December 10, 2017 (View All Issues)
- Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Omaha
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center/University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland
- City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, California
- Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer...
Targeted Therapies Highlighted at This Year’s ASH Annual Meeting
In a webcast press briefing prior to the 2017 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition, journalists got a peek at some of the most anticipated abstracts. ASH President Kenneth C. Anderson, MD, Director of the Lebow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics and Jerome Lipper...
How ASCO’s New Initiatives Are Helping Oncologists Transition to MACRA
This year has been an important transitional period for oncology providers to start collecting their performance data to meet the requirements of the Quality Payment Program outlined in the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). The Quality Payment Program is a...
Evidence-Based Support for Triplet Therapies in Multiple Myeloma
Over the past 15 years, multiple myeloma has garnered among the highest number of regulatory approvals by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the management of all phases of the disease. This fast-expanding repertoire of treatment options has pushed the median survival of multiple...
CAR T-Cell Therapy Makes Further Inroads in Lymphoma and Myeloma
With the recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals of two chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell products, this novel approach seems to be moving into the mainstream. The approvals were tisagenlecleucel (also known as CTL019; Kymriah) for the treatment of pediatric B-cell acute...
ASH 2017 Outstanding Service and Public Service Awards
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) presented the 2017 awards for outstanding service and public service on December 10 during the 59th Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta.
Tom Brokaw is the 2017 recipient of the ASH Outstanding Service Award, presented annually to an individual who...
Durvalumab Therapy Improves Outcomes in Patients With Unresectable Stage III NSCLC
The PACIFIC study showed that the addition of the programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor durvalumab (Imfinzi) following chemoradiotherapy for patients with unresectable stage III non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) dramatically improved progression-free survival compared with placebo....
Managing Low-Dose CT Screening for Lung Cancer
As low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening for lung cancer has moved from clinical trials to clinical practice, management issues are growing more urgent for screening centers around the country: for instance, how to support referrals from and to other providers; how to ensure the quality of...
Seattle Children’s Hospital Opens CAR T-Cell Immunotherapy Trial in Pediatric Leukemia
Seattle Children’s Hospital has opened the first chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell immunotherapy trial in the United States for children and young adults with relapsed or refractory CD19- and CD22-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). With this more robust defense, researchers hope the...
Managing Neurotoxicity in Advanced Breast Cancer
Neurotoxicity in advanced breast cancer is not limited to chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, according to Matti Aapro, MD, of IMO Clinique de Genolier, Switzerland. Surgery, radiation therapy, and medical therapy can all have detrimental effects on either the central or peripheral...
Combined Therapies Increase Adverse Events in Patients With Hormone Receptor–Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer
In patients with hormone receptor–positive metastatic breast cancer, the combination of targeted agents and hormone therapy is associated with a significantly increased risk of severe adverse events, according to research presented by Matteo Lambertini, MD, European Society for Medical Oncology...
Preparing for Steep Increase in Breast Cancer Among the Elderly
“We are in the midst of a steep increase” in the incidence of breast cancer among women aged 65 years and older, Arti Hurria, MD, reported at the 19th Annual Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Symposium, Chicago.1 “Are we prepared as a health-care system and as providers to address this burgeoning need?” she...
International Society of Geriatric Oncology Awards Leaders at 2017 Conference
The International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) Annual Conference took place November 9–11, 2017, in Warsaw, Poland. Over 350 delegates representing 41 countries attended the meeting, along with more than 60 faculty from 22 countries. Stuart Lichtman, MD, FACP, FASCO, SIOG President, and...
Launching Harmonized NCCN Guidelines for Sub-Saharan Africa
Cancer care in Sub-Saharan Africa, as in other low-resource settings, can be a challenge: The right medications and equipment may be in short supply, maintaining equipment can be a problem, basic chemotherapy drugs may be unaffordable, and patients may not see doctors until the cancer is advanced.
...
The 27 NCCN Member Institutions
Concurrent Palliative Care: Recommendations From the ASCO Clinical Practice Guideline
Updated in 2016, the ASCO clinical practice guideline on the integration of palliative care into standard oncology care provides evidence-based recommendations to oncology clinicians, patients, family and friend caregivers, and palliative care specialists about providing high-quality care for...
‘Triple Threat’ Conditions May Predict Mortality in Patients With Cancer Presenting to Emergency Departments
Dyspnea, delirium, and poor performance—so-called “triple threat” conditions—are known to predict short survival in palliative care. According to data presented at the 2017 Palliative and Supportive Care in Oncology Symposium,1 however, the presence of at least two of these symptoms in patients...
