Other Gene Tests for Cancer

Other than the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutation test for breast and ovarian cancer, there are other gene-related tests available for cancer.

As an example, one such test that is available is for Lynch syndrome, a hereditary condition which comes with a family history of colon cancer and other types of cancer at a younger age. Those with the syndrome have a higher risk of colorectal and uterine (womb) cancers.

Like BRCA screening, the genetic screening test for Lynch is expensive and is recommended only for high-risk individuals with a strong family history of such cancers.

Trying to find the Lynch syndrome in the general population would be rather costly and not necessarily helpful, said Dr Lim Sheow Lei, a senior consultant at the department of gynaecological oncology at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

BLOG CTA ButtonRead more about how targeted treatments and translational science research methods are creating better outcomes for patients with cancer

The field of cancer genetics is a rapidly evolving area.?? But things are changing quickly.? As genomic technology advances, the cost of sequencing the human genome is plunging, said Dr Lim. Just two weeks ago, a US company announced it was offering a much cheaper and easier way for women to get tested for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations.

Color Genomics* has begun selling a test (USD $249) that it said could accurately analyze a saliva sample for the mutations, as well as check for 17 other genetic variants that have been associated with a somewhat increased risk for cancer of the breast or ovaries.

Cancer can sometimes appear to “run in families” even if it is not caused by an inherited mutation.? Acquired mutations are the most common cause of cancer. These mutations occur from genes damaged during a person’s life. Smoking, viruses, and aging can damage genes and cause these mutations.

One such cancer caused by an acquired mutation is cervical cancFREE MS Art - Cancer Biology Ribboner, which stem from the human papilloma virus (HPV). Last year, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the HPV DNA test, manufactured by Roche, as a first-line primary screening test in women 25 and older. The geno-typing test detects DNA from 14 high-risk HPV types and specifically identifies HPV 16 and HPV 18, which carry the highest risk of cervical cancer. It can be used to help a healthcare professional assess the need for the woman to undergo additional diagnostic testing for cervical cancer. The test can also provide information about the patient’s risk for developing cervical cancer in the future.

Women who test positive for HPV 16 or HPV 18 should have a colposcopy, an examination using a device that illuminates and magnifies the cervix so a doctor can directly observe the cervical cells. Those who test positive for one or more of the 12 other high-risk HPV types should have a PAP smear to determine the need for a colposcopy. In a United States study of more than 47,000 women that compared HPV DNA tests with PAP smear tests, up to one in three women with cervical cancer had a normal PAP smear result.

Scientists and researchers are uncovering more genetic markers for other cancers.? The challenge is to know what to do with these pieces of information, how to interpret the multitude of newly uncovered mutations, work out the associated cancer risks and to manage the risks, said Dr Lim.

(Reprinted with license and permission from The Straits Times by Ng Wan Ching)
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*Information and link for Color Genomics does not constitute our endorsement of or any liability associated with the product, company or service.? Please consult a physician in case you believe you or someone you know may have cancer.

The Top 5 Recent Breakthroughs in Advanced Lung Cancer Treatment

Ross Camidge MD PHD ATOMICWe might need to look at our back catalogues for treatments we could retrospectively explore for effective predictive biomarkers with our more modern approaches. ?D. Ross Camidge, MD, PhD

A countdown of the top 5 breakthrough therapies in the treatment of advanced lung cancer was presented by D. Ross Camidge, MD, PhD, at the 2014 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology. Dr. Camidge is Director, Thoracic Oncology Clinical and Clinical Research Programs, and Associate Director for Clinical Research, University of Colorado Comprehensive Cancer Center, Aurora. He is also the Director for the newly minted ATOMIC Lung Cancer Consortium. He chose the following molecular therapies as his top choices for illustrating what the future of Lung cancer treatment will involve:

#5. Crizotinib

Dr. Camidge chose crizotinib(Xalkori) as a breakthrough therapy ?because of how it has exemplified the philosophy of one size does not fit all,? he said.

#4. Second-Generation ALK Inhibitors

The second-generation ALK inhibitors werechosen ?not because of their impressive activity post-crizotinib, but because of their progress in accurately defining how we capture data on benefit in central nervous system (CNS) disease,? Dr. Camidge explained.

#3. Third-Generation EGFR Inhibitors

Dr. Camidge identified the third-generation EGFR inhibitors ?because of what they are teaching us about understanding acquired resistance in order to effectively treat it,? he said.

