May 10, 2021 (View All Issues)
CheckMate 816: Neoadjuvant Nivolumab Plus Chemotherapy Boosts Pathologic Complete Response in Resectable NSCLC
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with nivolumab plus platinum-doublet chemotherapy significantly improved pathologic complete response rates compared with chemotherapy alone in patients with resectable stage IB to IIIA non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to the results of the CheckMate 816 study...
How MRD Assessment May Help Guide Treatment Selection for Patients With AML
Complete morphologic remission is considered the first requirement for achieving long-term, leukemia-free survival and a potential cure in patients with acute leukemia, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and is the goal of all therapeutic strategies to date. Recognizing that the majority of...
Margetuximab-cmkb: A Novel Agent Overshadowed by an Abundance of Options in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
It is incredible to reflect upon the scientific advances in the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer over the past 23 years. Once considered the worst subtype of breast cancer, HER2-positive disease is now associated with the best long-term outcomes in this age of targeted treatments. With a...
Phase III ARIEL4 Confirms Rucaparib’s Benefit in BRCA-Mutated Relapsed Ovarian Cancer
In patients with BRCA-mutated, advanced, relapsed ovarian cancer, treatment with the PARP (poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase) inhibitor rucaparib led to a significant improvement in progression-free survival compared with standard-of-care chemotherapy, according to results of the international phase III ...
Shared Risk Factors for Preventing Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease: The Evolving Focus of Cardio-oncology
Cardio-oncology represents the intersection of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Cancer therapies can result in cardiovascular complications, and some patients become less attentive to their chronic disease management after a diagnosis of cancer. As cancer patients are living longer, for some,...
Tebentafusp Shows Overall Survival Benefit in First-Line Treatment of Metastatic Uveal Melanoma
Treatment with tebentafusp—a novel bispecific fusion protein—reduced the risk of death from metastatic uveal melanoma by half, compared with available treatments, in a phase III study presented at the virtual American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2021.1 This is the first...
Expert Point of View: Caroline Robert, MD
This is the first randomized trial that is positive for overall survival in uveal melanoma, and I’m very excited about the results, which I consider seminal and practice-changing,” said formal discussant Caroline Robert, MD, of Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France. “This is such a rare tumor, but it...
CHRONOS-3: Addition of Copanlisib to Rituximab Extends Progression-Free Survival in Relapsed Indolent NHL
The combination of the PI3K inhibitor copanlisib plus the monoclonal antibody rituximab reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 48% compared with placebo plus rituximab in patients with relapsed indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), according to the results of the phase III CHRONOS-3...
Oncologists Launch Global Society to Improve Clinical Research, Standardize Treatment, and Improve Patient Education About Rare Genitourinary Tumors
Late this past year, a group of oncologists led by Philippe E. Spiess, MD, MS, FRCS(C), FACS, Assistant Chief of Surgical Services and Senior Member in the Department of Genitourinary Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center and Professor in the Department of Urology at the University of South Florida;...
Surge of Patients With Advanced Cancer Expected Due to Delayed Diagnosis and Treatment During Pandemic
Pent up demand for cancer screenings, diagnostic workups, and treatments delayed or curtailed since the start of the pandemic is expected to result in a surge of patients—some with more advanced disease as a result of delays—seeking appointments with oncologists.
“We are starting to...
Heritability Genes Identified in Childhood Neuroblastoma
Researchers have made progress in unravelling the genetic underpinnings of pediatric neuroblastoma. Two main inherited pathogenic genetic variants have been identified and appear to be associated with worse outcomes: the ALK gene and loss of function in PHOX2B. The research, conducted with the...
Comparing Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab vs Nivolumab Alone in Resected Stage III to IV Melanoma
The addition of ipilimumab to nivolumab failed to improve outcomes compared with nivolumab alone as adjuvant therapy for resected melanoma, according to the results of the CheckMate 915 trial, presented at the virtual edition of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting...
Phase II Trial Reports Anticancer Activity With Novel FGFR Inhibitor in Advanced Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma
Futibatinib—a selective, fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitor—demonstrated anticancer activity in patients with advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and FGFR2 fusions or rearrangements. These findings are based on the primary results of the phase II FOENIX-CCA2 trial, which were...
Hormonal Intrauterine Device Under Study for Managing Early Endometrial Cancer
Disease regression was observed in 82% of women with endometrial hyperplasia with atypia and 43% of women with endometrial cancer after treatment for 6 months with a hormonal intrauterine device in a phase II study reported during the virtual edition of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO)...
Expanding Role of Liquid Biopsies in Cancer Detection and Therapeutics: Now and in the Near Future
“It is possible that within the next several years, perhaps 75% of cancers can be detected by screening,” Bert Vogelstein, MD, PhD, projected at the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) 2021 International Conference on Surgical Cancer Care.1 “I anticipate that perhaps 50% of cancers can be detected...
Study Finds Adjuvant Immunotherapy of Benefit to Patients With Stage IIB/C Melanoma
A significant survival advantage accrued to patients with stage IIB and IIC cutaneous melanoma who received adjuvant immunotherapy, a large retrospective cohort study reported at the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) 2021 International Conference on Surgical Cancer Care.1 The 3-year overall...
