Happy Holidays - Grey Horizon posts will resume week of January 4, 2022

 Dear all Grey Horizon readers, 

Thank you for your support over the past year.  Blog postings will resume the week of January 4, 2022. 

Happy Holidays and best wishes for a healthy New Year! 

Immunogenicity of COVID-19 MRNA-based vaccine in patients with actively treated solid malignancies

 Results from the Vax-On study of mRNA-BNT 162b2 immunogenicity in cancer patients with solid malignancies receiving treatment indicates that "seroconversion response...remains adequate even 5 months after the second COVID-19 vaccine dose."  According to Dr. Fabrizio Nelli of the Department of Oncology and Haematology at the Hospital of Belcolle in Viterbo, Italy, provide evidence in favour of cancer patients receiving a third dose of vaccine.  

To read more about the Vax-On study, click here. 

Source mentioned: Nelli F, Fabbri A, Onorato A, et al. Six-months immunogenicity of COVID-19 mRNA-BNT162b2 vaccine in actively treated cancer patients: Updated results of the Vax-On study. Annals of Oncology; Published online 9 December 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annonc.2021.12.001

Two years of adjuvant Palbociclib added to endocrine therapy does not improve outcomes in early breast cancer

 Results of a phase III trial, the Palbociclib CoLlaborative Adjuvant Study (PALLAS), presented at the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), December 7-10, 2021, "does not show significant improvements in survival endpoints for the addition of Palbociclib to adjuvant endocrine therapy over endocrine therapy alone in patients with early hormone receptor-positive, HER-2 negative breast cancer."  Further, the trial unveiled that nearly half (44.9%) of patients were not able to complete the full 2 years of Palbociclib treatment due to neutropenia.  

To read more about the results of this trial, click here. 

Study mentioned: Gnant M, Dueck AC, Frantal S, et al. Adjuvant Palbociclib for Early Breast Cancer: The PALLAS Trial Results (ABCSG-42/AFT-05/BIG-14-03). JCO; Published online 7 December 2021. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.21.02554

Clinical trial alert: Significant interaction between chemotherapy benefit and menopausal status in invasive disease-free survival

 

Findings of the RxPONDER clinical trial, a study led by Dr. Kevin Kalinsky of the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University in Atlanta, GA, USA were recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.  RxPONDER (a clinical trial RX for positive node, endocrine responsive breast cancer), "randomly assigned participants [~5000 women] with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, 1 to 3 positive axillary lymph nodes (nodal stage N1), and a recurrence score of 25 or lower to endocrine therapy only or to chemoendocrine therapy."  After a period of 5 years, the study determined that the relative chemotherapy benefit did not increase as the recurrence score increased. 

To read more about this trial, click here. 

Study mentioned: Kalinsky K, Barlow WE, Gralow JR, et al. 21-Gene Assay to Inform Chemotherapy Benefit in Node-Positive Breast Cancer. NEJM; Published online 1 December 2021. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2108873

Clinical trial alert: Long-term outcomes from the Checkmate 067 study patients with advanced melanoma

Data collected over 6.5 years fro the CheckMate 067 on clinical outcomes with nivolumab plus ipillimumab or nivolumab vs. impillimumab in patients with advanced melanoma, was recently reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.  Overall survival rates (with minimum 6.5 year follow-up was "72.1, 36.9, and 19.9 months in the combination, nivolumab, and ipillimumab groups, respectively."  For patients who discontinued treatment, median treatment-free survival was 27.6, 2.3, and 1.9 months. 

To learn more about CheckMate 067, click here.  

Study mentioned: Wolchok JD, Chiarion-Sileni V, Gonzalez R, et al. Long-Term Outcomes With Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab or Nivolumab Alone Versus Ipilimumab in Patients With Advanced Melanoma. JCO; Published online 24 November 2021. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.21.02229

Breast cancer: the role of exercise

 A recent post on Medical News Today re-emphasized the importance of regular exercise for breast cancer patients.  Benefits include increased survival, reduced risk of recurrence, improved mood and energy, improved treatment tolerance, and improved physical function.  The post also goes several tips on starting an exercise routine, namely discussing exercise plans with a medical care team, and referral to a physical therapist.  