#2. PD-1/PD-L1 Antagonists

Dr. Camidge singled out the inhibitors of programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) as opening the door to immunotherapy but with the open question of whether they will really be a panacea or whether they have the potential to become a truly personalized medicine.

#1. Three Possible Future Breakthroughs

The?number 1 spot was shared by three ?mini-fantasies? about what future breakthroughs might be, based on the concepts of mining the past, intraoncogene heterogeneity, and affordable incremental benefit.

Explaining his interest in mining the past, Dr. Camidge said, ?We have walked away from a large number of targeted agents because they didn?t work when given to otherwise unselected lung cancer populations. However, in almost all of these cases, no attempt at robustly exploring predictive biomarkers was conducted,? he noted.

?Consequently, the classes of drugs may not truly be ineffective, and there may have been evidence of hypersensitive subpopulations ripe for re-exploration,? he continued. ?We might need to look at our back catalogues for treatments we could retrospectively explore for effective predictive biomarkers with our more modern approaches.?

As an example, he cited the class of drugs known as death receptor agonists. These drugs ?which directly stimulate apoptosis and worked exceptionally well in various preclinical models, were all dropped when a series of randomized phase II studies adding these agents to first-line chemotherapy failed to show an advantage.? But the nonprogressors in the experimental arms approached 15% of the population in several of the studies, he said. ?Unfortunately little or no tissue was collected in these studies so no predictive biomarkers could really be explored at the time.?

Dr. Camidge used KRAS as an example of intraoncogene heterogeneity. The most common mutation among adenocarcinomas of the lung, KRAS has been shown in preclinical and clinical studies to have tremendous heterogeneity. The trial design for the FAK inhibitor VS-6063 in KRAS-mutant lung cancer is ?at least starting to address this heterogeneity by exploring its benefit in four KRAS-mutant cohorts that have also been characterized with regard to their INK4a and p53 status to see if these contexts alter the response to the drug, based on relevant preclinical data,? Dr. Camidge said.

To explain affordable incremental benefit, he cited the REVEL study, which looked at the addition of ramucirumab (Cyramza), an antibody against VEGFR2, to standard second-line docetaxel. ?The addition of ramucirumab increased the response rate from 14% to 30% and the disease control rate from 53% to 64%, increased the progression free survival from 3.0 to 4.5 months, and increased the overall survival from 9.1 to 10.5 months,? Dr. Camidge reported.

?So with an unequivocally positive phase III study, adding a little to all major endpoints, we might want to be using this drug. But only if it, and drugs like it, are affordable, as one recurring problem has been in pricing a breakthrough as if it?s a game-changer and not just a way of offering a little incremental benefit to everyone.? If not affordable, ?these minor breakthroughs will never be practical to use in the real world,? he said.

Disclosures: Dr. Camidge has received honoraria from Pfizer, Genentech/Roche, Clovis, Aria, and Eli Lilly.

Reference
Camidge DR: The top five most promising molecular therapies on the horizon. Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology. Presented October 31, 2014.

Source/Complete article by Charlotte Bath (The ASCO Post) is available at: http://www.ascopost.com/issues/december-1,-2014/top-5-breakthroughs-in-the-treatment-of-advanced-lung-cancer.aspx

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OncoTherapy Network Highlights National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast Cancer RibbonEvery October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month [3] is observed to help spread the word about early detection. While screening is an integral part of breast cancer prevention, treatment options for thousands of patients diagnosed each year with breast cancer continues to be a focal point in oncology.

UBM Medica US announced that OncoTherapyNetwork [1], a leading online community to help oncologists and other clinicians gain a better understanding of the newest information available regarding the use of targeted therapies and immunotherapies, discusses some of the latest research on breast cancer treatment [2].

The featured articles below discuss some of the most recent research findings, including potential treatment options for both HER2-positive and triple-negative breast cancers:

? Neoadjuvant Carboplatin Boosts Targeted Therapy Responses in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
The addition of neoadjuvant carboplatin to a regimen of taxane-anthracycline chemotherapy and targeted therapy substantially increased pathological complete responses in patients with stage II/III triple-negative breast cancer [4] (but not in patients with HER2-positive disease).

? Breast Cancer Vaccine Showing Promise in Women With HER2 Overexpression
Recent findings from a phase II randomized clinical trial demonstrates that a breast cancer vaccine known as GP2, may help at preventing disease recurrence in women with HER2 protein overexpression [5].

