July 10, 2014 (View All Issues)
'Impressive' Outcomes Achieved With Pembrolizumab in Advanced Melanoma
The latest bit of good news for the programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1)–targeting antibodies in advanced melanoma comes for pembrolizumab (MK-3475). While the results came from only a phase I study, they were among those chosen for presentation at an ASCO press briefing during the Annual Meeting.
The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same
The ASCO Annual Meeting in June confirmed—and expanded—the excitement of the oncology community about molecular medicine and its future. The complex molecular pathways were pictured in living color on many slides in many large auditoriums. Newspapers across the country were equally enthusiastic as...
IOM Workshop Explores Growing Problems in Patient Access to Cancer Drugs
Cancer patients’ out-of-pocket costs are rising dramatically, and insurance premiums, cost sharing, and ancillary expenses can be devastating. Many people go bankrupt as a result of the high costs of health care. Drugs are among the most serious economic culprits. They grow more expensive every...
Ipilimumab Reduces Recurrences as Adjuvant Treatment of Melanoma
Ipilimumab (Yervoy) has transformed the treatment of metastatic melanoma, producing long-term responses in about 20% of patients. A phase III study has now evaluated its impact in the adjuvant setting, and the results are a bit less striking.
Primary Endpoint
The European Organisation for...
Long-Term Follow-up of Phase I Nivolumab Trial
In the longest follow-up to date of any programmed death (PD)-1 receptor inhibitor in previously treated advanced melanoma, one-third of patients are demonstrating durable responses to the investigational agent nivolumab, and in some cases, these persist following discontinuation of the drug,...
Strong Showing for Anti–PD-1 Agents in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Monoclonal antibodies targeting the programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) pathway are expected to answer an unmet need in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). With first-line platinum-doublets, 1-year overall survival is 30% to 50%, and while treatments targeting sensitizing mutations are more...
AR-V7 Predicts Resistance to Enzalutamide and Abiraterone in Men With Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Androgen receptor (AR) splice variant 7 (V7) appears to be a new biomarker for response and disease progression in patients treated with enzalutamide (Xtandi) or abiraterone (Zytiga). The presence of AR-V7 in circulating tumor cells predicted resistance to both drugs in men with metastatic...
‘R-Squared’ Regimen Delivers a Punch to Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Subtype
The combination of lenalidomide (Revlimid) and rituximab (Rituximab), dubbed the “R-squared” regimen, has gained attention lately, and ongoing trials are evaluating whether chemotherapy with R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, prednisone) can be improved by adding a...
Concurrent Immunotherapy Pays Off in Advanced Melanoma
In advanced melanoma, two immune checkpoint inhibitors may be better than one, according to the promising outcomes of a study reported at the 2014 ASCO Annual Meeting.
Concurrent treatment with the anti–CTLA-4 antibody ipilimumab (Yervoy) and nivolumab, an antibody targeting the programmed death...
FDA Advisory Committee Votes Against Accelerated Approval for Olaparib in Ovarian Cancer
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) voted 11 to 2 that current evidence from clinical studies does not support an accelerated approval for use of olaparib as a maintenance treatment for women with platinum-sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer who have...
Navigating Cancer in the Era of Personalized Medicine: Rev 2014 Explores Emerging Issues, Ideas for Action
Diagnosed with stage IV non–small cell lung cancer in 2011, Stephen Wright turned to patient support groups where he learned about the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) mutation and a new drug that targeted it, crizotinib (Xalkori). He asked—then insisted—that he be tested for the mutation. He found ...
National Institutes of Health Names New Council Members
The National Institutes of Health has announced the appointment of nine individuals to the NIH Council of Councils. The Council was established to advise the NIH Director on policies and activities of the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI), including...
American Association for the Advancement of Science Cancer Research Award
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has named Li Ma, PhD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Jeffrey Tyner, PhD, of Oregon Health & Science University, co-winners of the distinguished Martin and Rose Wachtel Cancer Research Award.
Dr. Ma is...
Raja Flores, MD, Named Chair of New Thoracic Surgery Department at Mount Sinai
The Mount Sinai Health System has announced the creation of a new academic Department of Thoracic Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. Raja M. Flores, MD, will be the Founding Chairman of the Department for the Mount Sinai Health System.
Dr. Flores, the Steven and...
James R. Downing, MD, Named CEO of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has announced the appointment of James R. Downing, MD, as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective July 15, 2014. Dr. Downing most recently has served as the Deputy Director, Executive Vice President and Scientific Director of the hospital. Dr. Downing’s...
Ado-Trastuzumab Emtansine Improves Progression-Free Survival vs Physician’s Choice in Advanced HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
There are few treatment options for breast cancer patients with progressive disease after two or more HER2-directed regimens for recurrent or metastatic disease. In the open-label phase III TH3RESA trial reported in The Lancet Oncology by Ian E. Krop, MD, PhD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute,...
