Breaking Research News from sources other than Breastcancer.org

debbew

Ultrasound-guided microbubbles boost immunotherapy efficacy

...In the preclinical study, the MUSIC strategy demonstrated a complete tumor eradication rate of 60% when administered as monotherapy in breast cancer models...

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/2205...

debbew

Cancer-killing virus injected into human for the first time in new clinical trial

Previous studies have shown that CF33-hNIS is effective against cell culture and animal models of breast, colorectal, pancreatic, ovarian, and lung cancers. During the Phase 1 clinical trial, researchers will test the safety and tolerability of CF33-hNIS in cancer patients by injecting the virus directly into the blood or the tumor.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/cancer-killing-virus-injected-into-human-for-the-first-time-in-new-clinical-trial

debbew

'Masked' Cancer Drug Kills Tumors While Sparing Healthy Tissue, Early Results Show

In breast cancer models, our masked IL-12 resulted in a 90 percent cure rate, while treatment with a commonly used immunotherapy called a checkpoint inhibitor resulted in only a 10 percent cure rate.

https://www.sciencealert.com/masked-cancer-drug-ki...

debbew

New Biomarker Classifications May Improve Treatment for High-Risk Breast Cancer Patients

The researchers, whose findings were recently published online in Cancer Cell, show that by combining predictive biomarkers to create response predicting breast cancer subtypes, these subtypes can then be matched to the most effective modern treatments. The best subtyping schemas incorporate Immune, DNA repair, Luminal, and HER2 phenotypes, Treatment assignment using these response predictive subtypes may improve the efficacy of the treatment and patient outcomes.

https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2022/06/423061/new-bioma...

debbew

ASCO: AstraZeneca, Daiichi's Enhertu could transform breast cancer treatment with landmark HER2-low show

At a median follow-up of 18.4 months, Enhertu extended the median time patients had lived without disease worsening to 9.9 months, versus 5.1 months for patients who got physician's choice of chemotherapy. The drug prolonged patients' lives to a median of 23.4 months, compared with 16.8 months for chemo, according to data presented at a plenary session of the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting.

https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/asco-astrazene...

Nkb

Thanks, Debbrew- interesting articles

debbew

Updated Guidelines on Biomarkers for Early-Stage Breast Cancer

According to the April 25 press release from Hologic (the parent medical technology company that developed BCI), ASCO "now recognizes BCI as the only genomic test to help guide extended endocrine therapy decisions in early-stage, HR+ (hormone receptor-positive) breast cancer patients with node-negative or node-positive (one-three positive nodes) disease when treated with five years of primary endocrine therapy without evidence of recurrence."

BCI is a microarray-based test that analyzes the expression of 11 genes associated with breast cancer recurrence.

https://www.survivornet.com/articles/asco-news-upd...

BSandra

Dear all, has anyone had any news from Lumpie? She's the "founder" of this thread and used to post constantly but does not anymore after the site was renewed:/ Hmm...

Saulius

MinusTwo

It is so depressing the number of good friends who have given up and no longer post. It was bad enough losing friends to cancer - but many members just will no longer deal with the inane revisions & issues & problems on BCO. I too hope Lumpie is OK - along with a ton of other people who have (understandably) disappeared.

Lumpie

Hi all! Lumpie here. Thank you so much for your concern. Sorry I have not been present as much as in the past. You know how life just catches up with you some times and is demanding? That's kind of where I am. The side effects of my current treatment are chronic and annoying which slows me down. I have had some personal business and family matters that have consumed a great deal of my available time and energy lately. Some fun stuff, too: I saw a couple of college friends last week that I had not seen in a very long time. And then there is the less fun stuff (semi-flooded basement). You know.... life is messy and it comes at you non-stop. So it has taken away from my time to read and research. Maybe I have missed it due to inattention, but I have not seen the volume of new research with eye-catching results coming out lately. (Sidebar: I confess that, while I think that the new BC.com format is "prettier," I find it more challenging for posting to-be-read research-type material. A minor issue, but a thought.) I hope that in a few more months I will still be doing well and will be on a more even keel. Maybe more promising research will be published then, too. I do watch the discussion and if I see anything really good, I will try to pop over and post. The mutual support and concern in this forum - and others - is so wonderful. It's keeps me believing in humanity. More asap... take care and be well!

JoynerL

Lumpie, so glad that all is [essentially ] well!

Nkb

Lumpie- so glad to see you as well.

MinusTwo

Lumpie - thanks for posting. HOpe all life's hassles settle down soon.

debbew

Thanks for checking in, Lumpie! Hope you are in a good place to start posting again soon!