? Knockdown of CD24 May Enhance Efficacy of Targeted Agents in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
Therapeutic targeting of CD24 may enhance the efficacy of targeted agents, such as trastuzumab and lapatinib, in treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast Cancer [6].

References:
1. www.oncotherapynetwork.com/?cid=pr10152014
2. www.oncotherapynetwork.com/breast-cancer-targets?cid=pr10152014
3. healthfinder.gov/nho/octobertoolkit.aspx
4. www.oncotherapynetwork.com/breast-cancer-targets/neoadjuvant-carboplatin-booststargeted-
therapy-responses-triple-negative-breast-cancer?cid=pr10152014
5. www.oncotherapynetwork.com/breast-cancer-targets/breast-cancer-vaccine-showingpromise-
women-her2-overexpression?cid=pr10152014
6. www.oncotherapynetwork.com/breast-cancer-targets/knockdown-cd24-may-enhanceefficacy-
targeted-agents-her2-positive-breast-cancer?cid=pr10152014
About UBM Medica US
Addressing today’s healthcare information needs, UBM Medica US, delivers strategic, integrated communications solutions and comprehensive reach — online, in print, via custom programs and live events. Improving the effectiveness of healthcare through information and education, UBM Medica US provides unbiased clinical, practical, and business information for physicians, providers and payers resulting in improved quality of care for patients around the world. Through journals, magazines, online communities, live and digital events, and other valuable resources, UBM Medica US also delivers comprehensive communication solutions for the pharmaceutical and related industries. Online communities include CancerNetwork.com, ConsultantLive.com, DiagnosticImaging.com, RheumatologyNetwork.com, OBGYN.net, PhysiciansPractice.com, PsychiatricTimes.com and SearchMedica.com. UBM Medica US is part of UBM Americas which, through a range of aligned interactive environments, both physical and digital ? increases business effectiveness for both customers and audiences through meaningful experiences, knowledge and connections.?For more information, visit www.UBMMedicaUS.com.

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(Reprinted with license and permission from PR Newswire.)

New Oncology Consortia Expand Translational Science Research Offerings

Criterium proudly announces our two newest Oncology Consortia Groups: ATOMIC (The Academic Thoracic Oncology Medical Investigator’s Consortium) focusing on Thoracic and Lung Cancers, and ABRCC (The Academic Breast Cancer Consortium), dedicated to Breast Cancer research. These new consortia consist of a collaboration of outstanding Cancer Research Consortia that deliver innovative research and unparalleled expertise. These two new consortia will join Criterium’s already successful AGICC (the Academic GI Cancer Consortium) directed by Dr. Wells Messersmith, established in 2008, and AMyC (the Academic Myeloma Consortium) established in 2010 with Dr. Brian G. M. Durie directing 3 high profile studies.

ALL Consortia Logos

All of Criterium’s Oncology Consortia specialize in translational research design to bring novel cancer therapies to market in accelerated time frames. “These new types of therapies allow cancer drugs to more effectively target only the destructive cancer cells, while allowing healthy cells to remain untouched, thereby providing a less toxic treatment, with better patient survival outcomes,” stated Dr. Jack Macdonald, the Senior Medical Consultant for the Oncology Consortia.

Dr. D. Ross Camidge MD PHD ATOMIC

Dr. D. Ross Camidge of the University of Colorado?s Cancer Center in Aurora, Colorado has been appointed as ATOMIC’s Director. “ATOMIC brings together a powerful mixture of mature thought leaders and the next generation of experts with the sole goal of designing and completing clinical trials that will change the way we do business in thoracic oncology for the better,” says Camidge.

Also from the University of Colorado is Dr. Peter Kabos, Dr Peter Kabos MD ABRCCthe newly named Director for ABRCC. “ABRCC is an academic consortium formed for the new era of clinical trial design and implementation. Our goal is to rapidly translate advances in breast cancer research into targeted therapies that will benefit our patients,” states Kabos. Both bring an exceptional set of credentials in advanced research and organizational skills to the collaboration.

The Consortia Model for research and development in pharmaceuticals utilizes translational science methodologies to streamline cancer research. The Consortia rosters are presently represented by Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and Top Investigators at 24 of the most prestigious institutions in the USA. In this way, Criterium brings together these physician-scientists into highly effective and productive new drug development entities. To learn more, please visit: www.CriteriumInc.com/OCC.php

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