Continuous Coverage of COVID-19
The staff of The ASCO Post recognizes the steady flow of news on the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. Here, we've compiled a list of links to articles and resources on the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have a report you'd like to share, please e-mail it to us at editor@ascopost.com.
Direct From ASCO:...
FDA Grants Accelerated Approval to Dostarlimab-gxly for dMMR Endometrial Cancer
On April 22, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to dostarlimab-gxly (Jemperli) for adult patients with mismatch repair–deficient (dMMR) recurrent or advanced endometrial cancer, as determined by an FDA-approved test, that has progressed on or following a prior...
Improvement in Survival With Adjuvant Pembrolizumab for Resected Stage III Melanoma
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Alexander M.M. Eggermont, MD, and colleagues, the pivotal phase III EORTC 1325/KEYNOTE-054 trial has shown significant improvement in the secondary endpoint of distant metastasis–free survival—as well as continued benefit in the primary endpoint of...
Tisotumab Vedotin in Recurrent or Metastatic Cervical Cancer
In a phase II study (innovaTV 204/GOG-3023/ENGOT-cx6) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Robert L. Coleman, MD, and colleagues found that the tissue factor–directed antibody-drug conjugate tisotumab vedotin produced durable responses in previously treated patients with recurrent or metastatic...
Pembrolizumab Monotherapy for Heavily Pretreated Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer and High Tumor Mutational Burden
Findings from the ASCO-designed phase II Targeted Agent and Profiling Utilization Registry (TAPUR) basket trial, reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Alva et al, indicated that pembrolizumab showed activity in heavily pretreated patients with metastatic breast cancer and high mutational...
National Survey Finds Average-Risk Individuals Prefer Stool-Based Tests Over Colonoscopy for Colorectal Cancer Screening
A national survey conducted by Zhu et al to identify patient preferences among colorectal cancer screening modalities to improve population adherence to colorectal cancer screening has found, when presented with a choice, most individuals with an average risk of colorectal cancer prefer stool-based ...
Study Explores Rates of Germline Mutations in Patients With Colorectal Cancer
In a recent study published by Uson Junior et al in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, researchers found one in six patients with colorectal cancer had an inherited cancer-related genetic mutation, which may be linked to a predisposition to the disease. In addition, the researchers...
Alpelisib Plus Fulvestrant in PIK3CA-Mutant, Hormone Receptor–Positive, HER2-Negative Advanced Breast Cancer After Disease Progression
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Hope S. Rugo, MD, and colleagues, findings in one cohort of the phase II BYLieve trial indicated activity of the PI3Kα-selective inhibitor and degrader alpelisib plus fulvestrant in patients with PIK3CA-mutated, hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative advanced ...
Effect of Antihypertensive Medications on Risk of Cancer
In an individual participant data meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials reported in The Lancet Oncology, Emma Copland, MSc, and colleagues found “no consistent evidence” of an association between antihypertensive treatment and risk for cancer. A potential increase in risk was observed for...
Long-Term Outcomes With Electron Intraoperative Irradiation vs Whole-Breast Irradiation for Early Breast Cancer
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Orecchia et al, preplanned long-term follow-up in the Italian single-center phase III ELIOT trial continued to show a higher rate of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence with electron intraoperative radiotherapy vs postoperative whole-breast irradiation, with no ...
Effect of Genomic Prostate Score Testing on Choice of Active Surveillance in a Predominantly Black Patient Population
In the ENACT study, reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Murphy et al found that use of the 12-gene Genomic Prostate Score (GPS) in a predominantly Black patient population with relatively low-risk prostate cancer tended to be associated with reduced selection of active...
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Cutaneous Toxicity: Population-Level Analysis
Immune checkpoint inhibitors have transformed treatment for many advanced cancers, but short-term clinical trials and small observational studies have linked the medications with various side effects, most commonly involving the skin. A more comprehensive, population-level analysis now provides a...
