Discovery Innovations showcases the latest advances in cancer treatment, research, and prevention. These achievements demonstrate progress made in ending cancer as we know it.
Funding for the research necessary to achieve these advances comes from state and federal support, Huntsman Cancer Foundation, and from individuals like you.
New Prostate Cancer Treatment Boosts Survival Rates for Late-Stage Prostate Cancer Patients
Results of the ongoing , led by Neeraj Agarwal, MD, FASCO, Presidential Endowed Chair of Cancer Research at Huntsman Cancer Institute and professor of medicine at the (the U), have shown that a novel combination late-stage prostate cancer treatment has a higher statistically significant compared to the standard treatment alone. The new approach combines two existing cancer drugs, enzalutamide and talazoparib. Enzalutamide, known as XTANDI, has been used to treat for years. Talazoparib, or TALZENNA, is the new addition. Agarwal says that this combination provides more options and renewed hope for patients. "Metastatic prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men. Having a new, well-tolerated combination of medications that significantly improves survival rates is terrific news for our patients at Huntsman Cancer Institute and elsewhere,” says Agarwal.
Researchers Develop Method that Predicts Severity of Aggressive Form of Breast Cancer
Huntsman Cancer Institute scientists have developed a new method to predict the severity of , an aggressive form of the СAPP. Researchers , , Cindy Matsen, MD, and Christos Vaklavas, MD, used a patient-deprived xenograft (PDX) model, where tumors from patients are implanted into mice to grow human tumors. “By implanting a biopsy of the tumor into a PDX, we can assess the cancer's aggressiveness,” says Alana Welm, senior author of the study, senior director of basic science at Huntsman Cancer Institute, and professor of oncological sciences at the U. “We hope our findings will improve current tests that predict whether a patients’ cancer will recur.” If a tumor grows in the PDX model, it often indicates a highly aggressive cancer, which is significantly harder to treat. TNBC, known for its rapid growth when compared to hormone-driven breast cancers, generally has a poor prognosis. Understanding a tumor’s projected aggressiveness will help physicians guide their patients through treatment options. The results of the TOWARDS study were published in .
Microbiome Linked to Immunotherapy Response in Melanoma
Researchers from Huntsman Cancer Institute and collaborating institutions have found differences in the microbiome makeup of melanoma tumors that were responsive and non-responsive to . Emerging evidence suggests that the microbiome—bacteria, fungi, and viruses that live on and in the human body—can impact cancer outcomes. In this study, tumors with higher concentrations of Uroviricota viruses responded more positively to immunotherapy. Tumors that didn’t respond as well showed increased levels of several other bacteria, like Campylobacter jejuni. These differences in microbial presence correlated with immune-related gene expression signatures, suggesting an interaction between the tumor microbiome and the immune system. , senior director of data science at Huntsman Cancer Institute and professor of oncological sciences at the U, co-led the project and analyzed the data with machine learning.
Integrating microbial and gene expression data improved the accuracy of models predicting prolonged survival with immunotherapy, outperforming models using either dataset alone. “The goal of this research is to determine if the microbiome can predict responses to immunotherapy in melanoma,” says Tan. “This is a start. Further research on the functions of these microbes could determine how they regulate the immune microenvironment. Could we prescribe drugs that make the non-responder become responsive? Those types of questions will be the next step.” Huntsman Cancer Institute was one of several cancer centers involved in the research, as part of the (ORIEN). The consortium’s findings were published in .
The critical research happening every day at Huntsman Cancer Institute is supported by the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute, including cancer center support grant P30 CA042014, as well as Huntsman Cancer Foundation.
Media Contact
Heather Simonsen
Public Affairs Senior Manager
Huntsman Cancer Institute
801 581-3194
public.affairs@hci.utah.edu
About Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the is the National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center for Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming. With a legacy of innovative cancer research, groundbreaking discoveries, and world-class patient care, we are transforming the way cancer is understood, prevented, diagnosed, treated, and survived. Huntsman Cancer Institute focuses on delivering the most advanced cancer healing and prevention through scientific breakthroughs and cutting-edge technology to advance cancer treatments of the future beyond the standard of care today. We have more than 300 open clinical trials and 250 research teams studying cancer. More genes for inherited cancers have been discovered at Huntsman Cancer Institute than at any other cancer center. Our scientists are world-renowned for understanding how cancer begins and using that knowledge to develop innovative approaches to treat each patient’s unique СAPP. Huntsman Cancer Institute was founded by Jon M. and Karen Huntsman.
Resources for Media
The critical research happening every day at Huntsman Cancer Institute is supported by the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute, including cancer center support grant P30 CA042014, as well as Huntsman Cancer Foundation.