• Oncologists at IOR highlight that lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death, and one of the tumors with highest incidence, mortality and social impact.



• Treatment with combinations of drugs may be a promising means of overcoming acquired resistance to current therapies.



Barcelona, ​​February 11th, 2016 - Expert researchers at IOR presented this week lines of basic research into genetic alterations that cause resistance to treatment, and therefore progression in lung cancer at the 37th Annual EORTC-PAMM Congress (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, and the Pharmacology and Molecular Mechanisms Group, respectively). The congress, which this year takes place in Antwerp (Belgium) from 10th to 12th February, brings together oncologists from all over the world and the presentation of international research and studies of major impact.



With his presentation "DNA repair and synthetic lethality" Dr. Rafael Rosell, Medical Director and President of IOR, warned that, despite advances in cancer treatment in recent years, many types still lack effective treatments. He outlined how new evidence suggests that chemotherapy may even contribute to the development of metastasis and resistance to drugs that target specific genetic alterations which drive tumor growth.



Dr. Rosell explained how a limited number of signaling pathways are repeatedly involved in tumor development and treatment resistance in different cancers. Inhibition of the signaling pathway of a given gene with a targeted drug can in turn activate that of another (such as STAT3, AXL, MET, Notch and Hedgehog in the case of lung cancer and other tumors), causing disease progression. Experiments in the Molecular Oncology Laboratory at IOR with combinations of up to three drugs have now borne fruit in terms of inhibition of STAT3, giving new hope for the management of this deadly disease. The researchers concluded, therefore, that treatment with a single drug can no longer be considered sufficient and highlight the need for clinical trials to investigate whether inhibition of several genes in parallel can improve treatment.



Treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has changed dramatically since it was discovered, in 2004, that mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor gene (EGFR) cause lung cancer in some patients. Screening for mutations in EGFR can now determine which patients are most likely to benefit from targeted drugs such as Tarceva. However, only 5% of patients treated with this drug achieves a tumor reduction of over 90%, with median progression-free survival of less than a year.



Despite progress in recent years with the use of drugs that target specific genetic alterations that drive tumor growth, many cancers still lack therapeutic options for when resistance develops to current therapies. Therefore, researcher at IOR focuses on advancing knowledge of such genetic alterations and the causes of resistance. Fortunately, the number of known genomic alterations is growing continuously,  and allow for customization of treatment, with the potential to improve outcomes and survival in many cancers.