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Monday 18 February 2019
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Topic: Oncology

January 21, 2019
NICE recommends Verzenios with an aromatase inhibitor to treat metastatic breast cancer
The National Institute of health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended Verzenios (abemaciclib) in combination with an aromatase inhibitor (AI) to treat metastatic breast cancer

The National Institute of health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended Verzenios (abemaciclib) in combination with an aromatase inhibitor (AI) to treat metastatic breast cancer.

Eli Lilly and Company announced on 18 January that the drug is recommended by NICE within its marketing authorisation as an option for treating locally advanced or metastatic, hormone receptor- positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer as first endocrine-based therapy in adults.

January 17, 2019
New treatment for prostate cancer receives European licence
Erleada™ (apalutamide) offers a new treatment option for men with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who are at high risk of metastatic disease
Janssen has announced that the European Commission (EC) has licensed Erleada (apalutamide), for the treatment of men with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) who are at high risk of developing metastatic disease.
 
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK,1 resulting in over 47,000 diagnoses each year, or 129 each day.2
 
December 13, 2018
The role of NGS in myeloid leukaemia: Part 1
The role of NGS in myeloid neoplasms with a focus on the broad utility of variants and a brief introduction to blood disorders, NGS and the considerations for testing clonal myeloid malignancies is discussed
Myeloid malignancies are complex clonal diseases arising in haematopoietic stem or progenitor cells. These heterogenous disorders comprise many different subtypes such as myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPN) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
 
December 10, 2018
Inflammatory bowel disease linked to prostate cancer
Men with inflamed guts are four to five times at risk for prostate cancer and are in need of more careful screening
Men with inflammatory bowel disease have four to five times higher risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer, reports a 20-year study from Northwestern Medicine.
 
This is the first report to show men with inflammatory bowel disease have higher than average PSA (prostate-specific antigen) values, and this group also has a significantly higher risk of potentially dangerous prostate cancer.
 
December 10, 2018
Realising the full potential of functional genomics
The Joint Cancer Research UK - AstraZeneca Functional Genomics Centre will be a dedicated world-class resource for AstraZeneca and Cancer Research UK’s academics and alliance partners working at all stages of translational research, from target discovery and validation, to assessing novel drug combinations
Cancer Research UK and AstraZeneca have announced that they are opening a new centre in the UK, dedicated to realising the full potential of functional genomics in the discovery and development of new drugs for patients with cancer.
 
This partnership will explore in more detail the function and interaction of genes and proteins in cancer, and apply new genome-altering technologies such as CRISPR, to create sophisticated models of the disease for research.
 
December 7, 2018
Development of new companion diagnostic to guide treatment in advanced breast cancer
Novartis's BYL719 is in late-stage development, and Qiagen expects to provide its companion diagnostic to clinical laboratory partners who will then be ready to offer immediate access to the test upon potential regulatory approvals

Qiagen has announced that a clinical development programme is underway with Novartis to bring to market a molecular test as a companion diagnostic to guide the use of the investigational compound BYL719 (alpelisib) in combination with fulvestrant for men and postmenopausal women living with PIK3CA mutated hormone receptor positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 negative (HR+/HER2-) advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

December 6, 2018
New cancer drugs taking longer for NHS patients to access
Delays in taking new cancer drugs through clinical trials and getting them approved for use mean NHS patients are waiting longer to access them, a report by the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) finds.

NHS patients are waiting longer for new cancer drugs because of delays in taking them through clinical trials and getting them approved for use, a new report has revealed.

The average time from when a cancer drug is patented to approval by NICE increased from 12.7 years between 2000-08 to 14.1 years between 2009-16, The Institute of Cancer Research, London (ICR) found.

December 3, 2018
New study has confirmed the effectiveness of PSA screening in reducing prostate cancer mortality
The study recommends active surveillance to prevent over-treatment, suggesting that 36% of patients with a new diagnosis are candidates for active surveillance, 30% of whom will ultimately have treatment for progression
A new study has confirmed the effectiveness of Prostate-specific Antigen (PSA) screening in reducing prostate cancer mortality.
 