Acute Myeloid Leukemia World Awareness Day 2021: April 21
After a great response to Acute Myeloid Leukemia World Awareness Day (AML WAD) in 2020, Know AML looks forward to commemorating AML WAD in 2021. AML WAD will take place on April 21, 2021, with the aim to facilitate and improve knowledge of AML worldwide through collaborative participation.
Know AML ...
Addition of Avelumab to Chemoradiotherapy in Previously Untreated Patients With Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Nancy Y. Lee, MD, and colleagues, the phase III JAVELIN Head and Neck 100 trial showed no improvement in progression-free survival with the addition of the PD-L1 inhibitor avelumab to chemoradiotherapy in patients with previously untreated locally advanced...
PENELOPE-B: Palbociclib for Residual Invasive HR-Positive, HER2-Negative Early Breast Cancer After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Sibylle Loibl, MD, PhD, and colleagues, the phase III PENELOPE-B trial has shown that palbociclib plus endocrine therapy did not improve invasive disease–free survival vs placebo plus endocrine therapy in patients with residual invasive hormone...
Pediatric Adrenocortical Carcinoma: Different Treatment Strategies by Disease Stage
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, MD, and colleagues, the Children’s Oncology Group ARAR0332 Protocol has identified outcomes associated with different treatment strategies according to disease stage in patients with pediatric adrenocortical carcinoma.
...
Recent Studies Explore Efficacy of COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients With Leukemia and Myeloma
Two new studies published in the journal Blood suggest that the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine may have reduced efficacy in individuals with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and multiple myeloma. According to researchers, these studies could help inform the ideal time for vaccination of these...
Overweight Breast Cancer Survivors May Be at Increased Risk of Developing a Secondary Malignancy
Breast cancer survivors who are overweight have a statistically significant increased risk of developing second primary cancers, according to results from a study conducted by Feigelson et al and published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
“These findings have important public health ...
FDA Pipeline: Recent Designations in Urothelial Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Cholangiocarcinoma, and More
Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued regulatory decisions related to treatments for urothelial cancer, cervical cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, solid tumors, and colorectal cancer.
Acceptance of Two Supplemental Biologics License Applications for Enfortumab Vedotin-ejfv in...
FDA Approves Nivolumab in Combination With Chemotherapy for Metastatic Gastric Cancer and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved nivolumab (Opdivo) in combination with fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-containing chemotherapy for advanced or metastatic gastric cancer, gastroesophageal junction cancer, and esophageal adenocarcinoma.
CheckMate 649
The efficacy of the...
Outcomes With MRI-Based Image-Guided Adaptive Brachytherapy for Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer
In an international prospective cohort study (EMBRACE-I) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Pötter et al found that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based image-guided adaptive brachytherapy was associated with a high rate of long-term local disease control and relatively low cumulative severe...
First-Line Pembrolizumab vs Chemotherapy for MSI-H or dMMR Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Health-Related Quality of Life
In an analysis from the phase III KEYNOTE-177 trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Thierry André, MD, and colleagues found that pembrolizumab was associated with clinically meaningful improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) compared with chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of...
Updated Outcomes for Patients With Metastatic Nonseminomatous Germ Cell Tumors and Development of New Prognostic Model
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Silke Gillessen, MD, and colleagues in the International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group (IGCCCG) Update Consortium analyzed outcomes in a more contemporary cohort of men with metastatic nonseminomatous germ cell tumors. They also...
Patient Knowledge and Expectations Regarding Genomic Testing Results
As reported in JCO Oncology Practice by Roth et al, many participants in a biomarker-driven master protocol trial (Lung Cancer Master Protocol [Lung-MAP]; SWOG S1400GEN) did not display correct knowledge or expectations about using the results of genomic testing.
Study Details
Lung-MAP is a...
