November 25, 2019 (View All Issues)
- The office of President-Elect
- Four seats on the Board of Directors
- Two seats on the Nominating Committee.
Nivolumab/Ipilimumab: Another First-Line Option for Advanced NSCLC
The combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab improved overall survival compared with chemotherapy as first-line therapy for patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression of at least 1%, according to the results of CheckMate 227....
Challenging the Global Community to Deliver Equitable Cancer Care for All
For Her Royal Highness Princess Dina Mired of Jordan, ensuring that every patient with cancer receives high-quality care is not an abstract goal—it is personal. Princess Dina saw firsthand the life-and-death differences that access to state-of-the-art oncology care makes in a patient’s life when...
Prescribing Hope
“There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something tomorrow.”
–Orison Swett Marden
I was informed that my patient, a 58-year-old man recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and his wife were becoming impatient waiting for me in the exam ...
Breast Cancer Treatments Targeting Estrogen May Be Putting Patients at Risk for Long-Term Comorbidities
“The majority of breast cancers are hormone receptor–positive, and treatments that target the estrogen receptors are very effective, but they also cause havoc in many tissues that are dependent on estrogen for normal functioning. As a result, breast cancer survivors suffer from ongoing symptoms and ...
Circulating Tumor DNA: A Prognostic Marker in Stage III Colon Cancer?
Circulating tumor DNA in the blood could serve as a marker of prognosis in patients with colon cancer receiving adjuvant oxaliplatin, according to a subanalysis of the IDEA trial, presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2019.1 After 2 years of adjuvant...
Pivotal Study Reports Positive Findings in Fourth-Line Setting for Advanced GIST
In a late-breaking, oral presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2019 Congress, Margaret von Mehren, MD, presented results from INVICTUS, a pivotal phase III clinical study of ripretinib in patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST).1 Ripretinib is an...
Confirmation Hearing for FDA Commissioner Nominee Stephen Hahn, MD
On November 20, 2019, Stephen Hahn, MD, President Trump’s nominee to be the next Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), appeared before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee and answered wide-ranging questions relating to the many important roles the...
Role of Physical Activity in Cancer Treatment and Survivorship
On October 16, 2019, an expert panel convened by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)released updated guidance and recommendations on the role of physical activity and exercise in cancer prevention and survivorship. The panel was co-chaired by Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH, of the Department...
Ethan Basch, MD, MSc, Receives ACCC Clinical Research Award
The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) 2019 Clinical Research Award was presented to Ethan Basch, MD, MSc, during the ACCC 36th National Oncology Conference held recently in Orlando, Florida. Dr. Basch is the Director of the Cancer Outcomes Research Program and Professor of Hematology ...
American Society of Hematology Honors Posthumously Stanley L. Schrier, MD, With 2019 Exemplary Service Award
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) recognized Stanley L. Schrier, MD, a Past ASH President and formerly Professor Emeritus of Medicine in Hematology at Stanford School of Medicine, California, with the 2019 Exemplary Service Award for his years of service and dedication to ASH and to...
‘Clinically Meaningful’ Outcomes Seen in Two Studies of First-Line Immunotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
In the first-line treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, checkpoint inhibitors led to favorable outcomes in studies reported at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2019—though one study was technically negative.
The current first-line standard of care for...
Award Winners Named for 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium
The San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) will honor two renowned researchers for their work in breast cancer at the 2019 SABCS, to be held December 10–14 in San Antonio. Myles Brown, MD, is the recipient of the 2019 AACR...
New Collaboration Offers Personalized Guidelines for Patients
Outcomes4Me Inc and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) recently announced a new collaboration to integrate the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) for Breast Cancer into the Outcomes4Me mobile application. The collaboration leverages Outcomes4Me’s...
FDA Office of Hematology Oncology Products Reorganized, Renamed Office of Oncologic Diseases
As part of modernization plans approved in September 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) office responsible for reviewing applications for new and existing cancer therapies has reorganized and been renamed. The Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) Office of Hematology and...
