Early Clinical Trials Show ‘Exciting’ Promise For Prostate Cancer Treatment

Fox News: New Prostate Cancer Treatment Could Be On The Horizon, Say UK Researchers: ‘Tremendously Exciting’
A new study published in the journal Nature has found that for some patients with treatment-resistant prostate cancer, a new process can "block" the messages that cancer uses to "hijack" white blood cells. In early clinical trials, researchers from The Institute of Cancer Research in the U.K. found that this process made advanced prostate cancers more treatable, "shrinking tumors or halting their growth," according to a press release from the university. (Rudy, 10/19)

In other cancer news —

CBS News: Researchers Are Looking To Use Artificial Intelligence To Help Detect Pancreatic Cancer
Nearly 70% of patients with pancreatic cancer face death within the first year of diagnosis. That's why early detection is critical. But doctors say small pancreatic cancers aren't easily detected on CT scans until it's advanced to an incurable stage. For this new study, researchers used imaging datasets from past CT scans of those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer to create an artificial intelligence model. They hope it will help aid in early detection of small tumors that are currently difficult to detect. (Stahl, 10/19)

Reuters: Bristol Myers' Injectable Form Of Opdivo Meets Main Goal In Kidney Cancer Trial 
Bristol Myers Squibb said on Thursday the injectable form of its blockbuster cancer drug Opdivo met the main goal in trial that had patients with a type of kidney cancer. The new formulation of the drug that was tested in the trial used Halozyme Therapeutics' proprietary technology, which allows large volumes of Opdivo, currently administered intravenously, to be delivered as an injection under the skin. (10/19)

Stat: Merck, Daiichi Strike Cancer Drug Pact Worth Up To $22 Billion
Merck is paying billions of dollars to partner with Daiichi Sankyo on a series of cancer drugs, underscoring the excitement around targeted chemotherapy treatments. The deal includes a $4 billion upfront payment and an additional $1.5 billion over the next two years. Up to $16.5 billion more is on the table depending on the success of the drugs in development. (Joseph, 10/20)

Wired: This Vaccine Protects Against Cancer—But Not Enough Boys Are Getting It
Since its development and rollout in the mid-2010s, the HPV vaccine’s prowess at heeding off cervical cancer rates has been remarkable. Over an 11-year period in the United Kingdom, cases of cervical cancer fell by 87 percent among those who received the vaccine compared to those who didn’t. It’s conceivable that one day, a whole form of cancer could be effectively eliminated. And the vaccines don’t just protect against cervical cancer. They can also prevent head and neck, vaginal, anal, and penile cancer, as well as protecting against genital warts in both genders. But there’s the rub: Although these vaccines protect against cancers that affect both men and women, boys and men aren’t offered the vaccine in two-thirds of countries where they are available. In those places, half the people who could benefit are missing out on a potentially life-saving intervention. But that’s starting to change. (Browne, 10/20)

The Atlantic: How A Common Stomach Bug Causes Cancer
At first, doctors didn’t believe that bacteria could live in the stomach at all. Too acidic, they thought. But in 1984, a young Australian physician named Barry Marshall gulped down an infamous concoction of beef broth laced with Helicobacter pylori bacteria. On day eight, he started vomiting. On day 10, an endoscopy revealed that H. pylori had colonized his stomach, their characteristic spiral shape unmistakeable under the microscope.Left untreated, H. pylori usually establishes infections that persist for an entire lifetime, and they’re common: Half of the world’s population harbors H. pylori inside their stomach, as do more than one in three Americans. In most cases, the microbe settles into an asymptomatic chronic infection, but in some, it becomes far more troublesome. It can, for example, cause enough damage to the stomach lining to create ulcers. Worse still, H. pylori can lead to cancer. This single bacterium is by far the No. 1 risk factor in stomach cancers worldwide. By one estimate, some 70 percent can be attributed to H. pylori. (Zhang, 10/19)

CBS News: New Hispanic Breast Cancer Clinic At Northwestern Aims To Improve Access To Care
The Lurie Cancer Center Hispanic Breast Cancer Clinic, which opened in September, was created to address disparities between Hispanic women and White women when it comes to screening, treatment, and research. ... According to Research by the National Institutes of Health, despite being diagnosed less than White women, breast cancer in Hispanic women tends to be more aggressive and more deadly. (Mogos, 10/198)