Adult Survivors of AYA Cancers May Be More Likely to Experience Medical Financial Hardship
A new study has found higher rates of medical financial hardship among adult survivors of adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancers than in adults without a history of cancer in the United States. The research was published by Lu et al in JNCI: The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
...
Short-Term Safety of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in Patients Receiving Immunotherapy
In an Israeli case-control study reported in a commentary in The Lancet Oncology, Waissengrin et al found that the short-term safety of the Pfizer BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine was similar in patients with cancer receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors compared with healthy controls.
Study Details
...
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: Current Status and Future Directions
Although head and neck cancers include multiple histologies and primary sites, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) originating in the oropharynx, oral cavity, larynx, or hypopharynx are the most common. Today, we have two different diseases: (1) human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal SCC and...
Addition of Alpelisib to Fulvestrant for PIK3CA-Mutant, HR-Positive, HER2-Negative Advanced Breast Cancer: Patient-Reported Outcomes
In an analysis from the PIK3CA-mutant cohort of the phase III SOLAR-1 trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Eva Ciruelos, MD, PhD, and colleagues found that the addition of alpelisib to fulvestrant was not associated with significant worsening of global health status/quality of life...
Integration of Brentuximab Vedotin Into Front-Line Treatment for Pediatric Patients With High-Risk Hodgkin Lymphoma
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Metzger et al found that the integration of brentuximab vedotin into front-line treatment of pediatric patients with high-risk classical Hodgkin lymphoma resulted in avoidance of radiotherapy in many patients, as well as high rates of...
Genome-Wide Association Study of Variants Linked to Cervical Preinvasive and Invasive Disease
In a genome-wide association study reported in The Lancet Oncology, Bowden et al identified six independent variants among the PAX8, CLPTM1L, and HLA genes that were associated with risk for invasive cervical cancer or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN3).
As stated by the...
New Study Finds Baseline Brain Imaging Should Be Considered for Patients With Metastatic RCC
A report published by Kotecha et al in JNCCN–Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network suggests that baseline brain imaging should be considered in most patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Researchers found incidental brain metastases occur in a clinically significant...
Certain Genetic Mutations May Increase Risk of Death From Infection in Patients With CLL
Death from infection—the leading cause of death for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)—may be linked to specific gene mutations, according to results from a study published by Else et al in the journal Leukemia. Testing for these mutations could be used to identify patients at a...
First-Line Tislelizumab Plus Chemotherapy vs Chemotherapy Alone in Advanced Squamous NSCLC
In the Chinese phase III RATIONALE 307 trial reported in JAMA Oncology, Wang et al found that tislelizumab plus chemotherapy significantly prolonged progression-free survival vs chemotherapy alone in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced squamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
As...
Adjuvant Nivolumab for Resected Esophageal or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy: CheckMate 577
As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Ronan J. Kelly, MBBCh, MBA, and colleagues, an interim analysis of the phase III CheckMate 577 trial has shown a significant improvement in disease-free survival with adjuvant nivolumab vs placebo in patients with resected esophageal or...
Tumor Mutational Burden as Predictor of Immune Response: Variance Between Female and Male Patients With Melanoma
Tumor mutational burden (TMB) was an accurate predictor of response to treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors for female patients with melanoma, but not for male patients, according to results of a study presented by Sinha et al during the virtual American Association for Cancer Research...
Cancer Aneuploidy May Predict Response to Immunotherapy in Patients With NSCLC
Lower levels of cancer aneuploidy were associated with more favorable outcomes after immune checkpoint inhibition in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to data presented by Alessi et al at the virtual American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2021 (
Study Evaluates Method to Reduce Medication Errors and Side Effects of Newer Oral Anticancer Drugs
In the German AMBORA trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Dürr et al found that an intensified clinical pharmacologic/pharmaceutical care initiative reduced medication errors and severe side effects, as well as improved treatment satisfaction, among patients receiving newer oral...
