AACR progress report highlights new drugs alongside inequality, obesity challenges and aging population

According to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the past year has brought a lot of good news. 8 new anti-cancer therapies, 10 new uses for existing drugs, and 2 new diagnostic imaging agents. More than ever in the United States, he has 18 million people living with cancer treatment. Mortality from cancer continues to decline, with him down 2.3% from 2016 to 2019.

However, as pointed out in the AACR’s Annual Cancer Progression Report, cancer remains the leading cause of death, claiming more than 600,000 lives each year in the United States. Disparities in who get cancer and who get the best treatment remain “pervasive,” according to a report released Wednesday that used data from 1 August 2021 to 31 July 2022. It’s a public health problem.”

This year’s report contained new warnings. The Supreme Court’s ruling and subsequent actions by states to restrict reproductive rights have a “serious adverse effect” on health care that can affect cancer patients. A statement released with the report said that cancer treatments should be withheld if they affect fertility, cause disease progression, and “make treatment more difficult and more likely to be life-threatening for women.” I warn you that it is possible.

Failure to prevent cancer and ensure equitable treatment has a devastating human and economic impact, the report said. Direct medical costs of treating cancer in the United States were estimated at $183 billion in 2015, the last year these data are currently available. is projected to increase to

Despite all advances in cancer treatment, the AACR said the need to prevent disease is urgent as the burden of cancer increases as the population ages. Despite great strides in increasing cigars, there are troubling signs: teenage e-cigarette use and suboptimal lung cancer screening rates.

Based on current trends, the report says the number of new cancers occurring each year will reach 2.3 million by 2040, 80% of which will occur in people over the age of 55. The report highlights the vulnerability of people living with HIV if they develop cancer as they age. According to the report, more than half (57%) will occur in people over the age of 65, and this segment of the population will grow from 54.1 million in 2019 to 81 million in 2040. increase.

Supporting research and regulatory activities. Overall, this report links long-term, bipartisan Congressional investment in cancer research with remarkable advances in treatment and improved outcomes. AACR leaders not only develop treatments, but also expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in cancer detection to understand the physical, psychosocial, and economic impact of cancer on survivors. to continue funding basic research. The AACR has asked Congress to consider tax legislation that encourages charitable support to cancer groups.

“Basic research discoveries have driven significant advances in cancer care in recent years,” said AACR President Lisa M. Kusen, PhD, FAACR, in a report. “Targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and other new clinically applied therapeutic approaches all stem from fundamental discoveries in basic science. Supporting education is absolutely essential to propel the next wave of discovery and accelerate progress.”

Among the therapeutic advances highlighted by AACR:

• FDA Approval of Bellztifan for Cancers Associated with Von Hippel-Lindau Disease.
• FDA approval of relatlimab-rmbw, a new immune checkpoint inhibitor to treat melanoma.
• FDA approval of asciminib, an inhibitor of the BCR/ABL oncogene, to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia.
• Zanubrutinib, which inhibits an enzyme required for B-cell proliferation, has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia and marginal zone lymphoma.

In the “Call to Action” section, AACR lauds Cancer Moonshot’s reopening and identifies it in many areas, including the Childhood Cancer STAR Act ($30 million), Childhood Cancer Data Initiative ($50 million), and reauthorization of CDC divisions requested a budget allocation for Cancer Prevention and Control ($462.6 million) and FDA’s significant regulatory science efforts increased $318 million ($3.653 billion total).

Disparity. The report found that overall progress in survival has been variable, with some types of cancer, particularly those that appear to be associated with obesity, such as kidney, pancreatic and uterine cancer. points out that there is an increase in Adipose tissue in overweight women is known to release estrogen, which can increase the risk of uterine cancer.Reports show that between 2000 and 2018, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The highest incidence was in women aged 15 to 34 years. Colorectal cancer among young people is also on the rise.

Cancer disparities are “marked among certain U.S. populations, including racial and ethnic minorities, and several other underserved groups. [who] Not everyone has benefited equally from advances against cancer,” the report said. Social determinants of health, such as lack of housing, income inequality, lack of education and inadequate or insufficient health insurance, all pose barriers to receiving the best available care. For example, AACR called for reducing barriers for children on Medicaid by providing access to out-of-state pediatric specialists.

The report also includes the DIVERSE Act to improve enrollment of minority populations in clinical trials and the DEPICT Act, which requires the FDA to issue regulations to drug sponsors to achieve population-matched enrollment goals. of disease-filled treatments that stressed the passage of legislation to improve diversity in clinical trials.

Challenges remain. The AACR report concludes with an overview of future work. “Despite the great advances that have been made in cancer … there are several areas in cancer research and patient care that must be addressed to provide opportunities for further progress,” the report said. said.

“Racial and ethnic minorities and medically underserved populations in the United States continue to shoulder a disproportionate burden of cancer. Prevalence of e-cigarette use among young people continues to threaten progress against cancer Recognition and adherence to routine cancer screenings continues to be suboptimal Participation in clinical trials that reflect the U.S. cancer burden and diversity continue to be kept to a minimum.

“The economic burden on the people directly affected by a cancer diagnosis and on the U.S. economy remains substantial.In addition, cancer screening and clinical trials significantly impacted by COVID-19 have fallen to pre-pandemic levels. We are returning, but we have yet to see the full impact of the pandemic on cancer research and patient care.”