August 25, 2016 (View All Issues)
Inotuzumab Ozogamicin Shows Clear Benefit in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
In patients with relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the antibody-drug conjugate inotuzumab ozogamicin produced significantly more complete remissions and was a better bridge to transplant than treatment by physician’s choice, according to the final results of a phase III trial...
How the Oncology Center of Excellence Plans to Foster Collaboration Among Researchers to Advance Cancer Treatment
On June 29, 2016, Robert M. Califf, MD, MACC, the Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), announced the selection of Richard Pazdur, MD, FACP, as Acting Director of the FDA’s newly created Oncology Center of Excellence. The center was created in response to the...
Have You Received Your Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Yet?
“Have you received your immune checkpoint inhibitor yet?”
I suspect St. Peter may have started asking this question routinely at the Pearly Gates to Heaven. If St. Peter has not, I am sure most oncologists have.
With extensive media coverage on the approval of nivolumab (Opdivo) and...
New Upfront Treatment Algorithm Emerges for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
According to Susan M. O’Brien, MD, an expert in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), novel agents and new data on patient subsets have led to a new upfront treatment algorithm for this malignancy.
Speaking at the 2016 Pan Pacific Lymphoma Conference in Koloa, Hawaii,...
ASCO Adapts CCO Guideline on Selection of Optimal Adjuvant Therapies for HER2-Negative and HER2-Positive Breast Cancers
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Neelima Denduluri, MD, and colleagues, ASCO has adapted a Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) clinical practice guideline on selection of optimal adjuvant chemotherapy for HER2-negative and adjuvant targeted therapy for HER2-positive breast...
ASCO Guideline Addresses Controversial Areas in Adjuvant Therapy for Breast Cancer
ASCO has published an adaptation of the 2015 Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) clinical practice guideline on adjuvant chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer.1 There were several areas of controversy that the guideline attempts to address.
Should Anthracyclines Be Standard of Care?
The...
Scalp Cooling for Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia Becoming Mainstream
Hair loss can be a devastating side effect of chemotherapy, but the recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the DigniCap Cooling System and the growing acceptance of scalp-cooling methods in the United States may improve the quality of life for many patients receiving...
Novel Approaches Harness the Microenvironment Against Hodgkin Lymphoma
In the treatment of classical Hodgkin lymphoma, antibodies targeting programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) are just the beginning, according to Stephen M. Ansell, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine and Chair of the Lymphoma Group at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.1 Speaking at the...
Combination Obinutuzumab Regimen Active in Aggressive Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
In a small phase Ib/II study, 100% of patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma evaluated thus far responded to treatment with obinutuzumab (Gazyva), lenalidomide (Revlimid), and CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone), investigators from the University of...
Outcomes With Rituximab in DLBCL: Does Gender Matter?
For diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, does the dose of rituximab (Rituxan) matter? Are there patient characteristics that determine outcomes as well as the optimal dose? These questions were explored at the 2016 Pan Pacific Lymphoma Conference by Matthew A. Lunning, DO, Assistant Professor ...
Understanding Double-Hit Lymphomas and Optimizing Management
Double-hit lymphomas are a challenging subset of high-grade B-cell lymphomas, previously characterized histologically as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma or B-cell lymphoma unclassifiable with intermediate features between diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and Burkitt lymphoma. Expert guidance ...
Pediatric Regimen Yields Improved Survival for Adults With ALL
Arisk-stratified analysis of the Nordic Society for Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (NOPHO) protocol ALL2008 showed almost identical outcomes in adults and children aged 1 to 45 years with Philadelphia-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Nina Toft, MD, of the Herlev University Hospital...
Ethan Basch, MD, MSc, Receives $5.45M Grant From PCORI to Study Patient-Reported Outcomes
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has awarded Ethan Basch, MD, MSc, a 5-year, $5.45 million grant to support research into whether there are clinical benefits of having people with cancer self-report their symptoms while undergoing treatment.
Dr. Basch, Director of the...
Hypofractionated Radiotherapy Not Inferior to Conventional Radiotherapy in Low-Risk Prostate Cancer
In a phase III noninferiority trial (NRG Oncology RTOG 0415) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, W. Robert Lee, MD, MS, Med, of Duke University Medical Center, and colleagues found that hypofractionated radiotherapy was not inferior to conventional radiotherapy in disease-free ...
