November 10, 2020 (View All Issues)
- Adult patients with relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma
- Pediatric patients with refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma or classical Hodgkin...
- Practical tips for supporting a patient with cancer
- Advice for talking with family and the health-care team
- Convenient symptom and medication trackers
Surgery Improves Survival in Older Women With Early Estrogen Receptor–Positive Breast Cancer
Older women with estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer have poorer survival than younger women, but this gap might be closed by offering surgery to women over age 70 who are fit and have resectable tumors. According to a study presented at the 12th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC 12),...
Lung Cancer: Precision Therapies at the Forefront
What a difference 20 years have made! In the year 2000, the results of the ECOG 1594 trial were reported at the plenary session of the ASCO Annual Meeting. The study demonstrated comparable outcomes between four different platinum-based chemotherapy regimens for the treatment of metastatic...
Results From ASCO’s 2020 National Cancer Opinions Survey
As in past years, the results from ASCO’s 2020 National Cancer Opinions Survey showed a startling dichotomy in the perceptions of Americans on a variety of health-care issues. As expected, the two major events this year, the COVID-19 pandemic and a national reckoning over racial injustice,...
No Biochemical Progression-Free Survival Benefit With Adjuvant vs Salvage Radiotherapy After Radical Prostatectomy for Prostate Cancer
As reported in The Lancet by Christopher C. Parker, MD, of Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Sutton, United Kingdom, and colleagues, initial findings in the phase III RADICALS-RT trial have shown no biochemical progression-free survival benefit with adjuvant radiotherapy vs a policy of salvage...
Beyond BROCADE3: Just the Beginning for Veliparib-Based Therapy in Advanced BRCA-Mutated Breast Cancer
As recently reported in The Lancet Oncology and reviewed in the October 10, 2020, issue of The ASCO Post, the phase III BROCADE3 trial has shown that the addition of veliparib to carboplatin and paclitaxel improved progression-free survival in previously treated BRCA-mutated advanced breast...
Do All Patients With Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Need CAR T-Cell Therapy?
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has made great strides in treating patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large-B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), but there may be newer strategies that can produce equivalent outcomes, and not all patients with...
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: New Treatments Achieve Deeper Remissions
At the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) 2020 Virtual Congress: Hematologic Malignancies, William Wierda, MD, PhD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, reviewed current data on chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), including promising new combinations of modern...
Reducing Symptomatic Toxicity Burden in Older Patients With Advanced Cancer Via Geriatric Assessment
As the number of older patients with cancer continues to rise, interventions that reduce the high rates of symptoms, toxicity, and distress in this population are urgently needed. Research presented during the 2020 ASCO Quality Care Symposium has added to the growing body of evidence supporting...
Medical Financial Hardship: Pervasive and Possibly Linked to Mortality Among Patients With Cancer
Reducing the financial impact of cancer diagnosis and treatment may save not only bank accounts but lives as well, according to recent data. Two separate survey studies presented during the 2020 ASCO Quality Care Symposium have highlighted the pervasiveness and deadliness of financial toxicity,...
Reducing Emergency Department Visits: Better Patient Outreach May Improve Care, Treatment Costs
Identifying patients at risk for adverse outcomes and intervening with intensive clinical services may improve cancer care while saving billions of dollars in avoidable emergency department (ED) visits. And, in fact, cancer centers may already have all the information they need to do so, according...
Liquid Biopsy: Mounting Evidence Shows Clinical Utility in Tumor Monitoring
A “blood-first” approach could soon shift the diagnostic paradigm in advanced lung cancer, replacing tissue biopsy with minimally invasive assays. According to Natasha B. Leighl, MD, MMSc, FRCPC, FASCO, there is rapidly mounting evidence that liquid biopsy serves a prognostic function in advanced...
An Integrated Framework for Improving Outcomes in Pancreatic Cancer
Drawing on several lines of ongoing research, David A. Tuveson, MD, PhD, has created a theoretical framework to consider while developing clinical trials in pancreatic cancer. In his keynote lecture at the 2020 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer, ...
New Maintenance Therapies in Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Aim to End Perpetual Chemotherapy
The advent of effective combination chemotherapies has changed the treatment landscape for metastatic pancreatic cancer, extending median survival and leading to durable responses in a subset of patients. However, perpetual chemotherapy is cumulatively toxic, leading to progressive bone marrow...
Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: Leveraging Molecular Data to Drive Clinical Advances
With the worst 5-year overall survival of all cancers and the second-leading cause of cancer death, pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains a dismal prognosis for the vast majority of patients. However, more accurate tumor staging and better understanding of distinct molecular subgroups have started to...
OneOncology Launches Community Oncology Research Network
OneOncology, a partnership of independent oncology practices, has announced the formation of a separate subsidiary, the OneOncology Research Network (OneR). The new platform is a national nonexclusive clinical trial site management organization that will enhance the current research programs...
FDA Approves Venetoclax Combination Regimen for Certain Adult Patients With AML
On October 16, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted regular approval to venetoclax (Venclexta) in combination with azacitidine, decitabine, or low-dose cytarabine for newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in adults age 75 or older or who have comorbidities precluding intensive ...
FDA Approves Remdesivir for Patients With COVID-19 Requiring Hospitalization
On October 22, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the antiviral drug remdesivir (Veklury) for use in adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older and weighing at least 40 kg for the treatment of COVID-19 requiring hospitalization.
Remdesivir should only be administered...
FDA Extends the Approval of Pembrolizumab for Patients With Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma
On October 14, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) extended the approval of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for the following indications:
PALOMA-3 Exploratory Analysis: Who Benefits Most From Palbociclib?
The phase III PALOMA-3 trial significantly reduced the risk of disease progression by 50% in patients with hormone receptor–positive/HER2-negative advanced breast cancer, but the improvement in overall survival did not reach statistical significance.1 An exploratory subgroup analysis has now shown...
Predicting Cardiovascular Disease Risk Via Routine CT Scans in Women With Breast Cancer
Coronary artery calcification scores based on routine computed tomography (CT) scans used for planning radiotherapy therapy may be able to predict which women with breast cancer have a high probability of developing cardiovascular disease. The promise of this research is that once high-risk...
Novel Treatments Show Activity in Advanced Cervical Cancer
The treatment of recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer has not changed much in recent years, but according to preliminary trials presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Virtual Congress 2020, checkpoint inhibitors and antibody-drug conjugates may become new options.
In the...
SOLO-1 Trial: After 5 Years, Maintenance Olaparib Still Keeps Ovarian Cancer at Bay
The long-term results of the pivotal SOLO-1 trial have shown that maintenance olaparib more than doubles the 5-year disease-free survival time for patients who have newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer with BRCA mutations, according to an update presented at the European Society for Medical...
DANUBE Trial Reports No Survival Benefit With First-Line Durvalumab in Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Thomas Powles, MD, of Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, and colleagues, the phase III DANUBE trial showed that durvalumab monotherapy did not prolong overall survival vs standard chemotherapy in previously untreated patients with...
ASTRO Issues Clinical Guideline on Radiation Therapy for Rectal Cancer
A new clinical guideline from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) provides guidance for physicians who use radiation therapy to treat patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. Recommendations outline indications and best practices for pelvic radiation treatments, as well as the...
Tazemetostat in Relapsed or Refractory Follicular Lymphoma
In a phase II trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Franck Morschhauser, MD, and colleagues found that the oral EZH2 inhibitor tazemetostat produced durable responses in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma with or without an EZH2 mutation.
As noted by the investigators,...
Swedish Study of HPV Vaccination and Risk of Invasive Cervical Cancer
In a study reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Lei et al found that receipt of the quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine among girls and young women was associated with a substantial reduction in the risk of invasive cervical cancer.
As stated by the investigators, “The...
Adjuvant vs Early Salvage Radiotherapy After Radical Prostatectomy in High-Risk Prostate Cancer
In a phase III noninferiority trial (RAVES) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Kneebone et al found that salvage radiotherapy did not meet noninferiority criteria for biochemical progression vs adjuvant radiotherapy, but was associated with nearly identical biochemical control rates and reduced...
Hypofractionated Stereotactic Radiotherapy to the Resection Cavity in Patients With Brain Metastases
In a multi-institutional cohort study reported in JAMA Oncology, Eitz et al found that hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (HSRT) to the resection cavity in patients with brain metastases appears to be associated with an “excellent risk-benefit profile.”
As stated by the investigators, “For ...
Avelumab Maintenance Therapy Improves Overall Survival in Advanced or Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma
As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Thomas Powles, MD, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, and colleagues, the phase III JAVELIN Bladder 100 trial found that maintenance treatment with avelumab plus best supportive care significantly improved overall survival...
