Oncology, particularly lung and breast cancer, is an area of Elion’s expertise. This week we have found news highlighting the progress made in small cell lung cancer, identification of a new subtype of depression, and a promising trend in breast cancer survival rates.
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for 13-15% of all lung cancer cases and is associated with significant mortality, with a 5-year survival rate <7%. Researchers from MedUni Vienna’s Department of Thoracic Surgery have published a comprehensive review of the multimodal clinical approaches in SCLC and how recent advancements could be used for treatment. The identification of SCLC molecular subtypes and potential therapeutic strategies will hopefully lead to improved outcomes for this highly aggressive cancer.
An observational cohort study of all women in England with a diagnosis of early invasive breast cancer has found the five-year risk of death has decreased from 14.4% to 4.9% (since the 1990s).
This cohort study of 512,447 women highlighted the dramatic improvement in prognosis for women with early invasive breast cancer. Although it is not 100% clear, new systemic therapies and better targeted surgery and radiotherapy are thought to account for some of the decrease in mortality. This will provide better prognostic information for women with new diagnosis of early invasive breast cancer.
Scientists at Stanford have identified a new subtype of depression, labelled the cognitive biotype.
The cognitive biotype was identified in a secondary analysis of 1008 adults with major depressive disorder who participated in the International Study to Predict Optimised Treatment in Depression. These patients demonstrated prominent impairment in executive function and response inhibition. This new category accounted for 27% of studied patients and these patients were found to respond poorly to standard antidepressants. This highlights the need for new treatment strategies for patients with this cognitive subtype.
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