test [Cancer Genetics] Approved by the FDA on June 22 of 2017, the Oncomine Dx Target Test simultaneously evaluates 23 genes clinically associated with NSCLC.
	4.2 Dép., diag. & prono. - Génome
Aiming for clarity in cancer gene testing, researchers at Stanford and Fox Chase turn to big data [Stanford Medicine] Stanford cancer geneticist Allison Kurian, MD, and cancer specialist Michael Hall, MD, from Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia looked at the genetic test results for nearly 100,000 women who chose to be tested for the presence of mutations associated with the development of breast or ovarian cancer.
	5.12 Immunothérapies
Barrier Proteins in Tumors are Possible Key to Immunotherapy Success [Johns Hopkins] Proteins impeding immune responses against cancer — not alterations in the genes that make them — could be the “Achilles heel” of some cancers.
	5.2 Pharma
Before Iclusig safety flaws went public, ex-Ariad staffer told family to sell shares: feds [FiercePharma] According to the feds, Ariad employees and their relatives knew in advance of public announcements about safety issues with the leukemia med that would devastate Ariad’s stock price.
	5.2.1 Pharma - Partenariats
AstraZeneca, Chi-Med take kidney cancer drug into final testing [Reuters] The move underscores Chi-Med's drive to bring modern Chinese drugs to the international market. The Phase III study will test savolitinib in c-MET-driven papillary renal cell carcinoma.
CRT’s Discovery Laboratories extends alliance with Merck to develop new cancer drugs [Cancer Research UK] The alliance has developed a better understanding of the role of the Hippo pathway in cancer, and how best to drug key targets.
	5.2.3 Pharma - économie
Vivace uncloaks with $40M, U.S.-China backing for cancer trials [FierceBiotech] “Since our founding, we have focused on bringing together the best experts from China and the U.S. to turn novel biology into first-in-class cancer therapeutics,” said Sofie Qiao, Ph.D., president and CEO of Vivace, and a former director at WuXi Healthcare Ventures.
Vivace Therapeutics Comes Out of Stealth With $25M for Cancer Drugs [Xconomy] Vivace is developing drugs that act on a signaling pathway key to cell development. This Hippo-YAP pathway regulates tissue regeneration and the size and shape of organs. But Vivace says that Hippo-YAP mutations can lead to cancers in the breast, colon, skin, and more.
With deep ties to China, Vivace exits stealth mode with a lead cancer program, platform and $40M [EndPoints] Kun-liang Guan at UC San Diego opened the doors at Vivace with research that led to a lead therapy that targets the Hippo-YAP signaling pathway, a new approach to treating cancer.
	5.3 Traitements - FDA, EMA, NICE...
FDA-AACR Regulatory Science and Policy Workshop [AACR] This year’s workshop will focus on approaches to combination therapy and best practices regarding patient and dose selection, biomarkers to aid in selection, and novel endpoints that can define patient benefit.
	5.3.4 Traitements - AMM (FDA, EMA)
Novartis receives EU approval for first-line use of Zykadia® in ALK-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) [Novartis] In ALK-positive advanced NSCLC patients, Zykadia demonstrated superior median progression-free survival (PFS) compared to SOC chemotherapy with maintenance.
	5.4 Traitements - Economie
NICE backs Afinitor, Sutent for neuroendocrine tumours [PharmaTimes] There are around 3000 new cases of NETs diagnosed annually in the UK; it is estimated that nearly 1,000 patients would be eligible for treatment with Afinitor and Sutent (sunitinib) in England every year.
	5.6 ESMO
Halozyme Phase 2 Data In Advanced Pancreas Cancer Presented At European Society For Medical Oncology Symposium [Halozyme] Findings in Two Oral Presentations and Three Poster Presentations Continue to Support Ongoing HALO-301 Phase 3 Study.
	6. Lutte contre les cancers
Quality and collaboration, not growth, should drive research institutions [STAT] It’s time to demonstrate to society that our essential focus is on discovering new knowledge and improving human life, not on driving up grant totals as an inaccurate means of claiming quality and prestige.
	6.1 Observation
Differences and Disparities in Cancer [Cancer Research Catalyst] For prostate cancer, differences in incidence and mortality rates among races and ethnic groups are not as easily explained.
	6.6 Publications
Image doctoring must be halted [Nature] Researchers and journals need to do more to counter inapropriately manipulated figures in science.
	6.7 DMP, Big Data & applis
Dr. Robert Califf Shares Ideas About Real-World Evidence And Health Data [Forbes] Statistical methods are improving almost daily, and sources of high-quality data are expanding. He referred to a “somewhat friendly battle” going on between traditional biostatisticians and others who cut information from machine learning, i.e. observational data analysis.
	6.7.3 DMP
Without Interoperability, EHRs Are Too Expensive [HIT Consultant] So many hospitals pay multi-billions of dollars for healthcare IT systems that promise to integrate patient care … eventually. Why? Some argue the primary reason is a false market that was created by federal government incentives and boundless faith.