Cancer researchers report on experimental drugs and clinical trial barriers

Cancer researchers presented a slew of new findings at the European Society for Medical Oncology conference over the weekend. Here’s a breakdown of the big news:

Merck's cancer drug data: Merck released data that showed an early-stage, immune-boosting drug wasn’t able to kill cancer cells on its own. But when used in combination with the company's drug Keytruda, tumors got smaller in a handful of patients. More on that here.
Immunotherapy and breast cancer: For the first time, a new study of an existing immunotherapy drug — used in combination with chemotherapy — shows it holds promise against an aggressive type of breast cancer. But the benefit was modest, and experts raised questions about the drug’s cost and possible side effects.
Clinical trial barriers: A review of clinical trials found that there are still barriers that prevent teens and young adults with cancer from participating in research, including age minimums and caps in some studies.