June 10, 2021 (View All Issues)
Atezolizumab Reduces Risk of Disease Progression in Patients With PD-L1–Expressing Early-Stage NSCLC
Atezolizumab given after chemotherapy to patients with resected stage II to IIIA non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) significantly improved disease-free survival compared with best supportive care alone in patients whose tumors expressed PD-L1.1 These results of the global phase III IMpower010 trial ...
Navigating the Post-Vaccine Pandemic
By now, most health-care workers have been vaccinated against COVID-19.* Physical immunity would appear to last for at least 6 months and probably longer. The physical pandemic for most oncologists is declining, with an end in sight. We are protected from the serious physical consequences of...
Cabozantinib With Nivolumab for Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: A New Front-Line Standard
The pace of clinical research in metastatic renal cell carcinoma is faster than ever. Over the past 5 years, we have seen data from six phase III clinical trials evaluating combination strategies with checkpoint inhibitors.
The era began with data from CheckMate 214, evaluating nivolumab with...
Is High Tumor Mutational Burden Predictive of Immune Checkpoint Blockade Efficacy Across All Cancer Types?
In a letter recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine and reviewed in this issue of The ASCO Post, Rousseau and colleagues reported data on the spectrum of benefit from immune checkpoint blockade in hypermutated tumors.1 Indeed, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently...
Dual Immune Checkpoint Blockade With Nivolumab and Ipilimumab for Treatment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
In recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of mesothelioma have been a keen area of investigation for this immunogenic solid tumor. With recent publications, principally findings from CheckMate 743 by Baas et al1 (reviewed in this issue of The ASCO Post), combination immune...
Disease-Free Survival Benefit With Adjuvant Immunotherapy in Resectable Esophageal Cancer: Practice-Changing for All Patients?
The CheckMate 577 trial—reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Kelly et al1 and reviewed in this issue of The ASCO Post—is the first global randomized controlled trial for patients with resectable esophageal cancer that showed a significant disease-free survival benefit for adjuvant...
How the Biden Administration Is Changing Oncology Care
A change in presidential administrations has implications across the health sector, including for oncology. In this column, we review some recent actions by Congress and the Biden administration and their implications for the oncology community. We focus on three areas: funding for patients and...
Adjuvant Imatinib Therapy Offers Survival Benefit in Patients With Resected GIST, but Team Effort May Be Needed to Reduce Early Discontinuation Rates
Clinical trial data show that adjuvant imatinib improves recurrence-free survival as well as overall survival, when administered for at least 3 years, among patients who undergo a macroscopically complete resection of a primary gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), Chandrajit P. Raut, MD, MSc,...
Global Responses to COVID-19 Pandemic–Related Disruptions in Cancer Care
COVID-19 pandemic–related disruptions in cancer diagnosis, treatment, and research have varied worldwide and so have the responses to those disruptions. During the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) 2021 International Conference on Surgical Cancer Care, members of the Global Forum of Cancer...
Could Risk-Based Triage System Alter Surgical Practice in Ovarian Cancer?
A simple, risk-assessment algorithm may change practice when it comes to selecting patients with advanced ovarian who can tolerate complex primary debulking surgery, according to data presented during the virtual edition of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) 2021 Annual Meeting on Women’s...
Machine Learning–Based Algorithm May Predict Short-Term Mortality in Patients With Cancer and Prompt Serious Illness Conversations
Although most patients with terminal cancer, 87%, have end-of-life conversations with clinicians about their goals and preferences for care, on average, these discussions happen just 1 month before death and most often occur in acute care settings with clinicians who are not their treating...
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden Assures the NCI of the Administration’s Commitment to Advancing Cancer Research
In a virtual visit to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) on February 3, 2021, just 2 weeks after her husband, Joe Biden, was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, First Lady Jill Biden, EdD, recounted that, in her many years of travel across the United States, she learned that...
Adding Targeted Agent to Treatment Shows Significant Benefits in Pediatric Patients With High-Risk Hodgkin Lymphoma
Integrating the antibody-drug conjugate brentuximab vedotin into the front-line treatment of pediatric patients with high-risk Hodgkin lymphoma “facilitated significant reduction in radiation exposure and yielded excellent outcomes,” Monika Metzger, MD, MSc, Director for the Central and South...
Selected Poster Presentations From the NCCN 2021 Annual Conference
Although once again, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) 2021 Annual Conference could not take place on site in Orlando, researchers presented their work virtually in the form of almost 100 posters. The ASCO Post has summarized some that we found particularly interesting.
Many...
Targeting LAG-3 and PD-1 With Relatlimab and Nivolumab: A New Option Under Study in Advanced Melanoma
Immune checkpoint inhibition has been established as an effective treatment for patients with metastatic melanoma. A novel immunotherapeutic combination—this one targeting the LAG-3 (lymphocyte-activation gene 3) and PD-1 immune checkpoints—delayed time to disease progression significantly more...