Estimated Shifts in Cancer Incidence and Death Over Next 2 Decades
In the next 2 decades, rankings of incidence and death across cancer types in the United States will undergo important changes, according to new research published by Lola Rahib, PhD, and colleagues in JAMA Network Open.
The study estimates that pancreatic cancer is on course to become the...
Patrizia Cavazzoni, MD, Named Director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
On April 12, Patrizia Cavazzoni, MD, was announced as the Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Janet Woodcock, MD, Acting Commissioner of the FDA, noted on Twitter: “Pleased to announce the permanent appointment of Patrizia ...
FDA Grants Accelerated Approval to Sacituzumab Govitecan-hziy for Advanced Urothelial Cancer
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to sacituzumab govitecan-hziy (Trodelvy) for patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer who previously received a platinum-containing chemotherapy and either a PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitor.
TROPHY Trial
...
Pediatric Patients With High-Grade Gliomas: Treatment With Oncolytic HSV-1 G207 Immunovirotherapy
In a phase I trial reported at the virtual American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2021 (Abstract CT018) and simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine, Friedman et al found that oncolytic virotherapy with genetically engineered herpes simplex virus-1...
Liquid Biopsy Plus MRI for Predicting Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients With Breast Cancer
Cirmena et al discussed whether using a liquid biopsy test to assess plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) integrity could improve the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for predicting the achievement of complete response among patients with locally advanced breast cancer who had received...
Patients of Different Races With Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Exhibit Distinct Genetic Features
Racial differences in genetic mutations were observed among patients with early-onset colorectal cancer, according to data presented by Andreana N. Holowatyj, PhD, MS, during the virtual American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2021 (Abstract 101).
The incidence of early-onset ...
Patients With Ovarian Cancer Face an Increased Risk of Mental Illness
Women diagnosed with ovarian cancer were more than three times more likely than the general public to be diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and adjustment disorder, according to results presented by Hu et al during the virtual American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2021 (
American Cancer Society Names Karen E. Knudsen, MBA, PhD, as Its Next Chief Executive Officer
Karen E. Knudsen, MBA, PhD, will be the next Chief Executive Officer of the American Cancer Society and its advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), starting June 1, 2021. She will take the reins from the retiring Gary Reedy, who has served as both...
Long-Term Follow-up of Children and Young Adults With B-Cell ALL Treated With CD19 CAR T-Cell Therapy
In a long-term follow-up of a National Cancer Institute (NCI) phase I trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Nirali N. Shah, MD, and colleagues found that autologous CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy followed by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can...
Anesthesiologist Volume and Adverse Short-Term Outcomes After Complex Surgery for Gastrointestinal Cancer
In a Canadian study reported in JAMA Surgery, Hallet et al found that higher anesthesiologist volume was associated with reduced risk of short-term adverse postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing complex surgery for gastrointestinal cancer.
Study Details
The population-based cohort study...
Neoadjuvant Nivolumab Plus Chemotherapy Boosts Pathologic Complete Response Rate for Patients With Resectable NSCLC
Neoadjuvant nivolumab plus platinum-doublet chemotherapy significantly improved pathologic complete response (pCR) rates compared with chemotherapy alone in patients with resectable stage IB to IIIA non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to results of the randomized, phase III, open-label...
Copanlisib/Rituximab Extends Progression-Free Survival vs Rituximab/Placebo in Indolent Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
The combination of copanlisib plus rituximab reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 48% compared with placebo plus rituximab in patients with indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to results of the phase III CHRONOS-3 trial presented by Matthew J. Matasar, MD, at the virtual...
Tebentafusp: First Treatment to Improve Overall Survival in Metastatic Uveal Melanoma
Treatment with tebentafusp, a novel bispecific fusion protein, reduced the risk of death from metastatic uveal melanoma at 14 months by half, compared with available treatments, in a phase III study presented by Piperno-Neumann et al at the virtual American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)...
