Onco Actu du 28 novembre 2017

	1. Biologie
Another “don’t eat me” signal discovered on cancer cells by Stanford researchers [Stanford Medicine] The new research shows that a protein on the surface of the macrophages called LILRB1 binds to a portion of the MHC class 1 structure that is widely shared across individuals.
Scientists recorded a time-lapse of this worm to study how cancer spreads [STAT] We found that when an invasive cell in a worm spreads, it does so by basically bulging out a new membrane. It kind of acts like a balloon catheter to wedge into tight spot and then slowly inflates to push aside the tissue to create a hole so that it can enter really dense tissue.
Gut bacteria might hitch a ride with spreading bowel cancer cells [Cancer Research UK] “This study shows that bacteria can not only invade cancers in the bowel but remain in the cancers when they spread to other parts of the body.”
	2.6 Etiologie - Environnement
Glyphosate: What the Zealots Really Wanted [The Risk-Monger] With glyphosate, despite the obvious evidence of the experts, despite the environmental benefits, despite the overwhelming value to farmers compared to alternatives, these activist zealots came within a hair’s breadth of achieving their goal to discredit research and undermine the European risk assessment process.
Weedkiller vote poisons European politics [Politico] A ban by France is a bold move from Macron. While he will win support from a solid caucus of green-minded voters, he risks a stinging backlash from French farmers using more than 600 glyphosate products. Martina said Rome would also seek to eradicate glyphosate domestically by 2020.
EU glyphosate licence renewed for five years – Expert Reaction [Science Media Centre] Recently, New Zealand research found that some herbicides, including glyphosate, can cause bacteria to become less susceptible to antibiotics, fuelling antimicrobial resistance.
Europe gives controversial weed killer a 5-year lease on life [Science] Christopher Connolly, a neurobiologist at the University of Dundee in the United Kingdom, told the Science Media Center that scientists must also redouble their efforts: "We must make the next 5 years count, so that an evidence-based decision may be made at the end of this period."
German minister's vote on weed-killer should not happen again: Merkel [Reuters] “As for the vote of the agriculture ministry yesterday on glyphosate, this did not comply with the instructions worked out by the federal government,” Merkel said. “I expect that such an incident will not be repeated.”
EU nations vote to keep using controversial weedkiller glyphosate [Nature] Scientific conclusions on both sides have been criticised. Reuters reported in June that IARC members had not considered a large study showing no link between glyphosate and cancer in humans, because at the time it had not been published. That study, which tracked the health of tens of thousands of farmers, agricultural workers and their families in Iowa and North Carolina starting in the 1990s, was published earlier this month.
	3.1 Prévention - Tabac
In Ads, Tobacco Companies Admit They Made Cigarettes More Addictive [NPR] "If the intention was for these ads to have some dampening effect on smoking initiation, or just continuing to smoke, I would say it won't work," says Nora Rifon, a professor of consumer psychology at Michigan State University.
Tokyo Journal: Tokyo, Once a Cigarette Haven, Could Finally Kick Out the Smokers [NY Times] Tokyo is considering a ban on smoking indoors in most public places. In this intensely rule-abiding country, some say changing smoking rules would test the resolve of many.
Blow to tobacco control treaty as industry wins tax fight in south-east Asia [The Guardian] “We have found that the tobacco industry does not take a holiday from undermining or thwarting or delaying government efforts to control tobacco use,” Mary Assunta Kolandai, senior policy adviser for the alliance, said.
Why Tobacco Companies Are Paying to Tell You Smoking Kills [NY Times] Mr. Myers said the ads would be less effective than originally intended because fewer people read newspapers and watch television today. The tobacco companies, he said, also negotiated to not include the phrase “here’s the truth” in the ads.
	4.5 Dép., diag. & prono. - Colorectal
PHE says uptake of bowel cancer screening too low [PharmaTimes] Public Health England is urging all men and women over the age of 60 to get screened for bowel cancer, after fresh data show over 40 percent are not getting tested, “putting thousands unnecessarily at risk of dying”.
