Year in review – most read headlines of 2015 on Oncology Central
Alongside our review of our most popular Oncology Central articles of 2015, we’ve also had a look back at which news headlines were of most interest to the readers of Oncology Central last year. From immunotherapy to red meat, catch up on all the these top news stories below.
Ipilimumab/nivolumab combination treatment shows significant improvement in response rates for advanced melanoma
The results of a Phase III randomized trial presented at the 2015 ASCO meeting indicated that the use of nivolumab alone or in combination with ipilimumab for the treatment of advanced melanoma is more effective than the use of ipilimumab alone.
Nonhuman sugar may have a role in tumor formation in humans
Early last year, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine (CA, USA) demonstrated the potential tumor-forming role of the sugar Neu5Gc.
Nanoparticles may allow for site-selective lung cancer treatment
In March of 2015, a German research team provided proof-of-concept evidence for site-selective release of medicines by nanocarriers at lung tumor sites in mouse and human tissues.
Notch inhibitors could help overcome therapy resistance in ER-positive breast cancer
Notch-inhibiting gamma secretase inhibitors (GSI), a new class of drug that could represent a novel therapeutic approach for breast cancer, were reported to produce promising results in women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.
New compound could effectively target resistant melanoma
Late in 2015, a first-in-class drug termed SBI-756 was in the news after demonstrating preclinical efficacy when used in combination for the treatment of resistant melanoma.
Mismatch repair deficiency could predict response to PD-1 blockade in multiple malignancies
Mismatch repair deficiency could represent the first genomic marker that can be leveraged to predict patient response to the checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab, suggested a new study presented at the 2015 ASCO meeting.
Could liquid biopsy predict therapy response and prognosis in breast cancer?
Two studies presented at the recent 2015 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium suggest that liquid biopsy could help predict therapy response in women with advanced breast cancer and reveal genetic mutations that can impact prognosis.
Nivolumab in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma – encouraging early-stage results reported
Data regarding the safety and efficacy of the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were reported at the 2015 ASCO meeting, indicating that 19% of evaluable patients (n = 42) responded to the treatment, displaying tumor reduction in excess of 30%.
Phase I study hints at role for natural killer cells in multiple myeloma treatment
A first-in-human study reported at ASH 2015 combined natural killer cells with high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation for multiple myeloma therapy and reported few of the side effects associated with standard treatments.
New technique targeting naïve T cells could provide new opportunity for immunotherapy
Reported in August of 2015, preclinical research indicated that a new device incorporating magnetic nanoparticles could help to bring immunotherapy into more widespread clinical use.
Carcinogenicity of processed meat announced by World Health Organization
Arguably one of the biggest lifestyle and cancer findings to hit the headlines in 2015 was the announcement by WHO stating that there is sufficient evidence to classify processed meats Group 1 carcinogenic, with each 50 g portion consumed daily increasing risk of colorectal cancer by 18%.