Journal Spotlight
Presalvage Radiotherapy PSA Levels and Outcomes With Long-Term Antiandrogen Therapy in Prostate Cancer
Matthew Stenger
In an analysis from the NRG/RTOG 9601 trial reported in JAMA Oncology,1Robert T. Dess, MD, of the Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and colleagues found that men with higher prostate-specific antigen (PSA) presalvage radiotherapy levels after prostatectomy had a l...
Two Lenvatinib Combinations Improve Progression-Free Survival vs Sunitinib Alone in First-Line Treatment of Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma
Matthew Stenger
As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Robert J. Motzer, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), and colleagues, the phase III CLEAR trial has shown prolonged progression-free survival with lenvatinib/pembrolizumab and with lenvatinib/everolimus vs sunitinib and prolonge...
Continued Progression-Free and Overall Survival Superiority of First-Line Pembrolizumab/Axitinib vs Sunitinib
Matthew Stenger
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Thomas Powles, MD, of Barts Cancer Institute, London, and colleagues, extended follow-up of the phase III KEYNOTE-426 trial shows continued progression-free and overall survival superiority with pembrolizumab/axitinib vs sunitinib alone in first-line treatment ...
First-Line Atezolizumab Plus Platinum-Based Chemotherapy vs Chemotherapy Alone in Advanced Urothelial Cancer
Matthew Stenger
As reported in The Lancet by Matthew D. Galsky, MD, of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Tisch Cancer Institute, New York, and colleagues, the phase III IMvigor130 trial has shown prolonged progression-free survival with first-line atezolizumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy vs platinum-bas...
KEYNOTE-427: First-Line Pembrolizumab Shows Activity in Advanced Clear Cell and Non–Clear Cell Kidney Cancers
Matthew Stenger
As reported in two articles in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by David F. McDermott, MD, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and colleagues, the phase II KEYNOTE-427 study showed that pembrolizumab monotherapy produced durable responses as first-line treatment in cohorts of patients with ad...
Clinical Breast Examination Screening Results in Lower Stage at Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Reduced Breast Cancer Mortality in India
Matthew Stenger
In an Indian study reported in the British Medical Journal, Indraneel Mittra, MD, PhD, of Tata Memorial Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, and colleagues at Tata Memorial Centre found that breast cancer screening with clinical breast examination vs active surveillance resulted in youn...
Female Breast Cancer Surpasses Lung Cancer as the Most Commonly Diagnosed Cancer Worldwide
The ASCO Post Staff
Cancer ranks as a leading cause of death in every country in the world, and, for the first time, female breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer, overtaking lung cancer, according to a collaborative report from the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the International Agency for Research on...
Fam-Trastuzumab Deruxtecan-nxki Shows Benefit in Refractory Colorectal Cancer
The ASCO Post Staff
Having recently gained approval in metastatic breast cancer, fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (T-DXd) is now proving its worth in metastatic colorectal cancer, according to results of the phase II DESTINY-CRC01 study in patients with HER2-positive disease.1 T-DXd is an antibody-drug conjugate consis...
IMbrave150 Trial: Atezolizumab Plus Bevacizumab Improves Survival in Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma
The ASCO Post Staff
As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Richard S. Finn, MD, of Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues, the phase III IMbrave150 trial has shown that anti–PD-L1 plus anti-VEGF therapy with atezolizum...
Outcomes With Internal Mammary and Medial Supraclavicular Nodal Irradiation in Stage I to III Breast Cancer
Matthew Stenger
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Philip M. Poortmans, PhD, Department of Radiation Oncology of the Iridium Netwerk and the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, and colleagues, 15-year outcomes of the phase III EORTC 22922/10925 trial show continued reduction in breast...
Continued Survival Benefit With Durvalumab Plus Chemotherapy vs Chemotherapy Alone in Extensive-Stage SCLC
Matthew Stenger
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Jonathan W. Goldman, MD, of the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, and colleagues, updated results from the phase III CASPIAN trial show maintained improvement in overall survival with first-line durvalumab plus platinum/eto...
Once-Weekly Selinexor Plus Bortezomib/Dexamethasone vs Twice-Weekly Bortezomib/Dexamethasone in Multiple Myeloma
Matthew Stenger
As reported in The Lancet by Sebastian Grosicki, MD, of the Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland, and colleagues, the phase III BOSTON trial has shown significantly prolonged progression-free survival with once-weekly selinexor plus bortezomib/dexamethasone vs twice-weekly bortezomib/dexa...
