Posts by author
Janet Fricker
Serious patient-reported outcomes data gap in immunotherapy trials revealed
A review of trials of immunotherapy agents revealed a ‘considerable gap’ in the use of patient reported outcomes (PROs), reports a recent study. The data analysis study found PROs were included in less than half of the 44 immunotherapy trials…
Machine learning mortality predictions boost end-of-life conversations
A study of the use of machine learning to predict the risk of dying within six months, combined with behavioural nudges, led to increased serious illness conversations between oncologists and cancer patients. “To our knowledge, this is one of the…
Two studies provide ‘building blocks’ for future advances in pancreatic cancer
Two recently published studies have provided insights into new ways of tackling pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs), a cancer where survival outcomes have made little progress in the past few decades. Approximately 95% of pancreatic malignancies are pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs),…
Roundtable ‘grasps nettle’ on European cancer inequalities
Improving treatment of older patients and closing the East−West divide were the focus of a Community 365 Roundtable on Inequalities organised by the European Cancer Organisation on the 14th October. This event was the first of a series of Community…
Gut microbiome positively influences abiraterone response in prostate cancer
Abiraterone acetate (AA), an agent used in castrate-resistant prostate cancer, promotes a shift towards health-associated, anti-inflammatory gut commensal bacteria, finds a study in Nature Communications. “These findings clearly demonstrate that the gut microbiome is playing a role in treatment response,”…
A silver lining: Could changes forced by the pandemic point to better ways to conduct our clinical trials?
Pragmatic adjustments to trial protocols were seen to be essential during the Covid-19 pandemic to avoid trials being abandoned or delayed. Most changes involved reducing the requirements for travelling to centralised trials centres and reducing the level of reporting requirements.…
Four steps to eliminating HPV-related cancers: a call for action
A new report underlines that vaccination, screening, treatment and public awareness, provide the cornerstone for eliminating cancers linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV) in Europe. The report was published by The European Cancer Organisation, Brussels on 7th October. The report,…
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…