Small Study Explores CAR T-Cell Therapy for Relapsed or Refractory B-Cell Lymphoma
Bispecific anti-CD19/CD20 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy was well tolerated and showed signs of clinical efficacy in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma, according to phase I clinical trial data presented by Ghafouri et al during week 1 of the virtual American...
Unselected Autologous Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte Therapy for Metastatic Cutaneous Melanoma
Treatment with unselected autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) showed early clinical efficacy among patients with advanced melanoma, according to results presented by Hawkins et al during week 1 of the virtual American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2021 (Abstract ...
Cleveland Clinic Appoints Brian Bolwell, MD, FACP, to New Leadership Role; Jame Abraham, MD, to Serve as Acting Chair, Taussig Cancer Institute
Brian Bolwell, MD, FACP, has been appointed to the newly created role of Chair, Physician Leadership and Development within the Mandel Global Leadership and Learning Institute at Cleveland Clinic. His new position is effective May 1, 2021.
Dr. Bolwell has served as Chair of Cleveland Clinic...
FDA Grants Regular Approval to Sacituzumab Govitecan-hziy for Pretreated Patients With Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
On April 7, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted regular approval to sacituzumab govitecan-hziy (Trodelvy) for patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer who have received two or more prior systemic therapies, at least one of them...
Second-Line FOLFOX vs Active Symptom Control in Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer
In the phase III ABC-06 trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Angela Lamarca, PhD, and colleagues found that second-line FOLFOX (leucovorin, fluorouracil [5-FU], and oxaliplatin) produced a statistically significant improvement in median overall survival vs active symptom control in patients with...
Outcomes With Ribociclib Across Intrinsic Subtypes of HR-Positive, HER2-Negative Breast Cancer
In an analysis of several phase III MONALEESA trials reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Aleix Prat, MD, PhD, and colleagues found consistent progression-free survival benefits with the combination of ribociclib plus endocrine therapy vs placebo plus endocrine therapy across all intrinsic ...
Discrepancies in HER2 Assessment for Metastatic Gastric Cancer
In the German VARIANZ study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Haffner et al found discrepancies between findings in central and local testing of HER2 status in patients with metastatic gastric cancer. In addition, survival outcomes among patients treated with trastuzumab were better...
Adverse Events in Patients With Melanoma Treated With Ipilimumab: Results of a Toxicity Monitoring Program
In a single-institution study reported in JCO Oncology Practice, Menjak et al found that a nurse-led telephone surveillance program for toxicity associated with ipilimumab in patients with metastatic melanoma led to earlier identification of toxicities and earlier intervention, with an apparent...
Risk of Leukemia in Pediatric Patients With Down Syndrome
In a recent study reported by Marlow et al in The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers assessed the risk of leukemia in children with Down syndrome. Their findings pointed to stronger-than-expected associations between Down syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Down syndrome is one of the most...
Oral Azacitidine in Lower-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes
In a phase III trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, MD, and colleagues found that oral azacitidine significantly improved red blood cell (RBC) transfusion independence vs placebo in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes. An increase in early...
FDA Approves New Dosing Regimen for Cetuximab in Colorectal Cancer, Head and Neck Cancer
On April 6, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new dosage regimen for cetuximab (Erbitux) of 500 mg/m2 as a 120-minute intravenous infusion every 2 weeks for patients with KRAS wild-type, EGFR-expressing colorectal cancer or squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. This...
Pembrolizumab in Microsatellite Instability–High Advanced Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer
In an analysis reported in JAMA Oncology, Joseph Chao, MD, and colleagues found improved outcomes with pembrolizumab treatment in patients with microsatellite instability–high (MSI-H) advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer, irrespective of line of treatment. The findings suggest that...
Diet and Exercise Intervention May Increase Efficacy of Chemotherapy in Pediatric Patients With Leukemia
Research published by Orgel et al in the journal Blood Advances showed that restricting calories, reducing fat and sugar intake, and increasing physical activity may boost the effectiveness of chemotherapy for older children and adolescents with leukemia. This intervention, which improved...
