ASCO Releases Annual Progress Report on Top Cancer Research Advances
ALEXANDRIA, Va. " The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) today released its report, Clinical Cancer Advances 2009: Major Research Advances in Cancer Treatment, Prevention and Screening, an independent assessment of the most significant clinical cancer research studies of the past year, including 15 major advances.
(Media-Newswire.com) - ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The American Society of Clinical Oncology ( ASCO ) today released its report, Clinical Cancer Advances 2009: Major Research Advances in Cancer Treatment, Prevention and Screening, an independent assessment of the most significant clinical cancer research studies of the past year, including 15 major advances.
The report also makes policy recommendations for increasing investment in cancer research funding, accelerating progress in clinical cancer research, and ensuring that Americans with cancer receive high-quality care. The 2008 edition of the report recently received a PR News award.
“These continuing research advances should encourage people with cancer and those who care for them,” said ASCO President Douglas W. Blayney, MD. “As this report demonstrates, investment in clinical cancer research is paying off. Since 1990, cancer death rates have declined 15 percent. Today, two-thirds of patients survive at least five years after diagnosis, compared to just half 40 years ago, and they have a dramatically higher quality of life.”
FINDINGS This year, ASCO identified 15 major cancer research advances in four key areas. ( Note: Advances in the report are not ranked. )
1. Advances in Personalized Medicine and Targeted Therapies
Multiple trials this year demonstrated that oncology is no longer “one size fits all” medicine. Rather, increased understanding of the biology of cancer is enabling researchers to develop highly targeted drugs and personalized treatment regimens for patients. Advances in this category include:
The targeted drug trastuzumab ( Herceptin ), which has been successful against breast tumors that overexpress the HER2 protein, was found to improve survival for HER2+ gastric cancer. Researchers identified the first effective immunotherapy for neuroblastoma – chimeric anti-GD2 antibody ch.14.18. For the first time in 30 years, a randomized trial identified a regimen – initial chemotherapy combined with the EGFR-targeted drug cetuximab ( Erbitux ) – that increases survival for people with metastatic head and neck cancer. Researchers identified a specific subset of patients with non-small cell lung cancer ( NSCLC ) who benefit from first-line treatment with the targeted drug gefitinib ( Iressa ). The FDA approved new indications for targeted drugs to treat glioblastoma and advanced kidney cancer, both highly challenging forms of cancer. Bevacizumab ( Avastin ) was approved as a single agent for treatment of glioblastoma and when combined with interferon, for treatment of advanced kidney cancer. Additionally, everolimus ( Afinitor ) was approved for kidney cancer in patients whose disease has progressed despite treatment with other targeted drugs. 2. New Standards of Care
Results from several long-awaited clinical trials this year affirmed the superiority of certain treatment regimens for biliary, lung, and prostate cancers. These include:
The first-ever standard of care for advanced biliary cancer ( cancers of the gallbladder and bile ducts ) – results from the largest clinical trial to date for this disease stage showed that combination gemcitabine ( Gemzar ) and cisplatin treatment increases survival and slows cancer progression, compared with gemcitabine treatment alone. Data from a late-stage trial reporting that maintenance therapy with pemetrexed ( Alimta ) extends survival for patients with nonsquamous forms of advanced NSCLC – a finding that establishes a new standard and gives patients a long-term, easily-administered treatment option with low toxicity. Practice-changing findings showing that radiation following prostatectomy improves survival and reduces risk of metastasis for men with early-stage prostate cancer.
3. Cancer Prevention and Screening
This year, findings from large trials shed new light on widely used cancer detection, monitoring and prevention tools. Major research advances in this category include:
Interim results from two large trials showing that routine PSA testing has a minimal effect on reducing prostate cancer mortality – findings that add new insight to a long-time debate. A large trial showing that treating relapsed ovarian cancer based on rising levels of a protein in the blood called CA125 does not improve outcomes, compared with monitoring for physical symptoms of ovarian cancer relapse. These findings will help spare women from the anxiety and costs of frequent CA125 testing, as well as the toxicity of earlier treatment. Research suggesting that more women may benefit from HPV vaccination than previously thought, based on findings showing that Gardasil reduces the risk of HPV infection, cervical cancer and other HPV-related disease in women aged 25 to 45. 4. Large Trials Settle Key Debates in Colon, Breast Cancer Treatment
The results of two closely watched studies settled major debates in the treatment of colon and breast cancers. These include: - In the first trial to examine bevacizumab in the adjuvant setting, researchers demonstrated that adjuvant bevacizumab treatment does not prevent colon cancer recurrence in patients who have undergone surgery for their disease.
Standard three-drug chemotherapy is more effective and less toxic than single-drug treatment with capecitabine ( Xeloda ) in women age 65 and older undergoing adjuvant treatment for early-stage breast cancer. Researchers had thought that single-drug treatment may be more tolerable for older women, but this was not found to be the case. RECOMMENDATIONS
In the report, ASCO also makes three key recommendations for accelerating progress in clinical cancer research and ensuring that people with cancer have access to high-quality care.
“To achieve new breakthroughs, the scale of our nation’s response must match the scale of the problem,” Dr. Blayney said. “The cancer community has a long road ahead before we reach President Obama’s goal of finding ‘a cure for cancer in our time.’ Long-term federal investment in our nation’s clinical research infrastructure and health care reform that ensures that all Americans have access to high-quality care are important first steps.”
ASCO’s recommendations include:
Increase Federal Investment in Cancer Research Funding: Breakthroughs in cancer treatment cannot emerge without consistent federal investment in cancer research. While Congress and the Obama administration increased cancer research funding for the first time in five years through the 2009 stimulus package and FY 2010 budget, sustained and reliable funding increases are needed to achieve major advances. ASCO calls on Congress and the presidential administration build upon recent investments by increasing federal funding for NIH and NCI in FY 2011 and beyond.
Strengthen the Nation’s Clinical Research System: Clinical trials are the engine that drives cancer research, but today very few patients participate. In addition, doctors are not reimbursed for the full cost of trial participation, and current regulatory requirements for clinical trials can be confusing, burdensome, and contradictory. ASCO urges policymakers to support the nation’s clinical research system by requiring insurance providers to cover clinical trials participation, increasing funding to cover the cost of patient participation, and reducing regulatory burdens to conducting clinical trials.
Ensure Patients Receive High-Quality Care: ASCO has become a leading innovator in developing and encouraging the adoption of high-quality standards for cancer care. In this report, ASCO calls on health care systems and providers to implement quality programs that ensure all patients receive high-quality care, and calls on policymakers to support legislation that fairly covers the cost of providing high-quality, comprehensive cancer care to patients.
ABOUT THE REPORT Clinical Cancer Advances was developed under the guidance of an 18-person editorial board made up of leading oncologists, including specialty editors for each of the disease- and issue-specific sections. Editors reviewed studies in peer-reviewed scientific journals and the results of research presented at major scientific meetings from October 2008 through September 2009. Only studies that significantly altered the way a cancer is understood or had an important impact on patient care were selected for the report. The report will be posted on ASCO’s patient Web site, Cancer.Net and will be published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology on November 9.
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The American Society of Clinical Oncology ( ASCO ) is the world’s leading professional organization representing physicians who care for people with cancer. With more than 27,000 members, ASCO is committed to improving cancer care through scientific meetings, educational programs and peer-reviewed journals. For ASCO information and resources, visit www.asco.org. Patient-oriented cancer information is available at www.cancer.Net.
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