Hypofractionated Radiotherapy: Balancing Benefits vs Risks in Men With Localized Prostate Cancer
Radiation for prostate cancer typically requires 40 to 45 daily treatments, given over 8 to 9 weeks. Long fractionation schemes are chosen for most cancers, because they allow for tumor killing while reducing the potential for injury to normal tissue. However, the radiobiology of...
Cancer Research Institute to Honor Three Scientists for Outstanding Contributions to Cancer Immunotherapy Research
The Cancer Research Institute (CRI), a nonprofit organization established in 1953 to advance biomedical research with the goal of developing lifesaving immunotherapies for all forms of cancer, will bestow its highest honors on three scientists who have made fundamental contributions to the fields...
Indiana University School of Medicine Receives $2 Million Gift
The children of Indianapolis philanthropists Sidney and Lois Eskenazi have made a $2 million gift to the Indiana University School of Medicine to be used to recruit a highly accomplished researcher focused on discovering new ways to treat, diagnose, and prevent cancer. The gift, to honor their...
Molly E. Collins, MD, Joins the Fox Chase–Temple University Hospital Pain and Palliative Care Program
Molly E. Collins, MD, has joined the Department of Hematology/Oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center, providing additional physician support for the Fox Chase Cancer Center–Temple University Hospital Pain and Palliative Care Program. She assumed this position on August 1, 2016.
“We’re very excited...
ASCO Endorses Cancer Care Ontario Recommendations on Role of Patient and Disease Factors in Adjuvant Systemic Therapy Decisions in Early-Stage, Operable Breast Cancer
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) by N. Lynn Henry, MD, PhD, of University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, and colleagues,1 ASCO has endorsed Cancer Care Ontario guideline recommendations on the role of patient and disease factors in decisions on...
ESMO Releases New Consensus Guidelines on the Management of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) has released new consensus guidelines for the management of metastatic colorectal cancer that reflect an increasingly personalized approach to treatment. These guidelines were published by Van Cutsem et al in Annals of Oncology.1
“Management of...
Study Shows Women Who Received Cancer Screening Invitation Letters Are More Likely to Have a Pap Test
Receiving an invitation to undergo screening for cervical cancer is associated with a greater likelihood of getting screened, according to a study published by Tavasoli et al in Preventive Medicine.1
The study explored the impact of invitation and reminder letters on cervical cancer screening...
Adding Bevacizumab to Letrozole Improves Progression-Free Survival but Increases Toxicity in Hormone Receptor–Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer
In a phase III trial (CALGB 40503/Alliance) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Maura N. Dickler, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and colleagues found that the addition of bevacizumab (Avastin) to first-line endocrine therapy with letrozole improved...
Prevalence of Estrogen Receptor Mutations in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer
A new study published online by JAMA Oncology examined the prevalence and significance of estrogen receptor mutations in patients with metastatic breast cancer.1
The activation of the estrogen receptor is a feature of most breast cancers in which estrogen receptor expression is detected. An...
Inotuzumab Ozogamicin Improves Outcomes vs Standard Therapy in Relapsed/Refractory Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
In a phase III trial reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Hagop M. Kantarjian, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and colleagues found that treatment with the antibody-drug conjugate inotuzumab ozogamicin resulted in a greater complete remission rate...
Six Perspectives on the Cancer Moonshot Goal of Making 10 Years of Progress in 5 Years
The Cancer Moonshot initiative is bringing together scientists, oncologists, patient advocates, and representatives of the biopharmaceutical industry with renewed collaborative focus and the ambitious objective of consolidating 10 years of cancer research in 5 years. Achieving this outcome will...
Surgical Oncologist Quan P. Ly, MD, FACS, Flees From Vietnam and Finds a Home at the University of Nebraska
After the Vietnam War, close to a million refugees, known as “boat people,” fled Vietnam, hazarding the open ocean on dangerously overloaded vessels. The term “boat people” is often used generically to refer to all the Vietnamese (about 2 million) who left their country by any means between 1975...
Spotlight on ASCO’s Geriatric Oncology Webpage
With the increasing population of older adults with cancer, there has been a commensurate need for more readily available and widely accessible educational and clinical resources in geriatric oncology. As part of the Cancer and Aging Research Group and ASCO’s Geriatric Oncology Special...
Erratum
In the July 25 issue of The ASCO Post, the Letter to the Editor titled “Revisiting Ovarian Ablation in Early Breast Cancer: A Mismatch Between Global Values and Clinical Practice Guidelines,” by Richard R. Love, MD, appeared without a complete reference list. The ASCO Post apologizes to Dr. Love...
