ESMO 2019 Congress
Expert Point of View: Nicoletta Colombo, MD
The invited discussant of the two trials in cervical and endometrial cancers presented at the ESMO Congress 2019 was Nicoletta Colombo, MD, of the University of Milan-Bicocca in Italy, who commented ...
ESMO 2019: Immunotherapy in Cervical and Endometrial Cancers
In studies reported at the ESMO Congress 2019, immunotherapy yielded encouraging outcomes in two gynecologic cancer populations in need of new treatments, including patients with advanced cervical can...
ESMO 2019: Veliparib Plus First-Line Chemotherapy and as Maintenance Therapy in High-Grade Ovarian Cancer
In the phase III VELIA/GOG-3005 trial—reported at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 20191 and simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine2—Robert L. Colema...
ESMO 2019: PRIMA Trial Reports Benefit With Niraparib Across Ovarian Cancer Subsets
In women with advanced ovarian cancer responding to first-line chemotherapy, maintenance therapy with the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor niraparib significantly reduced the risk of dise...
Veliparib/Chemotherapy Combination Active in HER2-Negative BRCA-Positive Advanced Breast Cancer
The addition of the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor veliparib to carboplatin/paclitaxel chemotherapy significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with advanced HER2-negat...
ClarIDHy and FIGHT-202 Trials Show Positive Results in the Treatment of Patients With Biliary Tract Cancer
Two studies reported at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2019—ClarIDHy and FIGHT-202—demonstrated clinical benefits with novel molecularly targeted agents in the treatment of ...
‘Unexpected’ Survival Benefit With Trilaciclib Plus Chemotherapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
An unanticipated result of a randomized phase II study was the improvement in overall survival achieved with the investigational CDK4/6 inhibitor trilaciclib in women with metastatic triple-negative b...
Updated Data From Clinical Trials on Nivolumab/Ipilimumab in Advanced Melanoma
More than one out of two patients with metastatic melanoma treated with the combination of nivolumab plus ipilimu-mab is still alive after 5 years, according to the longest follow-up of patients recei...
Novel Therapies for Small Cell Lung Cancer and Neuroendocrine Tumors
Here is a glimpse at updated clinical trial data on newer therapies under study for the small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and advanced extrapancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. IMpower133 and ALTER: Novel Th...
Study Finds Durvalumab Retreatment Active in Some Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors
Immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors offers a proportion of patients a chance at long-term disease control, resembling cure in some patients. Among the many questions about immunotherapy that rema...
Nivolumab vs Chemotherapy in Advanced Esophageal Cancer
Nivolumab improved overall survival compared with chemotherapy in previously treated patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in the final analysis of the phase III ATTRACTION-3 study. The dat...
‘Clinically Meaningful’ Outcomes Seen in Two Studies of First-Line Immunotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
In the first-line treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, checkpoint inhibitors led to favorable outcomes in studies reported at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2019—...
Pivotal Study Reports Positive Findings in Fourth-Line Setting for Advanced GIST
In a late-breaking, oral presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2019 Congress, Margaret von Mehren, MD, presented results from INVICTUS, a pivotal phase III clinical study o...
Circulating Tumor DNA: A Prognostic Marker in Stage III Colon Cancer?
Circulating tumor DNA in the blood could serve as a marker of prognosis in patients with colon cancer receiving adjuvant oxaliplatin, according to a subanalysis of the IDEA trial, presented at the Eur...
Nivolumab/Ipilimumab: Another First-Line Option for Advanced NSCLC
The combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab improved overall survival compared with chemotherapy as first-line therapy for patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and programmed cell...
Targeted Triplet Therapy Improved Overall Survival in BRAF-Mutated Colorectal Cancer
For patients with metastatic colorectal cancer harboring BRAF V600E mutations, three drugs seem to be better than two, the most recent analysis of the phase III BEACON CRC study has shown.1 The result...
ESMO Congress 2019: Quick Takes From Key Clinical Trials
The ESMO Congress continues to grow as a pivotal platform for research in clinical oncology. At the ESMO Congress 2019, important findings were showcased in more than 2,200 studies, including 93 late-...