	5.10 Traitements - Essais
Merck and Pfizer Provide Update on Phase III JAVELIN Gastric 300 Study in Patients With Pre-Treated Advanced Gastric Cancer [PR Newswire] Pivotal Phase III Javelin trial investigating avelumab as third-line treatment for patients with unresectable, recurrent or metastatic gastric cancer did not meet its pre-specified primary endpoint of superior overall survival compared to chemotherapy.
A Failure To Heal [NY Times] The first thing you feel when a trial fails is a sense of shame. You’ve let your patients down. You know, of course, that experimental drugs have a poor track record — but even so, this drug had seemed so promising (you cannot erase the image of the cancer cells dying under the microscope).
	5.12.2 Immunothérapies - CAR-T
Gene Therapy Hits a Peculiar Roadblock: A Virus Shortage [NY Times] One of the few big companies producing a gene therapy, Novartis, recently got approval from the F.D.A. to market a treatment for a rare blood cancer. But to get the viruses it needed, Novartis signed up years in advance with Oxford BioMedica, agreeing to three contracts starting in 2013 that, with incentives, add up to as much as $195.2 million and that included a provision to pay Oxford a share of the royalties when the drug was approved.
	5.2 Pharma
The European Medicines Agency accepts regulatory submission for Tagrisso in 1st-line EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer [AstraZeneca] Acceptance is based on positive Phase III FLAURA trial results.
	5.2.1 Pharma - Partenariats
Innate hopes dosing tweak will save BMS-partnered lirilumab [FierceBiotech] The French biotech has revealed the combination of lirilumab and Bristol-Myers Squibb’s PD-1 inhibitor Opdivo (nivolumab) failed to show any additional benefit compared to Opdivo alone in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) ahead of the Thanksgiving break, sending its shares into steep decline.
	5.4 Traitements - Economie
NICE refuses Eisai's breast cancer drug in new indication [Pharmafile] NICE has announced that it has rejected Eisai’s Halaven (eribulin) through draft guidance advising not to use the drug in locally advanced or secondary breast cancer in patients who have previously undergone only one chemotherapy regimen.
Merck invited to submit a CDF proposal for Merkel cell cancer drug [NICE] The NICE committee found current clinical data suggests avelumab can extend patient survival compared with chemotherapy. However, the evidence is from one small trial and data is still being collected, so the results are uncertain.
We don’t need to change how we subsidise ‘breakthrough’ cancer treatments [The Conversation] But looking at the processes that led to Keytruda and Yervoy being listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, we argue the way Pthe harmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee currently works serves us well.
	6. Lutte contre les cancers
Replacing lymph nodes to ease painful legacy of cancer care [STAT] Wolfe-Tank had struggled for four years when an oncologist recommended lymph node transfer. The rationale: There are more lymph nodes in the body’s trunk than in the limbs — more avenues to drain off fluid — and thus it should be safe to move a few.
	6.10.1 Politiques (USA)
He Raised Drug Prices at Eli Lilly. Can He Lower Them for the U.S.? [NY Times] At a symposium at the Manhattan Institute last November, Mr. Azar said, “We’re on the cusp of a golden age of pharmaceutical breakthroughs.” But he added, “Our outdated system for paying for prescription drugs is threatening to squelch patient access to this recent and revolutionary burst of innovation by shifting a crushing burden directly onto individuals.”
	6.11 Patients
Being diagnosed with terminal cancer has inspired me to run marathons [The Guardian] I was 49 when I was told I had terminal prostate cancer and might only have two years to live. It was a real shock for my family. I started chemotherapy shortly afterwards and had an epiphany – I realised life is for living.
	6.5 Médecines alternatives
The integration of mysticism and pseudoscience with oncology continues apace in NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers [Science-Based Medicine] Last week, I commented on the inability of the Society for Integrative Oncology to define what integrative oncology actually is. This week, I note the proliferation of the quackery of integrative oncology in places that should be rigorously science-based, namely NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers.
Yet another clickbait testimonial manipulates emotions to make cancer quackery appear effective [Respectful Insolence] In other words, she is fortunate; her treatments almost certainly aren’t responsible for her survival, and The Sun is grossly irresponsible for publishing a puff piece that portrays her survival as due to cancer quackery.