April 25, 2024 (View All Issues)
Advanced-Stage Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma
Classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a highly curable disease, but up to 25% of patients will develop relapsed or refractory classical HL. Although most patients achieve complete response following front-line therapy, key unmet clinical needs include reducing the relapse rate, decreasing acute...
Zanubrutinib in Relapsed or Refractory Follicular Lymphoma
On March 7, 2024, the Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor zanubrutinib (Brukinsa) was granted accelerated approval in combination with the monoclonal antibody obinutuzumab for patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy.1
Supporting Efficacy...
Comparative Effectiveness of Acupuncture vs Massage for Relieving Pain in Patients With Advanced Cancer
Pain, a debilitating consequence of cancer and its treatments, is highly prevalent among patients with advanced cancer.1 Often persistent and undertreated, it is associated with poor functional and emotional well-being and typically occurs along with insomnia and fatigue.2 The use of opioids,...
A Pioneering Female Oncologist in Morocco Helps Advance the Global Shift Toward Gender Equity in Academia
Success stories in research, advocacy, and education from low- and middle-income countries deserve international recognition to motivate the next generation of researchers and practitioners and enrich global oncology. I recently had the privilege to speak with Ouissam Al Jarroudi, MD, about her...
Breast Cancer Stalked My Family for Generations and Finally Came for Me
My maternal grandmother, mother, and two of my mother’s sisters were all diagnosed with breast cancer when they were relatively young, so I figured one day, the disease would come for me. Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among Alaska Native women,1 and at a very early age, my...
Treating DCIS: To Escalate or De-escalate?
There is much debate about the necessity of treating women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) with surgery or radiotherapy.1,2 It is disconcerting to many that patients with DCIS are treated in the same way as are women with early-stage invasive breast cancer. Many patients with DCIS have...
Can Artificial Intelligence Predict Treatment Response and Outcomes in Breast Cancer?
Artificial intelligence (AI)—computational analytics with routine imaging via radiology or pathology—can advance precision medicine in breast cancer, specifically by predicting response to therapy and calculating prognosis, according to a pioneer in the field, Anant Madabhushi, PhD, of Emory...
Adagrasib Plus Cetuximab: Potential Option for KRAS G12C–Mutated Colorectal Cancer
Although KRAS was once considered an untargetable mutation, KRAS inhibitors are now approved for the treatment of KRAS-mutated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and are emerging as a potential option for the treatment of KRAS G12C–mutated colorectal cancer in combination with other therapies.
Survival Benefit Emerges With Use of Dostarlimab-gxly Plus Chemotherapy in Advanced or Recurrent Endometrial Cancer
The addition of a checkpoint inhibitor to standard chemotherapy as first-line treatment of advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer not only reduced the risk of disease progression but improved overall survival, particularly for the mismatch repair–deficient/microsatellite instability–high...
Progression-Free Survival Benefit Confirmed With Triplet Combination in BRCA Wild-Type, HRD-Positive Ovarian Cancer
The combination of immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and chemotherapy could be the new standard first-line treatment of patients with high-grade, advanced ovarian cancer with BRCA wild-type, homologous recombination deficiency (HRD)-positive tumors, according to data presented during the Society of...
AI Analysis of Cell-Free DNA Fragments and Protein Biomarkers for Noninvasive Detection of Ovarian Cancer
A blood-based, machine learning assay that combines cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragmentomes and protein biomarkers was able to differentiate patients with ovarian cancer from healthy controls at a high specificity of more than 99%, according to study results by Medina et al.1 It noninvasively recognized ...
Can HPV Circulating Tumor DNA Guide Adjuvant Treatment of Oropharyngeal Cancer?
Although so-called liquid biopsies are now helping to determine the need for adjuvant therapy for a number of malignancies, oropharyngeal carcinoma is not yet one of them, according to a prospective pilot study from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The investigators evaluated the use of...
Novel MDM2 Inhibitor Shows Activity in Salivary Gland Cancers
A novel MDM2 inhibitor has demonstrated antitumor activity in progressive salivary cancer, particularly adenoid cystic carcinoma, according to data presented at the 2024 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium.
Results of the phase I/II trial showed an overall response rate of 13% and a...
Activity Shown for Antibody-Drug Conjugates in Gynecologic Cancers
The recent approval of mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx is a testament to the emerging benefit of antibody-drug conjugates in recurrent ovarian cancer. Other agents of this class are now eliciting excitement as they demonstrate high response rates in a population with unmet clinical needs, according...
Rapid Guideline Update Supports Capivasertib for Hormone Receptor–Positive, HER2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer
Patients with estrogen receptor–positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer now have a new medication option that extends survival, according to an ASCO rapid guideline update.1 The update was designed to orient clinicians to outcomes from the CAPItello-291 trial, which led to the U.S. Food...
Pamela Kunz, MD, Named Editor-in-Chief of New JCO Oncology Advances
ASCO recently announced the upcoming launch of JCO Oncology Advances (JCO OA), a new open-access and interdisciplinary journal. Pamela Kunz, MD, will serve as the new Editor-in-Chief of this innovative journal, dedicated to accelerating progress in the global fight against cancer by providing a...
Exploring Geriatric Assessment Effectiveness: Insights From the 2023 International Society of Geriatric Oncology Conference
Geriatric assessment has emerged as a pivotal tool in optimizing cancer care for older patients, aiming to mitigate treatment toxicity, enhance treatment adherence, and improve quality of life. The recommended areas for evaluation in a geriatric assessment focus on identifying health issues that...