Young Investigators Named Winners of 2017 Paul Marks Prize for Cancer Research
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) has named three investigators as recipients of this year’s Paul Marks Prize for Cancer Research. The award recognizes promising investigators aged 45 years or younger at the time of nomination for their efforts in advancing cancer research.
The...
Louis M. Weiner, MD, Appointed Director of MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute
MedStar Health, the largest not-for-profit health-care system across Maryland and the Washington, DC, region, has named Louis M. Weiner, MD, as Director of its MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute. Dr. Weiner will serve in this capacity while also remaining Director of Georgetown Lombardi...
Caring for the Frail, Older Patient With Cancer: Four Practical Approaches
Cancer may be a disease of aging, but data suggest that older patients with cancer are undertreated, especially with respect to chemotherapy. One analysis showed that approximately 40% of patients in their 70s—and 60% of patients in their 80s—do not receive adjuvant therapy after surgery for colon...
Cancer and Obesity: Not Such a Linear Relationship
Obesity has been established as a strong risk factor for the development of cancer. African Americans and Hispanics are particularly at risk, and their access to health care is often poor. How do racial and ethnic disparities in the development of obesity as well as access to care intersect to...
Mount Sinai Institutes Join $215 Million Partnership to Increase Patients’ Immunotherapy Success
The Tisch Cancer Institute and the Precision Immunology Institute at Mount Sinai Health System are part of a $215 million public-private Cancer Moonshot research collaboration launched by the National Institutes of Health and 11 leading pharmaceutical companies.
The 5-year initiative, called...
Shifting Landscape of Oncology Drug Development and Approvals
Future oncology drug development and approvals will be faster and more efficient as well as take the patient experience more into account, said Richard Pazdur, MD, Director of the Oncology Center of Excellence at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Center was established as part of...
Mary Pazdur Award for Excellence in Advanced Practice in Oncology Announced
The inaugural Mary Pazdur Award for Excellence in Advanced Practice in Oncology was announced at the 2017 JADPRO Live at APSHO (Advanced Practitioner Society for Hematology and Oncology) conference.
Jack Gentile, Chairman of Harborside, which sponsors the JADPRO Live at APSHO conference (and...
Vemurafenib in Erdheim-Chester Disease
In the Clinic provides overviews of novel oncology agents, addressing indications, mechanisms of action, administration recommendations, safety profiles, and other essential information needed for the appropriate clinical use of these drugs.
On November 6, 2017, vemurafenib (Zelboraf) was granted...
Obinutuzumab-Based First-Line Treatment Improves Progression-Free Survival vs Rituximab-Based Treatment in Follicular Lymphoma
In the phase III GALLIUM trial reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Robert Marcus, MBBS, of University College London, and colleagues, obinutuzumab (Gazyva)-based therapy significantly prolonged progression-free survival vs rituximab (Rituxan)-based therapy in patients with previously ...
Follicular Lymphoma: Is the Road to Cure Paved With Gallium?
The roadside along the path to curing follicular lymphoma is riddled with the debris of failed cytotoxic regimens. For decades, clinical trials unsuccessfully pitted various chemotherapy combinations against each other. It took but a single, noncytotoxic molecule, rituximab (Rituxan), to forever...
Recent Study Findings in CAR T-Cell Therapy for Neoplastic Malignancies
Here is an update on two recent clinical trials focusing on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for neoplastic malignancies. Highlighted are the findings from an early-phase study in refractory aggressive lymphoma and a study in chronic lymphocytic leukemia after failure of ibrutinib...
New WHO Classification of Tumors of Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues
The ASCO Post is pleased to present Hematology Expert Review, an ongoing feature that quizzes readers on issues in hematology. In this installment, Drs. Abutalib and Medeiros explore the recently updated World Health Organization (WHO) classification of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissue...
Answers to Hematology Expert Review Questions
Question 1
Which statement about epidemiology and clinical features of atypical CML is correct?
Correct answer: C. Symptoms of atypical CML may be related to anemia and thrombocytopenia.
Expert Perspective
The exact incidence of atypical CML is unknown, but the median patient age at diagnosis is ...
Dasatinib in Pediatric Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
On November 9, 2017, dasatinib (Sprycel) was granted regular approval for treatment of pediatric patients with Philadelphia chromosome–positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in chronic phase.1,2
Supporting Efficacy Data
Approval was based on findings among 97 pediatric patients with...