ASCO, Conquer Cancer Foundation Congratulate 2016 Grant and Award Recipients
The Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO (CCF) presented more than $6.1 million in grants and awards to nearly 250 promising oncology researchers at the 2016 ASCO Annual Meeting. The Conquer Cancer Foundation and ASCO congratulate the recipients on their contributions to the field of oncology and...
ASCO Unveils New Resources for MACRA Transformation
Are you ready for MACRA?
Believe it or not, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) was passed more than a year ago, and program changes begin in less than 6 months (January 1, 2017). MACRA will completely transform Medicare reimbursement and care delivery for oncology...
Supporting Cancer Research Through the Conquer Cancer Foundation
The Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO funds the brightest minds in clinical and translational cancer research through its Grants and Awards Program. Since its inception in 1984, the Grants and Awards program has awarded more than $100 million through more than 1,500 grants and awards to at least 65 ...
Weight-Management Resource for Patients
ASCO’s booklet Managing Your Weight After a Cancer Diagnosis: A Guide for Patients and Families addresses how being overweight slows recovery and affects survival for patients with cancer.
In addition to providing information on different weight-loss methods, this booklet discusses the common...
ASCO Announces 14 Practices Participating in the 2016 Quality Training Program
On July 14, ASCO announced the 14 practices that are participating in the 2016 Quality Training Program. The program is designed to train oncology health-care providers to investigate and implement data-driven quality improvement and manage clinical and administrative processes and outcomes.
“One...
Pitt Receives $62.3 Million, 5-Year NIH Award to Speed Up Translational Scientific Research Into Implementable Solutions
The University of Pittsburgh Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) will receive nearly $62.3 million over 5 years from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to broaden its mission of speeding translation of scientific research into realistic treatments for the people who need them.
...
Moffitt Cancer Center Receives Two NCI Grants to Further Prostate Cancer, Biomarker Research
Moffitt Cancer Center researchers recently received two National Cancer Institute (NCI) grants to further research in two areas
of study: bone metastasis in prostate cancer and imaging biomarkers for early cancers.
Moffitt Cancer Center researchers David Basanta, PhD, and Conor Lynch, PhD,...
Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and The Wistar Institute Partner to Expand Research in Gene Editing
To accelerate breakthrough cancer research in the human genome, the Gene Editing Institute at Christiana Care’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute has entered into an agreement with The Wistar Institute. The agreement expands the historic partnership between the Graham Cancer...
AACR Holds Congressional Briefing to Reiterate Moonshot Goals and Plans
“We are in an era of unprecedented scientific opportunities in cancer research,” said Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), Executive Officer, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), as she introduced the Congressional briefing, “Seizing Today’s Opportunities to Accelerate Cancer Research.”
...
AACR, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Awards Research Grants to Early-Career Investigators
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network awarded nine grants to outstanding scientists who will undertake novel research in the field of pancreatic cancer.
“By recruiting the brightest scientists with the most novel ideas, we continue to...
Late Cardiac Effects of Cancer Treatment
The combination of more precise diagnostic tools and advances in surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and targeted therapy in the treatment of cancer has led to unprecedented numbers of cancer survivors in the United States—more than 15.5 million, according to the latest figures...
Phase III Trial Shows Adding Obinutuzumab to Bendamustine Improves Progression-Free Survival in Rituximab-Refractory NHL
In the phase III GADOLIN trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Laurie H. Sehn, MD, Chair, British Columbia Cancer Agency Lymphoma Tumor Group, and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, and colleagues, found that adding the anti-CD20 antibody obinutuzumab...
GADOLIN and the Perplexing Role of Obinutuzumab in the Treatment of B-Cell Malignancies
After several dose-finding phase I and II studies in a variety of B-cell malignancies, the potential clinical role of the newer anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody obinutuzumab (Gazyva) remained unclear. These early trials tested low and high doses as well as weekly and every-3-week schedules ...
ASCO’s 2016 Quality Training Program: Meet the First International Participant From Greece
Launched in 2014, ASCO’s Quality Training Program was developed to prepare oncology providers to design, implement, and lead successful quality-improvement activities in their practices. It is a 6-month program that includes a structured and facilitated improvement project selected by...
