Onco Actu du 22 janvier 2018

	1. Biologie
Two New Breast Cancer Genes Emerge from Study of Lynch Syndrome [Columbia University] The researchers’ study suggests that each gene approximately doubles a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer by age 60. The two genes were previously known to cause Lynch syndrome, an inherited condition that raises the risk of colorectal, ovarian, stomach, and endometrial cancer.
How Cancer Metastasis Happens: Researchers Reveal a Key Mechanism [Weill Cornell] The authors traced the complex chain of events that results from chromosomal instability – a widespread feature of cancer cells in which DNA is copied incorrectly every time these cells divide, resulting in daughter cells with unequal DNA content.
Can Molecular Analysis be Tapped to Tackle Brain Cancer? [Cancer research Catalyst] This makes for a frustrating Catch-22, the article explains: Information derived from molecular testing hasn’t been shown to improve survival, but researchers won’t be able to explore new treatments without more tumors being tested.
	3.1 Prévention - Tabac
Anti-smoking plan may kill cigarettes — and save Big Tobacco [STAT] For anti-smoking activists these new products may mean surrendering hopes of a knockout blow to the industry. They say there is no safe tobacco product and the focus should be on getting people to quit. But others are more open to the idea of alternatives to get people away from cigarettes, the deadliest form of tobacco.
FDA's tobacco stance faces test with Philip Morris iQOS device [Reuters] If cleared, iQOS would become the first product to carry a modified-risk claim and could help advance the FDA’s proposed new approach to reducing the dangers of smoking.
	4.10 Dép., diag. & prono. - FDA, EMA, NICE,...
NICE Issues Medtech Innovation Briefing on Plasma EGFR Mutation Tests for Adults with Locally Advanced or Metastatic NSCLC [ESMO] Key uncertainties around the evidence are that tests for identifying EGFR mutations are rapidly evolving and there is no established gold-standard test.
	4.12 Biopsies liquides
A routine blood test for cancer would be fantastic. Today’s news isn’t it [Cancer Research UK] “The study does not support use of the blood test outside research studies, as it has not shown yet whether the blood test has the characteristics required for population screening.”
Detecting cancer with a blood test: New study shows promise, but questions remain [ACS] In simpler terms: we have a long way to go to demonstrate the utility and value of this test. We cannot make assumptions regarding the ability of this test to detect cancer early based on this study.
	4.7 Dép., diag. & prono. - Col de l'utérus
Embarrassment makes women avoid smear tests, charity says [BBC News] The survey found young women are embarrassed to attend smear tests because of their body shape (35%), the appearance of their vulva (34%) and concerns over smell (38%). A third said they wouldn't go if they hadn't waxed or shaved their bikini area.
Whatever happened to the Jade Goody effect? [The Guardian] After the reality TV star Jade Goody lived out her final months in front of the cameras before dying of cervical cancer in 2009, aged 27, nearly half a million more women than usual turned up for a smear test. But now the Jade Goody effect has “been forgotten about”, says Kathryn Hillaby, a consultant gynaecologist at Gloucestershire hospitals NHS foundation trust.
	5. Traitements
Nilotinib Can Be Discontinued in Some Patients with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia [NCI] To be eligible to stop nilotinib under the new labeling, patients must have taken the drug for at least 3 years, and there must be evidence that almost no cells in their blood harbor the genetic mutation that causes CML—known as a sustained molecular response.
Music, Science, PARP And The Meaning Of A New Drug For Metastatic Breast Cancer With BRCA Mutations [Forbes] But my interest goes back further, to my lab’s work: when cells die, PARP gets activated and cleaved. I found it confusing, and maybe counterintuitive, that blocking an enzyme involved in cell death could be useful as cancer therapy. As it turns out, PARP drugs are helpful probably because of what scientists call synthetic lethality.
	5.1 Traitements - Pré-clinique
New treatment strategy could overcome drug resistance in testicular cancer [Institute of Cancer Research] Molecularly depleting IGF1R or silencing IGF1R activity using chemical inhibitors reduced tumour cell growth – particularly testicular germ cell tumour cells with the highest levels of IGF1R activity.
	5.12.2 Immunothérapies - CAR-T
CRISPR Trial for Cancer Patients Proposed [The Scientist] US researchers could become the first outside China to use the gene-editing technique in the clinic.
China, Unhampered by Rules, Races Ahead in Gene-Editing Trials [Wall Street Journal] Dr. Wu’s team at Hangzhou Cancer Hospital has been drawing blood from esophageal-cancer patients, shipping it by high-speed rail to a lab that modifies disease-fighting cells using Crispr-Cas9 by deleting a gene that interferes with the immune system’s ability to fight cancer. His team then infuses the cells back into the patients, hoping the reprogrammed DNA will destroy the disease.