To read more, click here. 

New trial alert: drug combination helps children with acute promyelocytic leukemia avoid conventional chemotherapy

The results of a new clinical trial has determined that "the combination of all-trans retinoic acid, ...a metabolite of vitamin A and arsenic trioxide is highly effective in children with standard- and high-risk acute promyelocytic leukemia, or APL."   The trial, conducted on 154 children between 1-22 years old who were recently diagnosed with standard or high-risk APL, showed 2-year event-free survival rates of 96%-98%, with fewer than 10% experiencing severe side effects. 

To learn more about this trial, click here. 

Study mentioned: Kutny MA, Alonzo TA, Abla O, et al. Assessment of Arsenic Trioxide and All-trans Retinoic Acid for the Treatment of Pediatric Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia A Report From the Children’s Oncology Group AAML1331 Trial. JAMA Oncology November 11, 2021. DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2021.5206.

New trial alert: Ibrutinib improves survival for younger people with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

 New analysis of a phase 3 trial has unveiled that adding Ibrutinib (Imbruvica) to chemotherapy can improve survival rates for patients younger than 60 with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).  DLBCL is the most common type of lymphoma, occurring in 40% of lymphoma cases.  According to Dr Louis M. Staudt, chief of the Lymphoid Malignancies Branch at the National Cancer Institute, "for years we have only had chemotherapy and rituximab to offer these patients...Now, we hope that adding Ibrutinib to current therapy may give younger patients a better chance of surviving this aggressive cancer." 

To read more about this trial, click here. 

Source mentioned: Wilson WH, Wright G, Huang DA, et al. Effect of ibrutinib with R-CHOP chemotherapy in genetic subtypes of DLBCL. Cancer Cell November 4, 2021. DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2021.10.006.

Cure probability models for evaluation of patients with a previous cancer diagnosis for solid organ transplantation

 A recently published study conducted in the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, United States reported on the use of statistical models to calculate cure probabilities for 17 different types of cancer.  These models were applied to patients "with a previous cancer who underwent solid organ transplantation to estimate the probability that those patients had been cured of their cancer at the time of transplantation." Study results shows that of the 5,425 patients studies who went through solid organ translation, the median cure probability at transplantation was 94%. 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Study mentioned: Engels EA, Haber G, Hart A, et al. Predicted Cure and Survival Among Transplant Recipients With a Previous Cancer Diagnosis. JCO; Published online 22 October 2021. DOI:10.1200/JCO.21.01195

Research indicates female representation at top of oncology field at a plateau

Recently published results from the ESMO Women for Oncology Monitoring and Authorship Studies has revealed that "women continue to be underrepresented in leadership positions despite making up an increasing proportion of the oncology workforce."  Data collected from 2017-2019 from several worldwide oncology societies scrutinized the number of women as board members or presidents of oncology organizations/societies, as well as representation at cancer conferences.  The data has revealed 37% of speaker at oncology congresses are women, while 36% of females are presented on the boards of professional organizations.  In addition, 37-41% of women are lead authors in cancer publications.  

To read more about this study, click here. 

Studies mentioned: 

1. A.S. Berghoff, C. Sessa, J.C.-H. Yang, Z. Tsourti, J. Tsang, J. Tabernero, S. Peters, H. Linardou, A. Letsch, J. Haanen, E. Garralda, M.C. Garassino, A.J.S. Furness, E. Felip, G. Dimopoulou, U. Dafni, S.P. Choo, S. Banerjee, J. Bajpai, A.A. Adjei and P. Garrido. Female leadership in oncology—has progress stalled? Data from the ESMO W4O authorship and monitoring studies. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esmoop.2021.100281
2. E. Hofstädter-Thalmann, U. Dafni, T. Allen, D. Arnold, S. Banerjee, G. Curigliano, E. Garralda, M.C. Garassino, J. Haanen, C. Robert, C. Sessa, Z. Tsourti, P. Zygoura, S. Peters. Report on the status of women occupying leadership roles in oncology. https://doi.org/10.1136/esmoopen-2018-000423

Why cancer patients and caregivers need paid leave

A recently conducted survey by the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) in the United States concludes that cancer patients and caregivers should receive paid time away from work during the course of their cancer treatment or providing care to loved ones. According to survey results, 10-21% of survey respondents quit their jobs while undergoing cancer treatment, while 40% of survivors made financial sacrifices.  

