New study finds millions in U.S. missed cancer screening during second year of COVID-19 pandemic

 A new study released by the American Cancer Society has unveiled that 4.4 million fewer women were screened for cervical cancer in 2021, compared to 2019.  For breast cancer, the numbers are 1.1 million fewer breast cancer screening tests administered, along with 700,000 thousand fewer for prostate cancer. According to associate scientist Jessica Star, "the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a detrimental effect on important cancer screenings...", highlighting the importance of creating greater advocacy and awareness among get screened campaigns. 

To read more about this study, click here. 

study of Hodgkin lymphoma survivors suggests a dose-response association of colorectal cancer risk with subdiaphragmatic radiotherapy

 Findings from a case-control study of Hodgkin lymphoma survivors after a 5-year period found a "dose-response association between radiotherapy and colorectal cancer risk, and modification of this association by procarbazine."  Study authors also indicated that Hodgkin lymphoma survivors have a 2.8 times higher rate of a colorectal cancer diagnosis, a rate that remains at this increased level for over 40 years.  While these results are specific to a 5-year period (patients treated more recently would experience lower radiotherapy and chemotherapy doses), "an understanding of the dose-response relationship is needed to quantify and estimate the risk of secondary cancers based on individual treatment exposures." 

To learn more about this study, click here. 

Source mentioned: Geurts YM; Shakir R, Ntentas G, et al. Association of Radiation and Procarbazine Dose With Risk of Colorectal Cancer Among Survivors of Hodgkin Lymphoma. JAMA Oncology. Published online 2 February 2023. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2022.7153.

First-line serplulimab in combination with chemotherapy improves survival in patients with PD-L1-positive, locally advanced or metastatic oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma

 Findings from the ASTRUM-007 study, focusing on the the use of first-line Serplulimab and chemotherapy every 2 weeks for patients with locally advanced or metastatic PD-L1 positive oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, were recently published in Nature Medicine. 

The respecified fine analysis of the study, assessed by a blinded Independent Radiological Review Committee (IRRC) determined that "Serplulimab plus chemotherapy significantly improved PFS compared with placebo plus chemotherapy with median PFS of 5.8 months and 5.3 months." 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Source mentioned: Song Y, Zhang B, Xin D, et al. First-line serplulimab or placebo plus chemotherapy in PD-L1-positive esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a randomized, double-blind phase 3 trial. Nature Medicine; Published online 2 February 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-022-02179-2 

Large genomic analysis identifies persistent tumour mutational burden associated with immunotherapy response

Findings from a recently completed genomic analysis published in Nature Medicine indicates that "a high persistent TMB [tumour mutational burden], a biologically relevant measure of tumour foreignness within the overall TMB, represents an 'uneditable' target set for adaptive immune responses and may function as an intrinsic driver of sustained immunologic tumour control that cannot be readily bypassed by neoantigen loss via chromosomal deletions during cancer evolution."  Following an extensive evaluation of mutations across 31 tumour types amongst 9,242 patients, along with 8 patient cohorts (total of 524 patients) diagnosed with non-small-cell lung cancer, melanoma, mesothelioma, and head and neck cancer patients, the study team discovered that "mutations in single-copy regions and those present in multiple copies per cell constitute a pTMB...linked with response to immune checkpoint blockade. 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Source mentioned: Niknafs N, Balan A, Cherry C, et al. Persistent mutation burden drives sustained anti-tumor immune responses. Nature Medicine; Published online 26 January 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-022-02163-w