Nivolumab vs Chemotherapy in Advanced Esophageal Cancer
Nivolumab improved overall survival compared with chemotherapy in previously treated patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in the final analysis of the phase III ATTRACTION-3 study. The data were presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2019 Presidential...
Immunotherapy Shows Strong Benefit in Two Gynecologic Cancers
In studies reported at the ESMO Congress 2019, immunotherapy yielded encouraging outcomes in two gynecologic cancer populations in need of new treatments, including patients with advanced cervical cancer that is microsatellite-stable and patients previously treated for advanced endometrial cancer.
...
2019 Mary Pazdur Award for Excellence in Advanced Practice in Oncology
The Advanced Practitioner Society for Hematology and Oncology (APSHO) recently awarded the 2019 Mary Pazdur Award for Excellence in Advanced Practice in Oncology to Jody Pelusi, PhD, FNP, AOCNP (center). Dr. Pelusi is with HonorHealth Research Institute in Scottsdale. The award was presented...
Study Finds Durvalumab Retreatment Active in Some Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors
Immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors offers a proportion of patients a chance at long-term disease control, resembling cure in some patients. Among the many questions about immunotherapy that remain to be resolved is whether patients who discontinue therapy and develop progressive disease can...
Christian A. Koch, MD, PhD, FACP, Joins Faculty at Fox Chase Cancer Center
Fox Chase Cancer Center announced the hiring of Christian A. Koch, MD, PhD, FACP, who will join the Department of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology, as Director and Professor. Dr. Koch comes to Fox Chase from the University of Tennessee, Memphis, where he served as Clinical Professor.
Dr. Koch...
Stanford Medicine Division of Oncology Welcomes Three New Faculty Members
The Stanford Medicine Department of Medicine is excited to welcome three faculty members to its Division of Oncology: Curtis Chong, MD, PhD; Fauzia Riaz, MD; and Shagufta Shaheen, MD. Each of these individuals brings an impressive record of academic pursuits focused on advancing care for and...
Novel Therapies for Small Cell Lung Cancer and Neuroendocrine Tumors
Here is a glimpse at updated clinical trial data on newer therapies under study for the small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and advanced extrapancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.
IMpower133 and ALTER: Novel Therapies for SCLC
The treatment of small cell lung cancer has seen little progress in recent...
Thomas Gajewski, MD, PhD, Receives 2019 ESMO Award for Immuno-Oncology
The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) has selected Thomas Gajewski, MD, PhD, to receive the 2019 ESMO Award for Immuno-Oncology. The award is given in recognition of his groundbreaking work elucidating why some patients are resistant to immunotherapy and how to restore the anticancer...
First-Line Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab in Special Populations With Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
First-line therapy consisting of nivolumab plus ipilimumab showed a consistent safety profile in special populations with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to research presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 2019 World Conference on...
Final Overall Survival Results of IMpower131 Trial in Advanced Squamous NSCLC
In patients with stage IV squamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), those with high programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression treated with atezolizumab and chemotherapy experienced longer overall survival rates than those treated with chemotherapy alone. For those participants without...
Oncology Massage Therapy for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy
Oncology massage therapy might be a helping hand for patients suffering from chronic chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, according to data presented at the 2019 Supportive Care in Oncology Symposium.1 The results of the pilot study supported the premise that patients who received massages...
Analysis of 4-Year Survival With Nivolumab in Patients Previously Treated for Advanced NSCLC
In an analysis reported in The Lancet Oncology, Scott J. Antonia, MD, PhD, of Duke Cancer Institute, and colleagues identified long-term survival rates with nivolumab therapy in patients with previously treated advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including comparative outcomes vs...
Long-Term Survival With PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors in NSCLC
Although many commentaries on studies featured in The ASCO Post call for scrutiny of the fine points, this is not the case for the recent report by Antonia et al in The Lancet Oncology (reviewed in the current issue of The ASCO Post).1 This article serves as a well-deserved victory lap for the...
