‘Astonishing’ Results In Small Cancer Drug Study

The New York Times: A Cancer Trial’s Unexpected Result: Remission in Every Patient
It was a small trial, just 18 rectal cancer patients, every one of whom took the same drug. But the results were astonishing. The cancer vanished in every single patient, undetectable by physical exam, endoscopy, PET scans or M.R.I. scans. Dr. Luis A. Diaz Jr. of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, an author of a paper published Sunday in the New England Journal of Medicine describing the results, which were sponsored by the drug company GlaxoSmithKline, said he knew of no other study in which a treatment completely obliterated a cancer in every patient. “I believe this is the first time this has happened in the history of cancer,” Dr. Diaz said. (Kolata, 6/5)

Stat: With The Right Molecular Signal, A Cancer Drug Works In Every Patient
Sascha Roth was in her late 30s and feeling great. Then she noticed some bleeding when she used the bathroom. She went to see a gastroenterologist, who diagnosed her with rectal cancer. Her doctor, she recalled, “was as shocked as I was.” A friend who had had colon cancer insisted Roth see her surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. That led to her becoming patient no. 1 in a study that is a striking example of the importance of efforts to test cancer drugs in earlier stages of disease. (Herper, 6/5)

And in breast cancer news about the drugs Enhertu and Trodelvy —

Stat: Enhertu Dramatically Extends Survival In Breast Cancer Patients
The cancer drug Enhertu cut the rate of death in a group of women with advanced breast cancer by a third in a new clinical trial, a result that oncologists said could shift the way they think about treating the disease. The makers of the medicine, Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca, said that, if regulators clear the way, the number of patients eligible to receive the drug could be tripled, meaning that thousands of women in the U.S. alone could be offered a new life-extending option. (Herper, 6/5)

AP: Researchers: Breast Cancer Drug Could Help More Patients
For the first time, a drug targeting a protein that drives breast cancer growth has been shown to work against tumors with very low levels of the protein. It’s not a cure. But this latest gain for targeted cancer therapy could open new treatment possibilities to thousands of patients with advanced breast cancer. Until now, breast cancers have been categorized as either HER2-positive — the cancer cells have more of the protein than normal — or HER2-negative. Doctors reporting the advance Sunday said it will make “HER2-low” a new category for guiding breast cancer treatment. (Johnson, 6/5)

Stat: In Study, Gilead's Trodelvy Shows Modest Benefit In Breast Cancer Patients
The cancer drug Trodelvy reduced the risk of tumors progressing by 34% compared to chemotherapy in patients with the most common form of metastatic breast cancer — an outcome reported Saturday that met the goals of a large clinical trial conducted by its maker, Gilead Sciences. Despite the positive results, the future of Trodelvy as a new treatment for women with HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer remains unclear. Patients in the trial had advanced disease, but the drug only provided a relatively small benefit. And there’s no definitive evidence yet that Trodelvy will help this group of breast cancer patients live longer. (Feuerstein, 6/4)

In other cancer research —

Stat: Study: Weight Loss From Bariatric Surgery Tied To Reduced Risk Of Cancer
Undergoing bariatric surgery in order to lose weight may substantially reduce some patients’ risk of cancer, according to a new study. The finding, which mirrored the results of some previous studies, relied on observational data and not a randomized controlled trial, the gold standard of scientific research. Still, Ali Aminian, lead author of the study and director of Cleveland Clinic’s Bariatric & Metabolic Institute, described the data as “striking.” (Herper, 6/3)

Stat: Promising Early Results For New CAR-T Therapies For Myeloma 
Three companies presented Phase 1 clinical trial results on new CAR-T therapies for multiple myeloma on Sunday at the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago. Each offered innovations on the current generation of approved myeloma CAR-T therapies, ide-cel and cilta-cel, with promising — if early – results. “It’s good to see the early data,” said Saad Usmani, the chief of myeloma service at Memorial Sloan Kettering, who did not work on any of the studies but did work on Janssen’s cilta-cel. “We’re getting into second- and third-generation CARs now with faster production times.” (Chen, 6/5)