Omid Hamid, MD, Discusses RELATIVITY-047
Omid Hamid, MD, Chief of Translational Research/Immuno-Oncology at The Angeles Clinic & Research Institute, Los Angeles, and Co-Director of the Cutaneous Malignancy Program at Cedars-Sinai Cancer Institute, shared his thoughts on the RELATIVITY-047 study1 for The ASCO Post, referring to them as ...
Actionable Mutations Identified in Majority of Genome-Sequenced Resected Cholangiocarcinomas
Tumor genomic profiling of resected cholangiocarcinomas may reveal mutations targetable with agents currently being used for other cancers, according to the results of a study presented at the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) 2021 International Conference on Surgical Cancer Care.1 Among patients...
New Approaches Needed for Patients With Locoregional Breast Cancer Progression During Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy
Patients with breast cancer who experience disease progression on neoadjuvant systemic therapy tend to have poor survival outcomes, even after surgical management, according to a study presented during the 2021 American Society of Breast Surgeons Annual Meeting.1 Findings from the retrospective...
Update on Clinical Trials in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
To complement The ASCO Post’s continued comprehensive coverage of the 2020 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition, here are several abstracts selected from the meeting proceedings focusing on acute myeloid leukemia (AML), such as the use of venetoclax added to...
Is Tumor Mutational Burden Predictive of Survival Outcomes in Solid Tumors Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors?
In a letter to the editor in The New England Journal of Medicine, Benoit Rousseau, MD, PhD, and Michael B. Foote, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), and colleagues presented evidence that a high tumor mutational burden (TMB) threshold of 10 alone may not be sufficient to predict...
Nivolumab/Ipilimumab Improves Overall Survival vs Chemotherapy in First-Line Treatment for Unresectable Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
As reported in The Lancet by Paul Baas, MD, of The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, and colleagues, a prespecified interim analysis in the phase III CheckMate 743 trial has shown improved overall survival with first-line nivolumab/ipilimumab vs platinum-based chemotherapy in unresectable...
Adjuvant Nivolumab Improves Disease-Free Survival vs Placebo in Resected Esophageal or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy
As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Ronan J. Kelly, MB BCh, MBA, of The Charles A. -Sammons Cancer Center at Baylor University Medical Center, and colleagues, an interim analysis of the phase III CheckMate 577 trial has shown a significant improvement in disease-free survival...
Data Analysis on Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Sheds Light on the Rising Rates in Young Adults
In May 2021, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) announced that it was updating its recommendation for when individuals at average risk of colorectal cancer should begin screening. Echoing the recommendation from the American Cancer Society in 2018, the USPSTF now recommends that those ...
Lobaplatin- vs Cisplatin-Based Induction and Chemoradiotherapy in Previously Untreated Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
In a Chinese phase III trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Xing Lv, MD, and colleagues found noninferior progression-free survival with induction therapy with the third-generation platinum lobaplatin/fluorouracil (5-FU) vs cisplatin/5-FU, followed by lobaplatin- vs cisplatin-based...
Tisotumab Vedotin in Recurrent or Metastatic Cervical Cancer
In a phase II study (innovaTV 204/GOG-3023/ENGOT-cx6) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Robert L. Coleman, MD, and colleagues found that the antibody-drug conjugate tisotumab vedotin produced durable responses in previously treated patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer.
In the...
Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Launches Redesigned Culinary Website for Cancer Patients and Survivors
Guest Editor’s Note: Healthful nutrition plays an important role throughout the cancer continuum. Given the proliferation of online dietary resources, there is a clear need for reliable information. In this article, Dr. Heather Greenlee describes the website Cook for Your Life, launched in...
FDA Approves Nivolumab for Resected Esophageal or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer
On May 20, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved nivolumab (Opdivo) for patients with completely resected esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer with residual pathologic disease who have received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.
CheckMate 577
Efficacy was evaluated in...
FDA Approves Piflufolastat F-18 Injection, a PSMA PET Imaging Agent, for the Detection of Metastatic or Recurrent Prostate Cancer
On May 27, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved piflufolastat F-18 injection (Pylarify), an F-18–labeled prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted positron-emission tomography (PET) imaging agent, to identify suspected metastasis or recurrence of prostate cancer. This is...
FDA Grants Accelerated Approval to Amivantamab-vmjw for Metastatic EGFR Exon 20 Insertion–Mutated NSCLC
On May 21, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to amivantamab-vmjw (Rybrevant), a bispecific antibody directed against epidermal growth factor and MET receptors, for adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and...
FDA Grants Accelerated Approval to Pembrolizumab Combination for HER2-Positive Gastric Cancer
On May 5, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in combination with trastuzumab plus fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-containing chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic...
I Was Given a ‘Death Sentence’ at Just 17
A minor car accident I had with my mother when I was 17 probably saved my life. We were taken to the hospital for a routine checkup, and a subsequent chest x-ray found multiple nodules on my lungs. I underwent dozens of other imaging and blood tests, and finally, my pediatrician suggested my...
