June 10, 2019 (View All Issues)
- An overview of what fertility and infertility mean
- Which cancer...
MONALEESA-7 Shows Overall Survival Benefit for Ribociclib/Endocrine Therapy
The first statistically significant overall survival benefit has been shown for a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor plus endocrine therapy as first-line treatment of advanced breast cancer. The results are from the phase III MONALEESA-7 trial, which evaluated ribociclib plus endocrine...
ACA Increases Access to Health Care, Early Diagnosis, and Timely Treatment for Patients With Cancer
The evidence is in: the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has enabled improved access to earlier diagnosis, earlier care, and reduced racial disparities in access to care for patients with cancer, according to two studies presented at the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting. In states that adopted Medicaid...
How Have We Got It So Wrong?
The past 20 years have seen an unprecedented increase in the development of effective drugs for the management of cancer. The advent of immunotherapy offers even the promise of cure for some previously highly resistant diseases. The science is brilliant, the need is ever increasing—but the cost...
KEYNOTE-001 Shows Long-Term Survival Benefit With Pembrolizumab in Advanced NSCLC
Before the introduction of immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors, the 5-year life expectancy for patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was 5.5%. This dismal outlook has changed. Treatment with the immune checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab dramatically improved overall...
Two Pediatric Trials Find Targets for Treatment-Refractory Cancers
An interim analysis of the large Pediatric MATCH trial found that 24% of children and young adolescents with cancers refractory to current treatments had been assigned to treatment with investigational targeted study agents based on genetic alterations detected in their tumors,1 which is more than...
Alpelisib Plus Fulvestrant Approved for PIK3CA-Mutated Breast Cancer
On May 24, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the PIK3CA inhibitor alpelisib (Piqray) tablets to be used in combination with the FDA-approved endocrine therapy fulvestrant to treat postmenopausal women and men with hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative, PIK3CA-mutated, advanced ...
NovoTTF-100L System in Combination With Chemotherapy Approved for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
On May 23, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the NovoTTF-100L System in combination with pemetrexed plus platinum-based chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of unresectable locally advanced or metastatic malignant pleural mesothelioma. NovoTTF-100L is a noninvasive,...
Ruxolitinib Approved for Acute Graft-vs-Host Disease
On May 24, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ruxolitinib (Jakafi) for steroid-refractory acute graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) in adult and pediatric patients 12 years and older.
Approval was based on the REACH1 trial/Study INCB 18424-271, an open-label, single-arm, multicenter...
Pembrolizumab Improves Survival vs Chemotherapy in Previously Untreated Advanced NSCLC With PD-L1 Expression ≥ 1%
As reported in The Lancet by Tony S.K. Mok, MD, of Chinese University of Hong Kong, and colleagues, the KEYNOTE-042 trial has shown an improvement in overall survival with pembrolizumab vs standard chemotherapy in previously untreated patients with locally advanced or metastatic non–small cell lung ...
Head and Neck Cancer Immunotherapy in Locally Advanced Disease: Clinical Trial Updates
Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors are approved for the second-line treatment of head and neck cancer and likely will be soon in the first-line treatment of locally advanced disease. According to Robert L. Ferris, MD, PhD, developments in immunotherapy for this population should be...
Using Bioimpedance Spectroscopy to Prevent Progression of Lymphedema
Surveillance of women at risk for breast cancer–related lymphedema using bioimpedance spectroscopy was more effective in preventing lymphedema progression than traditional measurement of arm circumference, when each is combined with immediate compression therapy. These findings came from the...
Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy May Be Suitable for Growing Number of Well-Selected Patients
As nipple-sparing mastectomy gains favor, it is being performed on a broader spectrum of patients once considered off limits by surgeons. A Mayo Clinic study in a contemporary cohort found no increase in complication rates or decrease in reconstruction success with this surgical approach.1
...
Studies Report Early Success With Same-Day Mastectomy and Home Recovery Programs
Patients can safely recover from mastectomy at home, according to two studies reported at the 2019 American Society of Breast Surgeons Annual Meeting.1,2 The studies examined outcomes after implementation of comprehensive postmastectomy surgical home recovery programs, showing that they...
Survey Finds Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation Use in Decline for Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer
Delivery of prophylactic cranial irradiation to patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has declined significantly since the publication of a study by Takahashi et al, according to a recent survey of academic radiation oncologists.1
Data presented at the 2019 Multidisciplinary...
Northern New England Clinical Oncology Society Supports 2019 International Development and Education Award and Merit Awards
The Northern New England Clinical Oncology Society (NNECOS) is a tristate regional affiliate of ASCO serving oncology practices within Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. A long-time supporter of Conquer Cancer®, the ASCO Foundation, and its Young Investigator Award (YIA) program, NNECOS expanded...
