Medical Bulletin 13/September/2022 - Video
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Overview
Here are the top medical news for the day:
Immunotherapy before surgery helpful for common skin cancer patients: Study
In an international, multicenter Phase II clinical trial led by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 63.3% of patients with stage II–IV cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) saw their tumors nearly or completely disappear when treated with immunotherapy before surgery.
About 1 million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with CSCC each year, making it one of the most common forms of cancer. Most cases are easily treated by a dermatologist or primary care physician and do not require advanced care. However, most CSCCs occur in the head and neck regions – areas that receive heavy sun exposure – and, in the rare instances that they do grow and spread aggressively, they can affect the eyes, ears, nose and mouth.
Reference:
Neil Gross, et al,Neoadjuvant cemiplimab for stage II to IV cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma,New England Journal of Medicine DOI 10.1056/NEJMoa2209813
Patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer experience survival benefits with fruquintinib
Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reported study results showing that the targeted therapy fruquintinib significantly improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer.
The randomized Phase III FRESCO-2 clinical trial was conducted at 153 sites in the United States, Europe, Japan and Australia. The double-blind study evaluated treatment with the novel oral therapy fruquintinib — a small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFR) — plus best supportive care compared to placebo plus best supportive care in heavily pre-treated patients with treatment-resistant metastatic colorectal cancer. The primary endpoint was OS.
Reference :
Arvind Dasari,et al, Patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer experience survival benefits with fruquintinib UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS M. D. ANDERSON CANCER CENTER
Novel combination immunotherapy for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer
A physician-scientist at City of Hope, has identified a novel combination immunotherapy regimen that demonstrated significant response in a subgroup of people with recurrent metastatic colorectal cancer.
The study Marwan Fakih, enrolled 29 patients with chemotherapy-resistant metastatic colorectal cancer who had a biomarker known as microsatellite stable (disease). The participants received a combination immunotherapy treatment consisting of ipilimumab and nivolumab, plus the targeted therapy regorafenib. Of the 22 patients whose cancer had not yet spread to the liver, more than 50% are still alive after 20 months. The seven patients whose disease had spread to the liver also received the study treatment, but they had a less favorable outcome with a median survival of seven months.
Reference:
Giacomo Mazzoli; Romain Cohen; Sara Lonardi; Francesca Corti; Elena Elez; Marwan Fakih; Priya Jayachandran; Raphael Colle; Aakash Tushar Shah; Massimiliano Salati et al.European Journal of Cancer, DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2022.05.044
Immune cell that helps to kill bladder cancer tumors identified
Mount Sinai researchers have made two important discoveries about the mechanism by which bladder cancer cells foil attacks from the immune system. The research, published in Cancer Cell in September, could lead to a new therapeutic option for patients with these types of tumors.
Advanced bladder cancer is aggressive and patients generally have poor prognoses. Several immune checkpoint inhibitors have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for bladder cancer, but they only sustain good responses in about 20 percent of patients.
Reference:
Amir Horowitz et al,Cancer Cell,Researchers identify immune cell that helps kill bladder cancer tumors THE MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL / MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Speakers
Isra Zaman
B.Sc Life Sciences, M.Sc Biotechnology, B.Ed
Isra Zaman is a Life Science graduate from Daulat Ram College, Delhi University, and a postgraduate in Biotechnology from Amity University. She has a flair for writing, and her roles at Medicaldialogues include that of a Sr. content writer and a medical correspondent. Her news pieces cover recent discoveries and updates from the health and medicine sector. She can be reached at editorial@medicaldialogues.in.