January 25, 2019 (View All Issues)
Low-Dose Tamoxifen Halves Breast Cancer Risk in Women With Preinvasive Breast Lesions
A VERY LOW DOSE of tamoxifen—5 mg/d, given for 3 years rather than 5 years—halved the risk of breast cancer recurrence or new lesions over placebo in women with breast intraepithelial neoplasia, without producing the usual toxicities seen with the standard dose, Italian researchers reported at the...
How to Save Billions on Cancer Care Costs: The Potential of Value-Based Prescribing in Oncology
IT IS TIME for value-based prescribing—the reduction of prescribing costs using basic pharmacologic principles—to be tested and deployed in oncology. The savings are real and there for the taking. If you are concerned about the high costs in cancer care, here is a chance to get maximum value...
PACIFIC Trial of Durvalumab Sets Standard in Stage III Unresectable NSCLC
IMMUNOTHERAPY HAS revolutionized the treatment of lung cancer over the past several years. Although lung cancer is associated with immunosuppression at baseline for most patients, the addition of immune checkpoint inhibitors can overcome that suppression and lead to antitumor immune responses....
Role of Adjuvant Capecitabine in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
ADJUVANT CAPECITABINE added to standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy failed to significantly improve disease-free or overall survival in patients with early triple-negative breast cancer in the large phase III CIBOMA/2004-01_GEICAM/2003-11 (CIBOMA/GEICAM) trial.1 However, extended treatment with...
Oxybutynin: A Novel Option for Managing Hot Flashes?
OXYBUTYNIN, AN ANTICHOLINERGIC drug approved for the treatment of overactive bladder, reduced the frequency and intensity of hot flashes in women who were suffering frequent hot flashes, including breast cancer survivors who were receiving tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors. These results of the...
BEAT AML Umbrella Trial: Bringing Personalized Medicine to Acute Myeloid Leukemia
THE MULTIARM, multicollaborative BEAT AML umbrella trial demonstrated the feasibility of using next-generation sequencing to assign treatment tailored to individual genomics of elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) within 7 days. This may prove to be a major advance, since typically...
Primary Prophylaxis With a Direct Oral Anticoagulation Agent Reduces Venous Thromboembolism Rate in Ambulatory Patients With Cancer
LATE-BREAKING results from the large, randomized, placebo-controlled CASSINI trial showed that primary prophylaxis with the direct oral anticoagulation agent rivaroxaban reduced the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) as well as VTE-related deaths in high-risk patients with cancer who were...
ASH Research Collaborative Established to Accelerate Progress in Hematology
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY of Hematology (ASH) has established the ASH Research Collaborative, a mission-focused nonprofit organization that will foster collaborative partnerships to accelerate progress in hematology with the goal of improving the lives of people affected by blood diseases.
“The...
Use of Isocitrate Dehydrogenase Inhibitors in Induction Therapy for Newly Diagnosed AML
IN AN OPEN-LABEL phase I study of 153 patients newly diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (IDH1) or IDH2, treatment with standard chemotherapy plus the oral IDH inhibitors ivosidenib and enasidenib led to high response rates and possibly impressive ...
$30 Million Granted to MD Anderson Scientists for Various Research Investigations
THE UNIVERSITY of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center was awarded $30 million from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas to support research, core facilities, recruitment, and prevention efforts. An additional $19.9 million was awarded to a company co-founded by MD Anderson to support...
ACCC Relaunches Immuno-Oncology Institute With Online Portal
THE ASSOCIATION of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) has announced the relaunch of the ACCC Immuno-Oncology (IO) Institute, including an online resource portal for oncology professionals to find practical, proactive strategies for the effective delivery of new and emerging therapies. The ACCC worked...
Amy Abernethy, MD, PhD, Named Principal Deputy Commissioner of Food and Drugs
ON DECEMBER 17, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that Amy Abernethy, MD, PhD, will replace Rachel Sherman, MD, MPH, as Principal Deputy Commissioner of Food and Drugs.
Dr. Abernethy most recently served as Chief Medical Officer, Chief Scientific Officer, and Senior...
