New cancer treatments and workforce crisis highlighted at US conference
7 reported
A major US cancer conference in Chicago presented several new experimental treatments, including a smart drug that removes “invisibility cloaks” from tumour cells, a daily pill that doubles survival time in pancreatic cancer patients, and findings that some patients can safely skip chemotherapy. The conference also reported that a blood test for more than 50 types of cancer failed its primary objective in a major trial, and experts warned of a looming workforce crisis as global cancer cases are predicted to rise significantly by 2050. The findings come from a single source, The Guardian, reporting on the American Society of Clinical Oncology (Asco) conference.
What’s reported
An experimental tablet, GRWD5769, helped shrink tumours by at least 30% in six common cancers in a trial spanning the UK, France, Spain and Australia.
The drug removed “invisibility cloaks” from tumour cells, allowing immunotherapy drug cemiplimab to detect and destroy cancer.
A daily pill, daraxonrasib, doubled survival time in pancreatic cancer patients, with patients living an average of 13.2 months compared to 6.6-6.7 months with chemotherapy.
The Optima trial led by University College London found that 4,000 breast cancer patients with a low genomic test score could safely skip chemotherapy and use hormone therapy alone.
The multi-cancer early detection test Galleri failed to meet its primary endpoint of reducing late-stage cancer diagnoses in a trial involving 142,000 NHS patients.
A report presented at the conference predicted a 21% increase in cancer incidence by 2050, from 165 to 200 per 100,000 people, and a shortfall of 100 million cancer care workers.
Two studies analysing data for 18 million US adults aged 18-50 found that poor sleep patterns were linked to higher risk of early-onset bowel, breast, uterine or ovarian cancer.
Key figures
Prof Fiona Thistlethwaite, principal investigator of the GRWD5769 trial
Dr Rachna Shroff, chief of oncology at the University of Arizona Cancer Center
Dr Peter Kingham, director of Memorial Sloan Kettering’s global cancer research and training programme
Sources: The Guardian