Cancer on the Global Stage: Incidence and Cancer-Related Mortality in Chile
Chile has a population of approximately 19 million living predominantly in urban areas (87.7%), with a population density of 66 inhabitants per square mile.1 For the year 2020, approximately 12% of its population was older than 65 years.1
Socioeconomic Trends and Cancer
The country has...
FDA Approves Companion Diagnostic for Three Targeted Therapies for Advanced Ovarian, Breast, and Non–Small Cell Lung Cancers
On October 27, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the FoundationOne Liquid CDx test for three new companion diagnostic indications to help match patients who may benefit from treatment with specific FDA-approved targeted therapies. The new indications are for alpelisib...
Huntsman Cancer Institute Names New Chief Academic Officer and Senior Director of Basic Science
Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah recently announced leadership appointments for two long-standing cancer center members. Brad Cairns, PhD, has accepted an appointment as Chief Academic Officer at HCI, and Alana Welm, PhD, has accepted an appointment as Senior Director of...
AACI President Knudsen to Focus 2-Year Term on Mitigating Health Disparities
Karen E. Knudsen, MBA, PhD, is the new President of the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI). She began her 2-year term at the close of the virtual 2020 AACI/Cancer Center Administrators Forum (CCAF) Annual Meeting. A member of AACI’s Board of Directors since 2016, Dr. Knudsen...
Selpercatinib Shows Activity in RET Fusion–Positive NSCLC and RET-Altered Thyroid Cancer
As reported inThe New England Journal of Medicine by Alexander Drilon, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, and colleagues and by Lori J. Wirth, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, and colleagues, the phase I/II LIBRETTO-001 trial has shown marked activity of the RET...
Second-Line Pembrolizumab Improves Overall Survival vs Chemotherapy in Patients with Advanced Esophageal Cancer
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Takashi Kojima, MD, of the National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan, and colleagues, the phase III KEYNOTE-181 trial has shown that second-line pembrolizumab improved overall survival vs the investigator choice of chemotherapy in...
National Academy of Medicine Elects New Members
The National Academy of Medicine recently announced the election of 90 regular members and 10 international members during its annual meeting. Election to the Academy is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated...
Cancer in Older Adults: The History of Geriatric Oncology, Part 3
In the preceding two issues of The ASCO Post, we explored the overall history of geriatric oncology from 1980 to 2020. In this concluding part of the series, we focus on the invaluable contributions made by oncology nurses to the field.
Over the past several decades, geriatric oncology has ...
LUNGevity Launches New Lung Cancer Advocacy Program
LUNGevity Foundation, the nation’s leading lung cancer–focused nonprofit organization, recently announced the launch of the LUNGevity Action Network, a new engagement program that enables lung cancer advocacy at many levels. The Action Network empowers advocates to engage in awareness and policy...
Recently Approved and Emerging Therapies for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
“Triple-negative breast cancer has multiple different subtypes, and there are targeted therapies that can be used based on the biomarkers that we identify for each patient,” Kari B. Wisinski, MD, noted in a review of recently approved and emerging therapies at the 2020 Lynn Sage Breast Cancer...
CancerCare Welcomes J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, MD, MACP, to Board of Trustees
CancerCare, a leading national nonprofit organization providing free support services to anyone affected by cancer, welcomed new board member J. Leonard (Len) Lichtenfeld, MD, MACP, who most recently served as Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the American Cancer Society at its global headquarters...
Erratum
An article in the September 25, 2020, issue of The ASCO Post, “Enthusiastic Response to Novel Therapies on the Horizon in Multiple Myeloma,” contained a couple of errors in its discussion of cereblon E3 ligase (CEL) modulators. The CEL modulator CC-92480 was misidentified (as CC-92380), and the...
Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, Named Deputy Editor of JCO Oncology Practice
Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, has been named Deputy Editor of ASCO’s JCO Oncology Practice (JCO OP). Dr. Abraham is Chairman of the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Cleveland Clinic and Professor of Medicine at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine.
The mission of JCO OP, now...
First-Line Pembrolizumab Delays Disease Progression in PD-L1–Expressing Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
In the phase III KEYNOTE-355 trial, pembrolizumab combined with several chemotherapy partners yielded a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival vs chemotherapy alone in patients with previously untreated locally advanced or metastatic...
