Onco Actu du 29 mars 2018

	1. Biologie
Aggressive Growth of Common Brain Tumors Linked to Single Gene [UCSF] Raleigh’s team found that a gene named FOXM1 was at the heart of aggressive meningioma growth, and a signpost of subsequently poor clinical outcomes, including death.
Newly discovered organ may aid in cancer diagnosis [CNBC] A new article in Scientific Reports is the first to classify the structure as an organ and explain how it works. "It's a fluid cell highway," he explained. "When [cancerous cells] get into this layer, that's when they spread."
	3.1 Prévention - Tabac
FDA Commissioner Says Enforcement Power Could Be Used In Right-To-Try, E-Cigarrettes [Forbes] Tirrell noted that he's been accused of moving too slowly when it comes to other tobacco issues. Again, Gottlieb focused on enforcement. He said the agency knows what's happening in terms of e-cigarettes being marketed to children. "You're going to see some enforcement actions very soon."
Help people make informed decisions when they want to quit smoking, says NICE and Public Health England. [NICE] The new guideline recommends prioritising specific groups who are at the highest risk of harm from smoking, such as women who are pregnant and people with mental health problems. It recommends that people are asked about their smoking and encouraged to stop every time they see a health or social care worker.
	3.1.1 Prévention - Tabac - e-cigs
Doctors should advise smokers on using e-cigarettes, says NICE [BMJ] NICE said that it had updated its recommendations to reflect changes in current practice, noting the increasing number of smokers who ask their doctor about using e-cigarettes to help them quit.
	4.2 Dép., diag. & prono. - Génome
Study Finds Inaccuracies in 40 Percent of DTC Genetic Testing Results [The Scientist] An analysis of 49 patient samples finds high proportions of false positives and misinterpretation.
	4.5 Dép., diag. & prono. - Colorectal
Colon cancer screening rates vary widely across U.S. [Reuters] At the state level, screening rates ranged from a low of 59 percent in Wyoming to a high of 75 percent in Massachusetts.
	4.7 Dép., diag. & prono. - Col de l'utérus
New data suggests cervical cancer screening guidelines need to be reconsidered [SGO] The results of this study suggest that some women over the age of 65 years may still benefit from screening to prevent age-based disparities in cervical cancer diagnoses and emphasize the importance of informed shared decision-making between patient and her doctor.
	4.9 Dép., diag. & prono. - Sein
Marketing misfire on ‘spa-like’ 3D mammograms: Comfort appeal distracts from real concerns on screening, experts say [HealthNewsReview] Attai said she was struck by the patronizing tone of the articles and the perpetuation of the belief that women are so scared of mammograms they need calming fragrances and a place to rest their hand so they don’t anxiously grip the machine.
	5.1 Traitements - Pré-clinique
'Virtual tumours' predict success of tumour-heating sound waves [Institute of Cancer Research] “The model is also an important step for studying future applications of treatments such as High Intensity Focused Ultrasound with radiotherapy, and could ultimately lead to more effective decisions around treatment options for patients.”
	5.10 Traitements - Essais
Clinical trials take a long time to get started. Here’s how to speed it up [STAT] TransCelerate BioPharma has been one example of an organization with a mission to promote industry collaboration. The nonprofit, currently partnering with 19 leading biopharma company members, has worked on ways to improve clinical trials, such as a shared investigator platform.
Colon cancer chemo could be halved after surgery [Cancer Research UK] Patients with colon cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes (stage 3) usually get six months of chemotherapy after surgery. But researchers found that shortening treatment to three months did not affect the chance of cancer returning for many patients. The shorter treatment time also significantly reduced side effects.
NIH-funded study shows sorafenib improves progression-free survival for patients with rare sarcomas [NCI] “Sorafenib is a novel way of treating this rare cancer,” said lead investigator and study chair Mrinal M. Gounder, M.D., sarcoma medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. “The promising results of this phase 3 trial represent a paradigm shift in the approach to treatment of patients with desmoid tumors.”
