Onco Actu du 25 mai 2018

	1. Biologie
By forming clots in tumors, immune cells aid lung cancer's spread [UNC] In the journal Nature Communications, researchers report for a particular subset of lung cancer tumors, there is a high prevalence of immune cells called inflammatory monocytes. These immune cells, which normally help to build clotting scaffolds to promote wound healing, also make it possible for tumor cells to migrate and spread to other parts of the body.
NIH study finds gut microbiome can control antitumor immune function in liver [NIH] To investigate whether gut bacteria affect the development of tumors in the liver, Dr. Greten and his team carried out a series of experiments with mice. They used three mouse models of liver cancer, and found that when they depleted gut bacteria using an antibiotic “cocktail,” the mice that had the antibiotics developed fewer and smaller liver tumors and had reduced metastasis to the liver.
	2. Etiologie
Pressured by industry, U.S. EPA slows formaldehyde study release: documents [Reuters] The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, under pressure from the chemical industry, has delayed release of a study detailing cancer risks from formaldehyde, according to internal communications seen by Reuters, potentially keeping important health information from the public.
	2.5 Etiologie - Gènes
Tau Mutations May Increase Cancer Risk [AACR] Tagliavini and colleagues analyzed cancer incidence in 15 families bearing seven different tau mutations and affected by FTLD (frontotemporal lobar degeneration). To calculate cancer risk, each tau-mutated family was matched with three reference families with superimposable pedigrees (control subject’s age, gender, and native location matching the person affected with FTLD).
	3.1 Prévention - Tabac
Money’s better than e-cigs or nicotine gum at helping smokers quit, study says [The Verge] For a study published today in The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers gave over 6,000 smokers different tools to quit smoking, like free nicotine patches, motivational texts, free e-cigarettes, and free medication or e-cigs plus a total of $600. Overall, only 1.3 percent of smokers had quit after six months.
	4.2 Dép., diag. & prono. - Génome
Researchers Demonstrate Veracyte's Sequencing Test Can Identify Benign Thyroid Nodules [Genome Web] In addition, he said, physicians will have to be mindful of their specific patient population and understand that the results found in this study may vary with different populations. As such, he said, both the negative and positive predictive values will vary depending on the prevalence of thyroid cancer within a specific population.
Two Initiatives Seek to Harmonize Tumor Mutational Burden Testing [Genome Web] Two independent initiatives — one by Friends of Cancer Research in the US, the other by the Quality Assurance Initiative Pathology (QuIP) in Germany — are now seeking to harmonize and standardize TMB testing, comparing existing assays along the way.
	4.9 Dép., diag. & prono. - Sein
Breast screen error 'could have been spotted earlier' [BBC News] Prof Sasieni, who is also lead investigator of the Cancer Research UK programme in cancer screening and statistics, said: "Data that could have alerted people to the lack of invitations being sent to women aged 70 was publicly available, but no one looked at it carefully enough."
	5.1 Traitements - Pré-clinique
Tiny particles could help fight brain cancer [MIT News] Nanoparticles carrying two drugs can cross the blood-brain barrier and shrink glioblastoma tumors.
A Closed Loop [in the Pipeline] A collaboration between the University of Helsinki, LifeArc (which looks to be one of the small companies in the former Stevenage pharma campus) and Cyclofluidic reports development of inhibitors against hepsin, a serine protease enzyme that is a potential cancer target.
	5.12 Immunothérapies
Can Immunotherapy Succeed in Glioblastoma? [NCI] Whether immunotherapy has a future in the treatment of glioblastoma, and, if so, how much of one, is still uncertain, researchers working in the field seem to agree.
Patient harm from ads for Opdivo and other cancer immunotherapies [HealthNewsReview] Through multi-million dollar campaigns that feature exciting direct-to-consumer TV ads and spawn news stories, patients are becoming broadly aware of immunotherapy and bringing it up with their doctors. But one thing they’re often not told is just how limited the population is which stands to benefit from this approach.
	5.12.3 Immunothérapies-combinaisons
Phase III IMblaze370 Study Did Not Meet Its Primary Endpoint of Overall Survival [ESMO] Evaluation of the combination of atezolizumab and cobimetinib in heavily pre-treated locally advanced or metastatic CRC.
	5.12.5 Immunothérapies - Pharma
Imfinzi significantly improves overall survival in the Phase III PACIFIC trial for unresectable Stage III non-small cell lung cancer [AstraZeneca] Imfinzi met the second primary endpoint of overall survival which was both statistically-significant and clinically-meaningful at a planned interim analysis.
AstraZeneca cancer drug hits second goal by extending survival [Reuters] Analysts believe using Imfinzi in stage III lung cancer, where cancer has only spread locally, opens up a multibillion-dollar sales opportunity and the latest overall survival (OS) data should underline the drug’s potential.
	5.2 Pharma
IMBRUVICA® (ibrutinib) Plus GAZYVA® (obinutuzumab) Phase 3 iLLUMINATE Trial for First-Line Therapy of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Patients Met Primary Endpoint [AbbVie] Full study results may support an IMBRUVICA based, chemotherapy-free combination treatment option for patients.