Risk of Local Recurrence in Breast Cancer: Impact of Molecular Subtype and Surgical Approach
THE RISK of local recurrence in breast cancer “does not differ substantially based on the operation we perform, but it does differ substantially by subtype,” Tari A. King MD, FACS, stated at the 2018 Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Symposium in Chicago.1 At 10-year follow-up, Dr. King reported, local...
Preventing Locoregional Recurrence of Breast Cancer Should Not Deter Efforts to Decelerate Therapy
“SURGEONS AND radiation oncologists are obsessed with locoregional recurrence of breast cancer,” Monica Morrow, MD, FASCO, remarked at the 2018 Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Symposium, Chicago. Working to prevent locoregional recurrence, “even if it may not be the major threat to mortality, is...
Challenge Moving Forward in Breast Cancer Treatment: To Show That New Approaches Change Outcomes
ADVANCES IN treating breast cancer over the past 20 years have brought us to the point where treatment can be confidently de-escalated for some patients, and immunotherapy and precision decision-making may change the way breast cancer is treated for others, William Gradishar MD, FASCO, told the...
Changing Perceptions on Surgical Intervention for Geriatric Patients With Cancer: Role of the SIOG Surgical Task Force
Surgery is an integral part of treatment of elderly patients with solid malignancies. The times we are living in will be remembered by health-care providers for the significant “contradictions” in the medical and surgical care of elderly patients with cancer. On the one hand, it has been...
Georgia Society of Clinical Oncology, Other Medical Associations Win Concessions in CVS/Aetna Merger
THE GEORGIA SOCIETY of Clinical Oncology (GASCO), in partnership with the Medical Association of Georgia, the Georgia Pharmacy Association, and Georgia Watch, worked with the Georgia Office of the Insurance Commissioner to secure what is described as “significant, one-of-a-kind concessions” from...
MMRF Launches First Platform Trial in Multiple Myeloma
THE MULTIPLE MYELOMA Research Foundation (MMRF) has announced the launch of MyDRUG, the first platform trial exclusively in multiple myeloma, which aims to investigate targeted treatments for patients with high-risk myeloma. MyDRUG represents the culmination of the MMRF’s Precision Medicine Model,...
Addition of Atezolizumab to Nab-Paclitaxel in Advanced Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: IMpassion130 Trial
AS REPORTED in The New England Journal of Medicine by Peter Schmid, MD, PhD, of the Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, and colleagues, the phase III IMpassion130 trial has shown that the addition of atezolizumab to nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab)-paclitaxel significantly...
IMpassion130 Trial: Changing the Treatment Landscape in Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
THE IMPASSION130 trial—reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Schmid et al1 and reviewed in this issue of The ASCO Post—was an eagerly awaited study in newly diagnosed metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. To briefly review, 902 patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 fashion...
Genomic Classifier for Luminal Androgen Receptor Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
TRIPLE-NEGATIVE breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease that comprises several subtypes, which may respond differently to therapy. Breast cancer researchers at the Mayo Clinic are developing a novel genomic signature that may improve the identification of the luminal androgen receptor vs basal...
Community Oncology Alliance Elects New Officers and Board Members
THE COMMUNITY Oncology Alliance (COA) recently announced that Michael Diaz, MD, a practicing medical oncologist at Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, has been elected President of COA. His 1-year term began on January 1, 2019. In addition, Kashyap Patel, MD, a practicing...
Hastening the Development of Novel Therapies for Peripheral T-Cell Lymphomas
Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) make up a small fraction of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas—just 15%—in the United States.1 Although rare in the United States, the incidence of PTCL is common across Asia, the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa. Although the reason for such global variation in PTCL is...
Emad S. Alnemri, PhD, Named National Academy of Inventors Fellow
EMAD S. ALNEMRI, PhD, Thomas Eakins Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center–Jefferson Health, has been named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. The 2018 fellows will be inducted in a ceremony in April 2019, at the Space Center Houston during...