Virtual Meetings Are Here to Stay
In 2020, the 8th Annual Beirut Breast Cancer Conference (BBCC) was our last in-person meeting. The first cases of COVID-19 started in Lebanon around the end of February 2020, and the pandemic continues into its second year, with waves of rising cases following superspreader events and other likely...
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: Current Status and Future Directions
Although head and neck cancers include multiple histologies and primary sites, squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) originating in the oropharynx, oral cavity, larynx, or hypopharynx are the most common. Today, we recognize different types of head and neck cancers, primarily those that are human...
Bispecific Antibody Platform: Early Data in Relapsed and Refractory Myeloma
“There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.”
—Bernard Williams
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...
Margetuximab-cmkb Plus Chemotherapy Prolongs Progression-Free Survival in Heavily Pretreated HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
As reported in JAMA Oncology by Hope S. Rugo, MD, of the University of California San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, and colleagues, the phase III SOPHIA trial has shown significantly prolonged progression-free survival with margetuximab-cmkb plus chemotherapy vs...
First-Line Pembrolizumab Plus Chemotherapy in PD-L1–Positive Locally Recurrent Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
As reported in The Lancet by Javier Cortes, MD, of the International Breast Cancer Center, Quiron Group, Madrid and Barcelona, and colleagues, the second interim analysis of the phase III -KEYNOTE-355 trial has shown that the addition of pembrolizumab to chemotherapy improved progression-free...
Are Prevalent Cardiovascular Risk Factors Associated With Increased Risk of Subsequent Cancer?
In a study reported in JACC: CardioOncology, Emily S. Lau, MD, of the Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, and colleagues found that the presence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors was significantly associated with an increased risk of future...
Overall Survival With Olaparib vs Placebo Maintenance in Patients With Platinum-Sensitive Relapsed Ovarian Cancer and BRCA1/2 Mutation
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Andrés Poveda, MD, and colleagues, the phase III SOLO2/ENGOT-Ov21 trial has shown a large numeric but statistically nonsignificant improvement in the secondary endpoint of overall survival with olaparib tablet maintenance therapy vs placebo in patients with...
Pembrolizumab in Microsatellite Instability–High Advanced Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer
In an analysis reported in JAMA Oncology, Joseph Chao, MD, and colleagues found improved outcomes with pembrolizumab treatment in patients with microsatellite instability–high (MSI-H) advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer, irrespective of line of treatment. The findings suggest that...
Cemiplimab-rwlc for First-Line Treatment of NSCLC With High PD-L1 Expression
On February 22, 2021, cemiplimab-rwlc was approved for first-line treatment of patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC; locally advanced who are not candidates for surgical resection or definitive chemoradiation therapy or metastatic) whose tumors have high PD-L1 expression (tumor...
FDA Approves Nivolumab in Combination With Chemotherapy for Metastatic Gastric Cancer and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma
On April 16, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved nivolumab (Opdivo) in combination with fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-containing chemotherapy for advanced or metastatic gastric cancer, gastroesophageal junction cancer, and esophageal adenocarcinoma.
CheckMate 649
The...
Patrizia Cavazzoni, MD, Named Director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
On April 12, Patrizia Cavazzoni, MD, was announced as the Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Janet Woodcock, MD, Acting Commissioner of the FDA, noted on Twitter: “Pleased to announce the permanent appointment of...
A Sense of Duty Shapes the Career of Medical Oncologist Aparna Parikh, MD
By way of her family lineage, Aparna Parikh, MD, seemed destined for a career in medicine. “Both of my parents are physicians, as well as my maternal grandfather. I have two other siblings, all of whom are in the medical field. Medicine has always been part of my life since childhood. My parents...
Cannabis
The ASCO Post’s Integrative Oncology series is intended to facilitate the availability of evidence-based information on integrative and complementary therapies sometimes used by patients with cancer. In this article, Nirupa Raghunathan, MD, and Jyothirmai Gubili, MS, focus on the increasing use ...
What You Need to Know About Cancer and the Coronavirus
As a three-time breast cancer survivor, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States this past January, I knew I had to do everything I could to avoid getting the virus. A host of lingering side effects from my surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments have left me with cardiovascular ...
ASCO and Ontario Health Publish Joint Update on Guideline for Targeted Therapy in NSCLC With Driver Alterations
ASCO and Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) have jointly published an update1 to the 2017 ASCO guideline2 regarding systemic therapy recommendations for stage IV non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with driver alterations. Guideline Co-Chair Nasser H. Hanna, MD, of the Indiana University Simon...
Chênevert Family Brain Tumor Center Launched at Yale
Yale School of Medicine recently announced a gift to establish the Chênevert Family Brain Tumor Center at Yale Cancer Center. The Center will be a leading institution in worldwide neuro-oncology research, bringing groundbreaking solutions and hope to patients with brain tumors.
The gift will...