Richard Pazdur, MD, Awarded the Simon M. Shubitz Cancer Prize and Lectureship
For more than 4 decades, the University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation’s Simon M. Shubitz Cancer Prize and Lectureship has honored an internationally renowned individual for his or her exceptional contributions to cancer research and clinical care. The recipient of this year’s award is...
After Surgery for Colorectal Cancer, Intensive Monitoring of Little Benefit: PRODIGE 13
Is intensive monitoring of patients after curative colorectal cancer resection warranted? Not necessarily, according to the findings of PRODIGE 13, reported at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Virtual Congress 2020.1
“After curative surgery, the addition of CEA [carcinoembryonic...
NCCN Announces Beth Gaffney, MBA, as New Vice President of U.S. and Global Business Development
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) announced the appointment of Beth Gaffney, MBA, as the new Vice President of U.S. and Global Business Development. In this role, Ms. Gaffney will oversee both U.S. and global business activities and the development of the NCCN brand worldwide.
Ms. ...
Fragment Analysis as a MET Exon 14 Screening Strategy in NSCLC Tumors
Comparison of two techniques used in screening non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumor samples demonstrated that fragment analysis could detect large MET exon 14 skipping deletions that were missed by next-generation sequencing, according to findings presented at the Molecular Analysis for...
CURE Media Group Announces Recipients of 2020 Lung Cancer Heroes Award
The CURE Media Group, a multimedia platform devoted to cancer updates and research that reaches more than 1 million patients, recently announced four recipients of the inaugural 2020 Lung Cancer Heroes awards and the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement award.
The 2020 Lung Cancer Heroes are:
...
After Leaving His Home in Syria to Train Abroad, an Oncologist Makes a Tough Decision to Return
For this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Nedal Estfan, MD, a noted Syrian oncologist who was at the forefront of his county’s earliest efforts to establish a national cancer care system during a time of political and military turmoil....
Committed to Excellence: Oncology Drug Development Marches on Amid a Pandemic
Instituted as part of the 21st Century Cures Act, the Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) fosters a unified interaction between three U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) centers: Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, and Center for Devices and...
Companion Diagnostic to Identify NTRK Fusions in Patients With Solid Tumors Eligible for Larotrectinib Treatment Approved by FDA
On October 23, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the next-generation sequencing–based FoundationOne CDx test as a companion diagnostic to identify fusions in the neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase (NTRK) genes NTRK1, NTRK2, and NTRK3 in DNA isolated from tumor tissue...
As a Young Oncologist, Enrique Soto Pérez de Celis, MD, MSc, Met a Career-Changing Mentor at the ASCO Annual Meeting
Geriatric oncologist and researcher Enrique Soto Pérez de Celis, MD, MSc, was born in Mexico City and grew up in the nearby city of Puebla. “There were no physicians in the family who might have influenced my decision to become a doctor, but both of my parents were academics; my mother was a...
ACCC Statement on Rise of Cancer Mortality and Advanced Cancer Rates in 2020
Randall A. Oyer, MD, President of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC), released a statement regarding the rise in mortality rates of specific cancers and the rise in the occurrence of advanced metastatic cancers in 2020. New research presented at the United European...
Using Meaning-Centered Interventions to Address Suffering on the Cancer Journey
A large body of research has shed light on how the cancer experience and related losses often leave patients and their families struggling to find a sense of meaning in their lives.1-7 The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified these difficulties, as meaningful activities and experiences have been...
ASTRO Honors 2020 Gold Medalists
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) recognized the recipients of its 2020 Gold Medal awards and other honors at the 62nd ASTRO Annual Meeting, which was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ASTRO Gold Medal
Bruce Haffty, MD, FASTRO, and Brian O’Sullivan, MD, FASTRO, were each ...
Dr. Christina Cone Honored With Mary Pazdur Award for Excellence in Advanced Practice in Oncology
The Advanced Practitioner Society for Hematology and Oncology (APSHO) presented the third annual Mary Pazdur Award for Excellence in Advanced Practice in Oncology to Christina Cone, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC, AOCNP, of Duke Cancer Institute, at this year’s JADPRO Live Virtual conference, an annual...
