July 10, 2013 (View All Issues)
- Denosumab (Xgeva subcutaneous injection) for giant cell tumor of bone.
- Lenalidomide (Revlimid capsules) for relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma FDA approved.
- Trametinib (Mekinist tablets) for unresectable or metastatic...
Studies Explore Role of Bevacizumab in Combination Therapies for Glioblastoma
At the 2013 ASCO Annual Meeting, studies evaluating the addition of bevacizumab (Avastin) to standard therapy in newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme patients did not meet their primary endpoints. When paired with irinotecan, however, bevacizumab showed activity in MGMT-unmethylated tumors.
...
Bevacizumab in Glioblastoma: Another Perspective
Given the results of the AVAglio trial, we feel that a more balanced discussion about the role of bevacizumab (Avastin) in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma is in order. The accompanying article in The ASCO Post suggests that bevacizumab has no benefit in newly diagnosed glioblastoma; data ...
Supreme Court Rules Human Genes May Not Be Patented
On June 13, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that isolated human genes may not be patented. However, the creation of synthetic forms of DNA, known as complementary DNA (cDNA), is eligible for patent protection. The decision resolves the question brought before the Supreme Court justices in...
Despite a Recurrence, I'm Not Surrendering My Life to Cancer
This is the first time I’m going public with the fact that I have advanced ovarian cancer. I thought I could avoid the fate of my mother and her mother, both of whom died of ovarian cancer in their 50s, and live well past my 60s and even 70s. But at 58, I’ve had to accept that that is not likely. I ...
Second-generation ALK Inhibitor Breakthrough Drug Promising in Early Study for Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Encouraging results were seen in a preliminary study of a second-generation ALK inhibitor in advanced ALK-positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The drug—dubbed LDK378—achieved tumor shrinkage in almost all patients enrolled in the study, in all mutational subsets, in crizotinib...
First Positive Trial of Heat Shock Protein 90 Inhibitor in Lung Cancer That Has Progressed after First-line Therapy
The investigational heat shock protein (Hsp)90 inhibitor ganetespib plus docetaxel extended overall survival compared with docetaxel alone as second-line therapy in patients with advanced non–small cell adenocarcinoma of the lung that had progressed on first-line therapy in the randomized phase II...
Idelalisib, Obinutuzumab Show Encouraging Results in CLL Studies
A trio of presentations at the ASCO Annual Meeting focused on two promising investigational drugs for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). These two drugs—idelalisib and obinutuzumab—join a list of new approaches showing potential.
Idelalisib Alone
A phase I dose-ranging study of...
ASCO Will Change with the Times
At the 2013 ASCO Annual Meeting, The ASCO Post caught up with new President Clifford A. Hudis, MD, Chief of the Breast Cancer Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, for a glimpse of his plans for ASCO in the coming year, and his thoughts on being elected ASCO...
Search for Biomarkers of mTOR Inhibitor Benefit in Breast Cancer Fails to Pan Out
The search for a biomarker of benefit from mTOR inhibitors in breast cancer fell flat in an exploratory genetic analysis of the BOLERO-2 trial, presented at the 2013 ASCO Annual Meeting by Gabriel N. Hortobagyi, MD, FACP, Professor of Breast Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson...
ASCO Impact Report Indicates Strong Interest in New Treatments for Melanoma and Cervical Cancer
New treatments for melanoma and cervical cancer were cited as the most important subjects of new clinical information presented at the 2013 ASCO Annual Meerting, according to the second annual ASCO Impact Report released recently by Encuity Research. New treatments for melanoma, with an emphasis...
Benefit for Dual HER2 Targeting in Neoadjuvant Breast Cancer Regimen Restricted to Subset of Patients
As a neoadjuvant regimen for HER2-positive early breast cancer, the use of two HER2-directed agents was no more effective than trastuzumab (Herceptin) alone in producing pathologic complete responses, although one subset of patients did benefit from this approach, according to the results of the...
Two New Genetic Tests Offer Progress in Personalized Medicine for Newly Diagnosed Prostate Cancer
At least 12 different genetic tests for prostate cancer are under development. The two tests currently available are Oncotype DX (Genomic Health, Redwood City, California) and Prolaris (Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Salt Lake City). Both tests can identify which low-risk patients are “truly” at low...
Best First-line Treatment for Advanced Colorectal Cancer Remains Unclear
In patients with advanced colorectal cancer, it remains unclear which biologic agent added to standard chemotherapy is best, even after a head-to-head comparison of two commonly used agents.
In the phase III FIRE-3 trial, conducted by the German AIO CRC Study Group, the addition of cetuximab...
