Onco Actu du 13 janvier 2020

	1. BIOLOGIE
Moffitt Researchers Identify Molecular Characteristics of Leptomeningeal Melanoma Metastases [Moffitt Cancer Center] These observations suggest that molecules exist within the cerebrospinal fluid that can stimulate melanoma cell survival and prevent cell death. The researchers reported that one of these survival molecules is TGF-β.
	2.14 ETIOLOGIE - TALC
Government experts urge new talc testing standards amid asbestos worries [Reuters] The most significant recommendation from the panel of government experts is that mineral particles found in talc products small enough to be drawn into the lungs - even those the industry would not call asbestos - should be counted as potentially harmful.
	4. DÉPISTAGE, DIAGNOSTIC ET PRONOSTIC
Improving cancer screening programs [Science] A learning screening program continuously and systematically generates knowledge about what works—that is, which test is most effective to reduce mortality, has the optimal balance between benefits and harms, and is most likely to be acceptable in the population.
	4.2 DÉP., DIAG. & PRONO. - GÉNOME
OncotypeDX Score May Give Valuable Info on Breast Cancer Locoregional Recurrence [Genome Web] "There are large clinical trials going on looking at radiation care for breast cancer patients, like TAILOR RT, and I encourage people to enroll," Woodward said. "The more data we have, the more we'll know how to use this new precision medicine tool."
New open-source software judges accuracy of computer predictions of cancer genetics [Francis Crick Institute] “Our new framework provides a foundation which, over time as it is run against more tumours, will hopefully become a much-needed, unbiased, gold-standard benchmarking tool for assessing models that aim to characterise a tumour’s genetic diversity.”
	4.9 DÉP., DIAG. & PRONO. - SEIN
Artificial Intelligence Makes Bad Medicine Even Worse [Wired] In other words, AI systems like the one from Google promise to combine humans and machines in order to facilitate cancer diagnosis, but they also have the potential to worsen pre-existing problems such as overtesting, overdiagnosis, and overtreatment. It’s not even clear whether the improvements in false-positive and false-negative rates reported this month would apply in real-world settings.
	5. TRAITEMENTS
Remember Last January’s Promise Of A Cure For Cancer In A Year? Heard Anything Lately? [Dr. Len] What is certain is that the scientists who said they would have a cure for cancer in one year didn’t meet their goal. And that is not only a shame; it is chutzpah of the highest order.
	5.12.1 IMMUNOTHÉRAPIES - PARTENARIATS
Nektar Therapeutics and Bristol-Myers Squibb Amend Strategic Collaboration Agreement for bempegaldesleukin Plus Opdivo (nivolumab) [BMS] The revision to the strategic collaboration agreement includes a new joint development plan under which Nektar and Bristol-Myers Squibb will expand the active clinical development program for bempeg plus nivolumab from three ongoing registrational trials in first-line metastatic melanoma, first-line cisplatin-ineligible metastatic urothelial cancer and first-line metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) to include two additional registrational trials in adjuvant melanoma and in muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
Iovance Biotherapeutics and Cellectis Enter into a Research Collaboration and Exclusive Worldwide License Agreement [Cellectis] The worldwide exclusive license enables Iovance Biotherapeutics’ use of TALEN® technology addressing multiple gene targets to modify TIL for therapeutic use in several cancer indications.
	5.12.5.1 IMMUNOTHÉRAPIES - BIOTECH
Merck-partnered biotech hands Roche its half-life extension tech as it pivots to immuno-oncology [EndPoints] It seems few can resist the revenue that can await a cancer treatment. After over a decade extending the half-life of medicines for J&J, Genentech and other large players, Amunix is pivoting to develop elements of its platform into two approaches to immuno-oncology, one of which is an off-the-shelf alternative to CAR–T treatments.
	5.17 TRAITEMENTS - RADIOTHÉRAPIE
Radiotherapy can be used in hard-to-treat bladder cancer [Institute of Cancer Research] The five-year overall survival rate was 34%, which is comparable to the survival rate of node-positive bladder cancer patients who receive chemotherapy and surgery alone.
	5.2 PHARMA
Lynparza regulatory submission granted Priority Review in the US for 1st-line maintenance treatment with bevacizumab in advanced ovarian cancer [AstraZeneca] Submission based on Phase III PAOLA-1 trial for patients with advanced ovarian cancer regardless of biomarker status or surgical outcome.
	5.2.1 PHARMA - PARTENARIATS
Aduro's staffers feel the sting, again, after Novartis walks away [Fierce Biotech] The Berkeley, California-based biotech has been successful signing deals over the years: It first teamed up with Novartis on targeting STING (stimulator of interferon genes) back in 2015. But while good at getting those signatures, it’s not been great at holding onto them.
	5.2.6 PHARMA - BIOTECH
Tyra Biosciences takes aim at treatment-resistant tumors with $50M raise [Fierce Biotech] The Carlsbad, California-based biotech will develop a pipeline of “very specific” small molecules to target drug-resistant cancer cells.
	5.3.4 TRAITEMENTS - AMM (FDA, EMA,...)
Blueprint wins first FDA nod for a stomach cancer—though not exactly what it asked for [Fierce Pharma] Crossing the regulatory finish line with its first commercial product is definitely a milestone for Blueprint. But the nod isn’t as broad as the company had hoped, putting its plan to reach another subset of patients slightly behind rival Deciphera Pharmaceuticals.
Blueprint wins 1st FDA approval with targeted cancer drug [Biopharma Dive] Blueprint is also seeking approval for Ayvakit in GIST, broadly defined, that's progressed following three or more lines of therapy. The FDA, however, split Blueprint's application, approving the drug in PDGFRA-mutated GIST while setting up a separate decision in fourth-line treatment.
	6.1 OBSERVATION
Cancer By the Numbers [In The Pipeline] The resulting curves in both cases would appear to be a mixture of true incidence rates, overdiagnosis due to screening, and advances in therapy, and it’s not easy to untangle the relative effects of all these. Arguing about these matters has been intense, as many will have noted, but there seems little room to argue that both breast cancer and prostate cancer are indeed overdiagnosed.
Alcohol-related deaths increasing in the United States [NIH] The findings come at a time of growing evidence that even one drink per day of alcohol can contribute to an increase in the risk of breast cancer for women.
U.S. Cancer Death Rates Decline; How Can We Continue This Progress? [Cancer Research Catalyst] Although lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, the death rate has dropped due to a combination of lower smoking rates, earlier detection, and powerful new treatments including several immunotherapies.
	6.4 MÉDICO-ÉCO
Cancer Costs: A ripple effect analysis of cancer’s wider impact [Demos] This report, supported by Pfizer, aims to explore this multifaceted cost of cancer and document the impact it has upon all the lives it touches – patients, survivors, carers and family members.
Economic burden of cancer costs UK £7.6bn a year [Pharma Times] “Cancer Costs: a ripple effect analysis of cancer’s wider impact” found that these changes range from taking unpaid leave through to quitting work, as women have more difficulty in reaching their previous level of income after cancer – with 55% receiving a lower income compared to just 51% of men.
	6.7 DMP, BIG DATA & APPLIS
Inside Google’s Quest for Millions of Medical Records [Wall Street Journal] In just a few years, the company has achieved the ability to view or analyze tens of millions of patient health records in at least three-quarters of U.S. states, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of contractual agreements.