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Thursday 27 June 2019
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Topic: Oncology

June 18, 2019
Lynparza approved for first-line maintenance treatment of BRCA-mutated advanced ovarian cancer
This approval is based on data from the Phase III SOLO-1 trial, which showed that Lynparza, after a median follow-up of 40.7 months, lowered the risk of disease progression or death by 70% than with placebo
AstraZeneca and MSD have announced that the European Commission (EC) has approved Lynparza (olaparib) as a 1st-line maintenance treatment for women with BRCA-mutated advanced ovarian cancer.
 
The licensed indication is as a maintenance treatment of adult patients with advanced (FIGO stages III and IV) BRCA1/2-mutated (germline and/or somatic) high-grade epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer who are in response (complete or partial) following completion of 1st-line platinum-based chemotherapy.
June 13, 2019
Pixuvri approved for use in Europe
Pixantrone has been available to patients since 2012 following a conditional approval in Europe
Servier has announced that the European Commission (EC) has approved the conversion of the conditional approval of Pixuvri® (pixantrone) into a standard marketing authorisation as a single agent for the treatment of adult patients with multiply relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma.
 
June 12, 2019
Pharmacies make a lifestyle impact for patients with prostate cancer
Cardiovascular health and physical activity levels of prostate cancer patients improve following successful interventions by community pharmacies, new research in the British Medical Journal reports
In the first study of its kind, researchers from the University of Surrey, funded by the Movember Foundation in partnership with Prostate Cancer UK, developed and tested the feasibility of community pharmacies delivering programmes to improve levels of physical activity and diet of men with prostate cancer and those who have successfully completed treatment for the disease. 
 
June 12, 2019
Scotland sees advance in treatment of kidney cancer
Decision based on data from Phase III head-to-head study stopped early due to an overall survival efficacy benefit versus sunitinib, a current standard of care

Bristol-Myers Squibb has announced that the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has decided to fund the combination of Opdivo® (nivolumab) plus Yervoy® (ipilimumab) for use within NHS Scotland as a first-line treatment option for an advanced form of the most common type of kidney cancer, renal cell carcinoma (RCC), specifically in previously-untreated patients who are considered of intermediate- and poor-prognostic risk.

June 10, 2019
Protons to play a vital role in the battle against prostate cancer
An upsurge in demand for proton beam therapy was predicted as the centenary of the discovery of the proton was celebrated at a major scientific conference
Proton beam therapy, an innovative form of radiotherapy that delivers cancer treatment in a more targeted manner, has recently arrived in the UK through the Rutherford Cancer Centres and an NHS facility. 
 
As the number of patients treated with this precision therapy grows, there is a debate about the benefits that this innovative treatment can bring.
 
June 6, 2019
Long-term data from pivotal Phase III studies of ibrutinib presented at ASCO and EHA
The results support a robust set of existing data demonstrating the sustained efficacy, safety, and tolerability of continuous ibrutinib treatment in patients with CLL
Janssen has announced long-term follow-up results from two pivotal Phase III studies of Imbruvica® (ibrutinib) in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and the most common form of leukaemia in adults.1 
 
May 29, 2019
Stem cell differences could explain why women are more likely to develop adrenal cancer
Scientists have discovered a potential biological reason why women are more likely to develop adrenal disorders, including cancer; the answer could lie in the increased turnover of hormone-producing cells found in the adrenal glands of females

Scientists have discovered a potential biological reason why women are more likely to develop adrenal disorders, including cancer. According to the researchers, the answer could lie in the increased turnover of hormone-producing cells found in the adrenal glands of females.

May 29, 2019
Using 3D to test personalised cancer treatments in five days
Researchers have devised a cell co-culture platform that reproduces a patient's tumour structure in 3D and which can be used to test several drugs or their combinations at different stages of the tumour's development

Why doesn't the same treatment work in the same way for every patient? How can a drug's performance be optimised without causing side effects due to an excessive dosage?