To read more about this survey, click here.  

Third dose of BNT162b2 is safe; improves immunity against COVID-19 in patients with solid tumours

Researchers at the University of Arizona Cancer Center recently unveiled data on a trial comparing "serological and cellular immune response after...BNT162b2 vaccination of patients with solid tumours on active cytotoxic chemotherapy compared to healthy controls..."  The study background informs readers that antibody responses decline after a first dose of the mRNA vaccine for patients with solid or haematological tumours, but markedly improve after a second dose.  20 patients with gastrointestinal and breast cancer diagnoses from the original study cohort agreed to a third dose of the mRNA vaccine. "AT one week after a third immunization, 16 participants demonstrated a median threefold increase in neutralizing antibody responses." 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Study mentioned: Shroff RT, Chalasani P, Wei R, et al. Immune responses to two and three doses of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in adults with solid tumors. Nature Medicine; Published online 30 September 2021. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-021-01542-z

Patients treated with chemotherapy and B cell-targeting agents show impaired serological response to COVID-19 vaccination

 

A recently completed cohort study conducted in Austria and Italy on patients with haemato-oncological diseases indicates that "patients with cancer are able to develop SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies."  The study, conducted on 595 patients being treated for haematological and solid malignant tumours, compared to 58 healthcare workers acting as controls, showed that in both cohort, "anti-S antibody levels were higher in fully vaccinated patients coparents with patients who received 1 vaccine dose." 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Source mentioned: Mair MJ, Berger JM, Berghoff AS, et al. Humoral Immune Response in Hematooncological Patients and Health Care Workers Who Received SARS-CoV-2 Vaccinations. JAMA Oncology; Published online 30 September 2021. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2021.5437

People with intellectual disability at increased risk of cancer

 A research team from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden recently unveiled a population-based cohort study correlating intellectual disability with a higher prevalence of specific cancer types.  According to Dr. Qianwei Liu, findings from the study conducted between 1974-2013 on over 3.5 million children, of whom 27,956 (0.8%) had a clinical case of intellectual disability, showed a statistically significant increased risk for the following cancers: oesophageal, stomach, small intestine, colon, pancreatic, uterus, kidney, central nervous system, as well as acute lymphoid and acute myeloid leukaemia.  

To read more about this study, click here. 

Source mentioned: 1488O – Liu Q, Adami H-O, Reichenberg A, et al. Cancer risk in individuals with intellectual disability. ESMO Congress 2021 (16-21 September).

New drug combination treatment for ovarian cancer patients

 Results of early trials presented at the European Society of Medical Oncology congress suggest a new highly effective drug combination treatment for women in ovarian cancer, "shown to shrink tumours in half of patients with an advanced form of the disease." The unique drug combination blocks cancer cell growth signals and is an alternative treatment for ovarian cancer that does not respond well to chemotherapy or hormone therapy. 

To learn more about this trial, click here. 

Origins of lung cancer in never smokers

 A new study lead by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has conducted a genomic analysis of lung cancer in individuals who have never smoked, determining that "a majority of these tumors arise from the accumulation of mutations caused by natural processes in the body."  The epidemiologic study, conducted a genomic analysis on 232 non-smoker patients with a non-small call lung cancer diagnosis, revealing 3 cancer subtypes categorized by musical names according to number of genomic changes in the tumors.  The "piano" subtype had the least number of mutations, with "mezzo-forte" exhibiting chromosomal changes, and "forte" showcasing "whole-genome doubling, a genomic changes that is often seen in lung cancers in smokers." 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Source mentioned: 

Zhang T, Joubert P, Ansari-Pour N, et al. Genomic and evolutionary classification of lung cancer in never smokers. Nature Genetics. Sept 6, 2021. DOI: 10.1038/s41588-021-00920-0.

Blog postings will resume week of September 13th

  Dear Grey Horizon readers, 

Blog postings will resume the week of September 13, 2021. 

Thank you for reading - stay safe and well. 

