January 25, 2025 (View All Issues)
AALL1731 Trial: Adding Blinatumomab to Standard Chemotherapy Improves Outcomes in Pediatric B-Cell ALL
Results of a phase III study suggest that the addition of the immunotherapy agent blinatumomab—a bispecific T-cell engager targeting CD19—to standard chemotherapy may help to prevent relapse in more children with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), the most common pediatric cancer,...
OlympiA Trial: Long-Term Benefits of Olaparib Confirmed in High-Risk Subgroup of Breast Cancer
For women with high-risk, BRCA-positive breast cancer, 1 year of adjuvant treatment with the PARP inhibitor olaparib following primary treatment continued to improve overall survival compared with placebo, according to the third interim analysis of the phase III OlympiA trial presented at the 2024...
My Cancer Diagnosis and Renewed Commitment to Fight for Patients
Over 40 years ago, I lost my dear sister, Gale, to cancer. She left behind a beautiful 4-year-old daughter and a grieving family. Driven by this profound loss, I was determined to ensure that no other family would face that same heartbreak. That resoluteness led to the founding of Friends of...
AQUILA Trial: Daratumumab Proves Beneficial in Smoldering Multiple Myeloma
Patients with smoldering multiple myeloma derived a significant progression-free survival benefit, along with other positive outcomes, from 3 years of subcutaneous use of the monoclonal antibody daratumumab as compared with active monitoring in the phase III AQUILA study.1 These findings were...
Studies Point to the Role of Diet in Hematologic Malignancies
According to research reported at the 2024 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition, a link seems to exist between hematologic malignancies and dietary components. The speakers said their studies may ultimately lead to dietary interventions that could alter the course of ...
Addition of Palbociclib to Standard Therapy in Metastatic Hormone Receptor–Positive, HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
Addition of the CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib to the current standard of care for first-line maintenance therapy after induction chemotherapy achieved statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in progression-free survival in patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive,...
2.83% Medicare Physician Reimbursement Cut Finalized for 2025; Estimated 4% Cut for Medical Oncology
Late in 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the 2025 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) final rule adopting changes for Medicare payments under the PFS. CMS also released the 2025 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System final rule, which sets hospital outpatient...
Balancing Pain Management and Addiction Risks in Oncology
Managing cancer pain in patients with substance use disorder presents a unique challenge for oncologists, requiring a balance between effective symptom management and mitigation of the risks of substance misuse. During the 2024 JADPRO Live, Antonia Corrigan, MSN, ANP-C, ACHPN,...
Managing Comorbidities in Oncology: Practical Strategies for Optimized Patient Care
Cancer care is increasingly complicated by the presence of comorbidities, which affect nearly two-thirds of patients at the time of diagnosis and can influence treatment decisions, participation in clinical trials, and overall outcomes. During 2024 JADPRO Live, M. Edie Brucker, DNP,...
Risk-Reducing Surgeries Improve Survival for Younger Patients With Breast Cancer Who Are BRCA Carriers, Study Finds
Patients with early-onset breast cancer (aged 40 or younger at diagnosis) who have BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants had improved overall survival by undergoing risk-reducing surgeries, including bilateral mastectomy and/or salpingo-oophorectomy, according to data...
Adjuvant Tamoxifen Reduces 15-Year Risk of Recurrence in ‘Good Risk’ DCIS Without Radiation Therapy
Adjuvant tamoxifen was associated with a reduced risk of 15-year ipsilateral breast cancer recurrence as well as invasive ipsilateral breast cancer recurrence in patients with “good-risk” ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) who omitted radiation therapy after breast-conserving surgery, according to a...
Age Is Just a Number: Treatment Considerations for Endometrial Cancer in Older Women
Endometrial cancer is most frequently diagnosed among women aged 55 to 65, with a median age at diagnosis of 64 years.1 In epidemiologic studies, women diagnosed with endometrial cancer at an older age are more likely to have high-grade disease, aggressive histology, deep myometrial invasion, lower ...
Getting a Lung Cancer Diagnosis Was Shocking
For more than a year before my diagnosis of stage IA non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), in 2020, I had been self-treating a relentless chronic cough and a slight feeling of tightness in my chest. The symptoms were similar to asthma, so I began using albuterol inhalers. When they stopped working, I ...
Some Patients With Low-Risk Ductal Carcinoma In Situ May Be Able to Avoid Surgery
Active monitoring appears to be a safe strategy for the management of some patients with low-risk ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), proving noninferior to guideline-concordant management of this patient population (ie, surgery with or without radiation therapy). After 2 years, the rate of invasive...
