New cancer strategy could stop tumors before resistance takes hold - ScienceDaily

What the report says

ScienceDaily reported that researchers led by Dr. Robert Noble of City St George’s, University of London, are proposing a cancer-treatment strategy that uses evolutionary theory to act before drug resistance becomes established. The study, published in Genetics, uses mathematical models to test whether doctors could improve outcomes by switching therapies while a tumor is still shrinking, rather than waiting until scans or tests show renewed growth.

The approach targets a major reason cancers relapse: small groups of cells can acquire mutations that allow them to survive a treatment and later repopulate the tumor. Under common clinical practice, a therapy may be continued until it no longer appears to work. The researchers argue that this delay can give resistant cells more opportunity to expand and potentially develop protection against later treatments as well.

According to the report, the models suggest that rapid, carefully timed treatment changes could often outperform the standard approach. However, the findings remain theoretical and need validation in laboratory studies and patient trials. ScienceDaily said three small clinical trials are already underway in soft-tissue cancer, prostate cancer and breast cancer, with additional trials being developed.

The models also indicate that two therapies may be sufficient mainly for smaller tumors, while larger tumors may require sequences involving three or more treatments. The research team included Srishti Patil of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune; Armaan Ahmed of Johns Hopkins University; and Dr. Yannick Viossat of Université Paris Dauphine-PSL. If supported by future evidence, the work could help shift some cancer care from reacting to relapse toward anticipating resistance before tumors regain strength.