BSandra

Dear Lumpie, this is what we wanted to hear - that you are alright:) And living life... is a wonderful thing, glad that you are doing it

Saulius

debbew

Promising compound kills range of hard-to-treat cancers by targeting a previously undiscovered vulnerability

The researchers soon noticed that a compound called ERX-41 not only killed ER-positive cancers in petri dishes, but also readily killed TNBCs, including more than 20 distinct TNBC cell lines. Further experiments showed that ERX-41 also effectively shrunk human cancers and several of these cancer cell lines when grown as tumors in mice without affecting normal cells or causing any discernible toxicity in these animals.\

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/955062

Karenfizedbo15

Lumpie 👏🏻👏🏻

Lumpie

Symptom trackers may improve QOL in metastatic cancer

People with metastatic cancer who reported symptoms, lifestyle habits and daily challenges electronically every week had greater improvement in physical function, symptom control and health-related quality of life than those receiving usual care, researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Care teams were alerted when patients reported severe or worsening symptoms, potentially enabling interventions that prevented complications, but the researchers also noted that alerts could be difficult for care team members to address in the absence of dedicated time.

Reported here: https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/study-electron...

Study here: doi:10.1001/jama.2022.9265

Relevant clinical trial: NCT03249090

{Of course, they will charge for access to the full study. Reporting and abstract are free. I have been encouraging my computer science guru nephew to develop a symptom tracking app that is not evil (=sells your private info). We'll see.}

Lumpie

Trastuzumab Deruxtecan in Patients With CNS Involvement From HER2+ Breast Cancer

• This primary analysis of the phase II DEBBRAH trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer with CNS involvement, including those with active brain metastases and even leptomeningeal disease. An impressive objective response rate was noted with T-DXd in all three cohorts. Toxicity was manageable, with 9.5% of the patients having grade 1 pneumonitis.

• These data suggest that T-DXd is a promising treatment option for patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer with stable, untreated, or progressing brain metastases. Larger trials are warranted to validate the findings. {Cohort was 21 patieints.}

Reporting: https://www.practiceupdate.com/C/136600/56?elsca1=...

Source: https://doi.org/10.1093/neuonc/noac144

The manuscript has been accepted but not yet published. It is currently available in its entirety without charge. That may change once it goes to press.

debbew

Not really news, but interesting...

Getting closer to a vaccine for cancer

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/06/14/cancer-vaccine-future/

Lumpie

Study Compares DBT With Digital Mammography Screening

Digital breast tomosynthesis linked to lower risk of advanced breast cancer for women with extremely dense breasts, high risk for breast cancer

HealthDay

WEDNESDAY, June 15, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Compared with digital mammography, digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is not associated with a significant difference in the risk of interval invasive cancer or advanced cancer among women who are not at high risk, according to a study published in the June 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.Karla Kerlikowske, M.D., from the University of California in San Francisco, and colleagues conducted a cohort study involving 504,427 women aged 40 to 79 years who underwent 1,003,900 screening digital mammography and 375,189 screening DBT examinations from 2011 through 2018.The researchers observed no significant difference for interval invasive cancer rates per 1,000 examinations for DBT versus digital mammography, or among all 836,250 examinations with Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC) five-year risk <1.67 percent, or among all the 413,061 examinations with BCSC five-year risk of 1.67 percent or higher across breast density categories. Among women at low-to-average risk or at high risk with almost entirely fatty, scattered fibroglandular densities, or heterogeneously dense breasts, advanced cancer rates were not significantly different for DBT versus digital mammography. For the 3.6 percent of women with extremely dense breasts and at high risk of breast cancer, advanced cancer rates were significantly lower per 1,000 examinations for DBT versus digital mammography, but not for women at low-to-average risk."Screening with DBT versus digital mammography was associated with a significantly lower risk of advanced breast cancer (prognostic pathologic stage II or higher) among women with extremely dense breasts and high risk of breast cancer," the authors write.Several authors disclosed financial ties to industry.

Reporting: https://www.practiceupdate.com/C/137546/56?elsca1=...

Article: doi:10.1001/jama.2022.7672

{Access to reporting and abstract are w/o charge but registration may be required. Subscription or payment may be required for full article access.)

Lumpie

Getting closer to a vaccine for cancer

Scientists have worked for years to harness the power of the immune system. New approaches make researchers optimistic about success.

June 14, 2022

...scientists studying cancer vaccines believe they now are closer than ever before. While these vaccines are still a long way from approval, researchers think they represent the future of cancer care.

{a few quotes re breast cancer...}

MUC1, is present in several types of cancers, including colon, breast, prostate, lung and pancreatic. An MUC1-based vaccine she and her team developed showed a strong response from the immune system in clinical trials in patients with premalignant colon polyps, leading them to believe the vaccine could help prevent the growth of new polyps and keep existing ones from turning cancerous.

The vaccine reduced polyp recurrence rates by 38 percent in their clinical trial

"We and other groups are paying attention to premalignant lesions and focusing on trying to boost the immune system to stop the progression from premalignant to malignancy," Finn says, adding that her group is about to begin a trial of the same vaccine in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ — an early stage of cancer that is confined to breast milk ducts and not yet invasive — to see whether the vaccine can stop it from spreading.