University of Michigan Cancer Programs Receive $9.2M Grant for Prostate Cancer Research
Two Michigan cancer programs are joining forces to find new solutions for prostate cancer. The University of Michigan (U-M) Rogel Cancer Center and the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University have received a $9.2 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The...
Despite Challenges, Pioneer in CT Screening for Early Lung Cancer Works to Move the Field Forward
In 1999, a team of researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College advocated the use of a then-novel practice: low-dose radiation CT screening for lung cancer. It captures a full thoracic image in a single breath hold, and can recognize a tumor in its earliest stages when the chance for cure is...
Study Finds Sexual Health Issues Are a Concern Among Majority of Women With Breast Cancer
Endocrine therapy has been a lifesaver for women with estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer, but decreases in recurrence and cancer-related mortality have come with substantial side effects, according to data presented at the 2019 Supportive Care in Oncology Symposium.1 The results of a...
Early Palliative Care for Patients With Hematologic Malignancies: Beneficial but Underused
The use of billed palliative care services among Medicare beneficiaries with hematologic malignancies has risen dramatically in recent years, but most encounters still occur within days of death, according to research presented at the 2019 Supportive Care in Oncology Symposium.1 The analysis of...
Dexamethasone Plus Exercise May Reduce Fatigue in Patients With Advanced Cancer
A novel treatment approach may help to alleviate one of the most common and debilitating symptoms associated with cancer and its treatments—fatigue. According to data presented at the 2019 Supportive Care in Oncology Symposium,1 the combination of short-course dexamethasone plus standardized...
What Is the Best Palliation for End-Stage Lung Cancer?
Patients with advanced lung cancer can experience burdensome symptoms at the end of life. Pulmonologists can alleviate some of this suffering, but it’s a balancing act between doing too much and not enough, according to specialists who spoke at CHEST 2019, the annual meeting of the American College ...
New Alliance Established to Help Improve Cancer Care in Sub-Saharan Africa
IBM, the American Cancer Society (ACS), the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®), and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) recently announced a new alliance—Allied Against Cancer—to help improve access to high-quality cancer care and treatment in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Alliance...
When to Consider Local Therapy for Stage IV Breast Cancer
Local therapy for stage IV breast cancer has not been proven to increase overall survival, yet there are some cases where local therapy could be considered outside a clinical trial. For patients with intact asymptomatic primary tumors, local therapy could be offered if distant disease is well...
Using the Nobel Prize to Champion Curiosity-Driven Research in Cancer
William G. Kaelin, Jr, MD, Sidney Farber Professor of Medicine and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, admits that early in his research career, he and his late wife, Carolyn, would have fun...
National Academy of Medicine Elects New Members, Including Many From Oncology Community
The National Academy of Medicine has 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 outstanding ...
ACCC Award Presented to Paul D. Hansen, MD, FACS
The Association of Community Cancer Centers David King Community Clinical Scientist Award was awarded to Paul D. Hansen, MD, FACS, a pioneering leader in research on minimally invasive approaches to major liver and pancreas surgery and the promise these techniques hold for improving the quality...
Nicholas J. Petrelli, MD, Receives Tilton Award From Medical Society of Delaware
Nicholas J. Petrelli, MD, Bank of America Endowed Medical Director of ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute, received the Tilton Award from the Medical Society of Delaware in October. The award is named after James Tilton, MD, the first U.S. Army Surgeon General...
5-Year Efficacy Outcomes With Dabrafenib Plus Trametinib in BRAF-Mutated Metastatic Melanoma
As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Caroline Robert, MD, PhD, of the Institut Gustave Roussy and Paris-Sud-Paris-Saclay University, Villejuif, and colleagues, the long-term follow-up of the phase III COMBI-d and COMBI-v trials has shown a pooled 5-year overall survival rate of 34% ...
