Onco Actu du 15 mars 2018

	3. Prévention
Drug Combination Reduces Number of Colorectal Polyps in Patients with Hereditary Cancer Syndrome [NCI] In the trial, people with this hereditary condition—called familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)—who were randomly assigned to receive the combination of erlotinib (Tarceva) and sulindac (Aflodac) had less than a third the number of polyps after 6 months of treatment than patients who received placebos.
	3.2 Prévention - Obésité
Obesity risk doubles for teens bombarded with junk food adverts [Cancer Research UK] The report was based on a YouGov survey which questioned 3,348 young people in the UK between 11-19 about their TV viewing habits, diet and their BMI.
	4. Dépistage, diagnostic et pronostic
Scientists caution that a rare childhood liver cancer can spread to the brain [The Rockefeller University] The scientists recommend that people with advanced-stage fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma, which mostly affects teenagers and young adults, receive regular neuroimaging scans because of the tumor’s apparent ability to metastasize to the brain.
Doctors hunt for hidden cancers with glowing dyes [STAT] The dyes are experimental but advancing quickly. Two are in late-stage studies aimed at winning Food and Drug Administration approval. Johnson & Johnson just invested $40 million in one, and federal grants support some of the work.
	4.2 Dép., diag. & prono. - Génome
Genetic Testing Co. Probe `Ominous’ for Diagnostics Scrutiny [Bloomberg] A new investigation into a genetic testing company’s possible fraud may be a harbinger for deeper scrutiny and oversight of the increasingly costly sector. Health officials are pressing for more information on Myriad Genetics’ billing to public health-care programs as part of an investigation into false or improper claims.
	5. Traitements
The power of precision medicine in cancer drug discovery and treatment [Institute of Cancer Research] For precision medicine to succeed, patient-centricity is essential – not only do we need nation-wide access to the treatments, drugs and care but also to the diagnostic tools and genetic tests, which are enhanced by increased sharing of health data throughout the UK.
	5.1 Traitements - Pré-clinique
Obesity may promote resistance to antiangiogenic therapy for breast cancer [Mass. General Hospital] A research team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators describes finding, for the first time, that obesity and obesity-related molecular factors appear to induce resistance to antiangiogenic therapy in breast cancer patients and in two mouse models of the disease.
Researchers use novel methods to determine drug uptake for tumours [EPR] Researchers at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida have combined single-cell imaging of cancer cells in mice with mathematical modelling to establish which drug characteristics determine its efficacy.
“Body on a chip” could improve drug evaluation [MIT News] Human tissue samples linked by microfluidic channels replicate interactions of multiple organs.
	5.12.6 Immunothérapies - AMM
FDA Grants Priority Review to Merck’s Supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) for Treatment of Advanced Cervical Cancer [Merck] First Filing Acceptance for an Anti-PD-1 Therapy in Cervical Cancer.
Speedy US review for MSD’s Keytruda in cervical cancer [PharmaTimes] The decision marks the first filing acceptance and priority review issued for an anti-PD-1 therapy in cervical cancer, and the 14th regulatory submission accepted by the FDA for Keytruda, MSD noted.
	5.2 Pharma
Tracking a successful DLBCL assault in Phase II, MorphoSys sets out to seize quick OK for MOR208 [EndPoints] The German biotech highlighted updated data demonstrating that of the 68 evaluable patients in their study for diffuse large B cell lymphoma — a popular disease target in oncology — they tracked a 49% overall response rate and a 31% complete response rate.
	5.4 Traitements - Economie
Oncologists’ Charge Amounts Are Higher Than Other Specialties’ [Health Affairs Blog] Our examination of seven common office-administered drugs with both oncology and non-oncology indications reveals that oncologists’ median charge was between 9 percent and 51 percent higher than other specialties’ median charge for the same drug.
	5.9.8 AACR - Pharma
Halozyme To Present Data From Six Nonclinical Studies At American Association Of Cancer Research Annual Conference [Halozyme] PEGPH20 is a proprietary enzyme that targets and degrades hyaluronan (HA), a glycosaminoglycan or naturally occurring sugar in the body. HA accumulates in many solid tumors, potentially constricting blood vessels, impeding the immune response and the access of anti-cancer therapies.
Research from Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Innovative Oncology Development Program to Be Presented at AACR 2018 Demonstrates Commitment to Advancing Precision Medicine Research for Patients with Cancer [BMS] Abstracts to be presented include the first disclosure of data from the Phase 3 CheckMate -227 trial evaluating the combination of Opdivo plus Yervoy (ipilimumab) in first-line non-small cell lung cancer patients with high tumor mutational burden (≥10 mutations/megabase), as well as two-year overall survival data from pivotal studies of Opdivo in bladder and head and neck cancers.
	6. Lutte contre les cancers
Depression Treatment Does Not Improve the Survival of Depressed Patients with Cancer [ESMO] Management of depression remains important for its beneficial effect on QoL in cancer patients.
	6.1 Observation
Black Cancer Matters [NY Times] A documentary shines a spotlight on the grim relationship between race and cancer.
Breast cancer patients in U.S. territories receive lower quality care [Reuters] Gross and colleagues mined data collected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services between 2008 and 2014 on women age 66 and older who were diagnosed with breast cancer and received surgical treatment. Overall, roughly 570 study subjects were residents of the U.S. territories and 259,000 lived in the continental U.S., according to the report in Health Affairs.
	6.10 Politiques
The Guardian view on denying cancer care: unjust and uncaring [The Guardian] There is outrage over the refusal of radiotherapy to a patient who has lived here more than four decades. His case points to wider problems.
	6.6 Publications
Cancer biologist retracts five papers [Retraction Watch] The only author in common to all papers is Samson Jacob, a professor in the department of cancer biology and genetics at OSU. The institution recently addressed allegations that have dogged another cancer researcher, Carlo Croce.
Meta-research: Why research on research matters [PLoS Biology] Major disruptions are likely to happen in the way we pursue scientific investigation, and it is important to ensure that these disruptions are evidence based.
	6.9 Controverses
The SEC Says Elizabeth Holmes' Fraud Was Worse Than Anyone Thought [Forbes] At a time when Theranos claimed it had annual sales of $100 million, sales were just $100,000. Holmes and Balwani claimed that the Department of Defense was using Theranos' technology on medevac helicopters. The DoD wasn't using it at all.
Theranos and Silicon Valley's 'Fake It Till You Make It' Culture [Wired] The scale of Theranos’ alleged fraud is unusual, but the forces behind it are not. Startup culture venerates the kind of “fake it till you make it” hustling that Holmes deployed.