	5.12.2 Immunothérapies - CAR-T
How Treatment Works for CAR T-Cell Therapy Patients [Dana-Farber Cancer Institute] Although several different types of CAR T-cell therapies are currently in use, both in clinical trials and standard therapy, the treatment process entails a standard series of steps.
Bluebird, Celgene to share U.S. costs, profits on lead cancer CAR-T [FierceBiotech] Bluebird reported data from the CRB-401 phase 1 trial of bb2121 in December showing impressive overall and complete response rates to the treatment—94% and 56% respectively—despite the patients having late-stage multiple myeloma after having been treated with a median of seven earlier treatments.
bluebird bio and Celgene Corporation Enter into Agreement to Co-Develop and Co-Promote Anti-BCMA CAR T Cell Therapy bb2121 in the United States [bluebird bio] bluebird and Celgene will share 50% of U.S. costs and profits.
Bluebird whistles up a co-development/co-promotion pact with Celgene on bb2121 CAR-T [EndPoints] The partners are arguably in the lead on BCMA, but everyone else in CAR-T has their eye on this one, which will likely deliver some major league competition.
	5.12.8 Immunothérapies - Economie
Tempest Therapeutics launch shows IDO inhibitors are still hot [C&EN] The start-up unveils with $70 million in series B funding to develop cancer immunotherapy compounds, including an IDO1 inhibitor.
Versant-backed Tempest grabs a $70M round with plans to drive a slate of I/O drugs into the clinic [EndPoints] At the front of the queue is TPST‐8844, an IDO inhibitor which will look to make a rep for itself as Incyte and Bristol-Myers Squibb push more advanced programs. Then there’s TPST-1120, a PPARα blocker designed to inflame the tumor microenvironment and activates important tumor‐killing immune cells.
	5.2.2 Pharma - Fusions & Acquisitions
Shire Put in Play [Bloomberg] Takeda's talks risk flushing out other suitors for the drugmaker.
Does a $50B-plus Shire buyout even make sense for Takeda? Maybe not [EndPoints] One other issue floating around right now is whether Takeda’s move will simply kick up an offer from a Pfizer or AbbVie, which could most likely push Takeda to the curb without trying too hard.
Shire Surges on News of Possible Takeda Bid [Bloomberg] The Osaka-based company did not explain how it would pay for a company whose $46 billion market value tops Takeda’s $42 billion.
Takeda Statement Regarding Shire plc [Takeda] In particular, a transaction with Shire would strengthen Takeda’s core therapeutic areas of oncology, GI and neuroscience.
	5.4 Traitements - Economie
Final NICE green light for Ipsen’s Cometriq [PharmaTimes] Ipsen’s Cometriq (cabozantinib) can now be routinely funded by the NHS to treat patients with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) in England and Wales.
In bid to lower prices, Gottlieb says FDA will take new action to speed approval of biosimilars [STAT] “We can bring more competition to the market,” said Gottlieb. As an example, Gottlieb said the FDA will be introducing new initiatives to make it easier for makers of biosimilars to demonstrate that their products are equivalent to the branded biologics they seek to compete against.
	6. Lutte contre les cancers
Last Month in Oncology with Dr. Bishal Gyawali: February 2018 [ecancernews] I’ve since long been advocating for a parallel cancer groundshot to implement the strategies for cancer control that we already know work. Last month, we published this concept of “cancer groundshot” in The Lancet Oncology.
	6.1 Observation
Childhood cancer survivors may develop heart problems sooner [Reuters] Researchers studied 951 adults, ages 23 to 48, who had been diagnosed with cancer when they were less than 15 years old. The study team looked at lab tests for risk factors for heart disease, and also for conditions like heart failure, stroke and heart attacks. Along with the cancer survivors, they studied more than 15,000 similar people who didn’t have malignancies as children.
	6.11 Patients
The people that make radiotherapy possible: Part 2 – clinical trial patients [Cancer Research UK] In this instalment, one of the patients who took part in this trial, Cora Gillies, tells us her first-hand experience of what it was like to be involved.