Reflections on Long-Term Outcomes With BRAF/MEK Inhibition in Advanced Melanoma
For the treatment of BRAF V600-mutated advanced melanoma, we now have three BRAF/MEK inhibitor combinations that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration: dabrafenib/trametinib, vemurafenib/cobimetinib, and encorafenib/binimetinib. Although the toxicity profiles for these...
FDA Grants Accelerated Approval to Zanubrutinib for Pretreated Mantle Cell Lymphoma
On November 14, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to zanubrutinib (Brukinsa) for adult patients with mantle cell lymphoma who have received at least one prior therapy.
“Mantle cell lymphoma usually responds well to initial treatment, but eventually returns...
FDA Approves Luspatercept-aamt for Anemia in Patients With Beta Thalassemia
On November 8, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved luspatercept-aamt (Reblozyl) for the treatment of anemia in adult patients with beta thalassemia who require regular red blood cell transfusions.
Beta thalassemia is a blood disorder that reduces the production of hemoglobin. In...
Breast Cancer Research Foundation Honors Eric Winer, MD, With Jill Rose Award
Eric Winer, MD, Director of the Breast Oncology Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute was recognized earlier this month with The Jill Rose Award from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). This honor is given annually to a researcher in recognition of pioneering research in their...
MSKCC Awards Young Investigators 2019 Paul Marks Prize for Cancer Research
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) has named three investigators as the recipients of this year’s Paul Marks Prize for Cancer Research. The award recognizes scientists for their accomplishments in the area of cancer research. The winners for 2019 are Nathanael S. Gray, PhD; Joshua...
Updated Data From Clinical Trials on Nivolumab/Ipilimumab in Advanced Melanoma
More than one out of two patients with metastatic melanoma treated with the combination of nivolumab plus ipilimu-mab is still alive after 5 years, according to the longest follow-up of patients receiving this combination. In two additional studies, the immunotherapy duet also proved to be active...
Glasdegib in Older Patients With AML or Those With Comorbidities
In the Clinic provides overviews of novel oncology agents, addressing indications, mechanisms of action, administration recommendations, safety profiles, and other essential information needed for the appropriate clinical use of these drugs.
Late in 2018, the Hedgehog pathway inhibitor glasdegib...
Project Socrates: An Educational Bridge From the FDA to the Public
OCE Insights is an occasional department developed for The ASCO Post by members of the Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In this installment, Jennifer J. Gao, MD, Acting Associate Director of Education in the OCE, and Richard Pazdur, MD, Director of ...
Friends of Cancer Research Launches ctDNA Pilot Project
Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) recently announced the launch of its latest project, ctMoniTR. This pilot project will aim to harmonize the use of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to monitor treatment response in patients with cancer and test the feasibility of data comparison from different...
CAR T-Cell Gene Therapy: Toxicities and Management Principles
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.
Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”
—Marie Curie
The ASCO Post is pleased to present...
Answers to Hematology Expert Review Questions
Question 1
Which of the following statements about cytokine-release syndrome and neurotoxicity after tisagenlecleucel infusion is correct?
Correct answer: B. The median time to onset of cytokine-release syndrome is 3 days.
Expert Perspective
Following tisagenlecleucel infusion, cytokine-release ...
CDC Foundation Offers New Educational Resources to Prevent Infections in Patients With Cancer
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Foundation commemorates the 10-year anniversary of the Preventing Infections in Cancer Patients (PICP) program by launching new resources that provide continued and improved support to patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy. The new...
ASCO Updates Breast Cancer Risk Reduction Guideline to Include Anastrozole
ASCO has updated a guideline on pharmacologic interventions for breast cancer risk reduction in postmenopausal women at increased risk of developing breast cancer.1 The original clinical practice recommendations for breast cancer risk reduction were published in 1999 and updated in 2002, 2009, and...
Selinexor Plus Dexamethasone Studied in Triple-Class Refractory Multiple Myeloma
In a phase IIb study (STORM Part 2) reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Ajai Chari, MD, of Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and colleagues found that oral selinexor and dexamethasone were active in some patients with multiple myeloma refractory to prior...