Study Finds More Than Half of Cancer Survivors Have Underlying Medical Conditions Associated With Developing Severe COVID-19
The ASCO Post Staff
A new study found that more than half (56.4%) of cancer survivors in the United States reported having additional underlying medical conditions associated with severe COVID-19 illness.1 The report, appearing in JNCI: The Journal of the National Cancer Institute, suggests that the prevalence of these...
ASCO Guideline Update Offers Four Standards of Care for Noncastrate Advanced, Recurrent, or Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Emily A. Kuhl, PhD
A recent ASCO guideline update, prompted by data from several phase III randomized controlled trials, summarizes the evidence supporting the best initial treatment options for the management of noncastrate advanced, recurrent, or metastatic prostate cancer. The hope is that the guideline will help b...
Genome-Edited Donor-Derived Anti-CD19 CAR T-Cell Therapy Is Active in B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Matthew Stenger
Pooled results of two phase I studies, reported in The Lancet by Reuben Benjamin, MBBS, of the Department of Haematological Medicine, King’s College Hospital, London, and colleagues, indicate that the genome-edited donor-derived allogeneic anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell product UCA...
The CARG-BC Score: Novel Tool for Predicting Chemotherapy Toxicity in Early-Stage Breast Cancer
Matthew Stenger
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Allison Magnuson, DO, of the University of Rochester Medical Center & Wilmot Cancer Institute, and Mina S. Sedrak, MD, MS, of the City of Hope National Medical Center, along with colleagues, have developed a novel risk tool—the Cancer and Aging Re...
First-Line Lorlatinib Improves Progression-Free Survival vs Crizotinib in Advanced ALK-Positive NSCLC
Matthew Stenger
As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Alice T. Shaw, MD, PhD, Global Head of Translational Clinical Oncology at Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research,* and colleagues, an interim analysis of the phase III CROWN trial has shown that first-line lorlatinib significantly improved p...
Improvement in Patient-Reported Outcomes After Stopping Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Therapy for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Matthew Stenger
In the prospective LAST study reported in JAMA Oncology, Ehab Atallah, MD, and Kathryn Flynn, PhD, of the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and colleagues, found that stopping tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) was associated with the mainten...
Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology and ASCO Approve First Joint Guideline for Treatment of Stage II to IVA Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Jasenka Piljac Žegarac, PhD
The Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) and ASCO have approved a joint guideline for the treatment of stage II to IVA nasopharyngeal carcinoma.1 The guideline was drafted by a panel of Chinese and U.S. experts and provides, for the first time, a clear set of recommendations for the use of ch...
Duration of Adjuvant Chemotherapy Assessed in Stage III Colon Cancer
Matthew Stenger
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Thierry André, MD, of Sorbonne Université and Hôpital Saint Antoine, Paris, and colleagues, the prospective pooled analysis of six phase III trials in the IDEA collaboration has shown that noninferiority in overall survival for 3 vs 6 months of adjuvant chemothe...
High Recurrence-Free Survival Rates in Rectal Cancer After Clinical Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy
Matthew Stenger
In a study reported in The Lancet Oncology, Laura M. Fernandez, MD, of Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, and colleagues found high rates of conditional recurrence-free survival during watch-and-wait surveillance among patients with rectal cancer who maintained a clinical complete response to neoadjuv...
Venetoclax Added to Bortezomib Plus Dexamethasone in Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma
Matthew Stenger
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Shaji K. Kumar, MD, of the Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, and colleagues, the phase III BELLINI trial has shown that the addition of venetoclax to bortezomib/dexamethasone significantly prolonged progression-free survival in patients with rela...
Chemotherapy Added to Local Therapy Improves Overall Survival in Older Women With Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Matthew Stenger
In a National Cancer Database analysis reported in The Lancet Oncology, Jennifer A. Crozier, MD, of the Division of Cancer Medicine, Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center, Jacksonville, and colleagues found that receipt of neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with improved overall surviva...
Pembrolizumab Improves Progression-Free Survival vs Chemotherapy in First-Line Treatment of Microsatellite Instability–High Advanced Colorectal Cancer
Matthew Stenger
As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Thierry André, MD, of Sorbonne Université and Hôpital Saint Antoine, Paris, and colleagues, the second interim analysis of the phase III KEYNOTE-177 trial has shown significantly prolonged progression-free survival with pembrolizumab vs fluoro...