	5.2 Pharma
U.S. FDA Grants Priority Review for Daratumumab in Front Line Multiple Myeloma [Genmab] The sBLA submission was based on data from the Phase III ALCYONE study of daratumumab in combination with bortezomib, melphalan and prednisone in front line multiple myeloma. This data was presented as a Late-Breaking Abstract at the 2017 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and published in The New England Journal of Medicine in December, 2017.
	5.2.2 Pharma - Fusions & Acquisitions
Sanofi to buy U.S. haemophilia group Bioverativ for $11.6 billion [Reuters] The agreed transaction marks Sanofi’s successful return to deal-making after its failure to land major takeovers in recent years. It is its biggest acquisition since the 2011 takeover of U.S. biotech company Genzyme for around $20 billion.
	5.2.3 Pharma - économie
PharmaMar stock tanks after PhIII ovarian cancer study flops [EndPoints] PharmaMar’s late-stage test of Zepsyre (lurbinectedin) has flunked the primary endpoint on progression-free survival for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients. And the news tanked the Spanish biotech’s share price, which plunged 32% on Friday.
	5.3 Traitements - FDA, EMA, NICE...
The One-Year Anniversary of the Oncology Center of Excellence [FDA Voice] Altogether in 2017, we approved 16 new drug and biologic applications, including the first two cell-based gene therapies. We also approved 30 supplemental drug and biologic applications, two biosimilar applications in oncology, and cleared or approved several in vitro diagnostics.
	5.3.4 Traitements - AMM (FDA, EMA,...)
AstraZeneca scores double approvals in Japan for asthma and ovarian cancer [Pharmafile] Lynparza (olaparib) has been given the go-ahead as a maintenance therapy in patients with ovarian cancer who responded to chemotherapy, regardless of BRCA mutation status.
	5.4 Traitements - Economie
Hospitals Making Drugs? [In the Pipeline] Making even a relatively simple old generic drug is a much different thing than a hospital does, and getting that going will not be simple. And there’s the matter of – yes, yet again – regulatory approval.
	5.5 ASCO
Exelixis Announces Presentation of Updated Phase 1b Results for the Combination of Cobimetinib and Atezolizumab in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium [Exelixis] Top-line results for IMblaze370, the phase 3 pivotal trial of the cobimetinib-atezolizumab combination in MSS colorectal cancer are anticipated in 1H 2018.
AVEO Oncology Announces Presentation of Data from Phase 1b/2 Study of Tivozanib in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma [Aveo] Of 19 evaluable patients, at a median follow up of 16.9 months, the study’s primary endpoint of median progression-free survival (PFS) and PFS at week 24 were 5.5 months and 47%, respectively.
Opdivo (nivolumab) in Combination with Yervoy (ipilimumab) Demonstrates Clinical Activity in Previously Treated Patients with dMMR or MSI-H Metastatic Colorectal Cancer [BMS] Encouraging one-year overall survival of 85% with median overall survival not yet reached.
Combination of Encorafenib, Binimetinib and Cetuximab Demonstrated an 8 Month Median Progression-Free Survival in BRAF-Mutant Colorectal Cancer in Updated Safety Lead-In Results from BEACON Phase 3 Trial [Array] Median PFS of 8.0 months at time of analysis -- 48% confirmed ORR, including 3 complete responses.
	6. Lutte contre les cancers
Cancer Patients Get Little Guidance From Doctors On Using Medical Marijuana [NPR] In Massachusetts, medical marijuana has been legal for six years, but it's still a challenge for cancer patients to get a state-issued medical marijuana ID card, or then figure out what kind of cannabis to use.
	6.1 Observation
Proportion of cancers diagnosed in A&E falling [Cancer Research UK] The figures come from Public Health England’s (PHE) latest Routes to Diagnosis dataset. It includes data on cancer diagnoses from 2006-2015, which covers more than 3 million cancer cases.
Oral Contraceptives Reduce Risk for Ovarian and Endometrial Cancers [NY Times] The study, in JAMA Oncology, included 196,536 women ages 50 to 71, more than half of whom had used oral contraceptives.
	6.10.1 Politiques (USA)
The Koch Brothers and Vice President Mike Pence back a final push to pass the cruel sham known as “right-to-try” [Respectful Insolence] The contrast between the French early access program and right-to-try could not be more clear. TAU is not a right-to-try law. In the French program, government regulatory agencies are heavily involved.
Science groups react to U.S. government shutdown as researchers scramble [Science] Some federal researchers planning to travel to conferences or study sites over the weekend have been uncertain about whether they should board planes or trains.
	6.13 Soins palliatifs
I watched my son die from cancer. Here are the lessons I have learned [The Guardian] DD was having loads of treatment at home in those last three months; it just wasn’t curative and we had done the opposite of give up on him – we had hope for life every day. I now firmly believe he lived as long as he possibly could because his quality of life was so good, which was entirely down to palliative care.