Selinexor/Dexamethasone in Refractory Multiple Myeloma: The STORM Has Arrived, but Does It Represent Climate Change?
The term “relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma” is often used to describe advanced myeloma that has progressed through primary or salvage therapy. The International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) defined the term in 2011 as disease that is “nonresponsive while on salvage therapy or progresses...
National Comprehensive Cancer Network Oncology Research Program Supports Clinical Trial for Lung Cancer
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN®) Oncology Research Program (ORP) has announced plans to support a phase II randomized trial for lung cancer patients. The study is titled, “TH-138: Phase II randomized trial of carboplatin + pemetrexed + bevacizumab, with or without atezolizumab in...
City of Hope’s Michael Caligiuri, MD, Formally Appointed to Deana and Stave Campbell Physician-in-Chief Distinguished Chair
Michael A. Caligiuri, MD, President of City of Hope National Medical Center, in Duarte, California, has been appointed the Deana and Steve Campbell Physician-in-Chief Distinguished Chair in Honor of Alexandra Levine, MD. The position was created in honor of Dr. Levine, a City of Hope Professor of...
American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Awards Eight Research Grants
The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) has announced eight grant recipients across three research programs to support its mission to foster, develop, and encourage investigative knowledge in dermatologic surgery.
Jumpstart Research Seed Grants
Three Jumpstart Research Seed Grants...
Maximizing Benefit in the Treatment of Immune-Mediated Colitis
Immune-related colitis is the second most common toxicity associated with checkpoint inhibitors, affecting up to 40% of patients. The ASCO Post interviewed Yinghong Wang, MD, PhD, Director of Medication-Induced Colitis and Enteritis, Director of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation, and Associate...
MD Anderson Names New Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has named Allyson Hancock Kinzel, JD, as Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, effective November 1, 2019. Ms. Kinzel takes on this new role leading legal and regulatory affairs after serving as Chief Legal Officer since 2018. She will...
Apalutamide for Metastatic Castration-Sensitive Prostate Cancer
On September 17, 2019, apalutamide was approved for the treatment of patients with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer.1,2
Supporting Efficacy Data
The approval is based on overall survival and radiographic progression-free survival findings in the phase III double-blind TITAN...
The World Health Organization Classification of Tumors of Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues
The ASCO Post is pleased to present Hematology Expert Review, an ongoing feature that quizzes readers on issues in hematology. In this installment, Drs. Abutalib and Medeiros explore the updated World Health Organization (WHO) classification of nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma. For...
Answers to Hematology Expert Review Questions
Question 1
Which of the following statements about nodular lymphocyte-predominant HL is correct?
Correct answer: A. Nodular lymphocyte-predominant HL can transform into large B-cell lymphoma.
Expert Perspective
Nodular lymphocyte-predominant HL is a B-cell neoplasm characterized by a nodular or ...
ASH Names Recipients of Outstanding Abstract Achievement Awards
Each year, the American Society of Hematology (ASH) offers merit-based awards to support select trainees with high-achieving annual meeting abstracts who are chosen to present their work at the ASH Annual Meeting. Trainees include those who fall within one of the following categories: undergraduate ...
Affirming Universal Health Care as a Fundamental Human Right
This year’s meeting of the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit: Cancer and Universal Health Coverage, held on October 15–17 in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, brought together more than 350 global health leaders, including ministers of health, first ladies, and industry leaders, from 82 countries to discuss how...
ASCO Provides Guidance on Managing Osteoporosis in Cancer Survivors
Cancer survivors are at an increased risk of osteoporotic fractures due to the accelerated loss of bone mineral density as a result of their treatment. Bone loss from cancer therapy is faster and more severe than bone less from aging; rates of bone loss are up to sevenfold higher when they occur...
With a Little Help From My Friends: Social Support Linked to Pain Reduction in Patients With Cancer
Pain may be one of the most common symptoms experienced by patients with cancer, but researchers are still unpacking its mysteries, with some surprising results. According to data presented at the 2019 Supportive Care in Oncology Symposium,1 greater social support may help mitigate pain in patients ...