Medical Oncologist Gouri Shankar Bhattacharyya, MD, FRCP, Dies of COVID-19–Related Complications
The members of the oncology community who spend time and energy addressing the growing global cancer burden in low- and middle-income countries have a kind of selfless dedication beyond the scope of the profession itself. One such medical oncologist was Gouri Shankar Bhattacharyya, MD, FRCP, a...
New Study Shows Difficulty in Identifying Transgender Individuals Using EHR Data
In order to understand and eliminate disparities in cancer incidence and outcomes among transgender people, clinicians and researchers must have data. However, these data are very difficult to obtain because gender identity data are not routinely collected in oncology practice health records.
A...
JADPRO Live Announces Dates for 2021 Annual Conference for Oncology Advanced Practitioners
The Journal of the Advanced Practitioner in Oncology (JADPRO) is presenting JADPRO Live 2021, which will bring together more than 1,000 oncology advanced practitioners—nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and advanced degree nurses—in a virtual setting from October 7 to 17, 2021. ...
Eduardo M. Sotomayor, MD, to Lead New Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute
Tampa General hospital recently announced the appointment of Eduardo M. Sotomayor, MD, as Director of its newly established Cancer Institute. A pioneer in the field of cancer immunology and immunotherapy and an expert in lymphoma research and treatment, Dr. Sotomayor will lead a team of Tampa...
The Ohio State Recruits Marcos J. de Lima, MD, to Lead Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy Programs
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center–Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC–James) has recruited Marcos J. de Lima, MD, to lead its Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy programs, two key leadership positions within central...
Gustavo Fonseca, MD, FACP, Assumes New Role at Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute
Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS) has named Gustavo “Gus” Fonseca, MD, FACP, as Medical Director of the Clinical Research Program. Dr. Fonseca will provide clinical leadership and oversight of the statewide practice’s extensive involvement in conducting phase I through IV...
Updated Information on Sotorasib Dose-Comparison Study
Amgen has announced that it agreed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's proposed postmarketing requirement to conduct, as part of the ongoing development program, a multicenter randomized clinical trial to compare the safety and efficacy of sotorasib at 960 mg once daily vs a lower daily...
Fox Chase Cancer Center’s Jennifer Barsky Reese, PhD, Receives New Investigator Award
Jennifer Barsky Reese, PhD, Associate Professor for the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center, was recently recognized with the New Investigator Award from the American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS).
“I am extremely honored to get this award. This is a testament ...
National Advocacy Organization, Children’s Cancer Cause, Invites Applications for 2021 Survivorship Champion’s Prize
The Children’s Cancer Cause is now accepting applications for its 2021 Survivorship Champion’s Prize. The annual award was established in 2020 to recognize a group, program, or institution making significant advances in programs and services to provide lifelong health maintenance for survivors of...
Pershing Square Sohn Cancer Research Alliance Awards $3.6 Million to Six Emerging Pioneers in Cancer Research
The Pershing Square Sohn Cancer Research Alliance has announced the winners of the 2021 Pershing Square Sohn Prize for Young Investigators in Cancer Research, awarded annually to cancer research scientists and physician-scientists based in the greater New York City area. The prize, totaling $3.6...
Roswell Park Immunologist Promoted to Endowed Chair Role
Following a national search, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has promoted Pawel Kalinski, MD, PhD, to Jacobs Family Endowed Chair of Immunology, Chief of the Division of Translational Immuno-Oncology, and Senior Vice President for Team Science.
On staff at Roswell Park since 2017, Dr....
The Brooklyn Cancer Center Announces New Chief of Hematology and Medical Oncology
The Brooklyn Cancer Center has named hematologist-oncologist Maxim Shulimovich, DO, as its new Chief of Hematology and Medical Oncology. His recruitment promises to lead the cancer center as a unified division to provide expert care and culturally sensitive services for patients with all types of...
Carol L. Prives, PhD, FAACR, Receives 2021 AACR–G.H.A. Clowes Award for Outstanding Basic Cancer Research
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) presented Carol L. Prives, PhD, FAACR, with the 2021 AACR–G.H.A. Clowes Award for Outstanding Basic Cancer Research during the virtual AACR Annual Meeting 2021.
Dr. Prives, the Da Costa Professor of Biology in the Department of Biological...
Two Memorial Sloan Kettering Experts Awarded for Pioneering Work
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) recently announced that Larry Norton, MD, Senior Vice President, Office of the President; and Medical Director of the Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Center, has been elected to the American Academy of the Arts & Sciences, an honorary society that recognizes ...
Senators Richard Burr and Ben Cardin Recognized as ASCO Congressional Champions for Cancer Care
ASCO has presented Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) with the annual Congressional Champion for Cancer Care Award in recognition of their ongoing commitment to legislation that improves the environment for cancer research, oncology practice, and the quality of care for patients....
Telehealth Flexibilities Helping People Have Uninterrupted Access to Cancer Care Should Continue After the COVID-19 Pandemic
ASCO submitted comments to a House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee hearing titled “Charting the Path Forward for Telehealth.” The comments convey ASCO’s views on how telehealth can better serve individuals with cancer and the oncology professionals who care for them.
During the COVID-19...
