Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Chemo-Radiation-Chemo Combo For Cervical Cancer Cuts Death Risk By 40%
Giving people with cervical cancer a short course of chemotherapy before radiation therapy dramatically improves survival according to the results of a new clinical trial. The data published in The Lancet is being heralded as a big breakthrough in the treatment of cervical cancer and uses readily available chemotherapy drugs, given to patients before they receive the standard treatment of radiotherapy plus other chemotherapy. (Forster, 10/16)
An immunotherapy approach to treating advanced Hodgkin lymphoma may drastically increase patients鈥 chances of survival, including those as young as 12, according to a new clinical trial. (Howard, 10/16)
Researchers have engineered bacteria as personalized cancer vaccines that activate the immune system to specifically seek out and destroy cancer cells. (Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 10/16)
Doctors told Laura Bray that she was 鈥渓ucky" because her 9-year-old daughter's leukemia was curable. Abby had a 90% chance of beating the blood cancer if she followed a three-year treatment. There was just one problem. Doctors told Bray the key drug that kicked off Abby鈥檚 chemotherapy in 2018 was hard to find. She had to figure out a way to tell her daughter. (Rodriguez, 10/17)
As companies roll out data showing the power and improved safety profile of antibodies that target two antigens, analysts say the class could overtake monoclonal antibody Keytruda as the 鈥渋mmunotherapy backbone鈥 of solid tumor treatment. (Goodwin, 10/14)
The bad news didn鈥檛 come all at once for Blue Note Therapeutics, but a聽final denial from the Food and Drug Administration in January proved to be the final blow. In late 2023, after a rejection from the agency earlier in the year, Blue Note had made a last ditch attempt to convince the FDA that Attune, its mental health app for cancer patients, could fill an urgent unmet need. The January response from the agency was definitive: The clinical evidence, including data from a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, failed to show that Attune helped patients. If Blue Note wanted clearance, the company would need to present more data. (Aguilar, 10/17)
Also 鈥
The American Cancer Society named Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick as interim CEO, effective Nov. 2. Frederick will replace Karen Knudsen, who is stepping down Nov. 1 after more than three years in the role. In his new position, Frederick will oversee the cancer society and the affiliated American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, according to a Tuesday news release. (Hudson, 10/16)