Inpatient Radiation Oncology Consult Model for Metastatic Cancer to Reduce Hospital Length of Stay
In a single-institution study reported in JCO Oncology Practice, Xu et al found that implementation of a novel inpatient radiation oncology consult service was associated with a significant increase in consults involving metastatic disease specialists, as well as a reduction in hospital length of...
End-of-Life Care Remains Aggressive for Patients With Ovarian Cancer
Patients with ovarian cancer frequently receive aggressive end-of-life care despite industry guidelines that emphasize quality of life for those with advanced disease, according to a recent study published by Mullins et al in the journal Cancer. In fact, by 2016, intensive care unit (ICU) stays and ...
Is Tumor Mutational Burden Alone Sufficient to Predict Response to Immunotherapy?
In a letter to the editor published in The New England Journal of Medicine, Benoit Rousseau, MD, and colleagues presented evidence that high tumor mutational burden (TMB) alone is not sufficient to predict improved outcomes with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in patients with solid tumors.
As...
Overall Survival With Olaparib vs Placebo Maintenance in Patients With Platinum-Sensitive Relapsed Ovarian Cancer and BRCA1/2 Mutation
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Andrés Poveda, MD, and colleagues, the phase III SOLO2/ENGOT-Ov21 trial has shown a large numeric but statistically nonsignificant improvement in the secondary endpoint of overall survival with olaparib tablet maintenance therapy vs placebo in patients with...
Germline BRCA1/2 and Other Predisposition Genes in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer: Prevalence and Association With Prognosis
In a German prospective registry study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Peter A. Fasching, MD, and colleagues identified the prevalence of germline mutations in BRCA1/2 and other breast cancer risk genes in patients with metastatic disease and found similar prognosis with presence vs...
Screening and Education in Melanoma-Prone Families May Improve Early Detection of Disease
Among patients at high risk of melanoma, those who received routine skin cancer screening and education about skin self-exams were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with thinner and earlier-stage melanomas, according to results published by Michael Sargen, MD, and colleagues in Cancer...
Gene Sequencing, Esophageal Brushings May Identify Patients With Barrett’s Esophagus at Risk for Cancer Progression
A combination of esophageal brushing and extensive genetic sequencing of the sample collected may detect chromosome alterations in people with Barrett’s esophagus, identifying patients at risk for progressing to esophageal cancer. These findings were published by Douville et al in
Image-Guided Percutaneous Thermal Ablation for Advanced Gynecologic Cancers
A study published by Yuan et al in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology found using percutaneous image-guided needle-based thermal ablation—the precise application of extreme heat or cold to a tumor using sophisticated imaging in a single outpatient session—is a safe and effective...
Tipifarnib for Patients With Advanced HRAS-Mutant Head and Neck Cancer and High Variant Allele Frequency
In a phase II trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Ho et al found that tipifarnib produced a high response rate among patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with HRAS mutations and high variant allele frequency.
As stated by the investigators,...
Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer: Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy vs Chemotherapy Followed by Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy
In an early analysis from a Chinese phase III trial reported in JAMA Surgery, Wang et al found similar safety and improved histopathologic outcome among patients undergoing minimally invasive esophagectomy for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma following neoadjuvant...
Low-Dose Tamoxifen for Reduction of Mammographic Density in Women Undergoing Breast Cancer Screening
In the Swedish phase II KARISMA study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Eriksson et al found noninferior mammographic density reduction and reduced vasomotor symptoms following tamoxifen therapy at 2.5, 5, and 10 mg vs the standard dose of 20 mg among women undergoing breast cancer...
