July 25, 2018 (View All Issues)
Preliminary Data Suggest Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy May Improve Outcomes in Patients With Early Stages of Pancreatic Cancer
For patients with newly diagnosed, potentially resectable pancreatic cancer, neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy led to better outcomes when compared with immediate surgery followed by chemoradiotherapy in the phase III PREOPANC-1 trial. Approximately 25% fewer deaths occurred among patients in the...
Immunotherapy in Merkel Cell Carcinoma: ‘Field Has Been Thrown on Its Head’
At the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting, investigators presented long-term follow-up data for immunotherapy in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma and new data for its use in the neoadjuvant setting. The results drew high interest from attendees and a number of questions were raised following the...
8-Year Update of SOFT and TEXT Trials: Positive but Not Definitive
At the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), the International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG) and its collaborators presented the 8-year updates of the key modern trials of ovarian function suppression after local treatment for young women with resected breast cancer.1 These updates...
Atezolizumab Plus Chemotherapy Extends Survival in Squamous NSCLC Regardless of PD-L1 Level
Patients with advanced squamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) had a greater benefit from first-line treatment with the combination of atezolizumab (Tecentriq) plus chemotherapy vs chemotherapy alone in the randomized, phase III, IMpower131 clinical trial.1 At the landmark of 12-month...
MSI-High Status and Lynch Syndrome Found in Surprising Variety of Cancers
In a study that many consider to be practice-changing, Lynch syndrome, a hereditary cancer predisposition syndrome, was found in many persons who would not ordinarily be suspected of having it.1 The study, which was presented at the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting, has implications for broader testing...
Oral Taxane Shows Strong Activity and Good Tolerability in Metastatic Breast Cancer
As first-line treatment for metastatic breast cancer, the oral taxane tesetaxel produced a 45% confirmed response rate and was well tolerated, producing little alopecia or neuropathy, according to Andrew D. Seidman, MD, and colleagues from several cancer centers. Dr. Seidman, of Memorial Sloan...
Nivolumab Plus Low-Dose Ipilimumab Approved for Second-Line Treatment of MSI-H/dMMR Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
On July 11, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved nivolumab (Opdivo) plus low-dose ipilimumab (Yervoy) for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with microsatellite instability–high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair–deficient (dMMR) metastatic colorectal...
In Case You Missed It: Short Takes on Current Cancer Research
It would be impossible to cover all of the important presentations from the 5,000-plus abstracts accepted for the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting. In addition to our regular meeting coverage of the top news stories, the following highlights focus on novel investigational approaches to therapy for various...
In Case You Missed It: Update on Breast Cancer Research
The ASCO Post presents these brief summaries of important studies in breast cancer, presented at the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting.
Ribociclib Plus Fulvestrant in Metastatic Breast Cancer
The benefit of an inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) added to fulvestrant has now been proven to...
Study Finds Gender Disparities in Head and Neck Cancer Treatment and Outcomes
An analysis of cancer registry data from a California hospital system showed that women with head and neck cancer were less likely to receive intensive chemotherapy (35% vs 46%) and radiation (60% vs 70%) compared to men. Controlling for factors such as age and serious medical conditions, a...
NCI and VA Launch NAVIGATE to Boost Veterans’ Access to Cancer Clinical Trials
Veterans with cancer who receive treatment from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will now have easier access to clinical trials of novel cancer treatments, thanks to an agreement between the VA and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health.
The NCI...
NCCN Releases New Guidelines for Patients With AML
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) has recently released The NCCN Guidelines for Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), which includes resources for better-informed medical decision-making.
The NCCN Guidelines for Patients with AML is endorsed by the Aplastic Anemia and MDS...
In Cases Where Early Detection of Metastatic Disease Offers No Advantage, Why Conduct Routine Surveillance?
“What is a reasonable plan of follow-up for patients with cancers for which early detection of metastatic disease offers no advantage?” Posing that question during his Presidential Address at the 2018 Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) Annual Cancer Symposium, Kelly M. McMasters, MD,PhD,...
Loren Rourke, MD, MHCM, Joins US Oncology Network as Chief Surgical Officer
The US Oncology Network (The Network) announced the appointment of Loren Rourke, MD, MHCM, as its Chief Surgical Officer, a new role created to support and enhance the surgical community within The Network.
With more than 15 years of surgical experience, Dr. Rourke served as Regional Breast...
When Can Patients With Gleason 6 Prostate Cancer Safely Undergo Active Surveillance?
Prior to ASCO’s 2016 endorsement of the Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) guideline on active surveillance in the management of localized prostate cancer,1 most men—over 90%—diagnosed with low-risk localized disease were treated with active therapy.2 Today, about 50% of American men with low-risk disease ...
