News regarding Cancer Crosslinks

Audience at Cancer Crosslinks 2019

Top presentations from Cancer Crosslinks 2019

See them again or for the first time: videos from the Cancer Crosslinks 2019 presentations.

Cancer Crosslinks is Oslo Cancer Cluster’s annual, open conference for the Norwegian oncology community. It offers a full-day educational program featuring distinguished international and national experts presenting recent advances in precision oncology and cancer immunotherapy.

More than 300 participants joined Cancer Crosslinks on 17 January 2019 and enjoyed excellent talks and discussions presented by leading international oncologists and researchers and their Norwegian colleagues.

 

The speakers’ top topics

The speakers discussed new insights into sensitivity and resistance and features of the tumour microenvironment critical for the clinical course. They also discussed emerging tissue agnostic biomarkers, where «tissue agnostic” refers to the ability to develop therapies based upon biomarkers or other molecular targets to treat a disease. A biomarker is a measurable indicator of a biological state or condition.

Other topics were learnings from cancer molecular evolution studies, and how big data approaches are used to improve patient care. Together with an engaged audience, the presenters were really connecting the dots for improved patient care in precision oncology.


Professor Naiyer Rizvi
, Director of thoracic oncology and of immunotherapeutics for the division of haematology and oncology at Columbia University Medical Center, New York, gave the opening keynote in the form of a video presentation. He is an internationally recognized leader in the treatment of lung cancer and immunotherapy drug development.

In his presentation, titled: “Sensitivity and resistance to immuno-oncology: Biological insights and their translation into precision treatment”, Prof. Rizvi also addressed the question “What happens when the doctors expect the patient to respond to immunotherapy, but then the patient does not?”

WATCH PROF. RIZVI

Professor Rizvi

 

Dr. Aaron Goodman, MD, is a haematologist and medical oncologist specialized in treating a variety of blood cancers. He holds a position as Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health in La Jolla, California.

During his talk, Dr. Goodman presented tumour mutational burden and other emerging tissue agnostic biomarkers for response to cancer immunotherapy and how to implement these into the clinic. He also spoke about his experience from the Rare Tumour Clinic in San Diego, where they perform a comprehensive molecular profiling for about 22-25% of cancer patients with rare tumours. The goal is to identify a matching therapy for each patient.

After his presentation, Dr. Goodman commented to Oslo Cancer Cluster:

“We started by doing data collections and help patients and learn at the same time. It is a benefit that we at least have the patient’s data and experience with that patient so that we can go forward and help the next patient.” Aaron Goodman

WATCH DR. GOODMAN

Dr Goodman

 

Dr. Randy F. Sweis is an Assistant Professor in the haematology/oncology section at the University of Chicago. He works with cancer immunology, developmental therapeutics and biomarkers, with a clinical interest in phase 1 clinical trials and genitourinary malignancies. His laboratory research involves the identification and targeting of tumour-intrinsic immunotherapy resistance pathways.

During Cancer Crosslinks, Dr. Sweis presented his work on immunophenotypes: “The T cell-inflamed tumour microenvironment as a biomarker and its clinical implications.”

WATCH DR. SWEIS

Dr. Sweis

 

Dr. Marco Gerlinger is a clinician scientist at the Center for Evolution and Cancer at the Institute of Cancer Research in London and a consultant Medical Oncologist in the GI Cancer Unit at Royal Marsden Hospital. He develops novel techniques to detect and track intra-tumour heterogeneity in solid tumours to define evolutionary plasticity and common evolutionary trajectories in cancers. Cancer cell plasticity is the ability of cancer cells to change their physiological characteristics.

Dr. Gerlinger shared the latest insights into cancer evolution and discussed the limits of predictability in precision cancer medicine. How can clinicians and researchers exploit important data on tumour development?

During his visit in Oslo, Dr. Gerlinger commented: “We have had fantastic discussions with an audience that is really well informed and brings up the challenges we are facing and the research we are doing.”

“This is the first time I have given a talk in Norway and obviously there is a lot going on here. I am already thinking about some collaborations, because there are some interesting advantages here through big tumour banks and cancer registries.” Dr. Marco Gerlinger

WATCH DR. GERLINGER

Dr Gerlinger

 

 

Professor Dr. med. Lars Bullinger is Professor of Hematology and Oncology and Medical Director of the Department of Hematology, Oncology and Tumor Immunology at Charité University Medicine Berlin.