Improving Survival for Patients With Stage II Pancreatic Cancer: Chemotherapy Followed by Resection
Patients with stage II pancreatic cancer who are treated with chemotherapy followed by resection live nearly twice as long as patients who receive only chemotherapy, according to a recent study published by Amanda K. Arrington, MD, MHM, FACS, and colleagues in the Journal of the American College of ...
Patients With NSCLC and Driver Mutations May Be More Likely to Present With Brain Metastasis at Diagnosis
The incidence of brain metastasis at diagnosis in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring driver mutations was high, according to findings presented by Rashkit et al at the European Lung Cancer Virtual Congress 2021 (Abstract 38P). However, these patients achieved treatment...
Expert Panel Issues Recommendations for Addressing Inequities in Cancer Care
New recommendations published by Doykos et al in Health Equity call for a significant expansion of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers to understand the causes of inequities in cancer care and a commitment to building sustained community partnerships...
Detection of Emphysema Among Patients With or Without Prior COPD Diagnosis Undergoing Low-Dose CT Screening for Lung Cancer
In a prospective cohort study reported in Clinical Imaging, researchers in the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program (I-ELCAP) identified emphysema in nearly one-quarter of patients undergoing baseline low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening for lung cancer. Three-quarters of those...
Addition of Pegaspargase Intensification to Standard Low-Intensity Chemotherapy Backbone in Pediatric Low-Risk B-Cell ALL
In an analysis from the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) AALL0331 trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Mattano et al found that the addition of pegaspargase intensification did not improve the high rate of continuous complete remission achieved with a standard COG low-intensity...
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Delivery of Breast Cancer Care in New York
In a single-institution retrospective study focused on a New York City location reported in JCO Oncology Practice, Satish et al found that more than 40% of patients with breast cancer not infected with COVID-19 had a delay or change in care delivery due to the pandemic.
Study Details
The study...
Role of Whole-Genome Sequencing in Identifying Patients With MGUS At Risk of Progression to Multiple Myeloma
A study published by Oben et al in Nature Communications has shown that whole-genome sequencing can help determine which patients with a multiple myeloma precursor condition known as monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) or smoldering myeloma may be at risk for progression to...
ASTRO Survey Explores Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Radiation Oncology
Radiation oncologists reported that new patients are arriving for treatment with more advanced-stage disease than before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new survey conducted by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) this winter. The national survey of radiation therapy practice...
Medicaid Expansion Is Associated With Earlier Diagnosis of Gastric Cancer, Improved Survival
Medicaid expansion caused a decrease in uninsured patients and led to an earlier diagnosis of gastric cancer with an associated increase in 1-year survival, according to research presented by Zhu et al at the Society of Surgical Oncology 2021 International Conference on Surgical Cancer Care (
FDA Approves Isatuximab-irfc Combination for Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma
On March 31, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved isatuximab-irfc (Sarclisa) in combination with carfilzomib and dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received one to three prior lines of therapy.
IKEMA
The efficacy...
Chronic Immune-Related Adverse Events Associated With Adjuvant Immunotherapy for Advanced Melanoma
In a retrospective cohort study reported in JAMA Oncology, Patrinely et al found that chronic immune-related adverse events occurred in a high proportion of patients receiving adjuvant PD-1–targeted therapy for high-risk resected melanoma and frequently persisted even during prolonged follow-up....
Risk of Venous and Arterial Thromboembolism in Patients With Cancer Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
In a single-institution retrospective analysis reported in the journal Blood, Moik et al found a substantial risk of thromboembolic events in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for cancer, as well as an increased risk of mortality among those experiencing venous ...
Effect of Gamification With Social Incentives on Increased Mobility After Hospital Discharge
In a single-institution study reported in JAMA Network Open, Greysen et al found that a strategy of behaviorally designed gamification with social support did not increase mobility among patients discharged from inpatient general medicine or oncology units, although benefit was observed in a...
Mutations in CTCs May Predict Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Various genetic alterations in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) were associated with clinical outcomes and resistance to hormone therapy in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, according to research published by Gupta et al in Molecular Cancer Research.