Updated ASCO Clinical Practice Guideline for Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis and Treatment
ASCO has released a new evidence-based clinical practice guideline for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis and treatment, updating the 2007 practice guideline.1 The update is based on a systematic review of literature published from December 2007 to December 2012. An Update Committee reviewed...
Venous Thromboembolism in Patients with Cancer: Real-world Challenges for the Practicing Oncologist
The close association between cancer and thrombosis has been recognized now for more than 150 years.1 Not only is it now known that patients with cancer are at substantially increased risk of developing venous thromboembolism, even prior to the diagnosis of cancer, but the association between...
Study Reports 25% of Women Don't Complete Recommended Breast Cancer Treatment
One-quarter of women who should take hormone-blocking therapies as part of their breast cancer treatment either do not start or do not complete the 5-year course, according to a new study led by University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers.
For many women with hormone...
Genomic and Epigenomic Characterization of Acute Myeloid Leukemia
In a study by the Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, genomes of 200 adult cases of de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were analyzed by whole-genome sequencing (n = 50) or whole-exome sequencing (n = 150) to identify mutations and relationships...
Molecular Landscaping of Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Are We Relearning the Past or Informing the Future?
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a clinically and molecularly heterogeneous disease.1 This concept has been supported by more than 4 decades of studies showing distinct outcomes of subsets of patients that differ in age, disease type (primary vs secondary vs therapy-related), and cytogenetic and...
Radium-223 Dichloride for Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer with Symptomatic Bone Metastases
In the Clinic provides overviews of novel oncology agents, addressing indications, mechanisms, administration recommendations, safety profiles, and other essential information needed for the appropriate clinical use of these drugs.
Indication
On May 15, 2013, radium Ra 223 dichloride (Xofigo) was ...
2013 Breast Cancer Symposium to Offer Expanded Meet the Professor Sessions and New Fellows, Residents, and Junior Faculty Track
As a cancer care specialist, it can be easy to become hyperfocused on your area of expertise within your subspecialty. But that’s exactly what ASCO wants its members—in all specialties—to avoid.
The theme of this year’s Breast Cancer Symposium—Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Clinical...
Business Summit Fosters Innovative Solutions to Oncology Market Challenges
To provide a forum for key cancer stakeholders to join with business, finance, and legal thought leaders to explore the future course for oncology, ASCO is co-hosting the seventh annual Cancer Center Business Summit on October 24 and 25 in Chicago, Illinois. Designed as a resource for the business...
Institute Initiatives Help Oncologists Integrate Evidence-based Guidelines in Practice
Building on ASCO’s longstanding commitment to drive quality, value, and accountability in cancer care, the Institute for Quality’s initiatives provide oncologists with resources to ensure that every patient receives the highest level of cancer care.
Established in 2011, the Institute for Quality...
ASCO Issues Progress Report on Blueprint for Cancer Research
ASCO has released a Progress Report on the gains made toward achieving goals set forth in its landmark 2011 report, Blueprint for Transforming Clinical and Translational Cancer Research. The ASCO Blueprint laid out an innovative roadmap for the clinical research system to capitalize on the new...
New International Innovation Grant Directly Supports Research Projects in Developing Countries
The Conquer Cancer Foundation and ASCO International have just launched a new research funding opportunity, the Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO International Innovation Grant, which directly supports research being conducted by investigators in low- and middle-income countries.
Advancing Cancer...
ASCO Answers Guides to Breast, Colorectal, Prostate, and Lung Cancer Now Available to Order
The ASCO Answers guides to cancer are designed to help patients newly diagnosed with cancer understand their disease and treatment options. These comprehensive, patient-friendly booklets contain trusted information about diagnosis, treatment, side effects, and the psychosocial effects of cancer....
Melanomas Induced by BRAF Inhibitors
Dermatologic Events in Oncology is guest edited by Mario E. Lacouture, MD, an Associate Member in the Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York. He is a board-certified dermatologist with a special interest in dermatologic conditions that...
Measurement of Circulating Tumor DNA Shows Promise in Monitoring Metastatic Breast Cancer
Management of metastatic breast cancer requires monitoring of tumor burden to assess response to treatment, and there is a need for biomarkers that can measure tumor burden with high sensitivity and specificity. Assays measuring serum cancer antigen (CA) 15-3 and circulating tumor cells have been...
Immunohistochemistry Effectively Detects ALK Rearrangement in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Study
ALK rearrangement has been demonstrated to be a potent oncogenic driver and a promising therapeutic target in non-small cell lung cancer. It defines a distinct molecular subset of NSCLC, in particular adenocarcinoma that can benefit by the treatment of ALK-inhibitors. Development of robust and...