Highlights From the Conquer Cancer Foundation’s Third Annual Career Development Retreat
The Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO is committed to supporting the research and career development of young researchers through its Grants & Awards Program. In October 2017, Conquer Cancer hosted its third Scientific and Career Development Retreat at ASCO Headquarters in Alexandria,...
Walther Cancer Foundation Endows New ASCO Special Award and Lecture for Palliative and Supportive Care
The Walther Cancer Foundation, Inc., a private foundation based in Indianapolis, Indiana, has endowed a new ASCO award and lecture bearing its name to be presented annually at the Palliative and Supportive Care in Oncology Symposium. This grant represents a new foray for the foundation as it...
CMS Finalizes 340B Cuts, Part B Drugs in Quality Payment Program, 2018 Physician Fee Schedule
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final rule on the 2018 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (PPS). In the rule, CMS finalized a proposal to cut reimbursement for separately paid drugs under the 340B Drug Pricing Program (340B) from average sales price...
Honor a Loved One With a Gift to Conquer Cancer
This holiday season, fund breakthrough cancer research on behalf of someone you love.
Visit CONQUER.ORG/Tribute-Gift to make a tax-deductible gift to Conquer Cancer, ASCO’s affiliate, and send an eCard or mailed notification of your donation. Your support will help fuel the brightest...
Read the Inaugural ASCO Connection: Cancer Policy Issue
ASCO Connection has released ASCO Connection: Cancer Policy, a supplemental issue that provides the latest information and analysis related to cancer policy news and updates on ASCO’s ongoing advocacy efforts.
This inaugural special edition serves as a “year in review” of ASCO’s legislative...
ASCO Answers Palliative Care: A Resource for Patients
Do your patients have questions about palliative care/supportive care? Help them better understand their prognosis and goals of treatment, clarify their expectations, and maintain their quality of life with the ASCO Answers Palliative Care booklet.
This booklet shows how palliative care is used ...
National Cancer Institute Awards $12 Million for Breast Cancer Genetics Study
A large study headed by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and two other institutions received $12 million in funding to examine why African American women seem to have more aggressive breast tumors and higher mortality rates from breast cancer than...
Helping Patients With Advanced Disease Transition From Focused to Intrinsic Hope
While hope for a cure after a cancer diagnosis is a feeling both patients and oncologists rightly cling to during treatment, when too much emphasis is placed on this type of “focused” hope, it can make it more difficult for patients to face their mortality. Moreover, such a focus can deny...
NCCN Introduces New Guidelines for Patients With AIDS-Related Kaposi Sarcoma
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) has created a new resource for patients living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who develop acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related Kaposi sarcoma. This newly released NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN...
Intravenous Rolapitant for Chemotherapy-Induced Delayed Nausea and Vomiting
On October 25, 2017, intravenous (IV) rolapitant (Varubi) was approved for use in combination with other antiemetic agents in adults for the prevention of delayed nausea and vomiting associated with initial and repeat courses of emetogenic cancer chemotherapy, including but not limited to highly...
Immunotherapy Plus Chemotherapy in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: Despite the Failure of Ipilimumab, Guarded Optimism Persists
Ipilimumab (Yervoy) is a fully human monoclonal antibody that inhibits cytotoxic T-lymphocyte–associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and was the first checkpoint inhibitor approved after showing survival benefit in metastatic melanoma.1 Indeed, in the first-line setting for metastatic melanoma,...
First-Line Pembrolizumab in Cisplatin-Ineligible Advanced Urothelial Cancer
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Arjun V. Balar, MD, of Perlmutter Cancer Center of New York York Langone Medical Center, and colleagues, first-line pembrolizumab (Keytruda) produced durable responses in cisplatin-ineligible patients with locally advanced and unresectable or metastatic...
Immunotherapy Has Indelibly Changed the Treatment Paradigm in Urothelial Carcinoma
Cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy is the preferred first-line therapy for metastatic urothelial cancer and the only treatment shown to improve survival in patients with previously untreated disease for many years. This chemotherapy also has proven to be beneficial in the neoadjuvant and...
NCCN Awards Nine Grants for Quality Improvement in Breast Cancer Care
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) Oncology Research Program in collaboration with Pfizer Global Medical Grants announced they have awarded funding to nine projects that use clinical care pathways to implement quality-improvement initiatives along the continuum of care for...