Maryam Lustberg, MD, MPH, Accepts Leadership Roles at Smilow Cancer Hospital, Yale Cancer Center
Maryam Lustberg, MD, MPH, has been appointed Director of The Breast Center at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Chief of Breast Medical Oncology at Yale Cancer Center. She will also join the faculty at Yale Cancer Center as Associate Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology).
Dr. Lustberg joins Yale...
Frederick W. Alt, PhD, Honored With 2021 AACR Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is recognizing geneticist Frederick W. Alt, PhD, with the 18th AACR Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research.
Dr. Alt is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, Director of the Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine at...
New Director of Neuro-Oncology Named to Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey has appointed Michael E. Salacz, MD, as Director of its Neuro-Oncology Program. The Associate Professor of Medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School joins Rutgers Cancer Institute from the University of Kansas Medical Center, where he served as...
UCLA Team Receives $6 Million From NIH to Explore New Pancreatic Cancer Therapies
A team of researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has been awarded two research grants totaling $6 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to identify new ways to treat pancreatic cancer.
“Pancreatic cancer is one of...
‘MethylationToActivity’: A Deep Learning Framework for Epigenetic Research
Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are using a type of machine learning to put a new twist on an established technique. The researchers created MethylationToActivity (M2A), a framework for using DNA methylation data to reveal promoter activity and gene expression. The results were...
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Opens New State-of-the-Art Location
Dana-Farber Cancer Instituterecently announced a major expansion with the opening of a hospital facility in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, to provide increased cancer care and outpatient services for adult patients in the region. The new 140,000–square foot, state-of-art outpatient facility is...
City of Hope Renames Research Center as the Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute
City of Hope has announced the renaming of its diabetes research center as the Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute, in honor of its long-time director and research pioneer. Arthur Riggs, PhD, is known for scientific achievements that include developing the technology leading ...
American Cancer Society Names Karen E. Knudsen, MBA, PhD, as Its Next Chief Executive Officer
Karen E. Knudsen, MBA, PhD, will be the next Chief Executive Officer of the American Cancer Society and its advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), starting June 1, 2021. She will take the reins from the retiring Gary Reedy, who has served as both...
AACR Inaugurates New Leadership at Virtual AACR Annual Business Meeting 2021
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) welcomed David A. Tuveson, MD, PhD, FAACR, as President of the organization for 2021–2022. He was inaugurated during the AACR Annual Business Meeting, held virtually on April 12.
Dr. Tuveson is Director of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cancer ...
Roswell Park Is First Site in Region Named a Resource for Patients With Rare Genetic Disease
Living with a genetic disorder that calls for regular monitoring, appropriate treatment, and emotional support calls for a multidisciplinary team that works together to coordinate patient care. Those diagnosed with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease have a resource for complete and coordinated care in ...
Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Names Kieron Dunleavy, MD, to Leadership Positions in Hematology
Kieron Dunleavy, MD, was appointed Director of Hematology at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, in Washington, DC. He is now also Chief of the Lymphoma Program at Georgetown University. Dr. Dunleavy joined Lombardi/Georgetown earlier this year. He is former Professor ...
Cleveland Clinic Appoints Brian Bolwell, MD, FACP, to New Leadership Role; Jame Abraham, MD, to Serve as Acting Chair, Taussig Cancer Institute
Brian Bolwell, MD, FACP, has been appointed to the newly created role of Chair, Physician Leadership and Development within the Mandel Global Leadership and Learning Institute at Cleveland Clinic. His new position is effective May 1, 2021.
Dr. Bolwell has served as Chair of Cleveland Clinic...
Randall F. Holcombe, MD, MBA, Named Director of UVM Cancer Center and Chief of Hematology and Oncology
The Robert Larner, MD, College of Medicine at The University of Vermont (UVM), in collaboration with the UVM Health Network and the UVM Medical Center, has announced that Randall F. Holcombe, MD, MBA, has been appointed Director of the UVM Cancer Center and Chief of the Division of Hematology and...
UPMC Hillman Names New Hematology Oncology Chief
Taofeek K. Owonikoko, MD, PhD, will join the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UMPC) Hillman Cancer Center and Department of Medicine as Chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology. A physician-scientist board-certified in medical oncology, hematology, and internal medicine, Dr. Owonikoko...
Fostering a Global Community of Early-Career Oncologists, Virtually
In a typical year, the new participants in ASCO and Conquer Cancer’s International Development and Education Awards (IDEA) and International Development and Education Awards–Palliative Care (IDEA-PC) program would arrive at the McCormick Place Convention Center just ahead of the ASCO Annual...
ASCO Answers Guide: Cancer Survivorship
As patients finish active treatment, they often wonder: “What happens next?” ASCO Answers: Cancer Survivorship assists in answering this often-difficult question by helping patients better understand survivorship, including its psychological, physical, sexual, reproductive, financial, and...
New Savings on HealthCare.gov Follow COVID Relief Package
As of April 1, additional savings may be available for new and current consumers who purchase health insurance on HealthCare.gov following passage of the American Rescue Plan. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) also extended access to the Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for the...