New trial alert: postoperative identification of tumor cells at the lumpectomy site of patients with early breast cancer

 A new clinical trial sponsored by the Lawson Health Research Institute in London, Ontario, is presently recruiting patients to "analyze the lumpectomy fluid (seroma)...post-surgery for the presence or absence of tumor cells..."  Study eligibility criteria includes women 50 years of age or younger diagnosed with stage 1 to stage 2B invasive breast cancer, at 6 weeks or earlier post-lumpectomy. 

To read more about this trial, click here. 

Opioid use drops among cancer patients at end of life

 A new study recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology indicates that palliative care cancer patients are not receiving adequate opioid medication to control pain.  Conducted over a period of 10 years from 2007-2017 on 270,000 cancer patients, findings determined that the filling of opioid prescriptions during the last month of life dropped from 42% to 35%, correlated with a significant number of emergency departments visits due to pain increasing during this time period.  This translated into an overall 25% drop of daily medication dosage.  

To read more about this study, click here. 

Alcohol attributed to 750,000 cancer cases worldwide in 2020

 A new report released by the World Health Organization (2020) indicates that 4% (750,000) of total global cancer diagnoses in 2020 were attributed to alcohol consumption.  While most of the cases were due to excessive drinking, the WHO study did show a correlation between light and moderate drinking, believed to be present in 100,000 of the 750,000 cases reported. Alcohol consumption is strongly correlated with an increased risk of head and neck, esophageal, liver, colon, rectal, and breast cancers. 

To read more about this study, click here. 

COVID-19 vaccination efficient in cancer patients receiving active treatment

A recent analysis conducted on 1503 cancer patients undergoing treatment at Centre Leon Berard in Lyon, France concluded that "COVID-19 vaccination is efficient in patients with cancer."   Further, the study authors, lead by professor Jean-Yves Blay of the Department of Medical Oncology at Centre Leon Berard emphasized the importance of cancer patients receiving 2 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine: "overall death rate in a period of 2 months following the first vaccine dose was significantly higher in patients who received only one dose of COVID-19 vaccine."  

Source mentioned:  Heudel P, Favier B, Assaad S, et al. Reduced SARS-CoV-2 infection and death after two doses of COVID-19 vaccines in a series of 1503 patients. Annals of Oncology; Published online 2 August 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annonc.2021.07.012

Blog postings will resume week of August 9th

 Dear Grey Horizon readers, 

Blog postings will resume the week of August 9, 2021. 

Thank you for reading - stay safe and well. 

Prefrail and frail young adult survivors of childhood cancers experience significant neurocognitive decline

 A recently published prospective study conducted in the Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control at St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, indicates that frail young adult survivors of childhood cancers "experienced significantly larger declines than non frail survivors in memory, attention, processing speed, and executive function domains."  The study, conducted on childhood cancer survivors between 18-45 years old with at least 10 years from diagnosis supported background research findings where cancer-related neurocognitive impairment occurs in up to 35% of childhood cancer survivors.  However, study authors acknowledged that "further research is needed to understand the shared biologic pathways underlying frailty and neurocognitive function."  

To read more about this study, click here. 

Source mentioned: 

Williams ALM, Krull KR, Howell CR, et al. Physiologic Frailty and Neurocognitive Decline Among Young-Adult Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Prospective Study From the St Jude Lifetime Cohort. JCO; Published online 20 July 2021. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.21.00194

New trial suggests radiation can be tailored for children with medulloblastoma

A new clinical trial conducted at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has determined that customizing radiation levels in children with medulloblastoma, by either "lowering the dose of radiation or delivering radiation to a smaller area of the brain" could result in a higher rate of survival without the negative adverse events associated with radiation therapy.   

Study results conducted on the 464 of 549 children that were able to be evaluated determined that 85% of children were alive beyond 5 years after treatment, and 81% did not experience a cancer-related event during those 5 years.  

To read more about this trial, click here. 

Gut microbiome and survival following nivolumab therapy for advanced gastric cancer

 Researchers from the St. Marianna University School of Medicine in Kawasaki, Japan recently presented findings at the 2021 ESMO Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer, indicating that "genomic pathways and bacterial genera in the pre-treatment gut microbiome of patients with advanced gastric cancer...were significantly associated with survival times following treatment with nivolumab."  Further, findings from the translational study determined that genomic pathways in the gut were associated with survival time following nivolumab in patients with advanced gastric cancer.  