Many cancers also share common antigens, meaning a personalized vaccine isn't always necessary. HER2, a molecule found in about 25 percent of breast cancers is one example. Berzofsky's lab is testing therapeutic vaccines for several cancers, including one that targets HER2.

"It's a 'driver' antigen, which means the cancer can't do without it," Berzofsky says. "It keeps telling the cell: divide and multiply, so going after it with a vaccine would be very effective." Early clinical trials have been promising, he says. There is a drug, Herceptin, available to treat HER2-positive breast cancer patients, but "the patient has to come back to get an IV drip every few weeks," Berzofsky says. "If we had a vaccine that caused a patient to make her own HER2 antibodies, she wouldn't need to come back for the drug."

Knutson and Amy Degnim, a breast surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, also designed a HER2 vaccine and recently completed a small clinical trial in 22 patients with invasive breast cancer. The vaccine, based on four fragments of the HER2 protein, provoked both antibodies and T cells in all the patients, Degnim says. The vaccine was given in six doses, each one a month apart.

After a little more than two years, only two patients had recurrences: one developed another tumor in the same breast, the second patient experienced a recurrence in the lymph nodes, "but that patient did not complete the full vaccination course," having received only four doses, Degnim says.

They are also developing another vaccine they hope will completely prevent breast cancer in women at high risk for the disease. Initially, however, it will be tested — for safety reasons — only in women who already have breast cancer.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/06/14/c...

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2200200119

{The Post generally puts stuff behind a pay wall. PM me if you have questions. The journal will let you see the abstract, but there is a pay wall for full access.}

debbew

Drug combination could be less invasive treatment for [mbc], study finds

Researchers from the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS) at the National University Hospital and the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI Singapore) at the National University of Singapore found that combining two drugs - letrozole and lenvatinib [pill form] - might help those with advanced stage metastatic breast cancer achieve better control of the disease.

The researchers conducted a study of 43 patients with stage four breast cancer who had failed multiple prior therapies.

Half of those given the combined therapy either saw their tumours shrink or experienced good control of the disease for more than six months, with many able to continue normal daily activities.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/drug...

mpetago

An article was just published in the May/June edition of Cancer Journal by Dr Bluming entitled 'HRT After Breast Cancer - It is Time.' Happy to email the pdf to anyone or figure out how to share here. Short version is that oncologists should look at current study results about this topic, 24/25 studies indicate no increase in recurrence after using hormone replacement therapy, as well as the often-severe health effects of estrogen suppression. Yes, even for women who had ER+ breast cancer, although the risk may be slightly higher. Vast majority of symptoms we attribute to treatment (chemo brain, ongoing fatigue, severe depression) are often from the temporary or permanent suppression of our hormones, but doctors still don't really understand what causes cancer or the role of estrogen in breast cancer at all. What they do know is that estrogen greatly increases protection from top three killers of women - heart disease, bone fractures, and dementia.

He also cowrote a book called Estrogen Matters where he disputes the connection that was made from a flawed study in 2002 (Women's Health Initiative) indicating it might increase beast cancer risk and leading to very few women wanting or being prescribed HRT after that time, even for severe quality of life issues brought on by perimenopause and menopause. Really well done and interesting.

cp418

https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/fda-clears-k...

FDA clears Koios Medical's ultrasound-reading AI that spots breast, thyroid cancer in 2 seconds

debbew

(early research)

'Masked' cancer drug [IL-12] sneaks through body to deliver anti-tumor treatment with fewer side effects

In models of breast cancer studied in the lab, masked IL-12 was even more effective than anti-PD1 antibody, an immune therapy commonly used in humans.

https://pme.uchicago.edu/news/masked-cancer-drug-s...

debbew

FDA finalizes guidance on including patients with incurable cancers in oncology trials

In their guidance, the agency recommended sponsors include patients with incurable cancer—defined as unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic disease in solid tumors and/or hematologic malignancies with unfavorable long-term overall survival—in oncology clinical trials even if they met criteria that would otherwise exclude them, such as in situations where a patient had previously received an available therapy in a non-curative setting. The recommendation by FDA emphasizes that sponsors still need to follow regulations around informed consent before enrolling patients with incurable cancer in clinical trials.

https://www.raps.org/news-and-articles/news-articl...

ThreeTree

Interesting, I was told my cancer is "locally advanced" (3B IDC) but was not told that it is considered "incurable" (although what breast cancer is?). I had a large localized tumor with no nodes and no detectable spread anywhere. I knew it was real bad, but I hadn't realized that that apparently puts me in the same category as metastatic and unresectable? You learn something every day.

Thanks for your post, Debbew.

Traveltext

Locally advanced, as in lymph nodes, is not regarded as Stage 4 metastatic bc in everything I’ve ever read. This would be a Stage 3B or Stage 3c diagnosis. Lymph nodes are always resectable, too. And can b radiated. Curious.

debbew

FDA Approves First Targeted Therapy (Enhertu) for HER2-Low Breast Cancer

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcement...

Threetree, I agree with TravelText.