Addressing the Obesity Epidemic and Barriers to Implementing Weight Management Programs for Cancer Survivors
Earlier this year, ASCO published the results of its new study on oncologists’ perceptions and practice behaviors regarding obesity, weight management, and related lifestyle factors in their patients both during and after cancer treatment.1 The findings from the online survey of 971 oncology...
Navneet S. Majhail, MD, MS, Was Inspired by His Father’s Career as a Military Doctor and His Mother’s Battle With Cancer
In this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Navneet S. Majhail, MD, MS, about his journey from India to the Cleveland Clinic, where he is Director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program. He is also President of the American Society for...
Physicians Should Lead by Example to Combat the Obesity Epidemic
American patients are suffering from an obesity crisis, where it is estimated that 300,000 deaths per year are due to obesity.1 The obesity trend is predicted to worsen, where it is projected that 85% of U.S. adults will be overweight or obese by 2030.2 Consequently, obesity-related illnesses are...
FDA Approves Givosiran for Acute Hepatic Porphyria
On November 20, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved givosiran (Givlaari) for adults with acute hepatic porphyria, a genetic disorder resulting in the buildup of toxic porphyrin molecules which are formed during the production of heme.
“This buildup can cause acute attacks, known ...
An Oncologist’s Thoughtful Examination of Cancer and Personal Loss
“I could not have written this book when I was 30 years old. It is not because of any great discoveries I have made or research papers I have published since. It is because of the experience the intervening decades have given me as I cared for thousands of cancer patients and accompanied many to...
Elotuzumab in Combination Therapy for Previously Treated Multiple Myeloma
In late 2018, elotuzumab was approved for use in combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least two prior therapies, including lenalidomide and a proteasome inhibitor.1
Supporting Efficacy Data
Approval was...
A Need for Human Connection Led to a Rewarding Career in Geriatric Oncology for Lodovico Balducci, MD
Older adults are the fastest-growing segment of our population, and more than 65% of patients with newly diagnosed cancer are 65 years of age or older. Although we now recognize the special needs of older patients with cancer, the field of geriatric oncology emerged quietly, with early growing...
ACCC Presents Annual Achievement Award Posthumously to Arti Hurria, MD, FASCO
The 2019 Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) Annual Achievement Award was presented posthumously to Arti Hurria, MD, FASCO, of City of Hope. The oncology community experienced a devastating loss with the untimely passing of Dr. Hurria in November 2018. Dr. Hurria was the George Tsai...
Trifluridine/Tipiracil in Recurrent, Metastatic Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma
Early in 2019, trifluridine/tipiracil tablets were approved for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma previously treated with at least two prior lines of chemotherapy that included a fluoropyrimidine; a platinum; either a taxane or...
The Anesthesia Era: 1845–1875
The text and photograph on this page are excerpted from a four-volume series of books titled Oncology: Tumors & Treatment, A Photographic History, The Anesthesia Era: 1845–1875 by Stanley B. Burns, MD, FACS, and Elizabeth A. Burns. The photograph appears courtesy of Stanley B. Burns, MD, and...
Clinical Happenings and Highlights at the 2019 ASH Annual Meeting
The 61st American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition is being held December 7–10, 2019, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. Be sure to visit The ASCO Post in the exhibit hall (booth 2429, Harborside) and watch interviews with experts being filmed there live....
David H. Gutmann, MD, Receives Neuro-Oncology Award
The Society for Neuro-Oncology and the Section on Tumors of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons recently named David H. Gutmann, MD, PhD, as recipient of the Abhijit Gua Award. This award is presented annually to an investigator who has achieved...
Calaspargase Pegol-mknl for Pediatric and Young Adult Patients With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
In late 2018, calaspargase pegol-mknl, an asparagine-specific enzyme, was approved for use as a component of a multiagent chemotherapeutic regimen for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in pediatric and young adult patients aged 1 month to 21 years.1,2 The new product provides for a longer interval ...