ASTRO Awards $275,000 in Grants to Support Early Career Researchers in Radiation Oncology
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has selected four early career scientists to receive a total of $275,000 in research awards, including one winner of the ASTRO Junior Faculty Career Research Training Award and three recipients of ASTRO Resident/Fellows in Radiation Oncology...
A Complete Guide to Breast Surgery and Reconstruction
Bookmark
Title: Breast Cancer Surgery and Reconstruction: What’s Right for You
Author: Patricia Anstett, with photography by Kathleen Galligan
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Publication date: June 2, 2016
Price: $35.00; hardcover, 224 pages
Over the past 2 decades, we have seen tremendous...
FDA Approves Pembrolizumab for Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
On August 5, 2016, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to pembrolizumab (Keytruda), an anti–PD-1 (programmed cell death protein 1) therapy, for the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with disease progression on or ...
Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare Launches New Education and Training Programs
The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare recently announced the launch of two comprehensive educational offerings informed by the Compassionate, Collaborative Care—“The Triple C”—Framework, a new interdisciplinary model focused on improving quality and outcomes.
The new...
2016-2017 Oncology Meetings
AUGUST
16th World Congress on Cancers of the Skin
August 31-September 3 • Vienna, Austria
For more information:
www.wccs2016.com
12th National Lymphedema Network International Conference
August 31-September 4 • Dallas, Texas
For more information:
https://cme.uchicago.edu/NLNIC16
SEPTEMBER
ISOBM 2016 ...
Chamomile
Scientific Name: Matricaria recutita, Chamomilla recutita, Matricaria chamomilla
Common Names: Hungarian chamomile, wild chamomile
Overview
An aromatic annual herb prevalent in Europe, North Africa, and Northwest Asia, chamomile has been used as a medicinal plant for several centuries. It has...
Clinical Trials Actively Recruiting Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma
The information contained in this Clinical Trials Resource Guide includes actively recruiting clinical studies focused on chronic lymphocytic leukemia. These studies are investigating multiple combination chemotherapies; regimens for relapsed and/or refractory disease; the role of inhibitors;...
FDA Approves Extended-Release Granisetron Injection for the Prevention of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an extended-release version of granisetron (Sustol) for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, according to a news release by Heron Therapeutics, the drug’s manufacturer. Granisetron is an extended-release, injectable...
My Oncologists Make Me Feel Safe Even While Living With Terminal Cancer
Looking back, I’m haunted by what might have been if my advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) had been caught in its earliest stage, when perhaps a cure was possible. I certainly presented my physicians with enough clues—shortness of breath, coughing, and some body weakness—to have warranted...
Four Young Scientists Receive Damon Runyon–Sohn Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship Awards
The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has named four outstanding young scientists as recipients of the prestigious Damon Runyon–Sohn Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship Award, committing nearly $1 million to help address a critical shortage of funding for pediatric cancer research.
The...
Former Clinical Director at the NCI, Gregory A. Curt, MD, Dies
In Memoriam
Gregory A. Curt, MD
1952 – 2016
Gregory A. Curt, MD, Former Clinical Director at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and nationally regarded expert on translational oncology died on July 31, 2016. He was 64 years old. Dr. Curt received his MD with distinction in research from the...
Nivolumab in Recurrent Small Cell Lung Cancer
In the phase I/II CheckMate 032 study, nivolumab (Opdivo) alone and with ipilimumab (Yervoy) demonstrated activity in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) progressing after at least one previous platinum regimen, as reported in The Lancet Oncology by Antonia et al.
Study Details
In the...
Ceritinib Shows Overall and Intracranial Activity in Advanced NSCLC Previously Treated With Crizotinib and Chemotherapy
Lucio Crinò, MD, of the University Medical School of Perugia, Italy, and colleagues found that ceritinib (Zykadia) was active overall and in central nervous system (CNS) metastases in patients with ALK-rearranged advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) previously treated with crizotinib...
Plasma vs Tissue Genotyping and Outcomes With Osimertinib in Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) positive for the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor T790M resistance mutation on a plasma assay had similar outcomes with the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor osimertinib (Tagrisso) as did those who were positive ...
Pembrolizumab for Untreated/Progressive Brain Metastases in Melanoma or NSCLC
Sarah B. Goldberg, MD, of Yale University School of Medicine, and colleagues found that pembrolizumab (Keytruda) was active in untreated or progressive brain metastases in melanoma and non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to a single-center phase II trial reported in The Lancet Oncology.
...