He is a partner in the Innovative Medicines Initiative project HARMONY (Healthcare alliance for resourceful medicines offensive against neoplasms in haematology) aiming to use big data to deliver information that will help to improve the care of patients with haematologic cancers.

In his keynote speech he presented the “best of hematology from 2018” to the Cancer Crosslinks audience. He also addressed emerging therapeutic opportunities and the impact of big data for precision treatment in haematology.

WATCH PROF. DR. MED. LARS BULLINGER

Lars Bullinger

 

James Peach is the Precision Medicine Lead at UK Medicines Discovery Catapult, Alderly Park, UK. Prior to this role, he was the Managing Director at the main programme for Genomics England from 2013 to 2017. He presented his perspectives on the implementation of precision medicine in the UK and discussed the status, lessons learned and the way forward.

WATCH JAMES PEACH

James Peach


The expert panel
You can read more about how the Norwegian expert panel reacted to James Peach’s presentation and the state of precision medicine in Norway in the article below, also from Cancer Crosslinks 2019. The article contains a video of the panel debate.

Getting genomics into healthcare: look to the UK

 

Discussing health care at Cancer Crosslinks 2019

Getting genomics into healthcare: look to the UK

During Cancer Crosslinks 2019, one thing was crystal clear: there is a need to include broader genomic testing into treatments for cancer patients in Norway.

“We are lacking behind here in Norway!”

Professor Ola Myklebost, from the Department of Clinical Science at the University of Bergen, was definitely ready for action in the panel debate at Cancer Crosslinks 2019, fittingly named “Call for Action”.

The panel and the audience of about 300 people had just listened to the talk given by James Peach. He is the Precision Medicine Lead at UK Medicines Discovery Catapult, Alderly Park, and prior to this, he was the Managing Director at the main programme for Genomics England from 2013 to 2017 and led the UK’s Stratified Medicines Program.

Peach told the audience how they have been implementing precision medicine into the public health care system (NHS) in the UK, using genomic testing, during the last decade. He demonstrated how the industry is part of this public endeavour, how political support and investment contributed to industry development, and how they addressed complex issues like sharing health data and using artificial intelligence.

It started with very little.

“In 2010, we had no structure”, Peach told the audience.

 

James Peach presenting at Cancer Crosslinks 2019

Sequencing 100,000 genomes

Thanks to all the British cancer patients who consented to Genomics England using their data, and a lot of common public-private efforts, Genomics England has now reached its goal of sequencing 100,000 whole genomes from NHS patients, according to their webpage. It takes a lot to accomplish this number, but luckily there are things to learn from the UK effort.

“Circulating tumour DNA testing is absolutely necessary”, Peach said from the podium.

The Life Science Sector deal from the British government outlines this public-private effort. It shows how significant government commitment, funding and strategic actions triggered investment and initiatives from the life science industry. You can read the entire document at the official webpage of the British Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, following this link.

James Peach visited Norway earlier as a speaker at Cancer Crosslinks 2012. Returning now, he was truly surprised about the current state of precision medicine in Norway.

 

Concerned about Norway

In an interview with Oslo Cancer Cluster, James Peach shared a concern as an answer to the question “What impressions are you left with after this conference?” 

“It has left me quite concerned about the state of precision medicine in Norway. I thought you would be looking forward to the things you could do, but it turns out that there are actually some things that you should have done already.”

“Like what things?” 

“Like universal application of a cancer panel test that is commercially feasible and deals around getting your data shared appropriately.”

Do you think we can have a Genomics Norway?”

“Of course. It is probably about combining two things. One is that you got to get the basic stuff right. People need to have access to gene tests for their clinical care. Luckily the people here are a group of experts who are all connected to each other and who understand the system. It is not a massive system. I think there is a real chance to choose an area where Norway could do it exceptionally well. What that area is, is for you to choose.”

 

Concerns in Norway

Back in the panel discussion, Hege G. Russnes, Pathologist, Senior Consultant and Researcher at Oslo University Hospital, was getting involved:

“We need more information to help clinicians make therapy decisions. (…) Norway has no plan or recommendation for multi gene tests.”

Christian Kersten, Senior Consultant at the Center for Cancer Treatment at Sørlandet Hospital, agreed.

“I’m the clinician, I treat patients, patients die because of metastasis. I have been treating cancer patients for 20 years now and I feel it increasingly difficult to keep the trust of the patient.”

