Mega Doctor News
by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Newswise — HOUSTON – At The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, research breakthroughs are made possible through seamless collaboration between the institution’s world-leading clinicians and scientists, bringing discoveries from the lab to the clinic and back. The studies below showcase the latest advances in cancer care, research and prevention.
Combination treatment benefits patients with advanced breast cancer that has spread to brain
Read the full release | Read the study in Nature Cancer
Patients with leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) have historically had few treatment options. Now, researchers have found a combination of targeted therapies, tucatinib and trastuzumab, plus the chemotherapy drug, capecitabine, may improve symptoms and extend survival in some breast cancer patients with LM. The Phase II study included 17 female patients with newly diagnosed LM and HER2+ breast cancer. Median overall survival (OS) in those treated with the combination therapy increased from a historical average of 4.4 months to 10 months. At the 18-month mark, 41% of patients were still alive. Under the combination treatment, disease progression also stalled, with a median of seven months before central nervous system progression, and seven of 12 evaluable patients also had improved neurologic deficits.
“The combination achieved a clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival compared to historical controls,” said lead author Rashmi Murthy, M.D., associate professor of Breast Medical Oncology. “For these patients, who often face limited treatment options, our results represent a step forward, offering new hope in how we treat and manage leptomeningeal metastasis.”
Dual targeting approach improves immunotherapy response in glioblastoma
Read the full release | Read the study in Nature Communications
Researchers found that simultaneously blocking two key “don’t eat me signals” found in cancer cells heightens the immune response and sensitizes tumors to immunotherapy in models of glioblastoma (GBM), highlighting a promising strategy. The study was co-led by Wen Jiang, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of Radiation Oncology, and Betty Kim, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Neurosurgery and core member of the James P. Allison Institute™.
“Blocking these signals together resulted in a heightened immune response, suggesting this is like a one-two punch in order to get optimal results,” Jiang said. “It’s like unmasking the invisibility cloak from cancer so that T cells can better recognize tumor-derived antigens and allow immunotherapy to work more effectively.”
Low testosterone levels may be associated with increased risk of prostate cancer progression during surveillance
Read the full release | Read the study in The Journal of Urology
A new study found that prostate cancer patients with low testosterone levels may have a higher risk of cancer progressing to a more aggressive form while under active surveillance. The findings suggest that baseline testosterone may serve as a useful clinical marker to better stratify risk and tailor monitoring strategies for patients choosing active surveillance.
“Active surveillance is a safe and effective option for many men with early-stage prostate cancer. However, identifying which patients may be more likely to experience progression remains a key challenge,” said corresponding author Justin R. Gregg, M.D., associate professor of Urology and Health Disparities Research. “Understanding how hormonal factors influence prostate cancer biology may help us refine surveillance strategies.”
New biomarker predicts chemotherapy response in triple-negative breast cancer
Read the full release | Read the study in Cell Reports Medicine
Researchers developed a new computational approach designed to better account for changes in gene expression within tumors relative to their unique microenvironments. This approach outperformed current methods for predicting chemotherapy response in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The new tool, developed by Wenyi Wang, Ph.D., professor of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, and colleagues, aims to improve upon similar methods to predict treatment responses using an approach known as deconvolution, which involves breaking down, calculating and interpreting cellular differences. This approach also revealed novel insights into population-level characteristics of TNBC.
“Deconvolution strategies are not one size fits all,” Wang said. “We’re focused on making these methods more accessible to researchers without extensive computational backgrounds, with the goal of translating these powerful analytical approaches into practical tools that the broader cancer research community can readily apply to advance precision medicine.”
