February 25, 2021 (View All Issues)
Phase II CodeBreak 100 Validates Benefit of KRAS Inhibitor Sotorasib in Advanced Lung Cancer
The registrational phase II CodeBreak 100 trial has validated the power of KRAS inhibition with sotorasib (AMG 510) in advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).1 In a follow-up to the groundbreaking findings of the phase I trial, the phase II cohort has now shown a durable response rate of...
Updated Findings Bolster the Use of Checkpoint Inhibitors in Treatment of Liver Cancer
Although optimal regimens are still being determined, checkpoint inhibition has clearly established itself in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, as judged by the number of abstracts on the topic at the 2021 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium. The ASCO Post brings readers short summaries of ...
How the COVID-19 Pandemic Can Help Improve Cancer Research
The ripple effects of the coronavirus pandemic have been felt in every area of health care. In our medical specialty, oncology, clinical trials of new treatments were upended by COVID-19. In the early months of the pandemic, widespread interruptions in trial enrollment prevented some patients...
B-Cell and T-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas
To complement The ASCO Post’s continued comprehensive coverage of the 2020 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition, here are several abstracts selected from the meeting proceedings focusing on the assessment and treatment of patients with B-cell and T-cell non-Hodgkin...
FGFR2 Inhibitor Infigratinib Active in Chemotherapy-Refractory Cholangiocarcinoma
The novel targeted agent infigratinib (BGJ398) showed clinically meaningful activity against chemotherapy-refractory cholangiocarcinoma in patients with fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR2) fusions and rearrangements. The confirmed overall response rate was 23% (34% confirmed/unconfirmed), the ...
Novel Approaches in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
To complement The ASCO Post’s continued comprehensive coverage of the 2020 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition, here are several abstracts selected from the meeting proceedings focusing on novel therapeutic approaches in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). For full...
Genome-Edited Donor-Derived Anti-CD19 CAR T-Cell Therapy Is Active in B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Pooled results of two phase I studies, reported in The Lancet by Reuben Benjamin, MBBS, of the Department of Haematological Medicine, King’s College Hospital, London, and colleagues, indicate that the genome-edited donor-derived allogeneic anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell product...
COVID-19 and Cancer: A Toxic Combination
COVID-19 has caused 475,000 deaths in America, disproportionately among communities of color, poverty, immigrants, and older age. It has exposed a variety of inequities within our health-care system. However, the patients at greatest risk of death from COVID-19 are those with cancer. While 1.8% of...
The CARG-BC Score: Novel Tool for Predicting Chemotherapy Toxicity in Early-Stage Breast Cancer
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Allison Magnuson, DO, of the University of Rochester Medical Center & Wilmot Cancer Institute, and Mina S. Sedrak, MD, MS, of the City of Hope National Medical Center, along with colleagues, have developed a novel risk tool—the Cancer and Aging...
Oncology Community Mourns the Death of Chemotherapy Pioneer Emil J Freireich, MD, FASCO
Legendary oncologist Emil J Freireich, MD, FASCO, died from COVID-19 on February 1, 2021, at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where he had worked for 50 years. He was 93.
During a career that spanned more than 6 decades, Dr. Freireich was relentless in pursuing cures...
Joseph V. Simone, MD, Visionary Pediatric Oncologist and ‘Quintessential Mentor,’ Dies at 85
When Joseph V. Simone, MD, was 6 years old, he had his first experience with the death of a child. His 9-month-old brother became sick with the croup and was taken to the nearby children’s hospital, where he died a few days later, leaving Dr. Simone and his family devastated. Caring for sick...
Gert Brieger, MD, MPH, PhD, Historian of Medicine and Public Health, Dies at 89
Gert Brieger, MD, MPH, PhD, former Director of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Institute of the History of Medicine, died on January 13, 2021, due to heart failure. He was 89. Dr. Brieger is credited with transforming the department from a research center with occasional students to ...
John Bartlett, MD, Pioneer in Infectious Diseases Research and Treatment, Dies at 83
John Bartlett, MD, a visionary physician-scientist and pioneer in HIV/AIDS study and treatment who built the infectious diseases division at The Johns Hopkins, died on January 19, 2021, in New York. He was 83 years old.
“Over his long and illustrious career, John Bartlett epitomized the best of...
Professor Gordon McVie, International Cancer Researcher and Patient Advocate, Dies at 76
An imposing painting of sailing ships graced the wall behind the desk in the office of Professor Gordon McVie, BSc (Hons), MBChB, MD, FRCP, FRCPEd, FRCPS (Glas), FMedSci, DSc. It was a gift from one of his patients with cancer, a long-term survivor who said the painting reminded her of him, walking ...
KEYNOTE-598: No Improvement With Addition of Ipilimumab to Pembrolizumab in NSCLC
In the phase III KEYNOTE-598 study, the addition of ipilimumab to pembrolizumab increased toxicity without boosting efficacy as first-line therapy for metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients with high expression of PD-L1. The findings were presented at the International...
Ongoing Surveillance and Efforts to Reduce Smoking and Obesity Needed to Lower Cancer Survivors’ Risks of New Cancers
The risk of developing or dying of a new primary cancer, particularly those cancers associated with smoking and obesity, was greater among survivors of adult-onset cancers than the expected risk in the general population, according to an analysis of data from more than 1.5 million cancer...
