Page 24 - HOSPITAAL

A28 SCIENCE
Monday 22 october 2018
Immunotherapy scores a first win against some breast cancers

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE The drug failed that test, Nearly all study participants
AP Chief Medical Writer but researchers still looked had typical chemo side ef-
For the first time, one of at protein-level results and fects such as nausea or low
the new immunotherapy saw encouraging signs. blood cell counts, but seri-
drugs has shown promise Women with high levels ous ones were more com-
against breast cancer in a who received the combo mon with the combo treat-
large study that combined treatment lived roughly 25 ment and twice as many
it with chemotherapy to months on average versus women on it stopped treat-
treat an aggressive form of about 15 months for wom- ment for that reason.
the disease. But the benefit en given chemo alone. Three of the six deaths from
for most women was small, That's a big difference, but side effects in the combo
raising questions about it will take more time to see group were blamed on the
whether the treatment is if there's a reliable way to treatment itself; only one
worth its high cost and side predict benefit, said Dr. of three such deaths in the
effects. Jennifer Litton of the MD chemo group was.
Results were discussed Sat- Anderson Cancer Center Cost is another concern. Te-
urday at a cancer confer- in Houston. She had no role centriq is $12,500 a month.
ence in Munich and pub- This undated fluorescence-colored microscope image made in running the study but en- The chemo in this study
lished by the New England available by the National Institutes of Health in September 2016 rolled some patients in it, was Celgene's Abraxane,
Journal of Medicine. shows a culture of human breast cancer cells. and oversees 14 others test- which costs about $3,000
Drugs called checkpoint Associated Press ing immunotherapies. per dose plus doctor fees
inhibitors have transformed "We're really hopeful that for the IV treatments. Older
treatment of many types triple-negative breast can- benefit. The combo did not we can identify a group chemo drugs cost less but
of cancer by removing a cer. About 15 percent of significantly improve sur- of women who can get a require patients to use a
chemical brake that keeps cases are this type — their vival in an early look before much bigger and longer steroid to prevent allergic
the immune system from growth is not fueled by the long-term follow-up is com- response," she said. reactions that might inter-
killing tumor cells. Their dis- hormones estrogen or pro- plete. Another breast cancer fere with the immunother-
covery recently earned sci- gesterone, or the gene that Previous studies found that specialist with no role in the apy. Abraxane was chosen
entists a Nobel Prize. Until Herceptin targets, making immunotherapies work study, Dr. Michael Hassett because it avoids the need
now, though, they haven't them hard to treat. best in patients with high at Dana-Farber Cancer In- for a steroid, said one study
proved valuable against Women in the study who levels of a protein that the stitute in Boston, said he felt leader, Dr. Sylvia Adams of
breast cancer. received Tecentriq plus drugs target, and the plan "cautious excitement" that NYU Langone Health.
The new study tested one chemo went two months for the breast cancer study immunotherapy may prove The study was sponsored
from Roche called Te- longer on average with- called for analyzing how helpful for certain breast by Roche and many study
centriq plus chemo ver- out their cancer worsening women fared according to cancer patients. leaders consult or work for
sus chemo alone in 902 compared with those on that factor if Tecentriq im- Side effects need a close the company or own stock
women with advanced chemo alone — a modest proved survival overall. look, both doctors said. in it.q

Europe, Japan send spacecraft on 7-year journey to Mercury

By MARI YAMGUCHI and in its history. Mercury's ex- gather data that would re-
FRANK JORDANS treme temperatures, the in- veal the internal structure
Associated Press tense gravity pull of the sun of the planet, its surface
TOKYO (AP) — Europe- and blistering solar radia- and geological evolution.
an and Japanese space tion make for hellish condi- Scientists hope to build
agencies said an Ariane tions. on the insights gained by
5 rocket successfully lifted The BepiColombo space- NASA's Messenger probe,
a spacecraft carrying two craft will have to follow an which ended its mission in
probes into orbit Saturday elliptical path that involves 2015 after a four-year orbit
for a joint mission to Mer- a fly-by of Earth, two of Ve- of Mercury. The only other
cury, the closest planet to nus and six of Mercury itself spacecraft to visit Mercury
the sun. so it can slow down before was NASA's Mariner 10 that
The European Space Agen- arriving at its destination in flew past the planet in the
cy and the Japan Aero- December 2025. mid-1970s.

In this photo provided by European Space Agency (ESA), The space Exploration Agen- When it arrives, BepiColom- Mercury, which is only
Ariane 5 rocket carrying BepiColombo lifts off from its launch cy said the unmanned bo will release two probes slightly larger than Earth's
pad at Kourou in French Guiana, for the mission to Mercury, Sat- BepiColombo spacecraft — Bepi and Mio — that will moon, has a massive iron
urday, Oct. 20, 2018. successfully separated and independently investigate core about which little is
Associated Press was sent into orbit from the surface and magnetic known. Researchers are
French Guiana as planned field of Mercury. The probes also hoping to learn more
to begin a seven-year jour- are designed to cope with about the formation of the
ney to Mercury. temperatures varying from solar system from the data
They said the spacecraft, 430 degrees Celsius (806 F) gathered by the BepiCo-
named after Italian scien- on the side facing the sun, lombo mission.
tist Giuseppe "Bepi" Colom- and -180 degrees Celsius "Beyond completing the
bo, was in the right orbit (-292 F) in Mercury's shad- challenging journey, this
and has sent the first signal ow. mission will return a huge
after the liftoff. The ESA-developed Bepi bounty of science," said
ESA says the 1.3 billion-euro will operate in Mercury's in- Jan Wörner, ESA Director
($1.5 billion) mission is one ner orbit, and JAXA's Mio General, in a statement.q
of the most challenging will be in the outer orbit to