To read more about this study, click here. 

Sources mentioned: 

Sunakawa Y, Matoba R, Inoue E, et al. Genomic pathway of gut microbiome to predict efficacy of nivolumab in advanced gastric cancer: DELIVER trial (JACCRO GC-08). Journal of Clinical Oncology 2021;39(3_suppl):161-161.

O13 – Sunakawa Y, Matoba R, Inoue E, et al. Gut Microbiome to Predict Survival Time in Advanced Gastric Cancer Treated With Nivolumab: the DELIVER Trial (JACCRO GC-08).  ESMO World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer 2021 (30 June - 3 July).

Blog posts will resume week of July 12, 2021

 Dear all Grey Horizon readers, 

Postings will resume the week of July 12, 2021.  

Thank you - take care and stay well 

Blood test for early detection of cancer support screening use

 A recent study published in Annals of Oncology has concluded that a blood test purported to detect over 50 different types of cancer "is accurate enough to be rolled out as a multi-cancer screening test among people at higher risk of the disease, including patients aged 50 years or older, without symptoms." According to study first author, Dr. Eric Klein, chairman of the Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute in Cleveland, finding conducted on 15.254 participants from 142 clinics across North America, early detection of common cancers via a blood test is a viable option for communities with poor access to medical facilities, 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Study mentioned:  

1. “Clinical validation of a targeted methylation-based multi-cancer early detection test using an independent validation set”, by Eric Klein et al. Annals of Oncology. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annonc.2021.05.806

Should people over age 75 be screened for colorectal cancer?

 

According to a recently published article in JAMA Oncology, "people over age 75 who were screened for colorectal cancer had a 40% lower risk of dying from the disease."  While new recommendation by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) explain the benefits of starting colorectal cancer screening at age 45 instead of 50, a new study conducted at the Massachusetts General Hospital suggests that a subsequent decade of screening individuals aged 76-85 is beneficial.  While study co-lead Dr. Andrew Chan, professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, explains that screening for colorectal cancer beyond age 75 should be made on a case-by-case basis, findings from this study on 56,000 people 75 years of age and older showed that "risk of dying from colorectal cancer was reduced by more than a third in people...who had been screened by colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy." 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Metronomic capecitabine as adjuvant therapy provides compelling evidence in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma

 A study conducted at the Sun Yet-sen University Cancer Center in Guangzhou, China, and recently presented at the 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting (June 4-8, 2021), indicated that "patients with loco regionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) experienced improved failure-free survival (FFS) and other survival outcomes with metronomic capecitabine."  Study results showed that metronomic capecitabine was not as toxic as other adjuvant therapies and thereby "significantly improved failure-free survival compared with observation."

To read more about this study, click here.  

Sources mentioned: 

Chen Y-P, Liu X, Zhou Q, et al. Metronomic capecitabine as adjuvant therapy in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a multicentre, open-label, parallel-group, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial. The Lancet, Published online 7 June 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01123-5

Kerbel RS, Andre N. Adjuvant metronomic chemotherapy for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The Lancet, Published online 7 June 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01240-X 

Ma J, Chen Y-P, Zhou Q, et al. Metronomic capecitabine as adjuvant therapy in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A phase 3, multicenter, randomized controlled trial. J Clin Oncol 2021;39(suppl 15; abstr 6003). DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2021.39.15_suppl.6003

Efficacy and safety of adjuvant nivolumab for high-risk muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma after radical surgery

Findings from the CheckMate 274 study, a phase III, multi centre, double-blind randomized trial determining the efficacy of adjuvant nivolumab in patients with high-risk muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma was recently published by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York.   While study investigators plan additional follow-up to assess overall survival, study results have shown that disease-free-survival "was longer with adjuvant nivolumab than with placebo in the ITT population." 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Source mentioned: Bajorin DF, Witjes JA, Gschwend JE, et al. Adjuvant Nivolumab versus Placebo in Muscle-Invasive Urothelial Carcinoma. N Engl J Med 2021;384:2102-2114. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2034442.