Born in Chicago, Lymphoma Specialist Sonali M. Smith, MD, Never Left the Windy City
Nationally recognized lymphoma expert Sonali M. Smith, MD, was born and reared in Chicago to a mother who was a pediatrician and allergist, and a father who was an engineer. Her parents were first-generation immigrants from India who placed the value of education second to none.
“I became used...
Seattle Translational Tumor Research Presents Precision-Medicine Grant Winners
Five cross-disciplinary research groups involving scientists from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington School of Medicine, and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance have received $100,000 in awards from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center–based Seattle Translational Tumor...
Olaparib Tablets for Maintenance Treatment in Ovarian Cancer
On August 17, 2017, olaparib -(Lynparza) in tablet form was granted regular approval for maintenance treatment of adult patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who are in complete or partial response to platinum-based chemotherapy.1,2 Olaparib...
Future Directions for CAR T-Cell Therapy
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy burst upon the scene as an innovative approach to the treatment of hematologic malignancies, mainly for patients who have exhausted all other treatment options. Recently two CAR T-cell products were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration...
Virginia Cancer Specialists and The US Oncology Network Welcome Stephanie Akbari, MD, FACS
Virginia Cancer Specialists, a practice within The US Oncology Network and a premier cancer care and research center in Northern Virginia with more than 40 years of service to patients, has announced that Stephanie Akbari, MD, FACS, has joined the practice.
Dr. Akbari, the first dedicated breast ...
Barbara Savoldo, MD, PhD, Awarded Grant for Immunotherapy Research
University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researcher Barbara Savoldo, MD, PhD, has been awarded a $600,000, 3-year grant from to support research of an immunotherapy being developed. The grant will help fund clinical research into an investigational chimeric antigen...
Acalabrutinib in Previously Treated Mantle Cell Lymphoma
On October 31, 2017, the Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor acalabrutinib (Calquence) was granted accelerated approval for treatment of adult patients with mantle cell lymphoma who have received at least one prior therapy.1,2
Supporting Efficacy Data
Approval was based on objective response ...
Ibrutinib in Chronic Graft-vs-Host Disease
On August 2, 2017, ibrutinib (Imbruvica) was approved for treatment of adult patients with chronic graft-vs-host disease after failure of one or more lines of systemic therapy.1,2 This is the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved therapy for treatment of chronic graft-vs-host...
Liposome-Encapsulated Daunorubicin and Cytarabine for AML Subtypes
On August 3, 2017, a liposome-encapsulated combination of daunorubicin and cytarabine (Vyxeos) was approved for treatment of adults with newly diagnosed therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or AML with myelodysplasia-related changes.1,2 This is the first U.S. Food and Drug...
SITC Spearheads Initiative for Management of Immunotherapy-Related Side Effects
The first consensus recommendations on the recognition and clinical management of immune-related side effects from cancer immunotherapy were recently published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC).1 The article, “Managing Toxicities Associated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors:...
Gratitude
The following essay by Stan Winokur, MD, is adapted from The Big Casino: America’s Best Cancer Doctors Share Their Most Powerful Stories, which was coedited by Dr. Winokur and -Vincent Coppola and published in May 2014. The book is available on Amazon.com and thebigcasino.org.
I looked into her...
Perlmutter Cancer Center Expands Clinical Leukemia Program
NYU Langone Health has announced that nationally renowned physician and researcher Raoul Tibes, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Hematology and Medical Oncology at NYU School of Medicine, will lead efforts to expand the clinical and investigative leukemia programs at its Perlmutter Cancer Center....
Clinical Trials Actively Recruiting Patients With Pediatric Leukemia
The information contained in this Clinical Trials Resource Guide includes actively recruiting clinical studies focused on pediatric leukemia. These studies highlight quality-of-life reporting; neutropenia management; combination chemotherapy; chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy and some...
Love Triumphs Amid a Battle With Cancer
BOOKMARK
Title: The Red Devil: To Hell With Cancer—and Back
Author: Katherine Russell Rich
Publisher: Crown
Date Published: October 1999
Price: $23.95, hardcover, 256 pages
Over the past year or so, there have been several best-selling memoirs of people fighting and ultimately losing their battle...
Achieving One’s Childhood Dreams While Facing Pancreatic Cancer
BOOMARK
Title: The Last Lecture
Author: Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow
Publisher: Hyperion
Date: April 2008
Price: $21.95, hardcover; 206 pages
Faced with imminent death, how does one chose to live out the remainder of one’s life? Such is the question at the heart of The Last Lecture, a memoir...
