Onco Actu du 22 janvier 2019

	1. BIOLOGIE
From microfluidics to metastasis [MIT] The system, described in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the week of Jan. 21, diverts blood to a microfluidic cell-sorting chip that extracts individual CTCs before returning the blood back to an awake mouse.
	1.4 BIOLOGIE - TECHNOS
China seems to confirm scientist’s gene-edited babies claim [AP] The Xinhua report says the twins and those involved in the second pregnancy will remain under medical observation with regular visits supervised by government health departments.
	4.2 DÉP., DIAG. & PRONO. - GÉNOME
New breast cancer gene tests don't faze women [Reuters] About 60 percent of the women in the study had the older genetic tests that only looked for BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, while about 40 percent had the newer multigene tests.
	5.1 TRAITEMENTS - PRÉ-CLINIQUE
Helping give hope to patients with rare chordoma cancers [Institute of Cancer Research] The study team set out to identify potential therapeutic targets by taking two complementary, large-scale screening approaches. The first was to use CRISPR-Cas9 technology to genetically knock out individual genes across the chordoma genome, and the second was to test a library of small-molecule chemicals for activity against chordoma cell lines.
	5.12.5 IMMUNOTHÉRAPIES - PHARMA
Immunocore lifer leaves to head research at TCR rival Scancell [Fierce Biotech] Scancell is developing anticancer candidates based on two immunotherapy platforms, ImmunoBody and Moditope. The pipeline of ImmunoBody vaccines, led by clinical-phase NY-ESO-1 asset SCIB1, has advanced furthest, but the other platform has attracted attention and a T-cell receptor (TCR) deal with BioNTech.
Redx cleared to start Wnt cancer trial again after safety scare [Fierce Biotech] Redx thinks RXC004 works by inhibiting cancer cell growth directly as well as engaging the immune system to attack the tumor. If the trial proceeds as hoped, Redx intends to start testing the drug in tandem with checkpoint inhibitors.
	5.2 PHARMA
Johnson & Johnson, AbbVie superstar Imbruvica flunks pancreatic cancer test [Fierce Pharma] AbbVie and J&J aren’t the only drugmakers who've come up empty in pancreatic cancer. And as AbbVie was quick to point out Friday, metastatic pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive and deadliest cancer types, bearing 5-year survival rates below 5%, and it’s primarily treated with chemo.
	5.4 TRAITEMENTS - ECONOMIE
Cost watchdog ICER lays out plans to scrutinize pharma's costliest price hikes [Fierce Pharma] ICER’s first report will look at up to 13 drugs; the panel conducting the reviews will include members from patient advocacy organizations, pharma companies and representatives from public and private payers.
Encorafenib with binimetinib for unresectable or metastatic BRAF V600 mutation-positive melanoma [NICE] It is recommended only if the company provides encorafenib and binimetinib according to the commercial arrangements.
NICE clears Pierre Fabre's targeted melanoma combo to take on Novartis, Roche drugs [Fierce Pharma] NICE endorsed the Pierre Fabre meds as cost-effective under a commercial arrangement that includes a confidential discount. According to NICE, Braftovi costs £1,400 for 42 tablets and Mektovi costs £2,240 for 84 tablets. Pierre Fabre, which developed the combo, has global rights to the drugs outside of select markets.
NICE recommends Pierre Fabre's Braftovi in BRAF V600-mutated advanced melanoma [Pharmafile] Braftovi (encorafenib), a BRAF kinase inhibitor developed by Pierre Fabre, has been awarded approval in combination with Mektovi (binimetinib) by UK drug watchdog NICE for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma in adult patients with a BRAF V600 mutation, it has emerged.
	6.1 OBSERVATION
What’s behind the increase in bowel cancer among younger Australians? [The Conversation] Our study, published recently in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, found the incidence of bowel cancer, which includes colon and rectal cancer, has increased by up to 9% in people under 50 from the 1990s until now.
	6.11 PATIENTS
Survey Highlights How 'Much More There Is to a Cancer Diagnosis' [Cure] “The reality, though, is that cancer’s impact goes beyond treatment and physical effects. For many people, the worry, anxiety, social issues and effects on relationships can often have a bigger negative impact than symptoms or treatment side effects.”
Cancer in your 20s is terrifying – too many of us are left to cope alone [The Guardian] Survival rates for 13- to 24-year-olds are rising. Yet poorer patients fare less well, and vital post-cancer care is still lacking.
	6.4 MÉDICO-ÉCO
Cancer survivors face stress from steep medical bills [Reuters] As reported in Cancer, the researchers examined data on 4,340 adult cancer survivors under 65 plus 98,692 people the same age who never had cancer. They also looked at 6,014 survivors age 65 and older, plus 25,744 older adults without cancer.
	6.5 MÉDECINES ALTERNATIVES/COMPLÉMENTAIRES
Are desperate cancer patients who raise money online falling prey to quack medicine? [Daily Mail] Sites GoFundMe.com or JustGiving.com are increasing popular with patients. Funds raised are typically for alternative care in U.S., Germany, Turkey or Mexico. We spoke to two families about their very different experiences of overseas help.
Trojan horse: Selling “integrative oncology” as science-based [Respectful Insolence] Indeed, I like to point out that the embrace of acupuncture by integrative oncology disqualifies integrative oncologists from claiming that their specialty is in any way science-based. If it were truly science-based, it wouldn’t endorse acupuncture.
	6.7.1 IA/BIOINFORMATIQUE
Medical AI Safety: Doing it wrong. [Luke Oakden-Rayner] If it wasn’t for the slow, statistical nature of the problems with CAD (computer aided diagnosis), occurring over decades and measured in calculated lives rather than visible people, we might call breast CAD a medical tragedy. What would happen to medical AI as a sector if something like this occurred because we had not been as diligent as we knew we should be?
	6.8 COMMUNICATION
When Cancer Meets the Internet [NY Times] As a specialist in breast cancer, Dr. Schapira has treated women who decline postoperative therapy with a drug like tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor because they read on the web that the treatments are harmful, despite extensive studies showing they can help prevent a breast cancer recurrence. “The conviction about harm is an emotional reaction, and it’s very difficult for a doctor to talk facts through emotions,” she said.