New LUNGevity Foundation Campaign Launched
LUNGevity Foundationhas announced the launch of a new lung cancer awareness campaign called 234. The social media campaign utilizes graphic animation to engage the public in understanding facts about lung cancer.
“Our goal with the 234 campaign is to educate the general public about the...
Pooja Ghatalia, MD, Joins Fox Chase Cancer Center in Department of Hematology/Oncology
The Fox Chase Cancer Center announced the hiring of Pooja Ghatalia, MD, as Assistant Professor in the Department of Hematology/Oncology. Dr. Ghatalia joined the faculty after graduating from a 3-year hematology/oncology fellowship and started in her new position on July 1.
Dr. Ghatalia is a...
Opportunities, Issues, and Challenges for Biosimilars in Oncology
In an article published recently in TheNew England Journal of Medicine, Gary H. Lyman, MD, MPH, FACP, FRCP (Edin), FASCO, of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, and colleagues reviewed opportunities, issues, and challenges posed by the advent of biosimilar medications, focusing on...
No Survival Benefit for Atezolizumab in
PD-L1–Positive Urothelial Cancer
As reported in The Lancet by Thomas Powles, MD, of Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, and colleagues, the phase III IMvigor211 trial showed no survival benefit for atezolizumab vs physician’s choice of chemotherapy in platinum-treated locally advanced or metastatic urothelial...
Pegfilgrastim-jmdb as Biosimilar to Pegfilgrastim to Decrease Risk of Infection During Cancer Treatment
On June 4, 2018, pegfilgrastim-jmdb (Fulphila) was approved as a biosimilar to pegfilgrastim (Neulasta) to decrease infection risk in patients with nonmyeloid cancer receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy associated with a significant incidence of febrile neutropenia.1,2
Approval Basis
Approval...
Is the Move to a Value-Based Health-Care Delivery System Feasible?
In 2015, Congress passed the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization ACT (MACRA), which aims to move Medicare toward reimbursement based more on outcomes and values, a goal, in theory, shared by the oncology community. To shed light on the complicated and problematic attempt to restructure the...
ASCO, Conquer Cancer Congratulate 2018 Grant and Award Recipients
ASCO’s Conquer Cancer Foundation presented more than $7.3 million in grants and awards to exceptional oncology researchers at the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting. ASCO and Conquer Cancer congratulate the recipients and offer their profound thanks to those who generously supported these awards. Visit...
Journal of Oncology Practice Launches New Blog to Facilitate Discussions on Care Delivery Topics
The Journal of Oncology Practice (JOP) launched a new care delivery blog, JOP DAiS(Discussion & Analysis in Short), to serve as a forum for commentary and analysis on issues affecting the mechanisms of oncology care delivery. This new platform will be a way to collaborate, debate, and discuss...
Correction
The article “A Commitment to Innovation, Gender Equality, and Family Legacy Inspire Endowed Young Investigator Award Gifts for ASCO’s Conquer Cancer Foundation” in the May 25, 2018, issue included an incorrect quote attributed to Murdo Gordon. The corrected article is available online at
Compassionate ASCO Print Resource for Families Facing Serious Illness
The ASCO Answers Advanced Cancer Care Planning booklet contains comprehensive information about how patients can communicate directly and honestly about advanced cancer and end-of-life care with their friends, family, and children, as well as the health-care team. With this expert resource,...
FDA Approves Enzalutamide for Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
ON JULY 13, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved enzalutamide (Xtandi) for patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). This approval broadens the indicated patient population to include patients with either nonmetastatic CRPC or metastatic CRPC. Enzalutamide was ...
Four Generations of Doctors, One Oncologist, in the Family of Hanna K. Sanoff, MD, MPH
Medicine is a family tradition for Hanna K. Sanoff, MD, MPH. “I was born and reared in a suburb just outside of Philadelphia and lived there my whole life until after college. I was one of those people who always knew they wanted to be a doctor. There were four generations of physicians on my...
Abiraterone Plus Prednisone in High-Risk Metastatic Castration-Sensitive Prostate Cancer
EARLY IN 2018, abiraterone acetate tablets (Zytiga) in combination with prednisone were approved for the treatment of metastatic high-risk castration-sensitive prostate cancer.1,2
Supporting Efficacy Data
APPROVAL WAS based on the findings of the phase III LATITUDE trial, in which 1,199...
The WHO Classification of Tumors of Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues
The ASCO Post is pleased to present Hematology Expert Review, an ongoing feature that quizzes readers on issues in hematology. In this installment, Drs. Abutalib and Medeiros explore the recently updated World Health Organization (WHO) classification of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissue...
