Category Archives: Cancer Research News

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“Society of Gynecologic Oncology” 2023 Podcast Recap

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In the ‘Oncology On-The-Go’ Podcast posted on April 24th, 2023, Dr. Ritu Salani and Dr. Dana Chase discussed results presented at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) 2023 Annual Meeting with CancerNetwork®.

Dr. Salani and Dr. Chase are providers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). They spoke about key findings and possibilities for improving patients’ quality of life. They reviewed the results from those three trials:

 

Circadian Rhythm and Chemotherapy, Cancer Cells Transformed to Fight Cancer and More

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  • Researchers from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich have discovered that cancer development and, specifically, metastasizing can be connected to the circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm is a natural process that regulates the sleep–wake cycle and repeats approximately every 24 hours. These findings may help in better timing of chemotherapy treatments for their higher efficacy. The study was published in Trends in Cell Biology.
  • In a preclinical study, Standford University researchers found a way to alter cancer cells so that they can induce the body’s immune system “to fight the very cancer the cells came from”. The study was published in Cancer Discovery.
  • Researchers from the University of Toronto and Insilico Medicine used an AI drug discovery platform called Pharma.AI. to develop a potential therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This is just the first step, as any potential drug would need to be tested in clinical trials before it can be used in humans. The study was published in Chemical Science.
  • An experimental drug, Revumenib, showed very promising results in leukemia early (phase 1) clinical trial. Complete remission was achieved in 18 Leukemia patients. The study reporting on this trial was published in Nature. A related study was published in the same issue.
  • Researchers from Australia who studied the mechanisms of tumor resistance to chemotherapy discovered that tumor cells can alternate responding or not responding to chemotherapy through natural randomness. This randomness occurs in the process of cancer cells dying from chemotherapy treatment. Still, there is “a small window where treatment could be most effective.” The researchers also identified specific drugs that can help dealing with this mechanism of resistance. The study was published in Science Advances.
  • New research exploring the genomic doubling phenomenon occurring in the process of carcinogenesis was conducted by researchers from Switzerland. The study that provides a new insight into cancer development processes was published in Nature.

Experimental Tumor Cell Based Vaccine, Futibatinib Trial for Bile Duct Cancers, and More

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  • Researchers from Harvard University developed an experimental vaccine to start a new generation of cancer vaccines, tumor cell-based vaccines, that would make cancer fight cancer. The researchers modified cancer cells to “produce agents that kill tumors and to form other proteins that help the body develop immunity against the cancer.” Clinical trials of this vaccine could follow in several years. The study was published in Science Translational Medicine.
  • A typical protocol for patients with colon cancer removed surgically automatically includes chemotherapy after surgery, but it is hard to tell beforehand whether a patient would benefit from it. A positive blood test, otherwise called ‘liquid biopsy” or ctDNA, reveals if there are residual cancer cells in the body. The study conducted by researchers in Japan showed that patients with positive tests might be at a very high risk of cancer recurrence and thus would need post-surgical chemotherapy treatment. Conversely, patients with negative tests may safely not be treated by chemotherapy and avoid its potential hurdles and adverse effects. The study was published in Nature Medicine.
  • Researchers from more than a dozen countries conducted a multicenter trial on the use of the oral drug futibatinib for bile duct cancers (cholangiocarcinoma and gall bladder cancer) for which the survival outlook is very poor and found that the drug was superior to chemotherapy and extended the life of patients with advanced bile duct cancers who participated in the trial for up to 2 years. Treatment with this drug is a precision or personalized therapy as it targets a specific genetic mutation in a group of genes known as fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFR). Patients with bile duct cancer should undergo molecular testing to benefit from this drug. The results were reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.
  • Researchers from Israel have produced a peptide that prevented secondary breast cancer in mice with a 90 percent success rate. The scientists hope that their research will prevent cancer metastasis in humans and can be translated to other types of cancer. The study was published in Oncogene.
  • A new in vitro and animal study by researchers at The Ohio State University reported a way to re-energize critical killer immune cells when they become dysfunctional while fighting cancer or chronic viral infections. The results were reported in Nature Immunology.
  • Researchers from India conducted a randomized controlled trial to compare turmeric mouthwash to benzydamine mouthwash for oral mucositis. The study involving 92 patients found that turmeric mouthwash could reduce the severity of oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiation therapy. The study was published in Cancer Nursing.