Biden Cancer Initiative Suspends All Operations
Today, the Biden Cancer Initiative announced it would suspend all operations. The Initiative, which launched on June 26, 2017, is an independent nonprofit organization that was built on the goals of the White House Cancer Moonshot program created by President Barack Obama and led by Vice President ...
Addition of Preoperative NBTXR3 to Radiotherapy in Locally Advanced Soft-Tissue Sarcoma
In the phase II/III Act.In.Sarc trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Bonvalot et al found that preoperative addition of the radioenhancer hafnium oxide nanoparticle NBTXR3 to radiotherapy may improve outcomes in patients with locally advanced soft-tissue sarcoma. The agent acts to increase...
Ivosidenib for Advanced IDH1-Mutated Advanced Cholangiocarcinoma
Ivosidenib, a small-molecule inhibitor of isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (IDH1), is currently being studied in a phase I clinical trial assessing its efficacy in patients with IDH1-mutated solid tumors. In a report published by Lowery et al in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, researchers...
Economic Burden of Cancer in the United States in 2015
There were more than 8.7 million person-years of life lost and $94.4 billion in earnings lost due to cancer among people aged 16 to 84 in the United States in 2015. The calculation comes from a new report published by Islami et al in JAMA Oncology. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death...
Subtypes of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors and Effect on Disease Recurrence
Researchers have discovered two distinct subtypes of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) associated with different risks of recurrence following surgical treatment. The finding could yield predictive tests while focusing vigilant follow-up monitoring on patients with pNETs that have a higher...
Anesthesia Exposure and Neurocognitive and Neuroimaging Outcomes in Long-Term Survivors of Childhood ALL
In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Banerjee et al found that higher cumulative anesthesia exposure and duration of exposure during treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) may be associated with adverse neurocognitive and abnormal neuroimaging outcomes in long-term survivors....
Is There an Increased Long-Term Risk for Ovarian Cancer After Assisted Reproductive Technology?
Fertility treatment is not associated with an increased long-term risk of ovarian cancer, according to the results of a large-scale multicenter study presented by Spaan et al at the 35th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (Abstract O-183). The findings,...
FDA Pipeline: Designations and Applications Granted in Lymphoma, Small Cell Lung Cancer, Multiple Myeloma, and More
Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Fast Track designation to a phospholipid-drug conjugate in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; granted Orphan Drug designation to an immunotherapy for small cell lung cancer (SCLC); accepted supplemental biologics license applications (sBLAs) ...
Study Identifies Key Biologic Features of Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma
A new study published by Robinson et al in Nature Communications aimed to learn more about the biologic characteristics of upper tract urothelial carcinoma to help develop more targeted therapies. “We discovered the defining biologic characteristics of [upper tract urothelial tumors] that...
Intervention to Promote Breast Cancer Surveillance in Childhood Cancer Survivors Who Received Chest Radiotherapy
In the EMPOWER trial, which took place within the larger Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) and was reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Oeffinger et al found that an intervention consisting of mailed educational materials followed by telephone-delivered counseling led to an increased...
Substitution of Clofarabine for Anthracycline/Etoposide in Induction Therapy for Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia
In the phase III AML08 trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Rubnitz et al found that the use of clofarabine instead of an anthracycline and etoposide in the first course of induction therapy may be a feasible strategy in pediatric patients with acute myeloid leukemia. The trial,...
Friends of Cancer Research Launches Next Phase in Real-World Evidence Initiative
Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) is launching the next phase of its Real-World Evidence (RWE) pilot project after a broad stakeholder meeting in February 2019. At the meeting, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and various data partners expressed interest in...
Cost-Effectiveness of Single-Marker Genetic Testing vs Multigene Panel Sequencing in Advanced NSCLC
The results of an economic modeling study to estimate the cost-effectiveness of multigene panel sequencing as compared to standard-of-care single-gene tests for patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) showed that multigene panel sequencing tests are moderately...
KIR-HLA System Gene Loci Imbalance and Biliary Tract Cancer
Patients with biliary tract cancer have an altered genetic architecture in some immune system receptor systems, according to research published by Cornillet et al in Gastroenterology. Research Findings Researchers at Karolinska Institutet investigated the genetic architecture of two large genetic ...
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Rechallenge After Immune-Related Adverse Events
In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Simonaggio et al found that rechallenge with an immune checkpoint inhibitor after occurrence of immune-related adverse events was associated with occurrence of an immune-related adverse event in approximately half of patients, with no increase in severity....
Does Centralization of High-Risk Cancer Surgery in Hospital Systems Improve Outcomes?
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Sheetz et al identified the degree of centralization of high-risk cancer surgeries within hospital systems and found improved short-term outcomes with increased centralization among Medicare patients. Study Details The study involved...
ReDOS: Regorafenib Dose-Escalation Strategy in Refractory Advanced Colorectal Cancer
In the phase II ReDOS trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Bekaii-Saab et al found that a regorafenib dose-escalation strategy compared favorably with standard dosing in regard to toxicity profile and activity in patients with refractory advanced colorectal cancer. Study...