Pivotal Phase III Study Evaluates Investigational TKI in Fourth-Line Setting for Advanced GIST
In a late-breaking, oral presentation at the ESMO Congress 2019, Margaret von Mehren, MD, presented results from INVICTUS, a pivotal phase III clinical trial of ripretinib in patients with advanced g...
Targeted Treatment Advances in Cholangiocarcinoma
For one of the rarest and most aggressive of tumors—cholangiocarcinoma—two novel molecularly targeted agents yielded encouraging outcomes in advanced disease in studies reported at the European Societ...
Expert Point of View: Eleni Efstathiou, MD
Formal study discussant Eleni Efstathiou, MD, of MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, commented on results of the PROfound trial at the ESMO Congress 2019. “This is the first phase III targeted therap...
Phase III PROfound Study Evaluates Olaparib in Setting of Metastatic, Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Treatment with the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor olaparib delayed disease progression and appears to improve survival, compared with newer hormonal agents in men with pretreated metast...
Expert Point of View: Nicoletta Colombo, MD
The invited discussant of the two trials in cervical and endometrial cancers presented at the ESMO Congress 2019 was Nicoletta Colombo, MD, of the University of Milan-Bicocca in Italy, who commented o...
Immunotherapy Shows Strong Benefit in Two Gynecologic Cancers
In studies reported at the ESMO Congress 2019, immunotherapy yielded encouraging outcomes in two gynecologic cancer populations in need of new treatments, including patients with advanced cervical can...
CheckMate 227: Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab Presents Another Option in First-Line Treatment of Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
The combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab improved overall survival compared with chemotherapy as first-line therapy for patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and programmed cell...
Osimertinib Improves Overall Survival vs Gefitinib, Erlotinib in Advanced EGFR-Mutated Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: FLAURA Phase III Trial
The third-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor osimertinib extended overall survival compared with the older tyrosine kinase inhibitors gefitinib and erlotinib in patients with EGFR-mutated advanced n...
Checkpoint Inhibitors Benefit Women With Advanced Stages of Cervical, Endometrial Cancers
Immunotherapy studies reported at the ESMO Congress 2019 yielded encouraging outcomes in patients with advanced cervical cancer that is microsatellite-stable and patients previously treated for adva...
Phase III Trials Suggest Paradigm Shift With PARP Inhibitors in Ovarian Cancer
At the ESMO Congress 2019, ovarian cancer was a topic of heightened interest, particularly due to findings reported in several important phase III studies of PARP inhibitors in front-line maintenance ...
Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy Plus Chemotherapy Active in Women With Early Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Immunotherapy has changed the treatment paradigms for melanoma, lung cancer, bladder cancer, and renal cancer. Now, checkpoint inhibitor therapy is making inroads in triple-negative breast cancer—one ...
MONALEESA-3, MONARCH 2: CDK4/6 Inhibitors Plus Fulvestrant Benefit Survival in Advanced Breast Cancer
CDK4/6 inhibitors improve overall survival in advanced breast cancer, according to results of two important phase III trials reported at the ESMO Congress 2019. Dennis J. Slamon, MD, PhD, of the Unive...
ESMO Congress 2019 Offers a Global Stage for Important Clinical Data
The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2019, held September 27 to October 1 in Barcelona, welcomed clinicians, researchers, journalists, and exhibitors from around the world to h...
Expert Point of View: Ana Oaknin, MD, PhD
Ana Oaknin, MD, PhD, Head of the Gynecologic Cancer Program at Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, discussed the PRIMA/ENGOT-OV26/GOG-3012 trial along with the results of the phase III PAO...
PRIMA Trial Reports Benefit With Niraparib Across Ovarian Cancer Subsets
In women with advanced ovarian cancer responding to first-line chemotherapy, maintenance therapy with the PARP inhibitor niraparib significantly reduced the risk of disease progression by 38% overall ...
Expert Point of View: Silke Gillessen, MD
Formal discussant Silke Gillessen, MD, of the Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, United Kingdom, agreed that this study is practice-changing. “The study was well designed and addr...
Third-Line Cabazitaxel Improves Outcomes in Patients With Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Third-line treatment with cabazitaxel extended progression-free survival and overall survival in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in the CARD trial. These results provide the f...