National Brain Tumor Society Names Kirk Tanner, PhD, as Chief Scientific Officer
KIRK TANNER, PhD, an oncology research leader with 20 years of experience in drug discovery and development, has been named as the new Chief Scientific Officer of the National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS).
In this role, Dr. Tanner will lead the Society’s research programs team in the creation and...
Oncology Pioneer V. Shanta, MD, Has Long Championed Access to Quality Cancer Care
In this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, interviewed V. Shanta, MD, an internationally renowned oncologist and Chairperson of the Cancer Institute in Adyar, Chennai, India. Dr. Shanta has been with the Institute since 1955, holding several positions...
AMMF–The Cholangiocarcinoma Charity, The Bili Project Foundation, Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, and TargetCancer Foundation Join Forces to Advance Cholangiocarcinoma Research
For the first time, four nonprofits have joined together to support a Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO Young Investigator Award (YIA).
Marina Baretti, MD, postdoctoral oncology fellow at Johns Hopkins University, is the recipient of the 2018 Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO/AMMF–The...
Lori J. Pierce, MD, FASTRO, FASCO, Elected ASCO President for 2020–2021 Term
ASCO has elected Lori J. Pierce, MD, FASTRO, FASCO, a long-time member and volunteer, to serve as its President for the term beginning in June 2020. She will take office as President-Elect during the ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago in June 2019. Six new members were also elected to the ASCO Board of ...
ASCO and ESMO Publish Joint Assessment of Value Frameworks
ASCO and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) published a joint analysis comparing the results of both organizations’ value frameworks in ASCO’s Journal of Clinical Oncology.1 The analysis found that the frameworks produce comparable measures of the clinical benefits of new therapies in ...
Improved Data Sharing Through CancerLinQ Certification Continues to Expand
The number of electronic health record (EHR) systems joining with CancerLinQ® to facilitate information sharing continues to grow. CancerLinQ LLC, a wholly owned nonprofit subsidiary of ASCO, announced this past month that Varian’s ARIA Oncology Information System (OIS) is the next Electronic...
ASCO to Convene Global Summit on Latest Innovations in Technology and Cancer
Advances in medicine and technology are emerging faster than ever before. To harness this momentum, ASCO is convening Breakthrough: A Global Summit for Oncology Innovators, a new meeting focused on the intersection of medicine, scientific discovery, and innovations in technology. The inaugural...
New Regulations Require Better Communication With Patients Who Have Disabilities and Limited English Proficiency
Ever since President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law on March 23, 2010, the nondiscrimination provision of the law, Section 1557, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in certain...
Novel Treatments in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma, Part 1
Here is an update on several different studies focusing on novel treatments for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma presented at the 2018 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition. Featured therapeutics include daratumumab plus lenalidomide and...
Clinical Trial Commences on Personalized Vaccine in Kidney Cancer
Researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston are testing a first-of-its-kind personalized cancer vaccine combined with an immunotherapy drug, with the aim of improving outcomes for patients with kidney cancer who are at high risk of recurrence after surgery.
A two-pronged approach to...
Findings From ASCO’s Second National Cancer Opinion Survey
Despite a recent study showing that patients with cancer who chose alternative therapies over conventional cancer treatment have a higher risk of death, nearly 4 in 10 Americans believe cancer can be cured by alternative remedies alone, according to the results of ASCO’s 2018 National Cancer...
FDA Approves Cabozantinib in Previously Treated Hepatocellular Carcinoma
On January 14, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved cabozantinib (Cabometyx) tablets for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who have been previously treated with sorafenib. The FDA’s approval of this oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor was based on the results of the phase III...
Novel Therapeutics for Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma, Part 2
Here is an update on several different studies focusing on novel treatments for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma presented at the 2018 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition. The featured therapeutics include the oral agent selinexor in...
27% Drop in Overall U.S. Cancer Mortality Rate From 1991 to 2016
A steady 25-year decline has resulted in a 27% drop in the overall cancer death rate in the United States between 1991 and 2016. The data come from “Cancer Statistics, 2019,” the American Cancer Society’s annual report on cancer rates and trends. The report was published by Siegel et al in CA: A...