Although only a...
Meta-analysis Finds Liver Tumors May Be Resistant to Immunotherapy in Patients With Underlying Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis
Immunotherapy is not only significantly less effective in patients with liver cancer who previously had nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, but it actually may fuel tumor growth, according to a study published by Pfister et al in Nature.
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis affects as many as 40 million people...
President Biden Issues Proclamation on National Cancer Control Month 2021
On March 31, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr, issued the following statement on National Cancer Control Month.
Despite the incredible advancements we have made in recent years, cancer remains the second-leading cause of death in the United States. Behind this statistic are millions of Americans who...
Pembrolizumab vs Brentuximab Vedotin in Relapsed or Refractory Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma: KEYNOTE-204 Trial
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by John Kuruvilla, MD, and colleagues, an interim analysis of the phase III KEYNOTE-204 trial has shown significantly improved progression-free survival with pembrolizumab vs brentuximab vedotin in patients with relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma.
...
FDA Approves New Indication for Daunorubicin/Cytarabine: Secondary AML in Pediatric Patients
On March 30, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a revised label for the combination of daunorubicin and cytarabine (Vyxeos) to include a new indication to treat newly diagnosed therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or AML with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC) in...
Electroacupuncture and Auricular Acupuncture vs Usual Care for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Cancer Survivors
In the PEACE study, reported in JAMA Oncology, Jun J. Mao, MD, MSCE, and colleagues found that both electroacupuncture and auricular acupuncture significantly reduced pain severity vs usual care in cancer survivors with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Noninferiority of auricular acupuncture to...
Does Adding Adjuvant Concurrent Trastuzumab to Radiotherapy After Lumpectomy for HER2-Positive DCIS Reduce Ipsilateral Recurrence?
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Cobleigh et al, the phase III NRG Oncology/NSABP B-43 trial did not show a significant reduction in ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence with the addition of adjuvant concurrent trastuzumab to radiotherapy in women undergoing lumpectomy for...
Lymph Node Collection Kit May Help Improve Outcomes After Lung Cancer Surgery
A lymph node collection kit may help surgeons attain complete resection and improve long-term survival after curative-intent lung cancer surgery, according to a recent study published by Matthew Smeltzer, PhD, and colleagues in JTO Clinical and Research Reports.
Surgical resection is the most...
Analysis Identifies Frequency of PI3K Pathway Alterations in Patients With NSCLC
A retrospective analysis of patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) identified potentially targetable alterations in the PI3K pathway that were not mutually exclusive to mutations in other pathways, according to findings presented by Lage et al during the European Lung Cancer Virtual...
Studies Presented at SGO Annual Meeting Examine Racial Health-Care Disparities in Patients With Gynecologic Cancers
Two studies presented at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) 2021 Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer highlighted the importance of addressing racial inequities in gynecologic cancers, including improving minorities’ low participation rates in clinical trials of women’s cancers.
Clinical Trial ...
FDA Approves Idecabtagene Vicleucel for Heavily Pretreated Patients With Multiple Myeloma
On March 26, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved idecabtagene vicleucel (Abecma) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma after four or more prior lines of therapy, including an immunomodulatory agent, a proteasome inhibitor, and an anti-CD38 ...
WEE1 Inhibition in Patients With Recurrent Uterine Serous Carcinoma
In a single-institution phase II trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Joyce F. Liu, MD, MPH, and colleagues found that the WEE1 inhibitor adavosertib produced durable responses in women with recurrent uterine serous carcinoma.
The investigators stated, “Uterine serous carcinoma is a ...
Despite Access to Clinical Trials, Patients From Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Areas Have Worse Cancer Outcomes
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Joseph A. Unger, PhD, and colleagues, a large retrospective observational study investigating the association between socioeconomic deprivation and outcomes among patients with cancer enrolled in clinical trials has found that compared to patients...
