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ESMO Conference Lugano

COLORECTAL CANCER

CANCER-FIGHTING VIRUS SHOWS PROMISE IN EARLY TRIAL
(Embargoed until Saturday, 7 July 2007, 12:45) A virus that has been specifically designed by scientists to be safe to normal tissue but deadly to cancer is showing early promise in a preliminary study, researchers said today at the ESMO Conference Lugano (ECLU). The virus, called NV1020, is a type of herpes simplex virus modified so that it selectively replicates in virus cells, killing them in the process. “It doesn’t replicate in normal, healthy cells, so our hope is that it will help fight cancers without causing side-effects in the rest of the body,” said Dr. Mescheder, from German company MediGene, who presented results from an ongoing trial in patients with colorectal cancer at the meeting.

PROSTATE CANCER

HORMONE INHIBITOR PROMISING FOR HARD-TO-TREAT PROSTATE CANCER
(Embargoed until Sunday, 8 July 2007, 08:30) For prostate cancer patients whose tumors have continued to grow despite medical or surgical castration, a new drug candidate that inhibits production of male hormones anywhere in the body is showing promise in early trials. Two poster presentations at the ESMO Conference Lugano (ECLU) this week show that the drug, called abiraterone, reduced levels of ‘prostate specific antigen’, a marker of cancer activity, and shrank tumors in patients in whom hormone therapy had stopped working and also in patients who had previously been treated with chemotherapy.

BREAST CANCER

ANALYSIS CONFIRMS BENEFITS OF COMBINING TRASTUZUMAB AND CHEMOTHERAPY IN BREAST CANCER
(Embargoed until Saturday, 7 July 2007, 12:45)

An analysis of five major breast cancer trials has confirmed that combination treatment with the antibody treatment trastuzumab and chemotherapy improves survival in women with operable HER-2 positive breast cancer. The results showed that combining trastuzumab with chemotherapy results in a -34% reduction in mortality and a 38% increase in disease-free survival, the researchers said. Those survival benefits were accompanied by decreases in the risk of both nearby and distant recurrences of the cancer.

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PATIENTS TO LEARN AND TALK ABOUT CANCER

People affected by cancer in Switzerland and northern Italy have an opportunity during the ESMO Congress Lugano (ECLU) to talk about the latest in cancer research and share their knowledge and personal experiences, at the 6th ESMO Patient Seminar. An important theme of the seminar is open communication. “Communication is one of the best weapons we have against cancer,” said Prof. Michele Ghielmini, the chair of the ESMO Patient Seminar Task Force. “That means communication between doctor and patient, communication between patients and their families and between patients themselves,” he said.

PRESS CONFERENCES SCHEDULE

Press Conference # 1
How patients will benefit from new strategies in breast, prostate and colorectal cancer treatment
Friday, 6 July 2007, 12:30-13:30
Chair: Dirk Schrijvers

Press Conference # 2
An opportunity for patients to learn and talk about cancer
Saturday, 7 July 2007, 13:00-14:00
Chair: Roberto Labianca

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