Outcomes with Adjuvant Trastuzumab in HER2-positive Breast Cancer Not Affected by PTEN Status
PTEN is a negative regulator of PI3K/AKT signaling. PI3K/AKT signaling can be activated by HER2, and it has been hypothesized that alteration in this pathway may affect sensitivity to trastuzumab (Herceptin). Preclinical data and some of the limited available clinical data suggest that loss or...
Investigational New Drug Application Filed for CFI-400945
Investigators from Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto and the University of California, Los Angeles, have submitted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for CFI-400945, a novel drug candidate targeting the enzyme PLK4, which plays a crucial role in cell division.
The news was...
FDA Approves Denosumab to Treat Giant Cell Tumor of the Bone
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded the approved use of denosumab (Xgeva) to treat adults and some adolescents with giant cell tumor of the bone, a rare and usually noncancerous tumor. Denosumab, which was granted orphan product designation, was reviewed under the FDA’s...
Erlotinib in First-line Treatment of Metastatic NSCLC with EGFR Exon 19 Deletion or Exon 21 (L858R) Substitution
In the Clinic provides overviews of novel oncology agents, addressing indications, mechanisms, administration recommendations, safety profiles, and other essential information needed for the appropriate clinical use of these drugs.
Indication
On May 14, 2013, erlotinib (Tarceva) was approved...
Study Shows HPV Vaccine Reduced Rate of Infection in Teenage Girls by 56%
A new government study investigating the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in females aged 14 to 59 before and after the introduction in 2006 of the HPV vaccine found that the rate of the HPV infection dropped by 56%, decreasing from 11.5% in 2006 to 5.1% in 2010 among female...
Integrated Genomic Characterization of Endometrial Carcinomas Suggests New Classification Scheme
As recently reported in Nature, investigators in The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network performed an integrated genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic characterization of 373 endometrial carcinomas, including 307 endometrioid and 66 serous or mixed histology cases, using array- and...
Learning to Negotiate the Genomic Complexities of Cancer
The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network recently reported the results of an integrated analysis of the genomic features of 373 endometrial carcinomas.1 This report joins previously published results of similar analyses in ovarian, breast, and colorectal cancers, squamous cell carcinoma of...
SEER Analysis Shows Increased Survival with Surgery and Radiation Therapy in Metastatic Gastric Cancer
A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database analysis reported by Ravi Shridhar, MD, PhD, and colleagues in Cancer indicates that patients receiving surgery and radiation therapy for metastatic gastric cancer have prolonged survival compared with those receiving either alone or...
Progression of Renal Cell Carcinoma Linked to Shifts in Tumor Metabolism
Investigators in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network have uncovered a connection between how tumor cells use energy from metabolic processes and the aggressiveness of the most common form of kidney cancer, clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Their findings demonstrate that normal...
Results of AXIS Trial Indicate a Significant Improvement over Historical Survival Data in Renal Cell Carcinoma
The phase III open-label AXIS trial comparing axitinib (Inlyta) vs sorafenib (Nexavar) as second-line treatment for metastatic renal cell carcinoma has shown a significant difference in median progression-free survival (8.3 months in the axitinib group vs 5.7 months in the sorafenib group; hazard...
Oncology Meetings
July
WIN 2013 Symposium: Personalized Cancer Therapy: From Innovation to Implementation
July 10-12 • Paris, France
For more information: www.winsymposium.org
12th International Congress on the Future of Breast Cancer
July 18-20 • Huntington Beach, California
For more information:...
American Geriatrics Society Presents Diane E. Meier, MD, the 2013 Edward Henderson Award
The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) presented Diane E. Meier, MD, the 2013 Edward Henderson Award in recognition of her many invaluable contributions to the field of geriatrics. Dr. Meier received the award and delivered the Henderson State-of-the-Art Lecture during AGS’ Annual Scientific Meeting ...
AMA Announces 2013-2014 Board of Trustees; Names Oncologist Barbara McAneny, MD, Chair-elect
The American Medical Association (AMA) recently introduced the 21 members of its Board of Trustees for the coming year following elections held during the Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates. The new Chair of the AMA Board of Trustees is David O. Barbe, MD, MHA, a Family Medicine physician ...
Molecular Imaging Improves Care in Pediatric Glioma
The amino acid imaging agent, O-(2-[18F]-fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (F-18 FET), may improve upon standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and its diagnostic benefit for imaging pediatric gliomas when conventional MRI is not sufficient, said researchers at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular ...
Gary L. Dillehay, MD, Is New President, Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) recently announced the appointment of Gary L. Dillehay, MD, FACNM, FACR, to 2013-2014 President, SNMMI, during the Society’s Annual Meeting in Vancouver. Dr. Dillehay is Professor of Radiology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in...