The retrospective cohort study of over 400,000 men, as published in Elsevier’s Urology® journal,1 set out to re-examine the value of PSA screening, to determine the optimal screening interval and the appropriate age groups to be screened. 
 
November 30, 2018
Altering cancer metabolism helps treatments attack tumours
Researchers exposed lung, ovarian and colon cancer cells, and mouse models, to conditions similar to those in the human body, and investigated how manipulating cell metabolism can make cancer more vulnerable to oncolytic viruses

Restricting the ability of cancer cells to metabolise sugar could make oncolytic viruses more effective at attacking them, suggests a study published in the journal Cancer Research.

Viruses that are trained to attack cancer cells – known as oncolytic viruses – can kill tumours without affecting healthy cells nearby. They normally work by invading the cells, multiplying and destroying the tumour from inside. They are currently being tested in clinical trials.

November 30, 2018
England lagging behind rest of Europe in cancer survival rates
Cancer patients in England have a poorer survival rate than patients in other European countries, according to the Health Foundation.

Cancer patients in England have a poorer survival rate than patients in other European countries, according to the Health Foundation.
 
A report by the charity looked at the progress made since the NHS Cancer Plan in 2000, which aimed to see five-year survival rates for cancer in England compare with the best in Europe by 2010.
 
Delays in diagnosis and treatment
 

November 30, 2018
England lagging behind rest of Europe in cancer survival rates
Cancer patients in England have a poorer survival rate than patients in other European countries, according to the Health Foundation.

Cancer patients in England have a poorer survival rate than patients in other European countries, according to the Health Foundation.
 
A report by the charity looked at the progress made since the NHS Cancer Plan in 2000, which aimed to see five-year survival rates for cancer in England compare with the best in Europe by 2010.
 
Delays in diagnosis and treatment
 

November 29, 2018
First child cancer patients treated with new CAR-T therapy in UK
CAR-T treatment involves collecting and using a patient’s own immune cells to fight the cancer over a number of weeks.

Children with cancer at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London are this week starting a new therapy treatment tailored to target patients’ specific cancer cells.
 
The CAR-T treatment involves collecting and using a patient’s own immune cells to fight the cancer over a number of weeks. 
 
Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital is also offering the immunotherapy treatment, and Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will join next month.
 

November 29, 2018
First child cancer patients treated with new CAR-T therapy in UK
CAR-T treatment involves collecting and using a patient’s own immune cells to fight the cancer over a number of weeks.

Children with cancer at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London are this week starting a new therapy treatment tailored to target patients’ specific cancer cells.
 
The CAR-T treatment involves collecting and using a patient’s own immune cells to fight the cancer over a number of weeks. 
 
Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital is also offering the immunotherapy treatment, and Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will join next month.
 

November 29, 2018
Nanoscale blood test set to springboard cancer discoveries
The discovery could potentially accelerate early diagnosis, speed up drug discovery and lead to advancements in personalised medicines

A technique to get more information from the blood of cancer patients than previously possible has been developed.

The discovery could potentially accelerate early diagnosis, speed up drug discovery and lead to advancements in personalised medicines. The Cancer Research UK-funded study has been published in Advanced Materials.

November 29, 2018
NICE gives green light for regorafenib
In the EU, regorafenib is indicated for treatment of adult patients with advanced unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma who have been previously treated with sorafenib
Bayer has announced that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended Stivarga® (regorafenib) as an option for treating advanced unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in adults who have had Nexavar® (sorafenib) only if patientshave Child-Pugh grade A liver impairment and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1.1
 
November 28, 2018
Cryoablation shows promise in treating low-risk breast cancers
Cryoablation represents a potential new weapon in the arsenal against breast cancer

Cryoablation — the destruction of cancer cells through freezing — shows early indications of effectiveness in treating women with low-risk breast cancers, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Researchers said that over the four years of the study, there has only been one case of cancer recurrence out of 180 patients.