“If you ask the patients, they will sign the papers with consent of sharing data in 99% of the cases”, Myklebost added.

“We are only 5 million, we do not have to reinvent the wheel. Erna Solberg should invite James Peach for a cup of tea”, Christian Kersten said, finishing up the panel talk.

 

The entire panel debate is available to watch at the webcast webpage:

WATCH THE PANEL DEBATE

 

More on UK Medicines Discovery Catapult 

Did this brief article make you interested in the work that James Peach and UK Medicines Discovery Catapult does? In this short video, Peach explains the challenges with access to health data for drug discovery and how to overcome them:

 

More from Cancer Crosslinks 

We have more from Cancer Crosslinks 2019 coming up. Stay tuned and subscribe to our newsletter, and you will not miss videos of the talks and interviews with the other distinguished speakers at the conference.

International speakers at Cancer Crosslinks 2019

International speakers at Cancer Crosslinks

How can research help implement the next wave of precision oncology for patients? Meet the experts behind the research.

 

These leading international experts are part of the programme at Oslo Cancer Cluster Innovation Park, 17 January.
Not signed up for the 11thCancer Crosslinks yet? Join in here!

 

Professor Naiyer Rizvi is an internationally recognized leader in the treatment of lung cancer and immunotherapy drug development. He is the director of both thoracic oncology and of immunotherapeutics for the division of haematology and oncology at Columbia University Medical Center, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, USA.

Prior to joining Columbia University Medical Center, his clinical research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer played a significant role in the FDA approval path of a new class of immunotherapies, called immune checkpoint inhibitors, for melanoma and lung cancer.

Rizvi studies mechanisms of sensitivity and resistance to immunotherapy. Through genetic testing of tumours, he has been able to improve the understanding of why immune checkpoint inhibitors work in certain patients.

Rizvi is also studying why certain cancers do not respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors. This way we can find better ways to harness the immune system to attack cancer cells.

He oversees phase 1 immunotherapy research in solid tumours at Columbia University Medical Center and is conducting key clinical studies of novel immunotherapy drugs and immunotherapy combinations to help more patients in the fight against cancer.

Professor Naiyer Rizvi

Professor Naiyer Rizvi

During Cancer Crosslinks, Professor Rizvi will give the opening keynote speech titled: “Sensitivity and resistance to immuno-oncology: Biological insights and their translation into precision treatment”.

 

Dr. Aaron Goodman, MD, is a haematologist and medical oncologist specialized in treating a variety of blood cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and multiple myeloma. He holds a position as Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health in La Jolla, California.

Dr. Goodman performs stem cell transplants for cancer treatment. He also treats people with rare haematologic disorders using experimental therapeutics.

His research interests include immunotherapy and cellular therapy treatment for haematologic malignancies and identifying biomarkers for response to immunotherapy.

Dr. Aaron Goodman

Dr. Aaron Goodman

During Cancer Crosslinks, Dr. Aaron Goodman will present and discuss the clinical aspects of tumour mutational burden and other tissue agnostic biomarkers for cancer immunotherapy.

 

Dr. Randy F. Sweis is an Assistant Professor in the haematology/oncology section at the University of Chicago. He works with cancer immunology, developmental therapeutics and biomarkers, with a clinical interest in phase 1 clinical trials and genitourinary malignancies. His laboratory research involves the identification and targeting of tumour-intrinsic immunotherapy resistance pathways.

Dr. Sweis is the recipient of numerous awards. In 2017, he was elected to co-lead TimIOs, an international project aimed at tackling tumor heterogeneity to enhance immunotherapy responses supported by the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC).

Dr. Sweis

Dr. Randy F. Sweis

During Cancer Crosslinks, Dr. Randy F. Sweis presents his work on immunophenotypes: The T cell-inflamed tumour microenvironment as a biomarker and its clinical implications.

 

Dr. Marco Gerlinger is a clinician scientist at the Center for Evolution and Cancer at the Institute of Cancer Research in London. He develops novel techniques to detect and track intra-tumour heterogeneity in solid tumours to define evolutionary plasticity and common evolutionary trajectories in cancers.

Dr. Gerlinger uses genomics technologies for treatment personalization. He treats patients with gastrointestinal cancers at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.

One of the key aims of his work is to develop strategies to improve predictive and prognostic biomarker performance and the efficacy of drug therapy in heterogeneous cancers.

