Grey Horizon postings will resume week of January 8, 2024; Happy Holidays

 To all Grey Horizon readers, 

Thank you for supporting the blog this past year.  Postings will resume the week of week of January 8, 2024.  

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!  

Mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx shows a significant benefit over chemotherapy in women with platinum-resistant, FRα-positive ovarian cancer

 The recently completed phase III MIRASOL study, indicating that treatment with "mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx, compared with chemotherapy, was associated with significant benefits in terms of progression-free survival (PFS), objective response, and overall survival (OS)" in ovarian cancer patients.  Platinum-resistant ovarian cancer has few targeted treatments available, thus "mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx appears to be capable of inducing responses and improving survival.."  

To read more about this study, click here. 

Source mentioned: 

Moore KN. Angelergues A, Konecny GE, et al. for Gynecologic Oncology Group Partners and the European Network of Gynaecological Oncological Trial Groups. Mirvetuximab Soravtansine in FRα-Positive, Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer. N Engl J Med 2023;389:2162-2174.

Reconnecting to life after cancer: permission to heal (webinar)

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) has recently launched the webinar, "Reconnecting to Life After Cancer: Permission to Heal", presented by a holistic cancer coach and cancer survivor.  The webinar will include discussions about "the evolutionary function of both positive and negative emotions, understand that emotions offer data, and begin to practice awareness to empower you to respond-instead of react-to life."   

Click here to watch the video, or watch on YouTube.

First study to demonstrate that PD1 immune checkpoint blockade may yield clinical-pathologic regression in some patients with high-risk oral precancerous disease

 Findings of what is believed to be the first non-randomized study of immune checkpoint blockade in parents with high-risk oral precancer, was published in JAMA Oncology.  

A next step would be to consider a larger, precision immunotherapy randomized study favouring cancer-free survival (CFS) as a primary outcome and stratified by prior history of early-stage treated OSCC and 9p21.3 loss according to Dr. Glenn J. Hanna of the Department of Medical Oncology, Center for Head & Neck Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA, US, and colleagues who published their findings on 16 November 2023 in the JAMA Oncology. The precancer in question, oral leukoplakia, "refers to a white plaque of variable cancer risk, having excluded other conditions, and affects up to 5% of the global population."  The authors of the study further caution that overtreatment of premalignant conditions is a concern, recommending that "evidence-based standards for adoption should be more stringent."

To read more about this study, click here. 

Sources mentioned: 

• Hanna GJ, Villa A, Nandi SP, et al. Nivolumab for Patients With High-Risk Oral Leukoplakia A Nonrandomized Controlled Trial. JAMA Oncol; Published online 16 November 2023. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.4853 
• Gyawali B, Strohbehn GW. Immunotherapy in Prepatients—Preventing or Promoting a Malignant Transformation? JAMA Oncol. Published online November 16, 2023. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.4799

Efficacy of rituximab maintenance in patients with mantle cell lymphoma who are MRD-negative after induction

 A recently completed elderly study of the European MCL (mantle cell lymphoma) network demonstrates the efficacy of "rituximab (R) - maintenance...in MRD (minimal residual disease) patients after R-CHOP induction [resulting in] substantially prolonged progression-free survival and overall survival."  Study authors also supported the need to advocate for MRD efficacy, thereby "establishing novel risk-adapted treatment strategies." 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Source mentioned: Hoster E, Delfau-Larue M-H, Macintyre E, et al. on behalf of the European MCL MRD Working Group and the European MCL Network. Predictive Value of Minimal Residual Disease for Efficacy of Rituximab Maintenance in Mantle Cell Lymphoma: Results From the European Mantle Cell Lymphoma Elderly Trial. JCO; Published online 22 November 2023. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.23.00899

Incidence rates for most local and regional stage cancers declined during first year of COVID-19

 A new report, recently published in the International Journal of Cancer, indicates that during the first year of COVID-19, "cancer incidence rates declined for almost all cancer types."  While these findings, which also explored impact of COVID-19 pandemic on cancer incidence rates by stage at diagnosis, as well as race and ethnicity, can be attributed to suspension of healthcare during this time, study authors emphasize the importance of "strengthening the return to preventive care campaigns and outreach for detecting cancers at early and more treatable stages." 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Source mentioned: Schafer EJ, Islami F, Han X, Nogueira LM, Wagle NS, Yabroff KR, Sung H, Jemal A. Changes in cancer incidence rates by stage during the COVID-19 pandemic in the US. Int J Cancer. 2023 Nov 16. doi: 10.1002/ijc.34758. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37971377.

Adding durvalumab to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy followed by maintenance durvalumab with or without olaparib improves PFS for patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer

 Findings from DUO-E, "the first phase III study to examine the combination of immunotherapy and PARP inhibition in endometrial cancer" was recently presented at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress.  The DUO-E study, consisting of 718 randomized patients, found statistically significant progress-free survival (PFS) when durvalumab, alone and in combination with olaparib, were used in the intent-to-treat population.  

To learn more about the DUO-E study, click here. 

Sources mentioned: 

• Westin SN, Moore K, Chon HS, et al. on behalf of the DUO-E investigators. Durvalumab Plus Carboplatin/Paclitaxel Followed by Maintenance Durvalumab With or Without Olaparib as First-Line Treatment for Advanced Endometrial Cancer: The Phase III DUO-E Trial. JCO; Published online 21 October 2023. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.23.02132
• LBA41 - Westin SN, Moore KN, Chon HS, et al. Durvalumab (durva) plus carboplatin/paclitaxel (CP) followed by maintenance (mtx) durva ± olaparib (ola) as a first-line (1L) treatment for newly diagnosed advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer (EC): Results from the phase III DUO-E/GOG-3041/ENGOT-EN10 trial. Ann Oncol 2023;34(Suppl_2):S1282–S1283. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annonc.2023.10.035

NCI researchers develop approach that could help supercharge T-cell therapies against solid tumors

 Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have recently presented findings on ways to improve effectiveness of T-cell immunotherapy treatment (namely CAR T-cell therapy) against solid tumours.   According to laboratory studies, "CAR and TCR T cells modified to express the cytokines IL-15 and IL-21 on their surface killed far more cancer cells than T cells carrying just one of these cytokines or neither of them."  This approach is a more targeted means of delivering the cytokines, thereby lessening severe or fatal side effects. 

Click here to learn more about the study, including listening to an audio soundbite and reading the radio transcript.