Expert Point of View: Mansoor R. Mirza, MD
The time has come to offer all patients a PARP [poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase] inhibitor,” said Mansoor R. Mirza, MD, Chief Oncologist at Copenhagen University Hospital and the invited discussant of th...
Veliparib Plus Chemotherapy Meets Primary Endpoint in Advanced Ovarian Cancer
As first-line treatment for women with advanced ovarian cancer, the addition of veliparib during induction followed by veliparib maintenance therapy significantly reduced the risk of disease progressi...
Expert Point of View: Mafalda Oliveira, MD, PhD
Formal discussant Mafalda Oliveira, MD, PhD, of Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology in Barcelona, commented that monarcHER was a “well-designed, hypothesis-generating trial that addresses clinically ...
Abemaciclib Benefits Patients With HER2-Positive Breast Cancer in monarcHER Trial
Inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) are associated with a robust benefit in patients with hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, but now the monarcHER trial has co...
PAOLA-1 Trial: Front-Line Olaparib/Bevacizumab Maintenance Benefits Women With Advanced Ovarian Cancer
In women with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer, front-line maintenance therapy with olaparib plus bevacizumab reduced the risk of disease progression by 41% overall and by 69% in the subset of patients...
IMvigor130 Trial: Atezolizumab Plus Chemotherapy for Metastatic Urothelial Cancer
Treatment with atezolizumab plus chemotherapy extended progression-free survival by 1.9 months vs chemotherapy alone in patients with metastatic urothelial cancer, according to the early results of th...
Targeted Therapy Moves Into Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer With Strong Showing by Olaparib and Rucaparib
Treatment with olaparib delayed disease progression, and early survival data suggest a positive trend in favor of olaparib compared with newer hormonal agents in men with pretreated metastatic castrat...
Landmark Studies Show Clear Overall Survival Benefit for CDK4/6 Inhibitors in Advanced Breast Cancer
CDK4/6 inhibitors clearly improve overall survival in advanced breast cancer, as this prized endpoint was robustly demonstrated in two landmark phase III trials reported at the European Society for Me...
Three Phase III Trials Suggest Paradigm Shift With PARP Inhibitors in Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is typically a second-tier newsmaker at the world’s premier oncology conferences, but at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2019, this tumor type generated univer...
Phase III Evidence Supports Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy Plus Chemotherapy for Early Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Immunotherapy has changed the treatment paradigms for melanoma, lung cancer, bladder cancer, and renal cancer. Now, checkpoint inhibitor therapy is making inroads in triple-negative breast cancer—one ...
FLAURA Trial: First-Line Osimertinib Improves Overall Survival in EGFR-Mutated Advanced Lung Cancer
First-line treatment with osimertinib extended overall survival compared with the older tyrosine kinase inhibitors gefitinib and erlotinib in patients with EGFR-mutated advanced non–small cell lung c...
Ceritinib Active in Treating Brain Metastases in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
The ALK inhibitor ceritinib demonstrated efficacy in patients with ALK-positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and active brain metastases, according to the results of the ASCEND-7 trial reported ...
Expert Point of View: Gert de Meerleer, MD
Commenting on both RADICALS-RT and the meta-analysis, formal discussant Gert de Meerleer, MD, of the University Hospital, Leuven, Belgium, stated: “A big applause for these trials. I agree with both c...
Studies Suggest Early Salvage Radiotherapy May Be Preferable to Adjuvant Radiotherapy After Prostatectomy
Early salvage radiotherapy appears to be a better choice after radical prostatectomy for men with prostate cancer than adjuvant radiotherapy, according to late-breaking results from the RADICALS-RT t...
Nicholas D. James, PhD, MBBS, on the STAMPEDE Trial: Long-Term Subgroup Analysis by Metastatic Burden in Hormone-Naive Prostate Cancer
Nicholas D. James, PhD, MBBS, of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust, discusses results from a long-term follow-up of a cohort treated with docetaxel in the STAMPEDE randomized trial, confirming...
Nicholas D. James, PhD, MBBS, on Prostate Cancer: STAMPEDE Trial M1|RT Comparison of Radiotherapy
Nicholas D. James, PhD, MBBS, of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust, discusses the efficacy of prostate radiotherapy plus androgen-deprivation therapy with or without docetaxel in patients with...