He contributes to The Darwin Cancer Blog– on mutational evolution of cancer.

Dr. Marco Gerlinger

Dr. Marco Gerlinger

During Cancer Crosslinks, Dr. Marco Gerlinger will share the latest insights into cancer evolution and discuss the limits of predictability in precision cancer medicine. 

 

Professor Dr. med. Lars Bullinger is Professor of Hematology and Oncology and Medical Director of the Department of Hematology, Oncology and Tumor Immunology at Charité University Medicine Berlin.

He is a partner in the Innovative Medicines Initiative project HARMONY (Healthcare alliance for resourceful medicines offensive against neoplasms in haematology) aiming to use big data to deliver information that will help to improve the care of patients with haematologic cancers.

In this video from June, you get a preview of the subject he will talk about at Cancer Crosslinks: 

During Cancer Crosslinks, Dr. Lars Bullinger will give an international keynote speech about haematological cancers, emerging treatment opportunities and the impact of big data. 

 

James Peach is the Precision Medicine Lead at UK Medicines Discovery Catapult, Alderly Park, UK. Prior to this role, he was the Managing Director at the main programme for Genomics England from 2013 to 2017.

Peach is a precision medicine strategist and operational leader with investment, commercial and public sector experience across cancer, rare diseases, and genetics. James Peach gave the opening keynote at Cancer Crosslinks 2012 – at that time as the Director for Stratified Medicine at Cancer Research UK, London.

In this video James Peach explains the challenges with access to health data for drug discovery and how to overcome them:

During Cancer Crosslinks, James Peach will present his perspectives on the implementation of precision medicine in the UK and discuss the status, lessons learned and the way forward. 

 

Not signed up for Cancer Crosslinks yet? Join in here!

 

 

Met Action Cancer Crosslinks 2018

Promising treatment for late stage cancer

MetAction has used targeted gene therapy to give patients with metastatic cancer a treatment method. The future of this work is now in danger.

Late stage cancer is still a real challenge for modern medicine. The gene mutations multiply and are difficult to control. However, the research group MetAction, based at the Oslo University Hospital, has used targeted gene therapy to give patients with metastatic cancer a treatment method.

The results have been very promising, but all the good work could go to waste.

Targeted Gene Theraphy has been described as one of the new important weapons in the fight against cancer for two decades now. Norwegian hospitals still lack an infrastructure to facilitate this type of treatment.

Meet MetAction
MetAction started as a research project in 2014 to explore the possibilities of targeted gene therapy, but ended in 2017 because of a lack of funding. The project made use of modern genetic tools, combined with knowledge across the cancer treatment spectrum, to help patients with late stage cancer.

Cancer Specialist Anne Hansen Ree explained how it all started at this year’s Cancer Crosslinks in January.

– We had this idea to use targeted gene therapy for people who suffered from late stage cancer to deal with the types of mutations common for this group, she said.

With this idea as a backdrop they started developing a research project.

– To do this we had to put together quite a large project with a lot of new diagnostic tools, as well as specialists with the knowledge to interpret the data and find patients that were willing to join the study, she explained.

During the project, MetAction found that they could give at least half of the patients in their study a treatment based on the genetical data collected.

A patient group previously labelled “terminally ill” could actually receive effective treatment.

You can read about the cancer patient Grete and how she was successfully treated with late stage stomach cancer by MetAction in this article in the Norwegian newspaper VG (in Norwegian).

Knowledge in danger
All the knowledge and competence the MetAction group has established in this field is now in danger of disappearing.

– It’s sad to see that all the good work from this project could vanish and that a patient group loses out on a possible treatment method, said molecular pathologist and doctor Hege Russnes.

Both Russnes and Ree emphasized that the research group both want to and should continue.

Join the debate
Last year at the yearly political get-together event “Arendalsuka” Oslo Cancer Cluster and meeting-co-hosts posted the question: “Why can’t we have a second-opinion board for patients that have run out of options, like in Denmark?” Now that a Norwegian Expert Panel is about to come to fruition–as promised by the Norwegian Minister of Health, Bent Høie–it presents an excellent possibility to include personalized gene treatment as a viable treatment option for patients with late stage cancer. We will discuss this possibility during our meeting in Arendal next week.

8 AM Wednesday 15 August, MetAction will present their project and we will discuss possibilities for future cancer treatment as part of this year’s Arendalsuka. Come and join our event there.

Or simply follow our live stream on Facebook!