November 10, 2017 (View All Issues)
Treatment Based on BRCA1 Expression Did Not Improve Survival in NSCLC
IN PATIENTS with early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the use of expression of BRCA1 failed as an approach to customize chemotherapy, investigators from the Spanish Lung Cancer Cooperative Group reported at the 2017 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) World...
ENDEAVOR Trial Endeavors to Make Case for Carfilzomib: Despite Survival Advantage, Should We Be Surprised?
LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION! That’s what home buyers are frequently cautioned about before purchasing a property. For trialists, and more importantly, practicing oncologists, a study’s design, akin to a property’s location, must be taken into account prior to buying into the results and...
Model Emphasizes Long-Term Risks of Ovarian Ablation Plus Aromatase Inhibitor
“At Microphone 1” is an occasional column written by Steven E. Vogl, MD, of Bronx, New York. When he’s not in his clinic, Dr. Vogl can generally be found at major oncology meetings and often at the microphone, where he stands ready with critical questions for presenters of new data. Here Dr. Vogl ...
Residual Tumor ‘Uncertain’ Classification Validated in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
After surgical resection of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), investigators from the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) have validated outcomes for tumors deemed to be of “uncertain” residual tumor status (ie, R[un]).
“The residual tumor (R) classification reflects...
No Additional Benefit Found for Routine, Early Palliative Care in Mesothelioma
Early routine specialist palliative care for patients recently diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma did not impact quality of life, an international multicenter study has found.1 “Regular early specialist palliative care for patients was not associated with improved quality of life, as...
Tumor Mutation Burden Shows Promise as a Response Biomarker in Small Cell Lung Cancer
Patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and a high tumor mutation burden had a near doubling in response rate and 1-year overall survival when ipilimumab (Yervoy) was combined with nivolumab (Opdivo), vs nivolumab alone, new findings from CheckMate 032 have shown. Regardless of the treatment...
In Patients With Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer, Tumor Mutation Load Emerging as Biomarker for Immunotherapy
Tumor mutation burden is emerging as a biomarker for selecting non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients for immunotherapy, according to Naiyer Rizvi, MD, the Price Family Chair of Clinical Translational Medicine, Professor of Medicine, and Director of Thoracic Oncology at Columbia University,...
Anti–PD-1 Agents Gaining Momentum in Gastric Cancer
In updates of two important studies in metastatic gastric cancer reported at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2017 Congress, nivolumab -(Opdivo) and pembrolizumab (Keytruda) demonstrated activity—but to varying degrees and with some nuances.
“Anti-PD [programmed cell death protein] ...
FDA Approves Novel Therapies for Lymphoma Indications
IN OCTOBER, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two novel agents for lymphoma indications: -acalabrutinib (Calquence), a kinase inhibitor, for the treatment of adults with mantle cell lymphoma who have received at least one prior therapy; and axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta), a ...
Quick Takes on Studies in Noncolorectal Gastrointestinal Cancers
In this roundup, The ASCO Post offers a glance at key findings from studies in noncolorectal gastrointestinal malignancies presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2017 Congress from investigators around the world.
Docetaxel-Based Triplet in Gastric Cancer
The superiority of...
International Trials Reveal New Findings in the Management of Breast and Ovarian Cancers
The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2017 Congress, held in Madrid, featured important news including at least seven practice-changing or potentially practice-changing trials, which are covered in recent issues of The ASCO Post. Here we present additional highlights of studies in breast ...
Resectable Pancreatic Cancer: Neoadjuvant or Adjuvant Therapy?
For potentially curable treatment of resectable pancreatic cancer, adjuvant therapy remains the standard “for now,” but evidence is growing that neoadjuvant therapy may be more beneficial, at least in certain patient subsets, according to Thomas Seufferlein, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine at the...
Pembrolizumab Benefits Patients With Recurrent Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer, Mainly High PD-L1–Expressing Tumors
Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) may be a better choice than standard of care for patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, especially those whose tumors express programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) in 50% or more of cells, suggest results of the phase III KEYNOTE-040...
First ESMO Award for Immuno-Oncology Presented to Laurence Zitvogel, MD, PhD
The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) has granted the newly established ESMO Award for Immuno-Oncology to Laurence Zitvogel, MD, PhD, for her innovating and internationally recognized achievements in the field.