New Infographic, Commentaries Highlight Role of Opioids in Managing Cancer-Related Pain
As part of ASCO’s State of Cancer Care in America initiative, the Journal of Oncology Practice recently published an infographic about opioids and cancer pain, which highlights the specific needs of patients with cancer and some of the hurdles they face in trying to access prescribed opioids to...
Offerings From the ASCO Research Community Forum
Members of the research community can access resources developed by the ASCO Research Community Forum year-round to address challenges they may be facing in conducting and managing clinical trials, including the ASCO Toolkit of Resources on the Business of Clinical Trials; the ASCO Insurance...
Engage With CENTRA: ASCO’s Center for Research and Analytics
In 2017, ASCO announced the launch of its Center for Research and Analytics (CENTRA). CENTRA’s mission is to conquer cancer by generating, integrating, analyzing, and sharing oncology data to foster innovation in research and patient care. CENTRA aims to make its cancer data available to the...
Experience the Next Breakthrough in Cancer Care
On the heels of the ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago, ASCO is working with leading oncology societies in Thailand, China, Japan, South Korea, and others to convene the world of oncology in Asia.
It has been my privilege to serve as Chair of the Co-Host Committee for ASCO’s newest and groundbreaking...
2019 Integra Connect Golf Classic Raises More Than $1 Million for Conquer Cancer®, the ASCO Foundation
Conquer Cancer Board Member Raj Mantena, RPh, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Integra Connect™, recently organized and sponsored the second Integra Connect Golf Classic and a dinner benefitting Conquer Cancer. More than $1 million was raised at the 2-day event, which took place March 31 and...
New Content Collection in JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics Delves Into the Field of Mathematical Oncology
Mathematics, modeling, and simulation to study cancer are topics covered in a new special series in JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics (JCO CCI). On April 24, JCO CCI published its fourth special collection of articles, “Mathematical Oncology,” which showcases the current state of the field and new...
New: ASCO Answers Fact Sheet on Fertility and Cancer Treatment for Your Patients
Cancer and cancer treatment can cause infertility in both men and women. Prepare your patients for this possibility by giving them the ASCO Answers fact sheet titled Your Fertility and Cancer Treatment. This fact sheet covers:
UMass Lowell Student Wins Award for Research in Skin Cancers
Tyler Iorizzo, a PhD candidate in physics at UMass Lowell’s Advanced Biophotonics Laboratory, has won international recognition for his work in developing an imaging device that could lead to improved diagnosis and treatment of certain skin cancers.
Mr. Iorizzo received an Educational Award from ...
Regular Aspirin Use and Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Epithelial Ovarian Cancer
Data from two large U.S. prospective cohort studies indicate the benefits of regular aspirin use in preventing hepatocellular carcinoma and epithelial ovarian cancer. As reported by Tracey G. Simon, MD, MPH, of Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and colleagues, in JAMA...
Aspirin Use and Cancer Prevention: Long-Term Data Needed on Benefits and Risks
In addition to its well-known cardioprotective benefits, aspirin has a substantial body of observational, preclinical, and clinical evidence supporting its efficacy in preventing cancer, most strongly for colorectal cancer.1 The strength of this evidence led the U.S. Preventive Services Task...
Ibrutinib in Combination With Obinutuzumab in Treatment-Naive CLL/SLL
In the Clinic provides overviews of novel hematology and oncology agents, addressing indications, mechanisms of action, administration recommendations, safety profiles, and other essential information needed for the appropriate clinical use of these drugs.
Early in 2019, ibrutinib was approved for ...
Selected Abstracts From the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting
To complement The ASCO Post’s comprehensive coverage of the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting, here are several abstracts selected from the meeting proceedings focusing on novel therapeutic regimens for plasma cell dyscrasias, particularly multiple myeloma. For full details of these study abstracts,...
Dana-Farber Opens Center for the Prevention of Progression for Precursor Hematologic Conditions
Against the backdrop of the online crowd-sourcing initiative PCROWD and other research by faculty investigators on precursor conditions that may develop into leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), or multiple myeloma, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has opened the Center for the Prevention of...
Major Settlement Raises Questions About Evidence-Based Value in Cancer Care
An Oklahoma jury recently awarded $25.5 million to the widower of a 53-year-old woman diagnosed with stage IV nasopharyngeal cancer who was denied coverage for proton therapy by her health insurer, Aetna. The patient’s family subsequently raised $92,000 to cover her proton therapy at The University ...
Actively Recruiting Clinical Trials Focused on Novel Drug Combinations for Gallbladder and Biliary Tract Cancers
The information contained in this Clinical Trials Resource Guide includes actively recruiting clinical studies that are focused on novel drug regimens in gallbladder and biliary tract cancers. These trials are attempting to determine the best dosages, side-effect profiles, and effectiveness of new...
