BIOLOGIE
Deciphering pancreatic cancer’s invade and evade tactics [Hokkaido University]
Two known gene mutations induce pathways that enhance pancreatic cancer’s ability to invade tissues and evade the immune system. Researchers report the molecular details of this process providing insights into druggable targets for immunotherapies.
DEPISTAGE
Some people should stop being screened for cancer. Convincing them isn’t always easy [STAT]
Not all older adults may want to hear about life expectancy when thinking about cancer screening, and framing the decision as a shift in health priorities may be a better approach.
BIOPSIES LIQUIDES
Largest Study of its Kind Finds Guardant360 MSI Highly Concordant to Tissue [Guardant Health]
To validate Guardant360’s MSI detection, researchers compared the results of 1,145 Guardant360 samples to MSI status determined using standard-of-care tissue testing results taken from medical records. The results from Guardant360 were the same as the standard-of-care tissue test in 98.4% of cases.
TRAITEMENTS - PRÉ-CLINIQUE
A dynamic view of chemotherapy effectiveness [Nature]
Chemotherapy can halt cancer by causing cells to enter a non-dividing state called senescence, but sometimes it causes tumour cells to proliferate. It now seems that the dynamics of the protein p21 governs which of these fates occurs.
IMMUNOTHÉRAPIES - PRÉ-CLINIQUE
Study Shows Why a Common Form of Immunotherapy Fails, and Suggests Solution [Georgetown University]
By examining patient tumor samples from several clinical trials, the researchers have also discovered a signature, or “biomarker,” that identifies patients who would be resistant.
IMMUNOTHÉRAPIES - ESSAIS
Roche scores a notable PhIII success with Tecentriq combo in bladder cancer, but is this another case of too little too late? [EndPoints]
That’s a first in the checkpoint field. But it’s going to be an uphill climb for the pharma giant.
Roche trial win for Tecentriq leaves questions unanswered [Biopharma Dive]
How meaningful Roche's declared trial success is, however, won't be clear until fuller results are disclosed from the Phase 3 study, known as IMvigor-130. The drugmaker noted data on Tecentriq's survival benefit were "encouraging," but not yet mature enough for a statistical comparison to chemotherapy alone.
Roche's Tecentriq goes back to its roots with chemo combo win in bladder cancer [Fierce Pharma]
The win marks the first positive, phase 3 front-line study for the PD-1/PD-L1 class in bladder cancer.
TRAITEMENTS - PHARMA
Update on masitinib clinical program [AB Science]
Based on the abovementioned selection criteria, the non-resectable or metastatic stage 3 or stage 4 melanoma program is not part of the 7 strategic priorities of masitinib’s clinical program.
LUTTE CONTRE LES CANCERS
Cancer Medicine Is Failing Us [Scientific American]
Our aggressive, expensive approach to cancer is doing more harm than good.
LUTTE CONTRE LES CANCERS - POLITIQUES-USA
Researchers weigh in on Trump’s $500 million plan to share childhood cancer data [Science]
Challenges abound for linking databases, but effort could start with pilot projects.
LUTTE CONTRE LES CANCERS - ETHIQUE
Unethical work must be filtered out or flagged [Nature]
If nothing else, this would help to raise awareness of the issue. And it could help to reduce the number of times researchers cite ethically problematic work without even flagging the potential problem.
Directors of top cancer centers shouldn’t take money from drug companies [LA Times]
The good news is that half of all NCI physician cancer center directors appear to have already come to this conclusion. Let’s hope the others follow suit.
Cancer Treatment at the End of Life [NY Times]
As Dr. Charles D. Blanke wrote about the study, published in JAMA Oncology, “Chemotherapy is supposed to either help people live better or help them live longer, and this study showed that chemotherapy did neither.
LUTTE CONTRE LES CANCERS - IA/BIOINFORMATIQUE
Automating artificial intelligence for medical decision-making [MIT]
Model replaces the laborious process of annotating massive patient datasets by hand.
