BFW Library – Oncology

29th February 2012 February 29, 2012

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Drug combo may fight pancreas cancer

An experimental drug combination may provide “a new weapon against pancreatic cancer”, BBC News has reported.

In a search for new ways to fight the aggressive cancer, scientists combined an existing chemotherapy drug called gemcitabine with an experimental chemical called MRK003. The chemical can block the actions of a protein called ‘gamma secretase’ that plays a range of roles in the body. To test the effect of this combination they gave the mixture to mice genetically engineered to develop pancreatic cancer. They found that that the mice survived 26 days with the combination treatment, compared with just nine when given an inactive dummy drug. Cancer Research UK reports that a human trial of gemcitabine combined with another gamma secretase blocker are now underway.

Pancreatic cancer often has a poor prognosis as it’s usually only diagnosed at an advanced stage, by which time it is resistant to many conventional treatments. It is the fifth most common cause of cancer death in the UK, and patients with metastatic disease (where the cancer has spread) survive between two and six months on average.

This animal study has reported promising results for a new form of combination therapy. However, there are limitations to what can be learnt from animal tests, so the results of the current clinical trial will provide a much clearer indication of how safe or successful this regime is for treating patients.

New skin cancer drug performs well

A study of a new drug for advanced skin cancer has shown it “almost doubles survival times”, BBC News has reported.

The drug, called vemurafenib, was tested in a clinical trial that examined its impact on tumour size and survival in patients with advanced melanoma skin cancer that had spread to other parts of the body. The outlook for this type of cancer is generally poor as it’s an aggressive cancer with few treatment options and patients tend to survive for less than a year. Researchers found that approximately half of the patients responded to the drug and that the overall survival rate in these patients was nearly 16 months, on average.

This study provides evidence on the effectiveness of a new drug, vemurafenib, for treating some patients with metastatic melanoma. Because the drug works by targeting a specific genetic mutation, it won’t be suitable for patients who aren’t carrying the mutation, which is found in around half of patients with melanoma that has spread. Additionally, while the drug has been recommended for approval, it hasn’t yet been approved for use in Europe; it is unclear at this point if and when it will be available for treatment in the UK, although the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is said to be currently assessing it.

Developing excellence in cancer networks

This report calls for the NHS Commissioning Board to establish cancer networks as Strategic Clinical Networks and recommends a series of quality markers for what cancer networks can achieve when they’re working at their best. It uncovers insights from senior network staff about how networks can help to improve patient experience and outcomes, as well as support commissioners and providers to deliver high-quality cancer services.

The impact of patient age on clinical decision-making in oncology

This report explores the extent to which age is a factor in treatment decisions for a range of cancers, as well as the extent to which clinical attitudes vary across different cancer types and in different countries. The key finding is that clinicians may over rely on chronological age as a proxy for other factors which are often but not necessarily associated with age, such as co-morbidities or frailty.

15th February 2012 February 15, 2012

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NICE: Prostate cancer drug too costly for NHS

A drug that can extend the life of men with advanced prostate cancer by more than three months has provisionally been rejected for NHS use.

Draft guidance from the health watchdog forEnglandandWalessays the drug’s benefits are not enough to justify the price the NHS has been asked to pay.

Cancer charities have been angered by the decision about abiraterone, one of the few drugs available to men in the final stages of prostate cancer.

A final decision is yet to be made.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer to affect men in theUK.

The chief executive of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), Sir Andrew Dillon, said the drug was effective, and one of its key benefits was that it could be taken orally in the patient’s own home.

“We are therefore disappointed not to be able to recommend it for use on the NHS, however it is an expensive drug,” Sir Andrew added.

1st February 2012 February 1, 2012

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‘Oral cancer risk’ in men as HPV rates higher

Men are far more likely to have the sexually-transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) in their mouths than women, the Daily Mail has reported. The Mail has outlined research into the prevalence of HPV, which is a risk factor mouth cancer and other cancers. Researchers found that HPV was more commonly found in people who engaged in all kinds of sexual activity – including vaginal, anal and oral. The Mail reports that the researchers suggest that HPV vaccination for men needs investigating to see whether it could help stop oral HPV and, potentially, oral cancer.

Mouth cancer has risen more than 20% in the past 30 years. Tobacco use and prolonged, heavy alcohol drinking are the biggest risk factors, but the presence of oral HPV is also a clear risk factor for the disease.

The latest research set out to estimate the proportion of people infected with oral HPV in the United States, and any factors associated with infection. It found that approximately 7% of the US population aged 14 to 69 years were infected with this virus, and that men were more likely to be infected than women.

This study shows a marked difference in oral HPV infection between men and women in the US, but does not necessarily reflect how many people in the UK are infected. There are many different types of HPV, and not everyone who is infected will go on to develop cancer.

HPV is known to cause cervical cancer, and a vaccine campaign for girls aims to reduce its prevalence among women, and so reduce the number of cervical cancers. It remains unclear whether vaccinating men would have an effect on the presence of oral HPV or reduce the number of cancers.