Protective HPV vaccine-induced antibody titres can be detected up to 12 years after vaccination

 2 recently completed phase III trials in Finland indicated that "protective HPV vaccine-induced antibody titres" can be detected as long as 12 years after the HPV vaccine is first administered.  The Finish studies determined that 51 (15%) of the 339 quadrivalent vaccine recipients had "no detectable HPV18 neutralizing antibodies 2 to 12 years after vaccination."  

To read more about this study, click here. 

Source mentioned: Colaҫo Mariz F, Gray P, Bender N, et al. Sustainability of neutralising antibodies induced by bivalent or quadrivalent HPV vaccines and correlation with efficacy: a combined follow-up analysis of data from two randomised, double-blind, multicentre, phase 3 trials. The Lancet Infectious Diseases; Published online 31 May 2021; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30873-2

Blog postings will resume week of June 1, 2021

 To all Grey Horizon readers, 

Blog postings will resume the week of June 1, 2021. 

Thank you for your support.  Take care and stay well. 

Discovery of AMBRA1 suggests new cancer treatment strategies

 Recent research by a joint collaborative effort between scientists in the United States and Europe have uncovered AMBRA1, a protein which functions as a tumour suppressor.  As cancer is caused by innumerable cells that will not stop diving, thus forming a tumour, AMBRA1 "marks other proteins involved in helping cells divide...for destruction when cell division isn't needed." While additional research is needed to determine interactions present between AMBRA1 and cancer cells, these tumour suppressors can indeed be more prominent in one cancer versus another. 

To learn more about this research, click here. 

 

Brentuximab for children and teens with Hodgkin lymphoma

 A new study conducted at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital indicates that "it may be possible to reduce or eliminate the need for radiation to treat advanced cancer in children and teens with Hodgkin lymphoma.  According to study lead investigator Dr. Monika Metzger, 27 (35%) of the 77 patients involved in the trial did not require radiation treatments, thus suggesting that the findings "are an important first step in moving forward using even less radiation to treat high-risk pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma." 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Personalization of follow-up care needed to address varying health burdens in breast cancer patients

With breast cancer considered a largely curable disease (more than 70% of survivors live at least 10 years after diagnosis), quality of life care is seen as a key aspect in the patients cancer journey.  At the recent ESMO Breast Cancer 2021 Virtual Congress, a study from the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam showed that "breast cancer survivors differ widely in the burden of symptoms they experience after the end of treatment and thereby revealed an unmet need for tailored approaches to follow-up care."  According to breast cancer expert Nadia Harbeck, patients "need to be well-informed and must be made to feel comfortable about contacting their physician outside of their planned consultations if necessary." 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Sources mentioned: 

F. Cardoso, S. Kyriakides, S. Ohno, F. Penault-Llorca, P. Poortmans, I. T. Rubio, S. Zackrisson and E. Senkus. Early Breast Cancer: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines. https://doi.org/10.1093/annonc/mdz173 

Abstract 134P_PR ‘Towards tailored follow-up care for breast cancer survivors: cluster analyses based on symptom burden’ will be available as e-Poster from Wednesday 5 May at 09:00 CEST. Annals of Oncology, Volume 32, Supplement 2, May 2021 

Abstract 140P ‘How breast cancer recurrences are found? - a real-world, prospective cohort study’ will be available as e-Poster from Wednesday 5 May at 09:00 CEST. Annals of Oncology, Volume 32, Supplement 2, May 2021 

Acupuncture for cancer survivors with chronic pain

 A recently completed clinical trial purports that two types of acupuncture may help reduce chronic pain in cancer survivors.  While acupuncture has long been used to relief pain in non-cancer patients, "the trial is one of the first large randomized clinical studies designed to test whether the therapy might offer relief for cancer-related pain in survivors of a host of different cancers."  According to results from the trial, led by Dr. Jun Mao, chief of the Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, "participants who received electroacupuncture reported modestly better pain control than those treated with auricular acupuncture."  However, regardless of which type of acupuncture was administered, decrease in pain lasted up to 4 months.  

To read more about this trial, click here. 