Use of Valerian to Relieve Anxiety in Patients With Cancer
The ASCO Post’s Integrative Oncology series is intended to facilitate the availability of evidence-based information on integrative and complementary therapies sometimes used by patients with cancer. Eugenie Spiguel, MSN, ANP-BC, and Jyothirmai Gubili, MS, explore the use of valerian for...
American Association for the Advancement of Science Honors 2018 Elected Fellows
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has bestowed upon 416 of its members the lifetime honor of being an elected Fellow in recognition of their achievements in advancing science, some of whom are involved in oncology. The Fellows will be recognized at the 2019 AAAS Annual...
Adoptive T-Cell Therapy for Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy
An emerging treatment known as adoptive T-cell therapy has proven effective in a phase II clinical trial for treating progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare and often fatal brain infection sometimes observed in patients with cancer and other diseases in which the immune system is...
Established, Modifiable Cancer Risk Factors
According to a new American Cancer Society report published by Susan M. Gapstur, PhD, MPH, American Cancer Society Senior Vice President of Behavioral and Epidemiology Research, and colleages in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, the highest priority in a national cancer control plan is the...
Remnants of Cancer Remain, but Demons Are Now Gone
In the summer of 2002, I was a physically active 17-year-old boy on the cusp of adulthood. I was about to enter my senior year in high school, and like other teens my age, I was excited about college and the promise of the undreamed-of opportunities that lay ahead. At first, the lethargy I was...
Adi Gazdar, MD, Cell Line Pioneer and Groundbreaking Pathologist, Dies
The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASCL) announced the death of Adi Gazdar, MD, of The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, on December 29, 2018. Dr. Gazdar, a leader in lung cancer pathology, was a cell line pioneer and a groundbreaking pathologist....
J. Evan Sadler, MD, PhD, Expert in Blood-Clotting Disorders, Dies at 67
Pioneering hematologist J. Evan Sadler, MD, PhD, an expert in the study and treatment of blood-clotting disorders, died December 13, 2018, at his home in Clayton, Missouri, following a brief illness. He was 67. His death was announced in a news item from the Washington University School of...
A Visionary in Lymphoma, Bertrand Coiffier, MD, PhD, Dies at 71
Internationally renowned lymphoma expert Bertrand Coiffier, MD, PhD, died on January 2, 2019. He was 71. Dr. Coiffier published more than 500 papers and book chapters that garnered more than 50,000 literature citations, placing him among the top 1% of the most influential researchers globally....
Waun Ki Hong, MD, FACP, FASCO, Innovator in the Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer, Dies at 76
Waun Ki Hong, MD, FACP, FASCO, led numerous clinical trials showing that cisplatin-based chemotherapy and radiotherapy could effectively treat patients with cancer of the larynx while sparing their voice box. This seminal work also served as a model for organ-preservation strategies in many other ...
Huntsman Cancer Institute Announces Construction of Proton Therapy Center
The Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah recently began construction on a proton therapy center. The $31 million, 7,450 square-foot addition to the HCI’s Cancer Hospital will be the first proton therapy center in the Mountain West.
The new center will be named in honor...
A Tribute to Arti Hurria, MD, FASCO, a Leader in Geriatric Oncology
The oncology community is deeply saddened by the untimely passing of Arti Hurria, MD, FASCO, a nationally regarded expert and advocate for elderly patients with cancer. Dr. Hurria died on November 7, 2018, in a traffic accident. At the time of her tragic death, Dr. Hurria was Director of the City ...
Patient Navigation Program Reduces Time to Cancer Treatment
The Global Cancer Institute recently announced the results of its Patient Navigation Program in Mexico City. The average time to referral before the program’s inception was 5 months, but the implementation of patient navigators reduced that average to 7 days. These findings were published by Yanin...
MD Anderson President Emeritus, John Mendelsohn, MD, Dies at Age 82
John Mendelsohn, MD, President Emeritus of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, died of glioblastoma on January 7, 2019, at his home in Houston at age 82. He was an internationally acclaimed leader in the field of medicine and scientist whose research helped pioneer a new type of...
