Posts by year
2020
Smoke without fire? Should cancer of unknown primary be treated as a separate disease?
Metastases, but no primary tumour – the diagnosis ‘cancer of unknown primary’ still presents great challenges, even in this age of precision oncology. Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) is an entity that encompasses a heterogenous group of metastatic cancers without…
Cancer deaths fall, health disparities persist, cancer research affected, reports AACR
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual Cancer Progress Report for 2020, published 23 September, portrays a mixed picture. On a positive note, the report features advances in cancer treatment and falls in cancer-related deaths; while on the negative…
Metastatic prostate cancer: cabazitaxel shows quality of life benefits over both abiraterone and enzalutamide
In addition to previously reported survival benefits, the taxane cabazitaxel improved quality of life in patients with advanced metastatic prostate cancer compared to the androgen signalling targeted inhibitors abiraterone and enzalutamide, reports the latest analysis of the CARD trial (Fizazi…
Combined therapies offer the key to drug-resistant cancer
For the first time, an investigator initiated phase 1b study tested the combination of the PARP inhibitor olaparib, and the AKT inhibitor capivasertib, and showed this combination was well tolerated and achieved durable responses in patients with treatment-refractory breast, ovarian…
New European Code of Cancer Practice defines patient rights along the cancer pathway
The European Code of Cancer Practice was launched on 23rd September in Brussels by the European Cancer Organisation to empower citizens with 10 key ‘overarching’ rights and reduce cancer care inequalities across Europe. “This powerful new tool sets out the…
Preclinical model identifies predictors of checkpoint inhibitor response
A study published in PNAS (Chen IX, et al. PNAS 2020) of a new mouse model has enabled the identification of distinct gene signatures that distinguish responders from non-responders to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). “Our findings provide a general approach…
Raed Al Dieri: Taking pathology from bit part to key player on the European oncology scene
The man steering the organisation dubbed “the leading force in European pathology” is not one to dwell on the negative. Raed Al Dieri, Director General of the European Society of Pathology (ESP), is an internationalist but also a proud Syrian.…
Could covid-19 boost interest in drug repurposing in oncology?
Could the frantic search for drugs to treat patients severely affected by the covid-19 virus be a shot in the arm for new cancer treatments? There have been many headlines about repurposed agents, such as the highly debated antimalarial drug…
Karen Benn: a great example of what an advocate can accomplish
Tributes have poured in for Karen Benn, deputy CEO and head of public affairs at Europa Donna, who died on 4 September. Karen was one of the longest serving officers at Europa Donna, the European Breast Cancer Coalition that unites…
New transatlantic partnership to regain the momentum of cancer research
Building on the existing Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Grand Challenges initiative, a broader international collaboration has now been forged in partnership with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the US. This new Cancer Grand Challenges has been launched to seek…