Does Radioactive Iodine Treatment for Hyperthyroidism Increase the Risk of Cancer Mortality?
Findings from a study of patients who received radioactive iodine treatment for hyperthyroidism show a modest association between the dose of treatment and long-term risk of death from solid cancers, including breast cancer. The study, led by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), was...
Risk-Prediction Model Aims to Predict Incident Lung Cancer in Patients With a Pulmonary Nodule
A risk-prediction model developed using clinical and radiologic features could stratify individuals presenting with a lung nodule as having a high or low risk for lung cancer, according to a study published by Nemesure et al in Cancer Prevention Research. “While lung nodules are not...
Benefit Seen With Targeted Therapies in Elderly and Medically Complex Patients With Metastatic RCC
Many elderly and medically complex patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC)—who are often underrepresented in clinical trials—saw overall survival benefits from treatment with targeted therapies, according to a study that analyzed 13 years of data on Medicare patients...
Mortality After Breast Cancer Among Childhood Cancer Survivors
In an analysis from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Moskowitz et al found a significant increase in overall mortality among childhood cancer survivors who developed breast cancer vs matched controls. A numeric increase in breast cancer...
Anti-KIR3DL2 Monoclonal Antibody for Relapsed or Refractory Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma
In a phase I trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Bagot et al found that IPH4102—a first-in-class monoclonal antibody targeting KIR3DL2—was safe and showed activity in patients with relapsed or refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, particularly those with Sézary syndrome....
Long-Term Results of the Omission of Postoperative Radiation to the Pathologically Node-Negative Neck in Primary HNSCC
Long-term results of a single-institution phase II study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Contreras et al showed that the omission of postoperative radiation therapy to the pathologically negative (PN0) neck was associated with good outcomes among patients with primary head and neck...
ESMO World GI 2019: BEACON CRC: Encorafenib/Binimetinib/Cetuximab Improves Survival in BRAF V600E–Mutated Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
The three-drug combination of encorafenib, binimetinib, and cetuximab significantly improved overall survival in patients with BRAF-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer, according to results of the phase III BEACON CRC clinical trial. These findings were presented by Kopetz et al at the European...
ESMO World GI 2019: REARRANGE Trial Examines Flexible Regorafenib Dosing in Refractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Regorafenib is often administered to patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer. However, some of the adverse events related to the use of this drug often limit its use in clinical practice. A study reported by Argilés et al at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)...
ESMO World GI 2019: Incidence of Gastric Cancer in Younger Individuals
The incidence of gastric cancer has been increasing in younger individuals, and those under 40 with chronic digestive symptoms should be more actively investigated. These findings follow new data from a retrospective, observational study in Mexico, which showed that 1 in 7 of over 2,000...
Frequency, Complications, and Costs of Diagnostic and Postprogression Biopsies in NSCLC
In a retrospective study reported in the Journal of Oncology Practice, Kelly et al identified the frequency of diagnostic and postprogression biopsies, complication rates, and associated costs in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The study involved patient data from the...
Chronic Pain in U.S. Cancer Survivors
In a study reported in a research letter in JAMA Oncology, Jiang et al found that 34.6% of cancer survivors in the United States report chronic pain and 16.1% report high-impact chronic pain. The study included data from 4,526 adult cancer survivors identified from 59,770 participants in the...
GOG-0218: Final Overall Survival Results for Addition of Bevacizumab to Chemotherapy in Ovarian Cancer
The final overall survival analysis of the phase III GOG-0218 trial, reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Tewari et al, showed no benefit of adding bevacizumab to chemotherapy in women with newly diagnosed, incompletely resected, advanced ovarian cancer. The trial included 1,873 women...
FDA Grants Accelerated Approval to Selinexor in Combination With Dexamethasone in Pentarefractory Multiple Myeloma
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to selinexor (Xpovio) in combination with dexamethasone for adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least four prior therapies and whose disease is refractory to at least two...
Do Statins Lower the Risk of Cardiovascular Complications in Patients Treated With Radiotherapy to the Chest, Neck, or Head?
Patients with cancer who took cholesterol-lowering statin medication following radiation therapy of the chest, neck, or head had significantly reduced risk of suffering a stroke—and possibly other cardiovascular complications—according to research published by Boulet et al in...
SNMMI 2019: Phase I/II Trial of Lutetium-177–PSMA-617 Plus Idronoxil in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
A novel therapy using two targeted treatments for prostate cancer has been shown to maximize efficacy while reducing side effects, according to research presented at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) and published by Emmett et al in The Journal ...
SNMMI 2019: Vest to Personalize Lu-177 Dotatate Therapy for Neuroendocrine Tumors
Researchers at the University of Washington are developing a user-friendly vest with technology that collects data to tailor personalized therapy for patients with metastatic, somatostatin receptor 2–positive neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Their study was presented at the 2019 Annual Meeting...
