Cancer Moonshot Blue Ribbon Panel Unveils 10 Strategic Initiatives Emphasizing Data-Driven Innovation

On September 7, 2016, the National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB) formally accepted the draft report from the Blue Ribbon Panel of the Cancer Moonshot initiative.

“The Cancer Moonshot” is an ambitious initiative launched by U.S. President Barack Obama in January 2016 to combat cancer. It brings together institutions and individuals, including the National Immunization Coalition (NIC), pharmaceutical companies, academic research institutions, government agencies, non-profit organizations, technology companies, and physicians, with the goal of achieving in five years the cancer research progress that would otherwise take ten years. The initiative is currently led directly by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.

In this draft, the Blue Ribbon Panel of the Cancer Moonshot initiative put forward ten recommendations. These recommendations cover various areas, including clinical trials, data sharing, and cancer immunotherapy. VCBeat has found that among the ten recommendations, items 1, 2, 3, 8, and 9 are directly related to the internet or data. The aim is to integrate patient data into online networks to facilitate clinical trials, evaluate treatment efficacy, enhance patient engagement, enable predictive analytics, and construct knowledge maps... VCBeat has compiled an excerpt of the outline. (The full English report is quite lengthy and will be shared in the VBR WeChat discussion group. Please stay tuned. To request membership, follow the menu bar of this subscription account: VBR+ → Apply for WeChat Discussion Group.)

I. Establish a Collaborative Network to Enable More Direct Participation by Cancer Patients

Cancer clinical trials offer patients the opportunity to directly participate in cancer research and receive potential treatments. However, locating and enrolling in these trials remains difficult for most patients. Therefore, this proposal encourages cancer patients to join a new collaborative network that provides comprehensive genomic diagnosis of their specific cancer and enables pre-registration for clinical trials, all while ensuring privacy. This allows patients to be contacted directly when eligible trials become available. Meanwhile, researchers can monitor trial progress through the network’s database to evaluate treatment efficacy.

II. Establish a Clinical Trial Network Specifically for Immunotherapy

Unlocking the patient’s own immune system to attack cancer represents a turning point in cancer treatment. However, to enable more people to benefit from this approach, it is essential to understand why these immunotherapies are effective only in a subset of patients. To address these questions through more in-depth research, a dedicated clinical trial network for pediatric and adult cancer immunotherapy could be established, which would significantly advance research in this field. Meanwhile, this effort could also facilitate the development of new vaccines for the prevention of various cancers.

This clinical trial network has two major objectives:

1. Deactivate or modify our own immune system to attack and kill cancer cells.

2. Develop preventive immunotherapies, similar to current vaccines for polio, diphtheria, and rubella, to protect future generations from cancer.

III. Development of Novel Approaches to Overcome Drug Resistance in Treatment

A significant proportion of cancer-related deaths are attributable to drug resistance in cancer cells. In other words, treatments that are initially effective may gradually lose their ability to control the disease. This proposal advocates for the establishment of multidisciplinary research teams that integrate genetic, molecular, cellular, and physiological mechanisms to elucidate the development of drug resistance and to identify strategies for preventing tumor cells from developing resistance to therapies designed to eradicate them.

IV. Establish a National Cancer Data Ecosystem

Current technologies enable the collection of vast amounts of patient data; however, such data are typically stored in private databases or accessible only to a limited group, significantly limiting their value as research resources. A state-led data ecosystem could link large-scale data repositories across the country, thereby providing researchers, clinicians, and patients with one-stop, free access to cancer data and helping accelerate research progress.

V. Conduct More In-Depth Research into the Factors Causing Childhood Cancer

Researchers have identified rogue proteins as a significant cause of childhood cancers. These proteins are considered a type of fusion oncoprotein resulting from chromosomal translocations. A deeper understanding of the composition of these proteins is key to advancing future research. Therefore, in-depth studies in cell biology, genetics, proteomics, and drug development will accelerate the development of new therapies targeting these oncogenic proteins.

VI. Symptom Management Research—Minimizing Side Effects Associated with Cancer Treatment

Cancer treatment and its side effects inflict significant harm on patients. This is particularly true for children, as cancer therapies can cause long-term health problems affecting their developing bodies. The aim of this guideline is to provide effective recommendations for managing patient-reported symptoms and side effects by examining the entire cancer care continuum, including diagnosis, treatment, and end-of-life care. These guidelines seek to help both children and adults reduce pain and enhance confidence in their treatment, thereby improving their quality of life.

VII. Expand the use of prevention and early diagnosis programs that have been proven effective

Several cancer prevention and risk reduction strategies have been proven highly effective, including tobacco control policies, colorectal cancer screening, and HPV vaccination. Accelerating research on these preventive measures can enhance our understanding of their implementation effectiveness, particularly for remote and impoverished populations with limited access to healthcare. These preventive measures can significantly reduce the incidence and mortality of lung cancer and other smoking-related cancers, such as colorectal and uterine cancers. This recommendation aims to increase testing for identified cancers and hereditary tumor syndromes in patients and their family members. Strengthening such testing can help researchers identify high-risk factors earlier, thereby facilitating early prevention.

VIII. Predicting Future Outcomes for Other Cancer Patients by Mining Historical Data from Past Cancer Patients

Understanding why patients with the same type and stage of cancer experience different outcomes after receiving identical treatments remains a major challenge in research. Analyzing tumor sections stored in biobanks from patients who received standard care can reveal genetic and other variations, helping to identify which individuals benefit from standard therapy versus experimental treatments. This enables more tailored and appropriate treatment strategies.

9. Developing the Human Cancer Atlas

Today, oncologists rely on historical data and consult with multidisciplinary research teams. They publish research findings and other valuable information to aid in diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making. Therefore, it is recommended to establish a web-based classification system that organizes mutated genes, tumor cell interactions, immune responses, and the microenvironment involved in tumor progression from development to metastasis. This will help researchers develop more effective predictive models of tumor progression, thereby enabling positive responses to treatment. Ultimately, this approach assists oncologists in making evidence-based treatment decisions.

X. Developing New Cancer Technologies

Under this recommendation, enhanced public-private collaboration can accelerate the development of novel tools and improved technologies with remarkable efficacy—including implantable microdevices that deliver drugs directly to tumor cells and assess their therapeutic effects. Furthermore, advances in imaging technologies will enable high-resolution cancer studies, helping physicians deliver smarter and more effective therapies to cancer patients.

Once implemented, the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Panel will accelerate research progress in the most critical areas to help prevent and diagnose cancer. This will ultimately achieve the goals of the Cancer Moonshot initiative and fulfill the wishes of cancer patients and their families.

From these recommendations, we can anticipate a promising vision for the future of cancer research and treatment:

1. Cancer patients contribute their cancer data to obtain genomic profiles of their cancer cells, thereby enabling the identification of the most effective therapies or other relevant information, such as clinical trials suitable for them.

2. Physicians can quickly obtain information on primary predicted treatment outcomes, helping them manage patients' symptoms and side effects.

3. Researchers can identify new targets, such as novel cancer treatments and preventive measures. This includes immunotherapy, as well as advancing our understanding of how to prevent and overcome drug resistance in cancer patients.

Compiled by He Da