ASCO Clinical Practice Guideline: Disease Management in Advanced HER2-Positive Breast Cancer With Brain Metastases
As many as half of all patients with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer develop brain metastases over time. The American Society of Clinical Oncology recently released a clinical practice guideline on disease management for patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer and brain...
Panitumumab Plus FOLFOX for KRAS Wild-Type Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
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.
Panitumumab (Vectibix) was recently approved by the U.S. Food and...
2014 Breast Cancer Symposium to Focus on Collaborative Learning
ASCO’s educational symposia have historically provided attendees with a forum for learning and discussion, demonstrating ASCO’s commitment to promoting a network of global oncology expertise. The 2014 Breast Cancer Symposium, to be held in San Francisco from Thursday, September 4, to Saturday,...
Yanyan Lou, MD, PhD, Receives Inaugural 2014 Young Investigator Award Supported by the Women Who Conquer Cancer Campaign
Yanyan Lou, MD, PhD, a hematology/oncology fellow at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, is the recipient of the very first 2014 Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO Young Investigator Award (YIA), generously supported by the Women Who Conquer Cancer.
After receiving her medical degree ...
Newly Updated: Cancer Survivorship
This latest ASCO Answers guide helps patients transition into life after active treatment has finished. In addition to information on the challenges survivors may face and the importance of follow-up care, it includes a blank treatment summary and survivorship care form that patients can fill out...
2001 Young Investigator Award Recipient Pasi Jänne, MD, PhD, Presents Research on Promising New Therapy for Treatment-Resistant NSCLC
At the 2014 ASCO Annual Meeting, Pasi Jänne, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, presented findings from a phase I study of AZD9291, a new mutant-selective EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor that offers a promising new treatment option for patients ...
Be Counted in 2014 ASCO National Oncology Census— No Login Information Required
Please be counted in this year’s ASCO National Oncology Census—the only annual survey of the entire oncology community that aims to capture and describe changes in cancer care over time.
Through the 2013 census, more than 8,000 oncologists in community practices, hospitals, and academic medical...
ASCO to Hold Community Research Forum Annual Meeting in September
Join fellow community-based researchers at the ASCO Community Research Forum Annual Meeting, September 28 to 29, 2014, at ASCO headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia.
As part of ASCO’s efforts to support community-based researchers, this meeting provides a unique opportunity to discuss barriers and...
Following ‘Fruitful’ Year of Collaboration, Advocacy, and Growth, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Moves to Next Level
Finishing up a 2-year term as President of the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (ASPHO), A. Kim Ritchey, MD, summarized ASPHO’s achievements in advocacy, education, and professional development in his State of the Society address at the ASPHO 27th Annual Meeting in Chicago. He also ...
Andrew S. Kraft, MD, Named Director of University of Arizona Cancer Center
Andrew S. Kraft, MD, prostate cancer physician-scientist and cancer center administrator, has been named the Sydney E. Salmon Endowed Chair and Director of the University of Arizona Cancer Center and Associate Vice President for Oncology Programs for the University of Arizona Health Sciences...
First Tang Prize for Biopharmaceutical Science Awarded to James P. Allison, PhD, and Tasuku Honjo, MD, PhD
The first Tang Prize for Biopharmaceutical Science has been awarded to James P. Allison, PhD, Chair of Immunology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Tasuku Honjo, MD, PhD, of Japan’s Kyoto University for their research leading to cancer immunotherapy.
“Both scholars’...
2014 Oncology Meetings
JULY
Breast Cancer: New Horizons, Current Controversies
July 10-12 • Boston, Massachusetts
For more information:
www.hms-cme.net/341279/
The 12th Annual Scientific Meeting of Japanese Society of Medical Oncology
July 17-19 • Fukuoka, Japan
For more information:
www.congre.co.jp/jsmo2014/en/
The...
Lung Cancer Mutation Consortium Finds Oncogenic Drivers in Majority of Metastatic Lung Adenocarcinomas
The Lung Cancer Mutation Consortium (LCMC) was formed to test adenocarcinomas of the lung for 10 oncogenic drivers in order to enable clinicians to select targeted treatments and enroll patients into suitable clinical trials. As recently reported in JAMA by Mark G. Kris, MD, William and Joy Ruane...
Nonadherence With Maintenance Medication an Issue in Children With Leukemia
An estimated 25% of children in remission from acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) are missing too many doses of the oral agent mercaptopurine, a maintenance medication that minimizes their risk of relapse when taken every day for 2 years, according to a study recently published online in Blood.1 The...
Stronger Nicotine Dependency Associated With Higher Lung Cancer Risk
A study by investigators at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has indicated that people who are highly addicted to nicotine, ie, those who smoke their first cigarette within 5 minutes after awakening, are at higher risk of developing lung cancer than those who wait for 1 hour or more to smoke....
