December 10, 2023 (View All Issues)
Understanding the Treatment Options for PD-1–Refractory Melanoma
For the treatment of advanced melanoma that is refractory to anti–PD-1 antibodies, there is no standard approach. The various options, with a look to the future, were discussed by Melinda L. Yushak, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Hematology and Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine, at...
Sustained MRD Negativity Achieved With Isa-KRd in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma
For the treatment of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma with high-risk features, a quadruplet regimen of the anti-CD38 antibody isatuximab plus carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (Isa-KRd) induced high rates of measurable residual disease (MRD) negativity, both in transplant-eligible and...
Antibody-Drug Conjugate Makes Progress as Second-Line Therapy for Advanced NSCLC
Datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd), a TROP-2–directed antibody-drug conjugate, improved progression-free survival by 25% on blinded independent committee review in previously treated patients with advanced or metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and it was reported to be less toxic than...
INCREASE Trial: Immunotherapy Plus Chemoradiotherapy Doubles Complete Pathologic Response Rate in NSCLC
The integration of immunotherapy with traditional chemoradiotherapy has significantly increased pathologic complete response rates in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to data presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2023 World Conference on...
American Cancer Society Releases Updated Lung Cancer Screening Guideline
Lung cancer incidence overall has been declining in the United States since 1992—and since 2006–2007 for both men and women by 2.7% annually and 1.1%, respectively—and overall mortality rates have declined in both men and women because of smoking cessation efforts and advances in therapy and early...
Remembering Cancer Prevention and Health Equity Champion Worta J. McCaskill-Stevens, MD, MS
ASCO and the oncology community are deeply saddened by the death of medical oncologist Worta J. McCaskill-Stevens, MD, MS, on November 15, 2023. Dr. McCaskill-Stevens served as Chief of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Community Oncology and Prevention Trials Research Group and Director of the...
Supportive Parents and Early Love of Science Lead to a Career in Hematology Oncology for Nina Shah, MD
In this installment of The ASCO Post’s Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Nina Shah, MD, Global Head of Multiple Myeloma Clinical Development and Strategy, Hematology, Oncology Research and Development at AstraZeneca. She is a hematologist who specializes in...
Early Data Show Novel Immunotherapy Regimen May Improve Outcomes in Advanced Gastric Cancer
Initial findings from the global phase II EDGE-Gastric trial indicate the potential for two novel immune checkpoint inhibitors to improve outcomes in advanced gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma. The findings were reported at the November 2023 ASCO Plenary Session by Yelena Y. Janjigian, MD, Chief of...
On Mark Cuban and the Chemotherapy Crisis
Although significant progress has been made to reduce the gap in health outcomes of minority or underserved patients, meaningful steps forward still need to be made to improve health disparities. Countless studies have shown, in general, that affluent White individuals have better health outcomes...
PAPILLON: Adding Amivantamab to First-Line Chemotherapy Prolongs Progression-Free Survival in NSCLC Subset
In the phase III PAPILLON trial, the addition of the bispecific antibody amivantamab-vmjw to chemotherapy resulted in a near doubling in median progression-free survival vs chemotherapy alone in patients with untreated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)...
BEATcc Trial: Atezolizumab-Based Regimen Improves Outcomes in First-Line Setting for Advanced Cervical Cancer
In patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer, the addition of the PD-L1–inhibiting monoclonal antibody atezolizumab to first-line chemotherapy plus the angiogenesis inhibitor bevacizumab significantly improved all efficacy outcomes and yielded a median overall survival that exceeded 2.5 ...
Oncology Care Model: Studies Find Significant Savings but Minor Quality Improvement
A pair of studies evaluating the impact of the Oncology Care Model (OCM) has highlighted challenges in improving quality of the value-based payment model, according to data presented at the 2023 ASCO Quality Care Symposium. Both studies were conducted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...
CodeBreaK 300: Sotorasib Plus Panitumumab of Benefit in KRAS-Mutated Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
The combination of sotorasib and panitumumab significantly improved progression-free survival compared with standard treatment in patients with chemotherapy-refractory metastatic colorectal cancer with KRAS G12C mutations, the phase III CodeBreaK 300 trial has shown. The KRAS G12C inhibitor...
ALINA Trial: Anticancer Activity of Alectinib Reported in Earlier-Stage, ALK-Positive NSCLC
Treatment with the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitor alectinib significantly reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 76% (P < .0001) in patients with completely resected stage IB to IIIA ALK-positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) compared with platinum-based chemotherapy. This...
Chemotherapy Induction Before Chemoradiotherapy Improves Survival in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer
In patients with newly diagnosed, locally advanced cervical cancer, induction chemotherapy prior to chemoradiation therapy led to a 35% reduction in the risk for disease recurrence or death (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.65; P = .013) and a 39% reduction in the survival hazard (HR = 0.61; P = .04),...
Syed Ali Abutalib, MD, Moves to Advocate Health to Lead Hematology, Transplant Programs
Syed Ali Abutalib, MD, is taking his talents to the recently affiliated Aurora Health Care, now part of Advocate Health, one of the largest integrated health systems in the United States. He accepted a new position at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee, where he is now Director of the...
Encorafenib Plus Binimetinib in Metastatic NSCLC With BRAF V600E Mutation
On October 11, 2023, the BRAF inhibitor encorafenib (Braftovi) with the MEK inhibitor binimetinib (Mektovi) was approved for patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a BRAF V600E mutation, as detected by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved test.1,2
The FDA...
New Guideline Offers Much-Needed Support in the Treatment of Neuroendocrine Tumors
An ASCO guideline has been developed to inform the use of systemic treatments for metastatic, well-differentiated gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs).1 The guideline helps fill a knowledge gap among community oncologists in particular, who typically do not see many of these rare ...
