NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The American Society for Clinical Oncology held its conference meeting May 29 through June 2. Medical professionals presented their latest cancer research findings.
Dr. Deepak Bhamidipati is a medical oncologist with SCRI Oncology Partners and Assistant Director of Early Phase Drug Development at Sarah Cannon Research Institute. He says there's a lot of energy on developing targeted therapies that are specific to the patient.
One of the studies presented focused on pancreatic cancer. It looked at an inhibitor of a protein called KRAS and showed patients who received targeted therapy had a better outcome than patients who only received chemotherapy. He says it's a major step forward in treating pancreatic cancer that has historically been challenging.
Another study on lung cancer looked at bringing targeted therapy earlier on for patients who have a mutation in a gene known as RET. It found patients who received targeted therapy after surgery had a lower chance of their cancer returning.
A study on breast cancer looked at using a gene score to decide if chemotherapy is the right option for the patient.
Immunotherapy has made a huge impact for a variety of different tumors. It uses the body's immune system to attack cancer. Dr. Bhamidipati says the challenge is there are many types of tumors that either don't respond well or the response doesn't last forever. Vaccines are being used to try to boost the immune system for brain cancer. Another strategy is looking at bispecific antibodies that engage the immune system and tumor. The goal is to bring the immune system in close proximity to the cancer and attack it. One more strategy looks at engineering and infusing immune cells into patients to recognize and fight the cancer.
Dr. Bhamidipati says groundbreaking research like the studies presented at the American Society for Clinical Oncology conference is possible when patients participate in clinical trials. He doesn't see these trials a last resort, rather something he is thinking for his patients as early as possible.
For more information, visit cancercarescri.com.
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