Patricia M. LoRusso, DO, to Join Yale Cancer Center
Patricia M. LoRusso, DO, a leading expert on drug development through clinical trials, will join Yale Cancer Center in August as a Professor of Medicine and Associate Director of Innovative Medicine at Yale Cancer Center in New Haven, Connecticut.
Dr. LoRusso brings more than 25 years of expertise ...
ASCO Convenes Think Tank to Tackle Disparities in Cancer Care
Despite advances in cancer screening and in more effective therapies to treat the disease, which have led to improved outcomes and increased survival rates for millions of people with cancer, not every American is reaping the benefits of these advances. Disparities in health-care access, quality of ...
'Physician Education Is Key' to Continued Advances in Geriatric Oncology
Several times during his lecture at the 2014 ASCO Annual Meeting, Stuart M. Lichtman, MD, FACP, FASCO, the recipient of the B.J. Kennedy Award for Scientific Excellence in Geriatric Oncology, emphasized, “Physician education is the key” to continued advances in geriatric oncology. He specified that ...
UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center Tailors Pilot Program to Help Patients Adhere to Oral Chemotherapy
A University of California, Davis, Comprehensive Cancer Center program designed to better manage cancer patients taking oral chemotherapy drugs has demonstrated that one-on-one counseling, education, and monitoring can improve adherence to therapy.
Issues in Adherence
The rise in oral...
Life: Magnified
On June 10, Life: Magnified, an eye-catching photo exhibit of scientific images, opened at Washington Dulles International Airport’s Gateway Gallery in Chantilly, Virginia. The exhibit features 46 high-resolution backlit images of cells from the body, including the brain, blood, eye, skin, liver,...
FDA Launches 'OpenFDA' Initiative to Ease Access to Public Health Data
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched openFDA, a new initiative designed to make it easier for web developers, researchers, and the public to access large, important public health datasets collected by the Agency.
In alignment with the recent Presidential Executive Order on Open ...
Diagnostic Imaging Agent Approved for Use in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a new use for technetium 99m tilmanocept (Lymphoseek Injection), a radioactive diagnostic imaging agent used to help doctors determine the extent to which squamous cell carcinoma has spread in the body’s head and neck region.
Earlier...
ASTRO Names Three Radiation Oncologists as Recipients of Society’s 2014 Gold Medal
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has announced the names of three recipients of the Society’s highest honor, the ASTRO Gold Medal. Mary K. Gospodarowicz, MD, FASTRO, Leonard L. Gunderson, MD, MS, FASTRO, and Nancy J. Tarbell, MD, FASTRO, will receive the ASTRO Gold Medal...
Siltuximab for Multicentric Castleman’s Disease
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.
On April 23, 2014, the anti–interleukin (IL)-6 monoclonal antibody ...
Three Physician-Scientists Join St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Officials at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have announced the appointment of three physician-scientists to leadership positions.
Mitchell Weiss, MD, PhD, has been named Chair of the St. Jude Department of Hematology. He was recruited to the institution from the University of Pennsylvania...
Discontinuing Statins Near the End of Life Is Safe, Can Reduce Symptom Burden, and Is Generally Acceptable to Patients
Discontinuing statins for patients near the end of life is safe, saves money, spares patients from swallowing yet another pill and from the symptoms associated with statins, and is generally welcomed by patients. That last bit might come as a surprise to some physicians who worry that discontinuing ...
Underuse of Trimodality Treatment for Patients With Inflammatory Breast Cancer Negatively Impacts Survival
Analysis of data for 10,197 women treated for nonmetastatic inflammatory breast cancer treated over a 12-year-period found that the use of trimodality treatment (chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy) fluctuated annually between 58.4% and 73%. “Underutilization of trimodality therapy...
Limited Public Awareness of Head and Neck Cancers Raises Concerns About Prevention and Detection
Public awareness of head and neck cancer is limited, with the lack of awareness including the term head and neck cancer and common symptoms and risk factors, such as tobacco use and human papillomavirus (HPV), according to results of a cross-sectional online survey reported in JAMA...
Modest Improvement in Progression-Free but Not Overall Survival With Selumetinib vs Chemotherapy
Patients with uveal melanoma treated with selumetinib had modestly improved progression-free survival and response rate compared to patients treated with chemotherapy, but no improvement in overall survival, according to results of a randomized, open-label, phase II trial. “Improvement in clinical...
Coping With the Aftermath of Cancer
Even now, 3 years after I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I’m still struggling with how it is possible to have a normal mammogram and 6 months later be confronted with stage II estrogen/progesterone–positive, HER2-positive breast cancer. The news was especially devastating to hear because it...