Scientist, Father of A Child With Autism Pushes Back on the Antivaccine Movement
BOOKMARK
Title: Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel’s Autism: My Journey as a Vaccine Scientist, Pediatrician, and Autism Dad
Author: Peter J. Hotez, MD, PhD
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date: October 2018
Price: $22.95, hardcover; 240 pages
English physician Edward Jenner...
From Leeches to Liquid Biopsy: Uncovering the Mysteries of Blood
BOOKMARK
Title: Nine Pints: A Journey Through the Money, Medicine, and Mysteries of Blood
Author: Rose George
Publisher: Metropolitan Books
Publication date: October 2018
Price: $27.00, hardcover, 368 pages
Blood has been mythologized and misunderstood since the earliest records of humankind and...
Ronald Walters, MD, and Ruth O’Regan, MD, Elected to NCCN Board of Directors
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) recently announced the election of Ronald Walters, MD, to the role of Chair of the Board of Directors and Ruth O’Regan, MD, was named Vice Chair.
Dr. Walters is Associate Head for the Institute for Cancer Care Innovation and a breast cancer...
George Laramore, MD, PhD, FACR, FASTRO, Awarded National Association for Proton Therapy Lifetime Achievement Award
The Board of Directors of the National Association for Proton Therapy (NAPT) has awarded George Laramore, MD, PhD, FACR, FASTRO, of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Proton Therapy Center and the University of Washington, the 2019 NAPT Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition of his decades of...
Richard T. Silver, MD, Receives 2019 ELN Merit Award
Richard T. Silver, MD, Professor of Medicine of the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology and Emeritus Director of the Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Center at Weill Cornell Medicine, has been awarded the 2019 European -LeukemiaNet (ELN) Merit Award in recognition of his contributions to the...
Cornelis J.M. Melief, MD, PhD, Honored With AACR-CRI Award in Cancer Immunology
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) has recognized Cornelis J.M. Melief, MD, PhD, with the seventh AACR–Cancer Research Institute (CRI) Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology. Dr. Melief is Emeritus Professor at the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands, as well as...
Addition of Bevacizumab to Erlotinib Improves Progression-Free Survival in EGFR-Mutated, Nonsquamous NSCLC
In an interim analysis of the phase III NEJ026 trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Makoto Maemondo, MD, and colleagues found that the addition of bevacizumab to erlotinib improved progression-free survival in patients with EGFR-positive, nonsquamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
In the...
Addition of a Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor to Immunotherapy in Advanced Sarcomas
In a phase II trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Breelyn Wilky, MD, and colleagues found evidence of activity of axitinib plus pembrolizumab in advanced sarcomas, including alveolar soft-part sarcoma.
Study Details
The study involved 33 patients with advanced or metastatic sarcomas, including ...
NCI Approves John Theurer Cancer Center as Member of Research Consortium
John Theurer Cancer Center, part of Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center and a leading cancer institution in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area, announced recently that it received approval from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as a research consortium member of ...
Memorial Sloan Kettering Unveils New Site on Long Island
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) announced its commitment to communities across Long Island with the dedication of MSK Nassau, an outpatient cancer treatment facility centrally located in Nassau County, New York. MSK’s newest location, and its third on Long Island, opened for patient...
Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute Welcomes Awais Khan, MD
Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute recently announced that medical oncologist and hematologist Awais Khan, MD, has joined the practice and will be seeing patients at the Palm Coast office. Dr. Khan is board-certified in medical oncology and internal medicine. His research has...
Latest Practice to Join OneOncology: Arizona Blood & Cancer Specialists
OneOncology, the national partnership of independent community oncologists, announced that it is entering into a new partnership with Arizona Blood & Cancer Specialists. The new practice will be the fourth to join OneOncology, a network already comprising 227 physicians practicing at 62 sites ...
First Full-Time Cancer Center to Serve Members of Navajo Nation
Leaders of the Navajo Nation, the Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation (Tuba City), and the Cancer Support Community (CSC) joined Jill Biden, EdD, on the Navajo Nation in the opening of the first full-time cancer center on an American Indian reservation. The culturally adapted cancer care...
As My Outside World Became Smaller, My Family Focus Became Larger
As I write this, I think I’m making sense but am not 100% sure. My brain is a little scrambled after nearly 4 years of treatment for grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme, but I think the essence of my humor and humanity is still intact.
When I experienced my first partial seizure while riding my...
NCI Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer
The latest Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer finds that, for all cancer sites combined, cancer death rates continued to decline in men, women, and children in the United States from 1999 to 2016. Overall cancer incidence rates, or rates of new cancers, decreased in men from 2008...