Dr. Zitvogel is Professor of Immunobiology at the University of Paris XI...
How Effective Communication Is Integral to Patient-Centered Care
Communicating effectively with patients with advanced cancer not only helps patients and their family members successfully transition to palliative and end-of-life care, it can prevent physicians from experiencing professional burnout, according to Robert M. Arnold, MD, Distinguished Service...
2017 Palliative Care in Oncology Symposium
The 2017 Palliative Care in Oncology Symposium took place October 27–28 in San Diego. Photos shown here, from left to right, as follows: 1. Eduardo Bruera, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center leads a group of attendees on a poster walk and discussion; 2. Charles Loprinzi, MD, ...
Immunotherapeutic Approaches for B-Cell Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
New therapeutic agents for acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) have led to dramatic improvement in remission rates, but questions concerning the proper sequencing and combination of these agents remain. At the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) 13th Annual Congress: Hematologic...
Management of Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma in Transplant-Eligible Patients
The treatment paradigm for multiple myeloma has changed dramatically in the past decade with the availability of several efficacious agents in various drug classes. At the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) 13th Annual Congress: Hematologic Malignancies™, Shaji K. Kumar, MD, Professor...
Life After Treatment: Managing Lymphoma Survivors
According to Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data, patients with Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) have 5-year survival rates of 86% and 71%, respectively.1 Although the increased number of survivors is welcome proof of the success of new treatment regimens, it also ...
Recent Clinical Trials in Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Setting for Hematologic Malignancies
Here is a brief look at the study findings and clinical implications of several recent and important clinical trials in neoplastic hematology. Attention is focused on hematopoietic cell transplantation in a variety of hematologic malignancies, with investigations addressing the role of...
Norman E. Sharpless, MD, Sworn in as Director of the National Cancer Institute
Norman E. “Ned” Sharpless, MD, took the oath of office late Tuesday, October 17, 2017, to become the 15th Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He succeeds Harold E. Varmus, MD, who stepped down as Director in March 2015. Douglas R....
New Biosimilar Educational Materials for Health-Care Professionals From the FDA
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the release of new educational materials for health-care professionals about biosimilar and interchangeable products.
The agency developed these educational materials to help increase understanding about these important new types of...
Emeritus Membership: What Does Retirement Mean to You?
In a 2013 survey, oncologists in the United States and Canada said they aim to retire at about age 64 or 65—but the majority transition into retirement in the few years after turning 65.1 When oncologists reach the point of retirement, the transition from ever-busy physician to retiree can be a...
Twisted Pink Joins Forces With the Conquer Cancer Foundation to Support Metastatic Breast Cancer Research
As one of the few organizations exclusively focused on funding research for metastatic breast cancer, Twisted Pink has a unique story to tell. Based in Louisville, Kentucky, the organization was founded in 2014 by breast cancer survivor Caroline Johnson. While Ms. Johnson fully recovered from her...
CCF Conquerors Circle Recognizes Donors
The Conquerors Circle is the Conquer Cancer Foundation’s first-ever donor appreciation society. Donors who contribute $1,000 annually are members of the Conquerors Circle.
In appreciation for their generous and loyal support of CCF, Conquerors Circle members receive exclusive benefits based on...
Conqueror in Action: Six-Time Survivor Brittany Sullivan Takes on Sarcoma
Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) is a cancer so rare that some oncologists have never heard of it.
Brittany Sullivan, a 29-year-old anatomy teacher from Nashville, Tennessee, learned about it when she was 3 years old. She has been conquering it ever since.
Since her childhood diagnosis, Ms....
Fall Wrap-Up: Research Community Forum and 2017 ASCO Advocacy Summit
ASCO Research Community Forum
The ASCO Research Community Forum (RCF) Annual Meeting was held September 24–25, with the theme of Advancing Cancer Care Through Research Partnerships. The RCF Annual Meeting brings together ASCO leaders, regulatory experts, physician investigators, and research staff ...