November 28, 2018
EC approves brigatinib for ALK+ non-small cell lung cancer
Data from the ALTA trial showed sustained systemic and intracranial efficacy results and a manageable safety profile, leading to the longest progression-free survival and overall survival reported in this setting

Takeda has announced that the European Commission (EC) granted marketing authorisation for Alunbrig (brigatinib) as a monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive (ALK+) advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) previously treated with crizotinib.

The decision follows a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) on 20 September, 2018. 

November 27, 2018
Mogamulizumab receives positive opinion for mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome
If approved, Poteligeo will be the first biologic agent targeting CCR4 to be available for patients in Europe

Kyowa Kirin has announced that it has received a European Commission decision granting a marketing authorisation to Poteligeo® (mogamulizumab), a humanised monoclonal antibody (mAb) directed against CC chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4), for the treatment of adult patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) or Sézary syndrome (SS) who have received at least one prior systemic therapy.

MF and SS are the two most common subtypes of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), a rare type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
 

November 27, 2018
Report highlights need for radical overhaul of cancer diagnostics
The Health Foundation report found that 10,000 deaths could be prevented each year with better diagnosis

A new report by the Health Foundation has highlighted the urgent need for a revolution in cancer diagnosis in Britain.

November 13, 2018
Obesity causes body’s ‘natural cancer killer cells’ to fail, say researchers
Excess fat causes the body’s cancer-fighting “natural killer cells” to fail, explaining the link between obesity and cancer, researchers have said.

Excess fat causes the body’s cancer-fighting “natural killer cells” to fail, explaining the link between obesity and cancer, researchers have said.
 
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin worked with natural killer cells from humans – as well as using mice – found that when these cells become clogged with fat, they are prevented from killing tumour cells although they can still recognise them.
 

November 8, 2018
NICE recommends Vyxeos in specific types of secondary AML
Vyxeos is an advanced liposomal formulation that delivers a synergistic molar ratio of daunorubicin and cytarabine

Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc has announced that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published a Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) recommending Vyxeos® 44 mg/100 mg powder for concentrate for solution for infusion for routine use on the National Health Service (NHS) in England and Wales.

Vyxeos is recommended for the treatment of adults with newly diagnosed, therapy-related acute myeloid leukaemia (t-AML) or AML with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC)1 – two types of secondary AML.

November 7, 2018
Olarpip could provide effective treatment for brain tumours, charity reveals

An ovarian cancer drug could be an effective treatment for a difficult-to-treat type of brain tumour, research by a cancer charity has revealed.
 
Olaparib could leak through the blood brain barrier to treat glioblastoma – a condition which many other drugs have failed to treat – according to a study presented at the National Cancer Research Institute’s (NCRI) Cancer Conference in Liverpool on Monday (5 November).
 

November 7, 2018
Olarpip could provide effective treatment for brain tumours, charity reveals

An ovarian cancer drug could be an effective treatment for a difficult-to-treat type of brain tumour, research by a cancer charity has revealed.
 
Olaparib could leak through the blood brain barrier to treat glioblastoma – a condition which many other drugs have failed to treat – according to a study presented at the National Cancer Research Institute’s (NCRI) Cancer Conference in Liverpool on Monday (5 November).
 

November 5, 2018
BRCA testing – making treatment decisions today and planning for the future

The ubiquity of the pink ribbon campaign, the prevalence of precision medicine as a recurring theme in every scientific and medical journal, and the very fact that BRCA has entered the lexicon of society – globally – suggests that breast cancer testing is standard. Indeed, something that has been part of everyday life for some time.
 

November 5, 2018
BRCA testing – making treatment decisions today and planning for the future

The ubiquity of the pink ribbon campaign, the prevalence of precision medicine as a recurring theme in every scientific and medical journal, and the very fact that BRCA has entered the lexicon of society – globally – suggests that breast cancer testing is standard. Indeed, something that has been part of everyday life for some time.