The American Society of Medical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, which is being held this weekend in virtual format, has selected a paper by Dr. Enrique Grande, head of the Medical Oncology Service at MD Anderson Cancer Center Madrid – Hospiten, as an oral presentation. "ASCO is one of the most important scientific congresses in the world in the field of oncology and, professionally, their considering one’s work as an oral presentation is the best one can aspire to achieve," said the doctor.
Dr. Grande will present the results of the DUTRENEO clinical trial, in which a gene expression signature related to the immune system has been used as a biomarker capable of identifying which patients can benefit most from immunotherapy before surgery in bladder cancer. Currently, the standard treatment prior to surgery in patients with a recent diagnosis of bladder cancer that has spread to the wall of the bladder is chemotherapy. The use of this gene signature could reduce the need for chemotherapy in a percentage of these patients.
It is the first time that this gene expression signature has been defined as a predictive biomarker of immunotherapy efficacy in localized bladder cancer. And not only that, it is the first time that this “immune signature” has been used to prospectively select patients in the area of oncology, which makes the DUTRENEO study a clinical trial of global importance.
"In lung cancer and melanoma, the definition of this" signature "had already been achieved, but retrospectively, that is, with analysis after treatment of patients," explains Dr. Grande, who emphasizes that the importance DUTRENEO resides precisely in its prospective design. "The DUTRENEO study represents a great step forward in personalizing the treatment of patients with bladder cancer".