ASCO’s Patient Resources for Lung Cancer Awareness Month
Visit ASCO’s patient information website, Cancer.Net, for comprehensive guides to non–small cell lung cancer at www.cancer.net/nsclc and small cell lung cancer at www.cancer.net/sclc. A shorter, one-page fact sheet on lung cancer is also available, as well as specialized resources for caregiving,...
National Academy of Medicine Elects 80 New Members
THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF MEDICINE announced the election of 70 regular members and 10 international members during its annual meeting in October. Election to the Academy is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated...
New Editor-in-Chief Named to Annals of Surgical Oncology
THE SOCIETY OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY has announced Kelly M. McMasters, MD, PhD, will assume the role of Editor-in-Chief of Annals of Surgical Oncology, effective March 2018. Dr. McMasters will oversee the print and online editions of the journal and, with Mark Roh, MD, Executive Editor, will lead the ...
Dacomitinib Prolongs Progression-Free Survival vs Gefitinib in First-Line Treatment of EGFR-Mutant NSCLC
THE PHASE III ARCHER 1050 trial has shown superior progression-free survival with the second-generation irreversible epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor dacomitinib vs gefitinib (Iressa) in the first-line treatment of advanced EGFR-mutant non–small-cell...
Dacomitinib vs Gefitinib in Advanced NSCLC: Improving Upon Established First-Line Targeted Therapy
THE RESULTS FROM the ARCHER 1050 study—reported by Wu et al1 and reviewed in this issue of The ASCO Post—highlight the recent optimism about improved outcomes in metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene. This...
Study Finds More Patients Treated for and Surviving Early-Stage NSCLC
WITH THE ADVANCEMENT of surgical and radiation therapy strategies for stage I non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), more patients are being treated, resulting in higher survival rates, according to a study published online in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.1
“More and more patients are being...
Pelvic Radiation Therapy Preferred Over Brachytherapy Plus Chemotherapy in Treatment of High-Risk Endometrial Cancer
VAGINAL CUFF BRACHYTHERAPY plus chemotherapy failed to show superiority over pelvic radiation therapy for women with high-risk stage I–II endometrial cancer in a phase III trial.1 Furthermore, vaginal cuff brachytherapy plus chemotherapy led to more pelvic and para-aortic nodal recurrences and...
Long-Term Survival Rates More Than Double Previous Estimates for Locally Advanced Lung Cancer
THE LONG-TERM RESULTS of a phase III clinical trial indicate that survival rates for patients receiving chemoradiation for unresectable, locally advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may be more than twice as high as previous estimates, setting a new benchmark of survival for patients with...
Balancing Immune-Related Adverse Events With Efficacy of Dual Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy in Melanoma
MUCH PROGRESS has been made in the past decade in the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed metastatic melanoma. In the front-line setting, programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) monotherapy (nivolumab [Opdivo] and pembrolizumab [Keytruda]) and combined PD-1 plus cytotoxic...
FDA Approves Intravenous Rolapitant for Prevention of Delayed Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting
ON OCTOBER 25, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved intravenous (IV) rolapitant (Varubi) in combination with other antiemetic agents in adults for the prevention of delayed nausea and vomiting associated with initial and repeat courses of emetogenic cancer chemotherapy, including...
UCLA Researchers Awarded $1M Grant to Advance Prostate Cancer Research
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA at Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers Johannes Czernin, MD, and Caius Radu, MD, have been awarded a 2017 Challenge Award from the Prostate Cancer Foundation to fund their preclinical studies and clinical trials testing the efficacy of 177-Lu-PSMA-617, a novel radiation-emitting ...
Fox Chase Cancer Center Receives Historic Gift to Establish Pancreatic Cancer Institute
PHILADELPHIA PHILANTHROPIST Concetta “Chet” Greenberg has made a transformational gift to create The Marvin and Concetta Greenberg Pancreatic Cancer Institute at Fox Chase Cancer Center. This multimillion-dollar commitment will significantly accelerate the pace of pancreatic cancer research, and...
Clinical Trials Actively Recruiting Patients With Lung Cancer
THE INFORMATION contained in this Clinical Trials Resource Guide includes actively recruiting clinical studies focused on patients with lung cancer. These studies highlight combinations of chemotherapy, mutation-specific treatments, stereotactic body radiation therapy, metastatic control, cancer...