Variation in Active Surveillance for Low-Risk Prostate Cancer in the United States
In a cohort study reported in JAMA Network Open, Washington et al found that the use of active surveillance or watchful waiting for patients with low-risk prostate cancer in the United States varied by region, but not according to factors such as Black race or county-level socioeconomic status.
As ...
Addition of Adjuvant Palbociclib to Ongoing Endocrine Therapy in HR-Positive, HER2-Negative Early Breast Cancer: PALLAS Trial
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Erica L. Mayer, MD, and colleagues, the second interim analysis of the phase III PALLAS trial showed no improvement in invasive disease–free survival with the addition of adjuvant palbociclib to ongoing endocrine therapy in patients with hormone receptor...
IASLC Honors Pan-Chyr Yang, MD, PhD, for Contributions to Lung Cancer Prevention
Pan-Chyr Yang, MD, PhD, Chair Professor at the National Taiwan University Hospital and Academician of Academia Sinica, Taiwan, received the Joseph W. Cullen Prevention/Early Detection Award from the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) at the virtual IASLC 2020 World...
Addition of Wee1 Inhibitor Adavosertib to Gemcitabine in Platinum-Resistant/Refractory Recurrent Ovarian Cancer
In a phase II trial reported in The Lancet, Lheureux et al found that the addition of the oral Wee1 inhibitor adavosertib to gemcitabine significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with platinum-resistant/refractory recurrent ovarian cancer.
As related by the investigators, the...
Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy Plus Cytoreductive Surgery for Colorectal Cancer Metastases Does Not Improve Overall Survival
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Quénet et al, the French phase III PRODIGE 7 trial has shown that the addition of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) to cytoreductive surgery did not improve overall survival—and was associated with an increase in postoperative late...
Crystal Denlinger, MD, FACP, Named Chief Scientific Officer for NCCN
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network© (NCCN) recently announced the appointment of Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, FACP, to the newly created role of Senior Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer. In this position, Dr. Denlinger will help to steer strategic direction for the nonprofit as well as...
Paul A. Bunn, Jr, Scientific Award Presented to Joan H. Schiller, MD, FASCO
Joan H. Schiller, MD, FASCO, was recently honored by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) with the Paul A. Bunn, Jr, Scientific Award. Dr. Schiller’s many accomplishments include helping to break the taboo of talking about lung cancer and expanding public...
I Let Science, Not Emotion, Dictate My Treatment
I had my first experience with cancer when I was just 3 or 4 years old and complained to my mother that my “tummy hurt.” I was diagnosed with Wilms tumor, the same cancer my 18-month-old brother died of before I was born. I remember being in the hospital for weeks at a time and being known by...
FDA Grants Accelerated Approval to Tepotinib for Patients With Metastatic NSCLC and MET Exon 14–Skipping Alterations
On February 3, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to tepotinib (Tepmetko) for adult patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) exon 14–skipping alterations.
VISION Trial
Efficacy was...
SIMPLIFY Trials: JAK Inhibitor Yields Long-Term Survival Benefit and Transfusion Independence in Myelofibrosis
Treatment with the novel JAK inhibitor momelotinib led to long-term overall survival and sustained transfusion independence in patients with intermediate- or high-risk myelofibrosis, according to updates from the SIMPLIFY-1 and SIMPLIFY-2 trials presented at the 2020 American Society of Hematology...
Cancer on the Global Stage: Incidence and Cancer-Related Mortality in Kenya
The ASCO Post is pleased to continue this occasional special focus on the worldwide cancer burden. In this issue, we feature a close look at the cancer incidence and mortality rates in Kenya. The aim of this special feature is to highlight the global cancer burden for various countries of the...
In Case You Missed It: Brief Highlights From ASH 2020
In case you missed these while attending the 2020 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition, below is a sampler of highlights that were not included in our first round of meeting coverage. Many of these reports are on early-phase clinical trials of agents that may raise...
ASCO Names Advance of the Year: Molecular Profiling Drives Progress in Gastrointestinal Cancers
Molecular profiling allows clinicians to identify the molecular and genetic signatures that help to deliver treatments that are highly specific to a tumor. This tool has made possible a number of advances in the past year that are improving care for patients with gastrointestinal cancers. In...
New Framework to Address Cancer Care Disparities in Medically Underserved Populations
A new article published in JCO Oncology Practice puts forth a framework to guide researchers, health-care leaders, advocates, community- and patient-focused service organizations, and policy leaders in their work to address and promote health equity in cancer care access and treatment outcomes.1
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Standardized, Streamlined Processes Key to Implementing Electronic Prior Authorization
On December 23, 2020, ASCO submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to the Reducing Provider and Patient Burden and Promoting Patients’ Electronic Access to Health Information proposed rule. This rule builds on the CMS Interoperability and Patient...
Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Conversion Factor Updated to Reflect 2021 Federal Funding Package
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a revised Medicare Physician Fee Schedule conversion factor of $34.8931 for 2021. This represents a 3.3% reduction from the 2020 conversion factor of $36.0869. CMS updated the conversion factor as a result of a provision in the $1.4...
Biden Administration, New Congress Review Recent Rules Affecting Cancer Care Delivery
In the days and weeks leading up to President Biden’s inauguration, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—under the prior administration—issued a number of rules and regulations that affect cancer care delivery. Many of those rules and regulations are now subject to review by the new...
