News from ASCO

The main event at this time in oncology world is the annual meeting of American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO). For the moment, the most important sessions revel new aspects in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Nick Mulcahy presented in Medscape the results of a phase III study known as the European Study Group for Pancreatic Cancer (ESPAC)-4. “In ESPAC-4, patients underwent surgery and were subsequently treated with chemotherapy. The estimated 5-year survival rate was better in those treated with the combination of gemcitabine plus capecitabine than in those treated with gemcitabine alone (28.8% vs. 16.3%)”(1).
Another result was presented by Roxanne Nelson (BSN, RN). An experimental monoclonal antibody has demonstrated promising results in neuroblastoma, according to new findings.
In an interim analysis, 80% of newly diagnosed, young, high-risk patients experienced shrinkage of their tumors after treatment with the combination of cyclophosphamide, topotecan, and the investigational agent Hu14.18K322A (EMD Serono)(2). 
Zosia Chustecka presented the debate regarding liquid biopsy which was compared with classical biopsy. Instead of obtaining invasively a piece of a tumor - which can be difficult in many cancer types - the “liquid biopsy” promises to provide similar information from just a drop of blood. Another discovery on the same issue presented in Medscape was the fact that: “the Metastatic Breast Cancer Project used a website to encourage patients to enroll themselves into a study, which involved submitting a saliva specimen as a source of normal DNA. To the surprise of the researchers, the response was far greater than they had anticipated - more than 1200 women enrolled themselves into this study in the first 3 months (abstract LBA1519; to be presented Monday, June 6)”(3).