April 10, 2023 (View All Issues)
PROpel Trial: Improvement in Progression-Free Survival With First-Line Olaparib Plus Abiraterone in Metastatic Prostate Cancer
The addition of the PARP (poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase) inhibitor olaparib to standard-of-care abiraterone in the first-line setting of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer achieved longer progression-free survival vs abiraterone alone, as demonstrated in the final results of the phase...
Understanding Fertility Issues in Young Patients With Breast Cancer
Young women with breast cancer have many concerns about their future fertility. How confident are you in discussing their chances of a future pregnancy, the effect of breast cancer treatment and fertility interventions on these offspring, and their risk of a compromised oncologic outcome after...
Addressing Health Disparities in Oncology Care—Legally and Ethically
A health disparity is typically defined as involving a differential in health outcomes between some groups of patients and other groups, for example, between White and Black patients, in which some groups fare better than others. Health inequities are commonly defined as health differences that...
Darolutamide Plus Androgen-Deprivation Therapy and Docetaxel in Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer
The addition of the androgen receptor inhibitor darolutamide to androgen-deprivation therapy and docetaxel reduced the risk of death by 30% compared with androgen-deprivation therapy plus docetaxel in patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, according to a post hoc analysis of...
Highlights of Novel Therapies Under Study in Genitourinary Cancers
Here are some brief reports from the 2023 ASCO Genitourinary (GU) Cancers Symposium that we hope are of interest. They include real-world evidence about the use of avelumab maintenance in metastatic urothelial carcinoma, data on the feasibility of sequencing radium-223 and Lu-177–PSMA-617 in...
Two Cancer Experts to Head New Tisch Cancer Hospital at Mount Sinai Hospital
Two cancer experts have been named to lead Mount Sinai’s new Tisch Cancer Hospital, which is under development and expected to open in 2027. Cardinale B. Smith, MD, PhD, has been appointed Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Cancer Clinical Affairs, and Ash Tewari, MBBS, MCh, has been...
Which Patients With Breast Cancer Can Omit Radiotherapy?
Although advances in radiation therapy have rendered this treatment modality more tolerable, they have not completely eliminated the burden of radiation-related toxicity. In an ideal setting, clinicians would be able to identify patients whose risk of recurrence is sufficiently low that they can...
Lymphoma Research Foundation Establishes Kanti R. Rai, MD, Clinical Scholar Program for the Ongoing Study of CLL
The Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF) has announced the creation of the Kanti R. Rai, MD, Clinical Scholar Program to fund the ongoing study of lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Established in recognition of the global leadership of Kanti R. Rai, MD, in the field of lymphoma and CLL ...
Nuances in Breast Cancer Imaging for Screening and Surveillance
Breast cancer screening and imaging-based surveillance after treatment remain suboptimal, largely because of confusion in the guidelines and the fact that dense breasts are too often ignored, according to Elizabeth Morris, MD, FACR, FSBI, FISMRM, Professor and Chair of the Department of Radiology...
Kerin Adelson, MD, Named MD Anderson Chief Quality and Value Officer
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has announced the appointment of Kerin Adelson, MD, as the institution’s Chief Quality and Value Officer. An accomplished clinician and researcher with extensive leadership experience in cancer care, Dr. Adelson will also hold a faculty appointment...
EAU and ASCO Release Collaborative Guidelines on Penile Cancer
Penile cancer is a rare disease with an incidence that is rising globally. Driven by a goal to offer clinicians and patients guidance on the management of this rare condition, ASCO collaborated with the European Association of Urology (EAU) to develop new guidelines on its diagnosis and treatment....
President Biden Prioritizes Cancer Research, Access to Care in FY 2024 Budget Proposal
On March 9, 2023, President Joseph Biden released his proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 federal budget, with an emphasis on increased funding for medical research and expanded access to health insurance.
The proposal allocates $48.3 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an $811...
Heavy Toll From Prior Authorization Exceeds Alleged Benefits, According to AMA Survey
The approval process health insurers impose on medical services or drugs is generating a toll that exceeds the purported benefits, according to a physician survey recently released by the American Medical Association (AMA) and shared in a letter to federal health officials.1 Although health...
Abemaciclib Expanded Indication for Adjuvant Use in HR-Positive, HER2-Negative, Node-Positive Early Breast Cancer
On March 3, 2023, abemaciclib was approved for use with endocrine therapy (tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor) for adjuvant treatment of patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative, node-positive early breast cancer at high risk of recurrence.1 Abemaciclib was previously approved...
Poorer Survival in Stage III Colon Cancer With Greater Inflammation After Surgery and Prior to Adjuvant Therapy
In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, En Cheng, MD, PhD, of Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Jeffrey Meyerhardt, MD, MPH, FASCO, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and colleagues found that higher levels of inflammatory biomarkers measured after surgery but before starting chemotherapy...
Genetics Likely Caused My Small Cell Lung Cancer
When I was diagnosed with lung cancer, in 2007, I asked the physician not to tell me the type, stage, or prognosis. I was about to start nursing school and was aware enough about the disease to know that not many people survived. I’ve since discovered that I had stage 3B small cell lung cancer,...
Yes, You Should Attend the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
The questions I am challenged to answer are twofold: (1) Should you attend the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting? (2) If you attend, how is your time best spent?
Most people agree scientific conferences are important venues for cancer researchers and clinicians to share and discuss research findings,...
Nobel Laureate Carolyn R. Bertozzi, PhD, to Receive 2023 AACR Award for Outstanding Achievement Cancer Research
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) will honor Nobel Laureate Carolyn R. Bertozzi, PhD, with the 2023 AACR Award for Outstanding Achievement in Chemistry in Cancer Research during the 2023 AACR Annual Meeting on April 14–19 in Orlando, Florida. Dr. Bertozzi’s award lecture will be...
Elizabeth M. Jaffee, MD, FAACR, to Receive 2023 AACR–Margaret Foti Award for Leadership and Extraordinary Achievements in Cancer Research
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) will honor Elizabeth M. Jaffee, MD, FAACR, AACR Past President, with the 2023 AACR–Margaret Foti Award for Leadership and Extraordinary Achievements in Cancer Research during the 2023 AACR Annual Meeting, to be held on April 14–19 in Orlando,...
Surgeon and Cancer Researcher Kelly M. McMasters, MD, PhD, Celebrates the ‘Miracle of Translational Science’
In this installment of our Global Oncology series, Guest Editor Chandrakanth Are, MBBS, MBA, FRCS, FACS, spoke with Kelly M. McMasters, MD, PhD, who, for the past 27 years, has directed a basic and translational science lab studying adenovirus-mediated cancer gene therapy and melanoma biomarkers....
City of Hope to Rebrand Cancer Treatment Centers of America Locations to Reflect Transition to National System
City of Hope in Duarte, California, recently announced that its subsidiary, Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), will fully transition its clinical locations to City of Hope’s brand. CTCA locations in different cities will now be called City of Hope Atlanta, City of Hope Chicago, and City of ...
USPSTF Announces New Leadership
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently announced the appointments of Michael J. Barry, MD, as Chair, and Michael Silverstein, MD, MPH, as Vice Chair. Wanda K. Nicholson, MD, MPH, MBA, will remain in her role as Vice Chair. Dr. Barry will assume the role of Chair from Carol M....