Germline-Somatic Interactions in Advanced Urothelial Cancer and Their Role in Disease Progression
Matthew Stenger
In a study reported in Nature Communications, Bishoy M. Faltas, MD, of the Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, and colleagues identified common germline-somatic variant interactions in advanced urothelial cancer, with these interacti...
Fan Therapy May Relieve Breathlessness Associated With Advanced Cancers
The ASCO Post Staff
Blowing air from a fan into the face of patients with advanced cancer experiencing breathlessness—and other nonpharmacologic interventions—may offer symptomatic relief, according to new research directed by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center investigators and published in JAMA Oncology.1 In contrast...
What Is the Measure of Minimal Residual Disease in AML?
Jerald P. Radich, MD
Relapse is the primary obstacle to cure in leukemia. The term minimal residual disease (MRD) was coined in the early 1990s to describe finding a disease-specific marker in the context of a morphologic-appearing remission. The technique first used for MRD detection was the Southern blot (!), but the ...
Meta-analysis Shows Superior Disease-Free and Overall Survival With Measurable Residual Disease Negativity in AML
Matthew Stenger
In a systematic review and meta-analysis reported in JAMA Oncology, Nicholas J. Short, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and colleagues, found that measurable residual disease (MRD) negativity is associated with superior disease-free and overall survival in patients with acut...
ASCO Releases Guideline on Systemic Therapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Leah Lawrence
ASCO has released a new evidence-based clinical practice guideline to assist in clinical decision-making for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.1 “Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma has transitioned from a disease where we had a single approved therapy for patients to one where we now h...
No Reduced Recurrence Risk With Perioperative Aromatase Inhibitor Use in HR-Positive Breast Cancer
Matthew Stenger
In the UK phase III POETIC trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Ian Smith, MD, of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, and colleagues, found that perioperative aromatase inhibitor therapy did not reduce the risk of recurrence in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor (HR)-positive e...
Improved Outcomes With Neoadjuvant Paclitaxel Plus Trastuzumab/Lapatinib vs Paclitaxel/Trastuzumab in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
Matthew Stenger
In a 7-year follow-up of the phase III CALGB 40601/Alliance trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Aranzazu Fernandez-Martinez, MD, of Lineberger Comprehensive Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and colleagues found that neoadjuvant paclitaxel combined with a dual HER2-...
The Lung Microbiome May Affect Lung Cancer Pathogenesis and Prognosis
The ASCO Post Staff
Enrichment of the lungs with oral commensal microbes was associated with advanced-stage disease, worse prognosis, and tumor progression in patients with lung cancer, according to results from a study published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.1 “The lun...
Guideline Update Offers New Directions About Trastuzumab Emtansine for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
Emily A. Kuhl, PhD
About 10% to 20% of newly diagnosed breast cancers demonstrate overexpression of the HER2 protein.1 Since the introduction of trastuzumab, several new HER2-targeted therapies have been approved for use in the adjuvant and metastatic settings (eg, pertuzumab, lapatinib, and neratinib). However, for s...
Racial Disparities in Treatment of Common Lung Cancer Persist Despite Gains
The ASCO Post Staff
Lung cancer continues to be the most deadly solid cancer in the world, despite the fact that survival rates have been improving over the past decade. However, Black patients have worse outcomes and shorter lifespans after being diagnosed with lung cancer. A study published in the Journal of Surgical...
Addition of Abemaciclib to Endocrine Therapy Improves Invasive Disease–Free Survival in High-Risk Early Breast Cancer
Matthew Stenger
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Stephen R.D. Johnston, MD, PhD, of the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, and colleagues, an interim analysis in the phase III monarchE trial has shown that adjuvant abemaciclib plus endocrine therapy significantly improved invasive disease...
First-Line Atezolizumab Improves Overall Survival vs Chemotherapy in Certain Patients With Metastatic NSCLC
Matthew Stenger
As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD, of Yale School of Medicine, and colleagues, the phase III IMpower110 trial has shown significantly prolonged overall survival with first-line atezolizumab vs platinum-based chemotherapy in metastatic non–small cell lung ca...
Final Efficacy Results From ExteNET Trial of Neratinib in Subgroup of Patients With HR-Positive, HER2-Positive Early Breast Cancer
Matthew Stenger
In an analysis from the phase III ExteNET trial reported in Clinical Breast Cancer, Arlene Chan, MD, of the Breast Cancer Research Centre of Western Australia and Curtin University, Perth, and colleagues, found significant improvements in efficacy outcomes with administration of neratinib vs placebo...
