August 25, 2024 (View All Issues)
What Is the Optimal First-Line Therapy for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia?
Is the optimal first-line treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) monotherapy with a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor or some combination regimen? This clinical question was explored by two speakers at the 2024 Pan Pacific Lymphoma Conference, sponsored by the University of...
Lorlatinib vs Crizotinib in Advanced ALK-Positive NSCLC: 5-Year Outcomes From Phase III CROWN Trial
In an article in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, corresponding author Benjamin J. Solomon, MBBS, BS, PhD, of Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, and colleagues provided a long-term analysis of 5-year outcomes from the phase III CROWN trial.1 Median progression-free survival had not been...
Gift of Truth: Reflections on a Father’s Cancer Journey
It was a hot and humid Tuesday in July, and I distinctly remember being grateful for the air conditioning in the pastel-shaded waiting room of the oncology outpatient clinic. My father sat silently beside me. We knew this room well, as we did the doctor we had arrived to see. He had been my...
Detecting Residual Disease After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Although esophageal cancer in the United States is relatively rare, affecting about 22,400 people each year and making up about 1% of all cancer cases,1 the disease is common in East and Central Asia countries. Nearly 90% of patients with esophageal cancer in Asia are diagnosed with the squamous...
LIBRETTO-431 Trial Shows Selpercatinib Is Effective in East Asian Patients With RET Fusion–Positive Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
A subgroup analysis of data from the LIBRETTO-431 trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04194944) showed that the selective RET inhibitor selpercatinib safely improved progression-free survival compared to chemotherapy plus pembrolizumab in East Asian patients diagnosed with RET fusion–positive...
An Integrated Approach to Treating Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease: When Oncologists and Cardiologists Collaborate
At the 2024 Debates and Didactics in Hematology and Oncology Conference, sponsored by Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute, cardiologist-by-training Anant Mandawat, MD, FACC, briefly reviewed how the emerging field of cardio-oncology is blazing a path toward “bigger and bolder cancer care” and offered...
ASCO Guideline Update Highlights the Importance of Early Integration of Palliative Care for Patients With Cancer
Growing awareness of the benefits of palliative care in patients with cancer has prompted ASCO to update its recommendations for clinicians, patients, caregivers, and health-care organizations on integrating palliative care in oncology.1 The updated guideline reinforces prior recommendations in the ...
SCOTUS Ruling Upends Country’s Regulatory Framework, Threatens to Complicate and Delay Health-Care Delivery
The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has serious concerns about the impact of the Supreme Court’s rulings in Loper Bright Enterprises v Raimondo and Relentless, Inc. v Department of Commerce on cancer care. These decisions overturned the “Chevron deference” or “Chevron doctrine,” a legal...
Acalabrutinib Plus Chemoimmunotherapy Improves Progression-Free Survival in Older Patients With Mantle Cell Lymphoma
Combining Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibition with chemoimmunotherapy induction significantly extended progression-free survival for older patients with mantle cell lymphoma, and there was also a trend toward improvement on the overall survival benefit, according to data presented during the...
BTK Degraders and CELMoDs: Novel Mechanisms Overcoming Resistance in Hematologic Malignancies
Despite advances in targeted therapies for hematologic malignancies, drug resistance and persistent side effects continue to challenge clinicians and limit patient outcomes, underscoring the urgent need for novel therapeutic approaches. At the 2024 Pan Pacific Lymphoma Conference, Marc S. Hoffmann, ...
Glofitamab Combination Therapy Shows Survival Benefit in Relapsed or Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
A novel treatment regimen with the bispecific antibody glofitamab has demonstrated improvements in survival outcomes for patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), according to data presented at the European Hematology Association (EHA) 2024 Congress.1
The phase...
CAR T-Cell Therapy in Refractory Follicular Lymphoma
On May 15, 2024, lisocabtagene maraleucel (Breyanzi) was granted accelerated approval for adults with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma with two or more prior lines of systemic therapy.1 The agent is a CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T-cell immunotherapy.
Supporting Efficacy ...
FDA Approves IDH1/2 Inhibitor for Certain Patients With Astrocytoma or Oligodendroglioma
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved vorasidenib (Voranigo), an isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (IDH1) and -2 (IDH2) inhibitor, for adult and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with grade 2 astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma with a susceptible IDH1 or IDH2 mutation, following...
FDA Approves Immunotherapy for Relapsed or Refractory CTCL
On August 8, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved denileukin diftitox-cxdl (Lymphir), a novel immunotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) who have received at least one prior systemic therapy. Denileukin diftitox is...
Inotuzumab Ozogamicin for Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
On March 6, 2024, the anti-CD22 monoclonal antibody inotuzumab ozogamicin (Besponsa), which is bound to a toxic natural calicheamicin, was approved for pediatric patients aged 1 year or older with relapsed or refractory CD22-positive B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia.1
Supporting...
Ponatinib With Chemotherapy for Newly Diagnosed Philadelphia Chromosome–Positive ALL
On March 19, 2024, ponatinib (Iclusig) was granted accelerated approval for use with chemotherapy in adults with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome–positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).1 Ponatinib is a multitargeted kinase inhibitor.
Supporting Efficacy Data and How It Is Used
Update on Lifestyle, Exercise, and Nutrition Early After Diagnosis (LEANer) Trial in Patients With Breast Cancer
Guest Editor’s Note: Chemotherapy and its side effects can lead to decreased physical activity and poor diet quality, resulting in unfavorable changes in physical functioning and quality of life. However, adopting healthy behaviors during cancer treatments can be challenging because of physical,...
Gynecologic Oncologist Lynette Ann Denny, MD, PhD, Dies at Age 66
The global oncology and public health communities are mourning the death of Lynette Ann Denny, MD, PhD, a world-renowned gynecologic oncologist and a leading researcher in the prevention of cervical cancer in low-resource settings. Dr. Denny died on June 9, 2024, in Cape Town, South Africa, of...
Cancer Screening Estimated to Cost $43 Billion Annually in United States
Cancer screening may cost more than $40 billion annually in the United States, according to a recent study published by Halpern et al in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Study Methods and Results
In the recent modeling study, investigators used national health-care survey and cost resources data...
Cancer Has Robbed Me of My Fertility and My Olympic Dreams
I was a track and field athlete throughout college, and my goal was to try out for the Olympics, but cancer had other plans for me. In 2010, while in my senior year in college, I began having sharp, shooting pains in my shoulders, which I initially attributed to overzealous training. But the pain...
