Articles
On a mission to beat cancer
One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind – the words Neil Armstrong pronounced as he completed humankind’s first mission to the moon, will – if the European Commission gets its way – soon be pronounced for other…
Malignant: Insights into the process of metastasis and how we can stop it
Why and how do cancer cells travel from their original site to seed new tumours elsewhere in the body, and what can be done to stop them? A series of presentations at the virtual June 2020 annual meeting of the…
Does it work for my patient? A pragmatic approach to building evidence on clinical effectiveness
Should patients be at the centre of attention in the development of new cancer drugs? It might seem extraordinary that this question is even asked – what else matters? But it is a question high on the agenda of the…
Guiding career paths from trainee doctor to oncology leader
“If you want to be an oncologist you have to go through some struggles. First become a medical doctor and then enter a residents’ training in internal medicine and then medical oncology. If you want to do more, you have…
Contagion: a narrative approach to understanding the psychological and social impact of the pandemic
‘Contagion’ seems like an outdated word in medicine. Transmissible illnesses are no longer described as ‘contagious’, they are ‘infectious’, and we study ‘infective’ agents. Contagion is a term evocative of the medical past. Talking and writing about contagion evokes the…
Are tumour-agnostic approaches the future for oncology?
According to Francesco Pignatti, Head of Oncology at the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the term ‘tumour agnostic’ is a misnomer. The definition of agnostic in ancient greek, he argues, is ‘lacking in knowledge’. But with these new approaches, it’s not…
Artificial intelligence for skin cancer diagnosis, from science-fiction to reality
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a hot topic in many sciences, including medicine. A machine capable of making a medical diagnosis in full autonomy is fascinating and highly attractive. “Many years ago, in the movie Star Trek, the spaceship’s doctor diagnosed…
Real world data: can we rely on it to shape cancer policies and practice?
In November 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to larotrectinib (Vitrakvi), a drug that targets a neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase (NTRK) gene fusion in a range of adult and paediatric tumours. European approval followed last autumn.…
CCC-19 and TERAVOLT studies show strength and limits of research on cancer and COVID-19
The virtual scientific program of the 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting2020 hosted a special session on cancer and COVID-19 pandemic. Data from the Thoracic cancERs international coVid 19 cOLlaboraTion (TERAVOLT) registry and from the COVID-19 and…
Consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer patients
In the COVID-19 era, oncologists all over the world have changed their schedules and daily routine practice according to recommendations from cancer professional associations, prioritising care of the most aggressive tumours and cancelling or postponing non-essential tests and screenings. Moreover,…