New trial alert: FACE-Q in facial reconstructive surgery

 A recently posted clinical trial, sponsored by McMaster University, aims to "establish a prospective database of clinical information, FACE-Q scores, and patient photographs...to enhance the understanding and practice of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery."  FACE-Q is a validated patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) that investigates patient experience following facial surgery due to skin cancer.  

To learn more about this trial, click here. 

Low-dose aspirin could be an alternative to colectomy for preventing colorectal cancer in familial adenomatous polyposis

 Researchers in Japan recently reported that "low-dose aspirin safely suppressed the recurrence of colorectal polyps larger than 5mm in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)."  Prior to the study's release, colectomy was the only recognized treatment for preventing colorectal cancer in FAP patients, despite reducing quality of life.  

To read more about this study, click here. 

Sources mentioned: 

Ishikawa H, Mutoh M, Sato Y, et al. Chemoprevention with low-dose aspirin, mesalazine, or both in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis without previous colectomy (J-FAPP Study IV): a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, two-by-two factorial design trial. The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology; Published online 1 April 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-1253(21)00018-2

Lynch PM. Low-dose aspirin and mesalazine for patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology; Published online 1 April 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-1253(21)00102-3

Adjuvant nivolumab prolongs disease-free survival in patients with resected oesophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer

Results from the CheckMate 577 study, recently published in the April 2021 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine determined that "among patients with resected oesophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, adjuvant therapy with nivolumab was associated with a significantly longer disease-free survival than placebo."  CheckMate 577 is a worldwide randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III trial evaluating treatment with nivolumab following chemotherapy and surgery for oesophageal or gastroesophageal cancer.  Patients who received nivolumab had an average disease-free survival period of 22.4 months, compared to 11months for the 262 patients receiving placebo.  

To read more about this study, click here. 

Studies mentioned: 

Kelly RJ, Ajani JA, Kuzdzal J, et al. Adjuvant Nivolumab in Resected Esophageal or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer. N Engl J Med 2021;384:1191-203. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2032125

Ilson DH. Adjuvant Nivolumab in Esophageal Cancer — A New Standard of Care. N Engl J Med 2021; 384:1269-1271. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMe2101983

Happy Easter! Blog posts will resume week of April 6th

To all Grey Horizon readers, 

Blog posts will resume the week of April 6th. 

Happy Easter - please stay safe and well.  

Factors associated with COVID-19 severity among cancer patients

A recently study published in the Annals of Oncology summarized findings of 4,966 cancer patients who contracted COVID-19 between March 17 - November 18, 2020.  Associated factors included hospitalization (58%), death within 30 days (13%), age (median=66), gender (51% female), and race (50% white).  The authors of the study concluded that "older age, male sex, Black race, Hispanic ethnicity, and haematology malignancy", among some other laboratory factors, "were associated with poor outcomes among cancer patients with COVID-19. 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Study mentioned: Grivas P, Khaki AR, Wise-Draper TM, et al. Association of Clinical Factors and Recent Anti-Cancer Therapy with COVID-19 Severity among Patients with Cancer: A Report from the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium. Annals of Oncology; Published online 18 March 2021. doi: https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.annonc.2021.02.024.

New trial alert: Non-ablative Oligofractionated Radiation Therapy Before Surgical Transplantation As Radiovaccination (NORTh STAR)

A prospective phase I study at the University Health Network's Toronto General Hospital is currently recruiting participants. The goal of the study is to "determine the safety and feasibility of non-ablative oligofractionated radiation therapy (NORT) before lung transplantation for patients with underlying pulmonary malignancy.". It is believed that this therapy could create a vaccine-life effect and thus refue risk of cancer recurrence after transplantaion. To learn more about this trial, click here.

EMA recommends Abiraterone for treatment of metastatic prostate cancer

The European Medicines Agency (EMA)'s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) recently recommended granting market authorization for Abiraterone Accord for the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer.  Abiraterone is "a hormone antagonist that inhibits the production of androgens in the testes, adrenal glands and prostatic tumour tissues." 

To read more about this recommendation, click here. 

