Cancer Research
Colorectal cancer: guided by the gut?
Recent evidence suggests a role of the microbiome in cancer pathogenesis and as a potential therapeutic target, but it is still early days
Can academic oncology compete with the career prospects offered by the pharma industry?
Moving back and forth across academic and corporate positions has become increasingly common for oncologists in search of new opportunities
Cancer Research
Age is ‘just a number’ - Not so in clinical trial enrollment
The new FDA guidance could be an important step toward necessary change to give adequate representation of older adults in cancer clinical trials
What level of evidence do we need for drug approval in rare cancers?
Achieving clarity in levels of clinical evidence required by regulatory bodies is still a major obstacle to expediting research in the field, says Prof. Paolo G. Casali from the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, and the University of Milan, Italy
Patient sex and gut microbiome play a role in modulating response to immunotherapy
Research is ongoing to investigate influencing factors of immune checkpoint inhibition, encouraging a more holistic understanding of individual characteristics to improve clinical outcomes
Cancer Research
Food for thought: dietary effects on tumour metabolism and progression
Thanks to our deeper understanding of the underlying biology and molecular mechanisms that govern cancer, we are gaining important ground in tackling the myriad mediators of this disease.
Optimising clinical trials for greater inclusiveness
Oncologists are aiming to capitalise on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and design more inclusive clinical trials, optimise trial endpoints and make better use of real-world evidence.
New immunotherapies are explored to improve the treatment of solid tumours
From cell-based therapies to soluble T-cell engagers and T-cell co-stimulation, early findings show novel promising strategies, although more data are needed
Some practice-changing results in breast cancer are perceived differently in low-resourced countries
Cost, limited drug availability and lack of diagnostic testing facilities are hurdles to adopting practice-changing recommendations in some Asian countries
Healthcare budgets are still a main hurdle to global use of molecular testing for precision oncology
Inequities in access to targeted cancer treatments are due to the high costs of tests, limited number of approved medicines or clinical trials and poor communication with patients, as two new surveys report