Old and New Perspectives on the Theory of Cancer
BOOKMARK
Title: Tripping Over the Truth: How the Metabolic Theory of Cancer Is Overturning One of Medicine’s Most Entrenched Paradigms
Author: Travis Christofferson, MS
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Publication Date: February 2017
Price: $24.95, hardcover; 288 pages
Bringing a book to market...
Radiation Oncologist Gives Clear Advice to Patients With Cancer
BOOKMARK
Title: Cancer: What You Need to Know: Overcome the 10 Common Mistakes Patients Make
Author: Stephen A. Rosenberg, MD
Publisher: Stephen Rosenberg, MD
Year Published: November 2017
Price: $9.99, paperback, 248 pages
Stephen A. Rosenberg, MD, is Chief Resident in Radiation Oncology at the...
Untangling the Controversies of Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
BOOKMARK
Title: Hematopoietic Cell Transplants: Concepts, Controversies, and Future Directions
Editors: Hillard M. Lazarus, MD; Robert Peter Gale, MD, PhD, DSc (hon), FACP; Armand Keating, MD, FRCP(C); Andrea Bacigalupo, MD; Reinhold Munker, MD; Kerry Atkinson, MBBS, MD, DTM&H, FRCP, FRACP; and ...
Michael A. Caligiuri, MD, Named President of City of Hope National Medical Center
City of Hope announced that it has appointed Michael A. Caligiuri, MD, to a new executive leadership role as President of City of Hope National Medical Center and Physician-in-Chief. Dr. Caligiuri is a health-care visionary, renowned cancer researcher, and President of the American Association...
Living a Full Life With Stage IV Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
The discovery of my non–small cell lung cancer (NCSLC) in 2005 was serendipitous and completely unexpected. A never smoker and physically active my whole life, the only hint something might be amiss was a slight tickle in my throat, which I’m not even sure was related to my cancer diagnosis. In...
Asparaginase-Associated Pancreatitis in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
An observational study reported in The Lancet Oncology by -Wolthers et al in the Ponte di Legno Toxicity Working Group identified characteristics and the course of asparaginase-associated pancreatitis in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Kjeld Schmiegelow, MD, of The University Hospital...
Radiotherapy Fractionation for Head and Neck Cancers
An update of the Meta-Analysis of Radiotherapy in Squamous Cell Carcinomas of Head and Neck (MARCH) showed that hyperfractionated radiotherapy maintained a survival advantage over conventional radiotherapy in head and neck cancers. The findings were reported in The Lancet Oncology by Lacas et al. ...
Genomic Characteristics and Immune Infiltration in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Thomas Karn, PhD, of Goethe-University Frankfurt, and colleagues found that triple-negative breast cancers with high immune gene expression levels were characterized by lower clonal heterogeneity, reduced copy number alterations, and lower somatic mutation,...
Partial-Breast and Reduced-Dose Radiotherapy After Breast-Conserving Surgery
The UK IMPORT LOW phase III trial has shown noninferiority in local relapse for partial-breast and reduced-dose vs standard whole-breast radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery in early breast cancer. These study results were reported by Charlotte E. Coles, PhD, of the University of...
AKT Inhibitor Ipatasertib in Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
The randomized phase II LOTUS trial has shown improved progression-free survival with the addition of the AKT inhibitor ipatasertib to paclitaxel in the first-line treatment of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. These results were reported by Sung-Bae Kim, MD, of the University of Ulsan...
FDA Approves First Biosimilar for the Treatment of Certain Breast and Stomach Cancers
On December 1, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved trastuzumab-dkst (Ogivri) as a biosimilar to trastuzumab (Herceptin) for the treatment of patients with breast or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma whose tumors overexpress the HER2 gene. The...
FDA Announces Approval, CMS Proposes Coverage of Diagnostic Test for Cancer Biomarkers
On November 30, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved CDx (F1CDx), a breakthrough-designated, next-generation sequencing–based in vitro diagnostic test that can detect genetic mutations in 324 genes and 2 genomic signatures in any solid tumor type. The Centers for Medicare &...
Chemotherapy Foundation Honors Oncology Pioneer James F. Holland, MD, FASCO, and Actor-Comedian Martin Short
On November 8, 2017, the Chemotherapy Foundation held a benefit in New York City to raise funding to support an investigator in ovarian cancer research selected for the 2018 Research Grant Program. The event coincided with the 35th Annual Chemotherapy Foundation Symposium and honored oncology...