Activity of Niraparib Plus Pembrolizumab in Recurrent Ovarian Carcinoma
In a pooled analysis of the phase I/II TOPACIO/KEYNOTE-162 study reported in JAMA Oncology, Konstantinopoulos et al found evidence of activity of combined niraparib and pembrolizumab in a cohort of patients with recurrent ovarian carcinoma. Study Details The analysis included 60 evaluable women...
Pexidartinib for Advanced Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumors
In the phase III ENLIVEN trial reported in The Lancet, Tap et al found that the colony-stimulating factor 1 inhibitor pexidartinib produced responses in patients with advanced tenosynovial giant cell tumors (TGCTs) not amenable to surgical resection. Study Details In the double-blind portion of...
Implementation of Minimum Hospital Volume Standards Could Impact Ovarian Cancer Surgical Care
Limiting ovarian cancer surgery to high-volume hospitals could improve survival but may also reduce access for many rural and underserved patients, a study from researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons has found. The findings were published by Wright et al...
Treatment of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Immune-Related Cutaneous Adverse Events
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Phillips et al found that immune-related cutaneous adverse events in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors generally responded to symptom- and phenotype-directed dermatologic therapies, and that biologic therapies were effective in...
ECHO-301/KEYNOTE-252: Addition of Epacadostat to Pembrolizumab in Unresectable or Metastatic Melanoma
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Long et al, the phase III ECHO-301/KEYNOTE-252 trial showed no improvement in progression-free or overall survival with the addition of the IDO1 inhibitor epacadostat to pembrolizumab in unresectable stage III or stage IV melanoma. Study Details In the...
Extended Follow-up From the National Lung Screening Trial Reported
Early detection and treatment through screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) has been investigated as a potential means of reducing lung cancer mortality for more than 2 decades. In 2011, a large U.S. study—the randomized National Lung Screening Trial (NLST)—reported a 20%...
SNMMI 2019: Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy May Be Effective in High-Grade Neuroendocrine Neoplasms
Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) has been shown to be safe and effective for patients with grade 3 neuroendocrine neoplasms, according to research presented at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) and published by Zhang et al in The...
SNMMI 2019: PSMA PET During Lu-177–PSMA Radioligand Therapy May Help Guide Treatment
Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron-emission tomography (PET) imaging of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer after two cycles of lutetium-177 (Lu-177)-PSMA radioligand therapy has shown a significant predictive value for patient survival. The research was...
Presence of Teratoma and Disease-Related Death in Advanced Germ Cell Tumors
In a single-center retrospective analysis reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Funt et al found that the presence of teratoma in advanced nonseminomatous germ cell tumors was associated with a greater risk for disease-related death. The study was a retrospective review of primary tumor...
Evaluation of PROMIS Measures After Radical Prostatectomy
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Agochukwu et al validated the sexual interest and sexual satisfaction single-item measures of the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) in men who underwent radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer. The study ...
15-ICML: Adding Lenalidomide to R-CHOP in Newly Diagnosed DLBCL
In the phase II ECOG-ACRIN 1412 trial, presented by Nowakowski et al at the 15th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma (ICML; Abstract 006), researchers sought to compare the addition of lenalidomide to R-CHOP (rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) vs...
15-ICML: Can Serum Biomarkers Provide Prognostic Information in Relapsed Mantle Cell Lymphoma?
Data presented by Lokhande et al at the 15th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma (ICML; Abstract 360) focused on noninvasive strategies to guide patient stratification for relapsed mantle cell lymphoma. Researchers used an antibody-based platform to identify serum proteins in patients...
FDA Pipeline: Applications Accepted in Gynecologic Cancers, Targeted Therapies
Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted a new drug application for niraparib in the treatment of certain pretreated gynecologic cancers; granted Fast Track designation to a T-cell product; accepted investigational new drug applications for a myelopreservation agent and an...
FDA Approves Bevacizumab Biosimilar for Five Cancer Types
On June 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved bevacizumab-bvzr (Zirabev), a biosimilar to bevacizumab (Avastin), for the treatment of five types of cancer: metastatic colorectal cancer; unresectable, locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic nonsquamous non–small cell ...
IMWG Consensus Recommendations on Imaging in Monoclonal Plasma Disorders
Just as newer drugs have significantly improved outcomes for patients with multiple myeloma in the past decade, newer imaging techniques are upgrading detection of the disease, leading to earlier treatment, but standards to help guide clinicians on the optimal use of advanced imaging have lagged...
Multidisciplinary Approach for Addressing Immunotherapy-Related Toxicities
New research published in JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and presented by Jarushka Naidoo, MBBCh, at the NCCN 2019 Annual Conference suggests that institutions and networks that utilize immunotherapy should consider establishing multidisciplinary teams for...
Breast Cancer Screening With Addition of MRI to Mammography in Women With Familial Risk
The Dutch FaMRIsc study, reported in The Lancet Oncology by Saadatmand et al, found that the addition of screening magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to mammography resulted in identification of more breast cancers—and identification at an earlier stage—vs mammography alone among women...
