August 10, 2023 (View All Issues)
HER2-Low Status Is ‘Dynamic’ for Patients With Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
The probability of obtaining a HER2-low test result increases with the number of biopsies performed, according to a study of more than 500 biopsy samples in patients with triple-negative breast cancer. For patients originally labeled as having no HER2 expression (HER2 0), each successive biopsy...
How Multidisciplinary Specialties Are Coming Together to Improve the Quality of Life of Cancer Survivors
As we detailed in our Special Report “Surviving, but Not Always Thriving, After Cancer,” in the May 25, 2023, issue of The ASCO Post, the combination of advances in more effective therapies to treat cancer, gains in early detection, and sharp declines in tobacco use have led to a staggering 33%...
On the Art of Organizing Best of ASCO Meetings
Preparing and running a medical conference is usually a complex but rewarding mission. It is a demanding job that is typically done voluntarily by physicians and educators who are dedicated to professional and community service; advancement of research and education; as well as the dissemination of ...
EBCTCG Meta-analysis Confirms Benefit of Ovarian Ablation or Suppression in Preventing Breast Cancer Recurrence
A meta-analysis of randomized trials has revealed a benefit to ovarian ablation or suppression in preventing breast cancer recurrence in premenopausal women with estrogen receptor–positive tumors.1 The findings, based on almost 15,000 women in studies spanning several decades, were presented at the ...
Three Studies From ASCO 2023 Focus on Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Presented here are summaries of three abstracts from the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting that are pertinent for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. The first two focus on men with homologous recombinant repair (HRR) gene alterations, including BRCA1/2. In the first study,...
IMerge Trial: Use of Imetelstat Reduces Transfusion Dependence in Lower-Risk MDS
In the primary analysis of the phase III randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled IMerge trial, in those achieving the primary endpoint of 8-week transfusion independence, treatment with imetelstat significantly reduced transfusion dependence—for a median duration of 1 year—and improved a...
Novel HPV-Targeted Agents Boost Efficacy of Pembrolizumab in Head and Neck Cancer, Two Studies Show
Immunotherapeutics that target human papillomavirus (HPV) genotype 16 appear to boost the activity of pembrolizumab in advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Two examples were presented in posters at the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting.1,2
The phase II VERSATILE-002 trial evaluated PDS0101,...
Talazoparib With Enzalutamide in HRR Gene–Mutated Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
On June 20, 2023, the PARP inhibitor talazoparib was approved for use with enzalutamide in homologous recombination repair (HRR) gene–mutated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.1
Supporting Efficacy Data
Approval was based on findings in the multicohort, double-blind TALAPRO-2 trial...
For Advanced Nasopharyngeal Cancer, Adjuvant Gemcitabine Plus Cisplatin Favored Over Fluorouracil Plus Cisplatin, Study Reports
In patients with N2 and N3 nasopharyngeal carcinoma, adjuvant treatment with concurrent gemcitabine and cisplatin significantly improved progression-free survival, with acceptable toxicity, over fluorouracil plus cisplatin, according to a phase III trial reported from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer...
ASCO Awarded $11 Million to Study Oral Drug Dosing Strategies in Older Adults With Metastatic Breast Cancer Receiving CDK4/6 Inhibitors
ASCO has been awarded $11 million in research funding by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study dosing strategies of oral CDK4/6 inhibitors in older adults living with metastatic breast cancer. The study aims to address a critical evidence gap in the treatment of this...
Cancer Care Providers Applaud New Federal Rule Regulating Short-Term Limited Duration Plans
On July 7, 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Labor, and the Treasury Department issued a proposed rule regulating the availability of short-term limited duration insurance plans. The rule would restrict the availability of these plans to no more than 4 months.
...
New World Economic Forum Research Identifies Top AI Applications That Could Revolutionize Global Health Care
A new World Economic Forum report released June 26, 2023, highlights the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care and the importance of public-private collaboration in driving its global adoption.1
The report—“Scaling Smart Solutions With AI in Health: Unlocking...
CLL14: Long-Term Results of Fixed-Duration Venetoclax Plus Obinutuzumab in Elderly Patients With CLL
The 6-year follow-up of a landmark study has revealed significant treatment-free remissions and safety findings in elderly patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and coexisting medical conditions.1
Long-term results of the CLL14 trial, presented during the European Hematology Association ...
Potential of Quizartinib for Improving Outcomes in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
The second-generation FLT3 inhibitor quizartinib has recently emerged as a treatment option for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in both FLT3-ITD–wild-type and FLT3-ITD–mutated cases. At the European Hematology Association (EHA) 2023 Hybrid Congress, several studies demonstrated the...
CAR T-Cell Therapies: Trends and Indications
The ASCO Post is pleased to present Hematology Expert Review, an ongoing feature that quizzes readers on issues in hematology. With this installment, we launch a new series of articles on commercially available chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies. Syed Ali Abutalib, MD, and Jennifer N. ...
First-Line Atezolizumab vs Single-Agent Chemotherapy in Patients With Advanced NSCLC Ineligible for Platinum-Based Chemotherapy
In the phase III IPSOS trial reported in The Lancet, Lee et al found that first-line atezolizumab improved overall survival vs single-agent chemotherapy in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were ineligible for platinum-based chemotherapy.
Study Details
In the...
Incorporation of Gilteritinib Into Induction and Consolidation Chemotherapy and as Maintenance Therapy in Newly Diagnosed Patients With AML
In a phase Ib trial (2215-CL-0103) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Keith W. Pratz, MD, and colleagues found that incorporation of the FLT3 inhibitor gilteritinib into intensive induction and consolidation chemotherapy and its use as single-agent maintenance therapy were associated...
Adjuvant Nivolumab vs Observation for Patients With Completely Resected Merkel Cell Carcinoma
As reported in The Lancet by Becker et al, an interim analysis of a European phase II study (ADMEC-O) showed that adjuvant nivolumab was associated with a numeric benefit in disease-free survival vs observation in patients with completely resected Merkel cell carcinoma.
Study Details
In the...
First-Line Pembrolizumab/Lenvatinib in Advanced Non–Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
In the phase II KEYNOTE-B61 trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Laurence Albiges, MD, PhD, and colleagues found that first-line pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib produced durable responses in patients with advanced non–clear cell renal cell carcinoma.
As stated by the investigators,...
Susan M. Love, MD, MBA, Breast Cancer Surgeon, Researcher, and Advocate
Susan M. Love, MD, MBA, a renowned surgeon, author, researcher, and patient advocate who dedicated her life’s work to breast cancer care, died on July 2, 2023, at her home in Los Angeles. The cause of death was recurrent leukemia. She was 75.
Born in Long Branch, New Jersey, on February 9, 1948,...
Overcoming Financial Toxicity From Cancer
I knew the moment my fingers found a lump in my left breast, in 2018, that it was cancer, and I wondered if I was going to die. My maternal grandmother had been diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 39, the same age I was when I discovered the mass in my breast. She died 5 years later.
American Society for Radiation Oncology Names Newly Elected Officers to Board of Directors
The members of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) recently elected three new officers to ASTRO’s Board of Directors: Sameer Keole, MD, FASTRO, as President-Elect; Wendy Woodward, MD, PhD, FASTRO, as Science Council Vice Chair; and Vivek S. Kavadi, MD, MBA, FASTRO, as Health Policy...