May 17, 2019
Liquid biopsy could identify cancer patients at risk of metastatic disease
Analysing fragments of DNA that are shed by tumours into the bloodstream could indicate early on whether patients are at risk of their cancer spreading, according to new research
Researchers at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in the UK say ctDNA, a form of liquid biopsy, may be an accurate technique to monitor treatment response in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer, allowing treatment to be adapted or changed earlier to try to prevent the development of metastatic disease.
 
May 17, 2019
New strategy of reprogramming regulatory T cells may improve cancer therapies
A new study describes a method of reprogramming regulatory T cells that usually suppress immune responses into inflammatory cells that not only permit but also intensify an antitumour immune response
A new study from the Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases (CIID) at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) describes a method of reprogramming the regulatory T cells that usually suppress immune responses into inflammatory cells that not only permit but also intensify an antitumour immune response.1 
 
May 10, 2019
Whole body MRI may help to detect spread of cancers more quickly
Largest trials of their kind suggest that whole body MRI may be quicker and cheaper than standard imaging for detecting spread of colorectal and non-small cell lung cancers, while just as sensitive
Trials with people with newly-diagnosed colorectal and non-small cell lung cancer suggest that whole body MRI could reduce the time it takes to diagnose the stage of cancers.
 
The results are from two prospective trials with nearly 500 patients across 16 UK hospitals, published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology and The Lancet Respiratory Medicine journals.1,2
 
May 2, 2019
First patients for UK ‘chronic pain’ trial
Clinical Fellow Ben Shelley is driving forward the chronic pain trial at the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Scotland
Researchers at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital in Scotland have recruited the first patients for a new trial which aims to reduce chronic pain following open lung surgery.
 
The first patients have been recruited and operated on within 24 hours of the TOPIC2 trial, which is funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment Programme, starting at the National Hospital – the only Scottish centre participating in the UK multi centre trial.
 
May 2, 2019
HER2 positive breast cancer: treatment de-escalation needs to be personalised
A de-escalation strategy omitting chemotherapy in the first line treatment of HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer was attempted in the PERNETTA trial
De-escalation approaches in the treatment of women with HER2 positive breast cancer need to be personalised, according to Dr Carmen Criscitiello, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy. 
 
Her comments come on the occasion of the presentation of updated research results at the inaugural ESMO Breast Cancer Congress 2019, 2-4 May 2019, in Berlin, Germany. 
 
May 2, 2019
Single dose of targeted radiotherapy is safe and effective for prostate cancer
Researchers say high dose-rate brachytherapy could offer an effective treatment that is convenient for patients and brings potential time and cost savings for hospitals
A single high dose of radiation that can be delivered directly to the tumour within a few minutes is a safe and effective technique for treating men with low-risk prostate cancer, according to a study presented at the ESTRO 38 conference.
 
Radiotherapy traditionally involves a series of lower dose treatments that take place over several days or week. The new treatment, high dose-rate brachytherapy, delivers radiation via a set of tiny tubes.
 
May 2, 2019
Will a simple test for pancreatic cancer really solve the late diagnosis crisis?
Pancreatic Cancer UK has announced that they are investing £750,000 into developing the first simple test for pancreatic cancer by 2024
Currently, pancreatic cancer is diagnosed by a CT or MRI scan and there is currently no ‘non-invasive’ detection test so a development of one would be welcomed.
 
However, whilst having a bio-marker for the disease is fantastic and something we should be investing in, this will not solve the problem of late diagnosis (which is the major cause for the extremely low survival rate in pancreatic cancer).  
 
April 30, 2019
Continuous chemotherapy improves outcomes and quality of life in advanced breast cancer
These analyses report on secondary endpoints from the Stop&Go study, with the main endpoint for second-line being progression-free survival
Continuous chemotherapy shows greater benefit in patients with advanced breast cancer by both improving survival and maintaining quality of life compared to intermittent scheduling, according to analyses of the Stop&Go study presented at the ESMO Breast Cancer Congress 2019.1,2  
 
April 25, 2019
Raising awareness of brachytherapy: a case study
Chris was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the age of 67, having previously been treated for testicular cancer in 1976. His treatment pathway took many turns and below is his story
In 1976 Chris James successfully underwent an orchidectomy followed by external beam radiation therapy (ERBT) to remove his testicular cancer. 
 