AbbVie eyes Imbruvica expansion in CLL as Gazyva pairing hits its marks [FiercePharma] The new data should help AbbVie widen its first-line label, which is right in line with the Illinois pharma’s aims.
Lilly's cancer business loses its chief just as it's leaning on oncology for growth [FiercePharma] The leadership transition at Lilly Oncology comes as several important meds at the drugmaker fall off the patent cliff.
Genmab Announces Topline Results in Phase III study of Arzerra® in Indolent Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma [Genmab] Topline results from Phase III study in iNHL did not meet primary endpoint of improved progression-free survival.
	5.2.1 Pharma - Partenariats
Eisai and Merck Provide Update on Supplemental New Drug Application (Snda) for Lenvatinib in First-line Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma [Merck] The FDA has indicated that the extension of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) date is needed to allow additional time for review of the application.
	5.3 Traitements - FDA, EMA, NICE...
No Evidence that FDA Breakthrough-Designated Anticancer Drugs Provide Improvements in Efficacy, Safety or Novelty [ESMO] Comparison with non–breakthrough-designated drugs reveals only faster times to approval.
	5.4 Traitements - Economie
Hello, $200B: Super-pricey new cancer drugs drive mega increases in treatment spending [FiercePharma] By 2022, payers and patients will be shelling out $90 billion to $100 billion on cancer therapies in the U.S., fully half the $180 billion to $200 billion in spending expected worldwide that year, the report said.
	5.5.1 ASCO (général)
Brad Loncar’s ASCO18 preview: Past ASCOs point to the top drugs that will soon elbow for the Oscars of cancer R&D [EndPoints] To prepare for the future, it helps to look back on what has happened in the past. ASCO is a great benchmark for doing that. Drug development does not happen overnight. A pattern of real progress emerges if you view things in the context of two “ASCOs” ago, or five, or ten.
	5.5.1.2 ASCO (général) - Académiques
Fred Hutch scientists to feature health economics, next-gen immunotherapy, health disparities and more at ASCO [Fred Hutch] The American Society of Clinical Oncology will hold its annual meeting June 1–5 in Chicago.
	6. Lutte contre les cancers
WHO Director-General calls for all countries to take action to help end the suffering caused by cervical cancer [WHO] Prevention and early treatment are highly cost-effective. Worldwide however, cervical cancer remains one of the gravest threats to women’s lives, and globally, one woman dies of cervical cancer every two minutes. This suffering is unacceptable, and cannot continue.
	6.1 Observation
Physical Activity in Cancer Survivors During “Re-Entry” Following Cancer Treatment [CDC] The transition from active cancer treatment into survivorship, known as re-entry, remains understudied. During re-entry, clinicians can educate survivors on the benefits of healthy behaviors, including physical activity, as survivors adjust to life after cancer. We examine the prevalence of adherence to established aerobic physical activity guidelines (≥150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week) in addition to related medico-demographic factors among cancer survivors during re-entry.
	6.10.1 Politiques (USA)
Right To Try Act Poses Big Challenge For FDA [NPR] Given the version of right-to-try legislation headed for President Trump's signature, it remains unclear exactly how Gottlieb will address the agency's earlier concerns. The main issue is that the Right to Try Act is intended to run parallel to the FDA's expanded access pathway, providing a route for patients to circumvent the agency.
'Right-to-Try' Drug Law Offers No Miracle Cure [Bloomberg] Legislation aimed at increasing access to unproven treatments could create false hope in desperate patients and bankroll iffy drugs.
'Right to try' is an ill-considered bill [The Hill] Four former FDA commissioners — two Republicans and two Democrats — opposed the right to try legislation, regardless of the version, as did approximately 100 patient groups.
	6.11 Patients
Cancer patient feels 'privileged to be alive' after NHS trial treatment [BBC News] The NIHR study found that 56% of the participants were concerned that taking part in a trial might be unsafe or lead to side-effects, but 87% of those who did take part had a positive experience.
	6.4 Médico-éco
How much does it cost to save a life? Sometimes treating cancer means going broke [Chicago Tribune] “What really concerns me is that these drugs are going to take on an even more prominent role as more and more patients become eligible to receive these treatments,” Lichtenfeld said. “This is a topic coming, God forbid, to someone near you soon.”
	6.6 Publications
University requests 20 retractions of cancer papers following probe [Retraction Watch] The request, from University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB) and Birmingham VA Medical Center, focuses on papers by Santosh Katiyar, who explored alternative approaches to treating skin cancer in animal models.
Before reproducibility must come preproducibility [Nature] Instead of arguing about whether results hold up, let’s push to provide enough information for others to repeat the experiments.
	6.9 Controverses
Johnson & Johnson suffers another cancer-suit loss as talc case count climbs above 9,000 [FiercePharma] The drugmaker has denied a link to cancer and has had mixed results in court. More recently, mesothelioma and asbestos claims have started popping up.
Why was Theranos so believable? Medicine needs to look in the mirror [STAT] Did the claims made by Theranos stand out as that outrageous, unbelievable, or in need of extra scrutiny? Not when you measure it by a few examples of standout hype I have collected over the years. Who can forget when James Watson, the legendary yet now disgraced co-discoverer of the DNA double helix, made a prediction in 1998 to the New York Times that so-called VEGF inhibitors would cure cancer in “two years”?