Accountable Care Organizations May Be at Risk for New Medical Liabilities
The promotion of accountable care organizations, a crucial element in the Affordable Care Act, may result in liability risks, said H. Benjamin Harvey, MD, JD, a radiologist in the Department of Radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, and I. Glenn Cohen, JD, Assistant Professor of Law at...
Newly Approved Drugs and Indications
FDA has approved the following new drugs and/or indications in 2013:
Big Ten Universities Join Together in Cancer Research Consortium
Leaders from cancer centers affiliated with the “Big Ten” universities joined together in launching the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium on June 1 in Chicago. The group is uniting to transform cancer research through collaborative oncology trials that leverage the scientific and clinical...
Focus on the Society of Rhode Island Clinical Oncologists
Founded in 1994, just 1 year after ASCO launched the State/Regional Affiliate Program, the Society of Rhode Island Clinical Oncologists is one of ASCO’s oldest state affiliates. Like many other ASCO affiliates, the Providence-based group is facing a myriad of challenges, including ensuring...
'Spectacular' Results with Immunotherapies in Melanoma Galvanize the Oncology Community
In the News focuses on media reports that your patients may have questions about at their next visit. This continuing column will provide summaries of articles in the popular press that may prompt such questions, as well as comments from colleagues in the field.
Much of the news about...
Treating BRAF V600E Colorectal Cancer May Require Concomitant BRAF and PI3K/mTOR Inhibition
BRAF V600E mutations are associated with poor prognosis in colorectal cancer. A study by Coffee and colleagues examined PI3K/mTOR signaling in BRAF V600E colorectal cancer cell lines after BRAF inhibition as well as cell viability and apoptosis after combined BRAF and PI3K/mTOR inhibition.
...
Effect of Radium-223 Dichloride in Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis Model
Radium-223 dichloride (Xofigo) is an alpha particle–emitting radiotherapeutic drug that mimics calcium and localizes to areas of high bone turnover, providing targeted therapy for skeletal metastasis. The drug was recently approved for treatment of patients with castration-resistant prostate...
Driven by the Past
When I was 9 years old, a bout of nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain sent me to the emergency room. The physicians diagnosed appendicitis and rushed me to the operating room. But what the surgeon found instead was a 10-cm-wide, grade 2, immature teratoma. In 1968, treatment for malignant ovarian...
Shiitake Mushroom
The use of dietary supplements by patients with cancer has increased significantly over the past 2 decades despite insufficient evidence of safety and effectiveness. Finding reliable sources of information about dietary supplements can be daunting. Patients typically rely on family, friends, and...
Erratum
In the June 10 issue of The ASCO Post, the article, “Study Questions Routine Use of Imaging after Treatment for Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma,” includes an error in an Expert Point of View box featuring an interview with Andrew D. Zelenetz, MD, PhD. Dr. Zelenetz is quoted as saying that at his...
Survival Benefits of DCIS Management Strategies Compared
Overall survival benefits of six management strategies for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) are within 1 year of each other, according to a disease simulation model integrating empirical data from published literature and quantifying the tradeoffs among the different management strategies with...
Cognitive Complaints after Breast Cancer Treatment and Neuropsychological Testing
About one in five patients who had completed primary breast cancer treatments but had not started endocrine therapy “had elevated memory and/or executive function complaints that were statistically significantly associated with domain-specific” neuropsychological test performances and depressive...
Using Quality Indicators Can Improve Outcomes among Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma
An expert panel of 13 urologic and medical oncologists worked together to identify 23 quality indicators for renal cell carcinoma, as described in an article in the Journal of Oncology Practice. “These 23 [quality indicators] will provide a means of evaluating the quality of [renal cell carcinoma]...
Replacing Animal Fat with Vegetable Fat May Reduce Mortality Risk in Men with Nonmetastatic Disease
“Among men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer, replacing carbohydrates and animal fat with vegetable fat may reduce the risk of all-cause mortality,” according to a prospective study of 4,577 men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Vegetable fat intake...
Plasma Epstein-Barr Virus DNA a Potential Marker for Treatment Response in Advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma
Plasma Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) DNA has prognostic significance in Hodgkin lymphoma, both prior to therapy and at 6 months of follow-up, according to results of a study published in Blood. “Plasma EBV-DNA positivity at month 6 is associated with particularly poor outcomes and may serve as an...
MSKCC Community Mourns the Death of Trudy Nan Small, MD
Trudy Nan Small, MD, was a pediatric hematologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center who specialized in the diagnosis and care of children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for hematologic malignancies and those with life-threatening genetic disorders of the immune system....