Three New Transatlantic Research Teams to Study Difficult-to-Treat Childhood Cancers
Although remarkable progress has been made in advancing pediatric cancer research, critical unmet needs remain, especially for more aggressive cancers such as neuroblastomas and Ewing sarcoma. The Stand Up To Cancer–Cancer Research UK Pediatric Cancer New Discoveries Challenge has awarded three...
An Emergency Room Physician Explores Her Own Healing Through a Life of Medical Service
Medical memoir dramas, especially those centered in the emergency room (ER), are often met with the anticipation of top-rated medical shows portrayed on TV, in which there is nonstop blood-and-guts action and sizzling tensions between shouting doctors and nurses. In her recently published memoir,...
A Doctor Shares His Rich Life in Medicine and Cancer Research
“What am I doing here? This question kept running through my mind as the incoming freshman medical students at the University of Chicago assembled for the first time.” The person asking the introspective question was Marvin Stone, fresh out of college, recently married to his wife, Jill, and now a...
Combination of Nivolumab and Ipilimumab for Unresectable Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
On October 2, 2020, the combination of nivolumab (Opdivo) plus ipilimumab (Yervoy) was approved for first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma.1-3
Supporting Efficacy Data
Approval was based on findings in the open-label phase III CheckMate 743 trial...
Michaela A. Dinan, PhD, Named Co-Leader of Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program at Yale
Michaela A. Dinan, PhD, has been appointed Co-Leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program at Yale Cancer Center, beginning January 1, 2021. Dr. Dinan was also named Associate Professor in the Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health and will...
My Age May Have Been a Barrier to Timely Diagnosis of Glioblastoma Multiforme
I think my age and apparent good health contributed to a delay in my diagnosis of glioblastoma multiforme. The first symptom I had of the cancer appeared on December 26, 2014, when I was 32 years old. My family and I had just gotten home from celebrating the Christmas holiday with our relatives...
Stereo X-Ray of Stomach Cancer
The text and photograph here are excerpted from a four-volume series of books titled Oncology: Tumors & Treatment, A Photographic History, The X-Ray Era 1901–1915 by Stanley B. Burns, MD, FACS, and Elizabeth A. Burns. Photograph courtesy of Stanley B. Burns, MD, and The Burns Archive.
A few...
Inaugural Class of FDA-AACR Oncology Educational Fellows Announced
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) has announced the 2020–2021 class of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-AACR Oncology Educational Fellows. This is the first year of the fellowship, a joint initiative of the Oncology Center of Excellence at the FDA and the AACR.
The...
INOVATYON: Platinum-Based Regimens Remain Standard of Care in Recurrent Platinum-Sensitive Ovarian Cancer
Yet another blow has been dealt for the alkylating agent trabectedin in advanced ovarian cancer. The international phase III INOVATYON study found no improvement in overall or progression-free survival for trabectedin plus pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PEG-LD) vs carboplatin/PEG-LD in patients...
COVID-19’s Impact on Cancer Care Around the World: Perspectives From the ASCO International Affairs Committee
As the world continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, ASCO is committed to providing the most current information and resources to its members and the larger oncology community to help ensure that patients with cancer receive high-quality care. Here, members of the ASCO International Affairs...
Support Caregivers During National Family Caregivers Month With ASCO Answers
Cancer.Net provides a variety of tools and resources for caregivers, including the ASCO Answers Guide to Caregiving. This guide includes:
Your Stories: ‘Being Your Own Advocate’
Kimberly Irvine was used to taking care of the people she loved. Conquering breast cancer—twice—forced the young mom to learn how to take care of herself in a whole new way. In the Your Stories episode “Being Your Own Advocate,” she shares with fellow philanthropist Riccardo Braglia, Board Member, ...
Hospital Outpatient Payment Proposal Has Potential to Undermine Patient Access to Cancer Care
In a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) expressed significant concerns that provisions in the 2021 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS) proposed rule have the potential to undermine access to...
Project N95 Partnership Provided ASCO Members With Access to Personal Protective Equipment
The COVID-19 pandemic has made 2020 a challenging year for everyone, including cancer care providers, many of whom have had difficulty obtaining personal protective equipment (PPE) for their patients and staff during the pandemic. To help ease this burden on its members, ASCO partnered with Project ...
Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research Career Pathway Grants in Symptom Management
Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation® announced the 2020 recipients of the Conquer Cancer–Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research Career Pathway Grants in Symptom Management.
The Career Pathway Grants in Symptom Management are awarded to recruit and retain young physician-scientists...
