Although guidelines worldwide mandate fertility preservation for newly diagnosed patients within their reproductive window, most patients are still not referred or offered this option. Rebecca H. Johnson, MD, of Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, explains the steps that need to be taken when counseling patients.
Thomas A. D’Amico, MD, of Duke Cancer Institute, discusses the superior efficacy of thoracoscopic lobectomy. This minimally invasive procedure is used in only 50% of lung cancer surgeries in the United States, in 30% of procedures in Asia, and in as few as 10% to 20% of procedures in Europe.
Samuel M. Silver, MD, PhD, of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Margaret A. Tempero, MD, of the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, discuss drugs developed for hematologic malignancies that have activity in pancreatic cancer, vaccines, neoadjuvant treatment, and the need to focus on activated RAS.
Mario E. Lacouture, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the effect on patients of dermatologic toxicities associated with targeted therapies: their psychosocial impact, financial burden, physiological pain, and potential to alter therapy. But the side effects of targeted treatments can and should be addressed.
Amy Cyr, MD, of the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, discusses advances made in the treatment of early-stage breast cancer: less radiation and a shorter course, the rising use of molecular profiling, and less invasive surgery and reduced amounts of surgery.
John A. Thompson, MD, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, discusses the latest immunotherapeutics for advanced melanoma, including pembrolizumab, trametinib, nivolumab, and dabrafenib.