Ixazomib Maintenance in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma Who Did Not Receive ASCT
Matthew Stenger
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Meletios A. Dimopoulos, MD, of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, and colleagues, the phase III TOURMALINE-MM4 trial has shown that postinduction maintenance with ixazomib prolonged progression-free survival vs placebo in pa...
Dasatinib/Blinatumomab Produces High Rates of Molecular Response and Survival in Philadelphia Chromosome–Positive ALL
Matthew Stenger
In an Italian phase II trial (GIMEMA LAL2116) reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Robin Foà, MD, of Sapienza University of Rome, and colleagues, found that first-line induction and consolidation treatment with dasatinib and blinatumomab produced a high rates of molecular response as wel...
Darolutamide Improves Overall Survival in Nonmetastatic, Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: ARAMIS Trial
Matthew Stenger
As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Karim Fizazi, MD, of the Institut Gustave Roussy, University of Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, and colleagues, the phase III ARAMIS trial has shown significantly prolonged overall survival with darolutamide vs placebo in men with nonmetastatic castrati...
Study Shows Equivalence of Sentinel Node Biopsy vs Neck Node Dissection in Operable Oral or Oropharyngeal Cancer
Matthew Stenger
In the French phase III Senti-MERORL trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Renaud Garrel, MD, PhD, of the University Hospital Center of Montpellier, France, and colleagues, found that sentinel node biopsy was equivalent to neck lymph node dissection in 2-year neck node recurrence-fre...
Medicaid Expansion May Be Linked to Lower Mortality Rates for Three Major Types of Cancer
The ASCO Post Staff
In states that have expanded Medicaid availability as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), mortality rates for three major types of cancer are significantly lower than in states that have not expanded Medicaid availability, according to a recent study by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute...
No Benefit of Adjuvant Sorafenib in Intermediate- or High-Risk Renal Cell Carcinoma
Matthew Stenger
In a phase III trial (SORCE) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Tim Eisen, FMedSci, FRCP, PhD, of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and colleagues found no disease-free survival benefit with 3 years of sorafenib vs placebo as adjuvant therapy in patients with renal ce...
ASH Releases New Clinical Practice Guidelines on Treatment of Older Adults With Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia
The ASCO Post Staff
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) has published new guidelines to help older adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and their health-care providers make critical care decisions, including if and how to proceed with cancer treatment and the need for blood transfusions for those in hospice ca...
Addition of Rituximab to Standard Chemotherapy Improves Event-Free and Overall Survival in Children With High-Risk, Mature B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
The ASCO Post Staff
In a European Intergroup for Childhood Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma/Children’s Oncology Group phase III trial, reported in TheNew England Journal of Medicine, -Véronique Minard-Colin, MD, PhD, of Gustave Roussy, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France, and colleagues found that the addition of rituximab ...
Study Results With PET-Directed Therapy for Limited-Stage DLBCL
The ASCO Post Staff
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Daniel O. Persky, MD, of the University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, and colleagues, the phase II Intergroup National Clinical Trials Network Study S1001 has shown good outcomes with positron-emission tomography (PET)-directed therapy in patien...
No Biochemical Progression-Free Survival Benefit With Adjuvant vs Salvage Radiotherapy After Radical Prostatectomy for Prostate Cancer
Matthew Stenger
As reported in The Lancet by Christopher C. Parker, MD, of Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Sutton, United Kingdom, and colleagues, initial findings in the phase III RADICALS-RT trial have shown no biochemical progression-free survival benefit with adjuvant radiotherapy vs a policy of salvage rad...
DANUBE Trial Reports No Survival Benefit With First-Line Durvalumab in Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma
Matthew Stenger
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Thomas Powles, MD, of Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, and colleagues, the phase III DANUBE trial showed that durvalumab monotherapy did not prolong overall survival vs standard chemotherapy in previously untreated patients with metastati...
Avelumab Maintenance Therapy Improves Overall Survival in Advanced or Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma
Matthew Stenger
As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Thomas Powles, MD, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, and colleagues, the phase III JAVELIN Bladder 100 trial found that maintenance treatment with avelumab plus best supportive care significantly improved overall survival v...
Selpercatinib Shows Activity in RET Fusion–Positive NSCLC and RET-Altered Thyroid Cancer
Matthew Stenger
As reported inThe New England Journal of Medicine by Alexander Drilon, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, and colleagues and by Lori J. Wirth, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, and colleagues, the phase I/II LIBRETTO-001 trial has shown marked activity of the RET kinas...