Tumour signatures defined by next generation sequencing linked to clinical response in breast cancer

 Research recently conducted at the Institute of Pathology in Marburg, Germany, "investigated the hypothesis that genomic patterns of mutational signatures are associated with the clinical behaviour of breast cancer...including chemotherapy response and survival."  According to lead author professor Carsten Denkert, 2 mutational signatures, S3 (HRD) and S13 (APOBEC) were identified as increasing pCR rates "with neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the HR-positive subcohort." 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Source mentioned: Denkert C, Untch M, Benz S, et al. Reconstructing tumor history in breast cancer: signatures of mutational processes and response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Annals of Oncology; Published online 5 January 2021. doi: 10.1016/j.annonc.2020.12.016.

Cell-free DNA in urine potential method for cancer detection

Researchers at Baylor University and Phoenix Children's Hospital have discovered a method whereby DNA fragments in urine can differentiate between healthy individuals and those with cancer.  According to study senior author Dr. Muhammed Murtaza, "certain regions of the genome are protected from fragmentation in urine from healthy individuals...but the same regions are more fragmented in patients with cancer." 

To learn more about this study click here. 

Study mentioned:  Havell Markus, Jun Zhao, Tania Contente-Cuomo, Michelle D. Stephens, Elizabeth Raupach, Ahuva Odenheimer-Bergman, Sydney Connor, Bradon R. McDonald, Bethine Moore, Elizabeth Hutchins, Marissa McGilvrey, Michelina C. de la Maza, Kendall Van Keuren-Jensen, Patrick Pirrotte, Ajay Goel, Carlos Becerra, Daniel D. Von Hoff, Scott A. Celinski, Pooja Hingorani, Muhammed Murtaza. Analysis of recurrently protected genomic regions in cell-free DNA found in urine. Science Translational Medicine, 2021; 13 (581): eaaz3088 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aaz3088

STINGing tumours with nanoparticles

 Researchers at UT Southwestern have determined that "a new nanoparticle-based drug can boost the body's innate immune system and make it more effective at fighting off tumors."  The study is the first to target and identify STING, an immune molecule with nanoparticles 1/1 000 000 the size of a soccer ball which has the ability to switch immune activity on or off according to the physiological environment. 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Study mentioned: Suxin Li, Min Luo, Zhaohui Wang, Qiang Feng, Jonathan Wilhelm, Xu Wang, Wei Li, Jian Wang, Agnieszka Cholka, Yang-xin Fu, Baran D. Sumer, Hongtao Yu, Jinming Gao. Prolonged activation of innate immune pathways by a polyvalent STING agonist. Nature Biomedical Engineering, 2021; DOI: 10.1038/s41551-020-00675-9

Breast cancer now most common form of cancer worldwide, according to the World Health Organization

According to recently statistics by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), breast cancer is now the mostly commonly-diagnosed cancer worldwide, ahead of lung cancer. 

A new global breast cancer initiative between the World Health Organization (WHO), the IARC,  and the International Atomic Energy Agency will be established later in 2021 to "reduce deaths from breast cancer by promoting breast health, improving timely cancer detection, and ensuring access to quality care." 

To read more about these latest trends, click here. 

Majority of patients with cancer are willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19

 A recently conducted survey among ambulatory patients at four French cancer centres found that most patients undergoing treatment for their cancer wish to be vaccinated against COVID-19.  Study authors further confirmed that "patients with cancer have a variable but confirmed higher risk of severe COVID-19.  They advocate that patients with cancer should be a target population for vaccination, despite [being] excluded from the first trials."  Patients responding to the survey also believed that oncologists are qualified to provide guidance and advise regarding COVID-19 vaccination. 

To read more about this survey, click here. 

Study mentioned: 

Barrière J, Gal J, Hoch B, et al. Acceptance of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination among French patients with cancer: a cross-sectional survey. Annals of Oncology; Published online 29 January 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annonc.2021.01.066

Wee1 inhibitor to treat ovarian cancer

 A new study conducted at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto reports on a randomized phase II trial indicating that the addition of the Wee1 inhibitor adavosertib to gemcitabone "reduced the risk of disease progression and death in women with recurrent, platinum-resistant or -refractory ovarian cancer."  The trial, conducted on 99 women between 2014-2018 showed a median overall survival increase of 4.2 months (11.4 vs. 7.2 months) in patients that were administered Wee1. 

To read more about this trial, click here. 

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