Olaparib for Germline BRCA-Mutated Metastatic Breast Cancer
EARLY IN 2018, olaparib tablets (Lynparza) were granted regular approval for treatment of patients with deleterious or suspected deleterious germline BRCA-mutated, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer who have been treated with chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant, or metastatic setting.1,2...
Acupressure for Cancer-Related Fatigue
Difficult-to-treat, cancer-related fatigue is a common, distressing clinical issue. It impedes daily activities, severely affecting patients’ quality of life. Compounding the problem is a lack of consensus on an effective pharmacologic intervention. Acupressure is a traditional Chinese medicine...
Association of American Physicians Welcomes Stephen J. Forman, MD, as Honorary Member
STEPHEN J. FORMAN, MD, the Francis & Kathleen McNamara Distinguished Chair in Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, has been inducted as a member of the Association of American Physicians. Dr. Forman has been a leader in the field...
Eric Tetzlaff, MHS, PA-C, DFAAPA, Receives 2018 AAPA Publishing Award
ERIC TETZLAFF, MHS, PA-C, DFAAPA, a physician assistant at Fox Chase Cancer Center, has received the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) 2018 Publishing Award for his article, “National Study of Burnout and Career Satisfaction Among Physician Assistants in Oncology: Implications for...
ASCO Endorses Guidelines for Integrative Therapies During and After Breast Cancer Treatment
RECOMMENDATIONS IN the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) clinical practice guidelines for integrative therapies during and after breast cancer treatment “are clear, thorough, and based on the most relevant scientific evidence,” concluded an ASCO expert panel that reviewed the guidelines.1,2...
Bevacizumab Plus Chemotherapy in Advanced Ovarian Cancer
ON JUNE 13, 2018, bevacizumab (Avastin) was granted approval for treatment of epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel, followed by single-agent bevacizumab, for stage III or IV disease after initial surgical resection1,2. The...
New International Journal Advances in Cell & Gene Therapy Now Available, Names Editors-in-Chief, Deputy Editors
A NEW INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Advances in Cell & Gene Therapy, recently published its inaugural issue in May 2018. The new publication aims to provide a forum for authors to share their newest results, views, and visions in the field of cell and gene therapy. The journal will be published on a...
Multiple-Gene Sequencing vs BRCA1/2-Alone Testing After Breast Cancer Diagnosis
In a retrospective cohort study reported in JAMA Oncology by Allison W. Kurian, MD, of Stanford University School of Medicine, and colleagues found that use of germline multiple-gene sequencing has become more common than BRCA1/2-alone sequencing after breast cancer diagnosis in clinical...
Circulating Tumor Cells and Adjuvant Radiotherapy in Early Breast Cancer
In a study reported in JAMA Oncology by Chelain R. Goodman, MD, PhD, of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and colleagues, adjuvant radiotherapy was associated with better outcome in patients with early breast cancer who had detectable...
Risk of Breast Cancer After Negative Screening Mammography
A study reported in JAMA Oncology by Anne Marie McCarthy, PhD, of the Division of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, and colleagues identified the risk of interval breast cancer after negative screening mammography, including the risk of poor-prognosis breast cancer.
The...
Long-Term Follow-up of Women With DES-Related Vaginal and Cervical Clear Cell Adenocarcinoma
In a letter to the editor of The New England Journal of Medicine, Dezheng Huo, MD, of the University of Chicago, Chicago, and colleagues described the long-term outcomes of women with vaginal and cervical clear cell adenocarcinoma associated with prenatal exposure to the synthetic nonsteroidal...
Immunotherapy Gave Me Back My Life
Despite the fact that my father was a smoker and I watched him die a horrible death from lung cancer in the 1970s, until 4 years before my own lung cancer diagnosis in 2012, I, too, was a heavy smoker for most of my adult life. Still, cancer was the farthest thing from my mind when I made an...
Pseudosophisticated Language and Needless Confusion?
I’ve been a loyal ASCO member since the early 1970s (aka “back in the day”) and wanted to share a growing pet peeve. I thought of attacking an individual author, but my sense tells me the source of my annoyance is really now a cultural problem and one that can only be fixed at the editor level....
NIMHD Selects Recipients of the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Innovation Award
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has selected recipients of the 2018 William G. Coleman, Jr, PhD, Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Innovation Award. Now in its second year, this competitive...
Alan S. Rabson, MD, Long-Time NCI Deputy Director and Cancer Research Stalwart, Dies at Age 92
MANY IN the cancer research and National Institutes of Health (NIH) community are mourning the loss of long-time National Cancer Institute (NCI) senior leader Alan S. Rabson, MD, who died on July 4 at the age of 92.
With a distinguished scientific career that spanned 6 decades and included...