Two Individuals Recognized With NCCS Ellen L. Stovall Award
THE NATIONAL COALITION FOR CANCER SURVIVORSHIP (NCCS) presented its second annual Ellen L. Stovall Award for Innovation in Patient-Centered Cancer Care recently in Washington, DC. This year’s award recipients were Pat Coyne, MSN, of the Medical University of South Carolina, and Meg Gaines, JD, of...
National Cancer Institute Awards Dr. Ruth Etzioni 5-Year Grant to Fill Gaps in Cancer-Recurrence Data
RUTH ETZIONI, PhD, a Biostatistician at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center’s Public Health Sciences Division, has received a 5–year National Institutes of Health grant to advance the science of cancer surveillance by developing, validating, and deploying a scalable and automated approach for...
Barrie Cassileth, PhD: A Pioneer in Integrative Oncology
Integrative oncology is an evolving evidence-based specialty providing whole-person care by combining conventional approved cancer treatments with integrative and complementary therapies that best serve the needs of patients based on their diagnosis, prognosis, treatment history, and individual...
New Cancer Care Collaboration Brings Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Care to Norwalk Hospital
NORWALK HOSPITAL and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) announced a new cancer care collaboration that will integrate MSK medical and radiation oncologists and care practices with the existing cancer program at the C. Anthony and Jean Whittingham Cancer Center at Norwalk Hospital.
For...
Gerold Bepler, MD, PhD, Elected to Association of American Cancer Institute’s Board of Directors
GEROLD BEPLER, MD, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, has been elected to serve a 3-year term on the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) Board of Directors. AACI comprises 97 leading cancer research centers in North America and is ...
A Revolutionary Technology Offers Hope and Ethical Concern
Aldous Huxley’s classic 1932 dystopian novel Brave New World pictures an eerie future where humans are genetically bred, altered to create worthy citizens. Welcome back to the future. First there was the astounding feat of sequencing the entire human genome; now, thanks to a revolutionary...
Life With Death in the Room
It began, as so many do, with what a doctor often calls “a small spot,” a vague description that makes a potentially fatal disease sound like something that, with a slight bit of attention, can be ridded, like erasing a misplaced comma. In 2015, during a routine mammogram, doctors found one...
Paul Neiman, MD, PhD, Founding Member of Fred Hutch, Dies at 78
PAUL NEIMAN, MD, PhD, a founding member of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Fred Hutch), transplant physician, and cancer biologist, died on October 11 of complications from pancreatic cancer. He was 78.
Dr. Neiman was also one of the founders and leaders of the Basic Sciences Division,...
BRCA1/2 Status in Response to Therapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
An analysis of the GeparSixto trial in triple-negative breast cancer showed that adding carboplatin to neoadjuvant therapy improved pathologic complete response rate in patients without BRCA1/2 mutation and that response rates were higher overall in those with mutations, without additive effects...
10-Year Follow-up on Adjuvant Therapy in Postmenopausal Early Breast Cancer
The 10-year follow-up of the phase III TEAM trial has shown that exemestane alone and sequential tamoxifen/exemestane provide similar outcomes as adjuvant endocrine therapy in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor–positive early breast cancer. The findings were reported in The Lancet...
Ovarian Function Recovery During Anastrozole Therapy in Postmenopausal Patients With Breast Cancer
In the phase III DATA trial reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute by Vivianne C.G. Tjan-Heijnen, MD, PhD, of the Maastricht University Medical Centre, the Netherlands, and colleagues, 12% of women with breast cancer who had chemotherapy-induced ovarian function failure...
Predisposition to Breast Cancer due to Mutations Other Than BRCA1/BRCA2 in Ashkenazi Jewish Women
A cohort study in Ashkenazi Jewish women with breast cancer identified mutations other than BRCA1 and BRCA2 founder alleles that were associated with cancer risk. These results were reported by Walsh et al in JAMA Oncology. Among Ashkenazi Jewish women, three mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2...
ARIEL3 Investigators Clarify the Effects of Rucaparib on the Liver
PRIMARY RESULTS from the randomized, placebo-controlled, phase III study ARIEL3—presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2017 Congress and published recently in The Lancet1—demonstrated that maintenance treatment with the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor...
