The annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology ended Tuesday in Chicago. For four days, researchers and oncologists from around the world presented the latest advances in the field.
The fight against cancer is making great strides. The annual congress of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (Asco), the main international meeting place for oncology researchers and doctors, ended on Tuesday June 6 in Chicago, in the United States. For four days, these specialists from around the world identified major progress in the face of this disease, which is the cause of nearly 10 million deaths every year worldwide, as reported by the World Health Organization. Franceinfo reviews the main advances presented at Asco.
Lung cancer: a tablet that reduces mortality
This tablet developed by AstraZeneca, osimertinib, has been administered daily, sometimes in addition to chemotherapy, in cases of operable lung cancer. The patients were suffering from the most common form of this cancer, that known as “non-small cell”, which presents a particular type of genetic mutation. According to the results presented to Asco, this drug reduced patient mortality by half, with five years of follow-up.
Survival data is “impressive”, boasted Roy Herbst, of Yale University. Iosimertinib allow “to prevent the disease from spreading to the brain, liver and bones”, he added. This drug is already authorized in dozens of countries and has already been prescribed to some 700,000 people, according to a press release from AstraZeneca.
“In this type of disease, for which progress is slow, a great ray of hope is lighting up.”
Iris Pauporté, Director of Research and Innovation at the League Against Cancerat AFP
Lung cancer is the most lethal, with approximately 1.8 million deaths every year worldwide. In France, it kills around 23,000 men and 10,000 women a year, according to Public Health France.
Brain cancer: a drug that improves life expectancy
Vorasidenib could improve life expectancy depending on the type of brain tumour. This treatment improved the progression-free survival of cancer cells in patients with glioma, according to new data from a phase 3 clinical trial, presented by the Servier laboratory. The drug, administered orally and daily, is based on a molecule that blocks the activity of an enzyme responsible for the progression of certain brain cancers, which are difficult to treat.
“Thanks to our targeted therapy, patients avoided cancer progression for 27.7 months, compared to 11.1 months for the placebo”notes Patrick Therasse, vice-president for development products in oncology at the most advanced stage at Servier.
“This precision medicine opens a door in a disease for which there was nothing until now.”
Fabrice André, director of research at the Gustave-Roussy centerat AFP
Even if specialists call for caution, “this could become the new therapeutic standard, subject to further trials”, summarizes with AFP Muriel Dahan, director of research and development of Unicancer. Brain tumors affected nearly 5,900 people in France in 2018, sAccording to the Association for research on cancers including gynecological (Arcagy).
Breast cancer: a treatment that reduces the risk of recurrence
Ribociclib, marketed by Novartis, has been shown to be effective against early-stage breast cancer. According to the preliminary results of a large clinical trial, communicated during the world congress, it would reduce the risk of recurrence by 25%, by targeting proteins (CDK4 and CDK6) which influence the growth of cancer cells. This treatment is already used, in combination with hormone therapy, against the most common breast cancer (called HR+/HR2-) at an advanced stage.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in France and represents the leading cause of cancer death in women, recalls Public Health France, with more than 58,000 new cases diagnosed in France in 2018. This cancer, like that pancreas, “are cancers of less good diagnosis” And “still need progress”advance in THE Telegram Steven Le Gouill, Director of the Institut Curie Hospital Complex in Paris.
Certain other cancers: improved quality of life for patients
For early-stage, low-risk cervical cancer, a simple hysterectomy, which is the removal of the uterus, results in no more recurrence than a radical hysterectomy, which is an extensive removal of the cervix and part of the vagina, concludes a phase 3 clinical study presented to Asco. This is the promise of a better quality of life for operated patients. Every year, nearly 3,000 women develop cervical cancer and 1,000 women die from it, reports Public Health France.
Regarding ovarian cancer, for which five-year survival is less than 20% and recurrence is frequent, treatment with conjugated antibodies, a kind of small “bomb” of chemotherapy exploding in the tumor, has shown an improvement. significant survival, according to a phase 3 clinical trial, also detailed in Chicago. This cancer was responsible for nearly 3,500 deaths in France and more than 5,100 women developed it in 2018, according to Public Health France.
Finally, for rectal cancers, which are difficult to operate, patients with locally advanced tumors can receive chemotherapy without radiotherapy before surgery, according to a study presented at Asco. Avoiding radiation therapy can reduce side effects, providing similar survival, recurrence-free, and overall results. In 2018, Public Health France recorded more than 43,000 new cases and 17,000 deaths each year.