April 25, 2019
World's first to reproduce complete copy of 'anti-tumour antibiotic'
This major breakthrough and world-first could hail a new era in the design and production of new antibiotics and anticancer agents
After 20 years of dedicated research, scientists have cracked the chemical code of an incredibly complex 'anti-tumour antibiotic' known to be highly effective against cancer cells as well as drug-resistant bacteria, and have reproduced it synthetically in the lab for the first time.
 
April 23, 2019
Blood samples to help select the right early phase clinical trials for cancer patients
Scientists from the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute at The University of Manchester showed that a small volume of blood can contain up-to-date genetic information about a patient's cancer to inform treatment choices

Scientists could help match cancer patients with no other treatment options to clinical trials with experimental medicines, by analysing the genetic faults in a sample of their blood, according to research published in Nature Medicine.

The researchers, funded by Cancer Research UK, The Christie Charity, AstraZeneca and the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), demonstrated in their feasibility study that a blood test can be carried out and analysed in a timeframe that can help clinicians select a matched, targeted treatment.

April 12, 2019
Janssen announces first two data centres to join HONEUR collaborative network
Improving results for patients by realising the transformational potential of Real World Data
HONEUR (Haematology Outcomes Network in Europe) is a Janssen-led initiative and part of the company’s overall commitment to creating better outcomes for patients – in this case, by harnessing the full potential of Real World Data and the insights it can provide. 
 
April 10, 2019
ESMO drives EU-level action to tackle shortages of essential medicines
In oncology, in particular, where there are often no alternatives to these medicines, shortages pose a threat to patient safety as they reduce adherence to therapy and limit the ability of physicians to provide effective treatment regimens

Shortages of essential cancer medicines have a direct impact on patient care across Europe.

To ensure that this issue remains a top priority on the EU policy agenda, ESMO collaborated with the European Parliament to organise a cross-partisan event entitled “Shortages of Inexpensive, Essential Medicines: Calling for Tangible Political Commitments in the EU”.1

April 10, 2019
Lynparza approved in EU for germline BRCA-mutated HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer
First PARP inhibitor approved in the EU for patients with this difficult-to-treat disease and third EU approval for Lynparza

The European Commission has approved Lynparza (olaparib) as a monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with germline BRCA1/2-mutations (gBRCAm), and who have human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative locally-advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

April 5, 2019
New treatment combination available first-line to treat advanced kidney cancer
Immediate first-line access to this combination could be a treatment option for up to 1700 advanced kidney cancer patients in England
Bristol-Myers Squibb has announced that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued a Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) recommending the combination of Opdivo® (nivolumab) plus Yervoy® (ipilimumab) to treat NHS patients in England with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). 
 
March 28, 2019
Cancer Research UK, LifeArc and Ono Pharma form cancer therapy alliance
New immunotherapy drug targets for cancer will be progressed through a multimillion-pound drug discovery alliance between Cancer Research UK, LifeArc and Ono Pharmaceutical Co Ltd
A multi-year partnership brings together Cancer Research UK’s network of world-leading scientists and drug discovery expertise, LifeArc’s renowned therapeutic antibody engineering and development expertise, and Ono’s considerable track record in developing cancer immunotherapies.
 
March 20, 2019
Groundbreaking pancreatic cancer trial reaches patient milestone
Precision-Panc seeks to uncover the molecular profile of individual patients with pancreatic cancer, to learn more about the disease and to pave the way for patients entering clinical trials in a way that matches their tumour biology to the type of treatment

A groundbreaking pancreatic cancer trial, which aims to match patients with more targeted and effective treatment for their tumours, has successfully recruited its 100th patient.

Run by Precision-Panc, a research programme and clinical trials project led by the University of Glasgow with major funding from Cancer Research UK, the trial brings a precision medicine approach to pancreatic cancer treatment for the first time in the UK.