Boswellia
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 installment, Gary Deng, MD, PhD, and Jyothirmai Gubili, MS, focus on the herbal extract...
Past President of ASH, Stanford Professor, Stanley L. Schrier, MD, Dies at 90
Stanley L. Schrier, MD, Past President of the American Society of Hematology (ASH, 2004–2005) and Professor Emeritus of Hematology at Stanford Medicine in Palo Alto, died on August 16. He was 90 years old.
Instrumental to Growth at Stanford
Dr. Schrier was a 1954 graduate of Johns Hopkins...
A Call to Action for Oncology Clinicians to Help Patients ‘Move Through Cancer’
“There is clear evidence that patients are more likely to exercise if their oncologist tells them to do so,” reported representatives from 17 organizations participating in the Second Roundtable on Exercise and Cancer Prevention and Control. In an article published in CA: A Cancer Journal for...
Two Societies Issue Statements on E-Cigarettes
Today, the American Cancer Society (ACS) announced an update to the organization’s position on e-cigarettes, and the American Medical Association (AMA) called for a total ban on all e-cigarette and vaping products that do not meet U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval as cessation tools.
...
Wake Forest Baptist Awarded $6 Million Grant to Study Web-Based Pain Management Program
For many people who have had cancer, severe pain can persist, even after treatment ends. In an effort to find a nonpharmaceutical approach to pain management for cancer survivors, researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Health have been awarded $6 million from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to test ...
Adetokunbo 'Toks' Oluwasanjo, MD, Joins Florida Group
Medical oncologist/hematologist Adetokunbo ‘Toks’ Oluwasanjo, MD, has joined Florida Cancer Specialists (FCS) in the new FCS Lake City office. For 3 years, she served on the faculty in the Department of Medicine of the Reading Health System (now Tower Health System).
Dr. Toks received her...
MD Anderson and University of Puerto Rico Receive $13 Million Grant Renewal
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Puerto Rico received a competitive renewal of their Comprehensive Partnerships to Advance Cancer Health Equity (CPACHE) grant from the National Cancer Institute. The CPACHE grant provides a total of $13 million over 5 years.
Lorlatinib in Advanced ROS1-Positive NSCLC
As reported by Alice T. Shaw, MD, and colleagues in The Lancet Oncology, a phase I/II trial has shown overall and intracranial activity of the third-generation ALK and ROS1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor lorlatinib in patients with advanced ROS1-positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Lorlatinib ...
A Diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma Taught Me to Live in the Moment
I was just 39 in 2015 when I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. I have a wife and three young children whom I love, a challenging and fulfilling career, and I wasn’t ready to die. When I was first diagnosed, I met with a medical oncologist who had little experience treating this type of cancer....
ASCO President-Elect Candidates Discuss Key Issues in Oncology
Patrick J. Loehrer, MD, FASCO, of the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, and Everett E. Vokes, MD, FASCO, of the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center, were selected by the ASCO Nominating Committee as candidates for President-Elect. Below, they discuss ...
Make a Holiday Gift to Conquer Cancer®, the ASCO Foundation
Help fund breakthrough cancer research on behalf of someone you love this holiday season. Make a gift in honor or in memory of a loved one, and then send an e-card or mailed notification of your tribute.
For many families, this time of year is marked by worry or grief rather than joy. With your...
Shape the Future of ASCO: Vote in the ASCO Election
Each year, we ask ASCO members to place their votes to select our Society’s leaders and Board Members.
The ASCO Nominating Committee, which is itself elected by ASCO members, took on the challenge of selecting this year’s candidates for the open seats on the ASCO Board of Directors and...
New ASCO AnswersFact Sheet on Constipation
Constipation affects about half of all people with cancer. Help patients identify, manage, and cope with this side effect by giving them the ASCO Answers constipation fact sheet. This handout includes an overview of constipation; causes and risks; treatment and management options; a bowel movement...
ASCO Statement Says FDA Should Implement Proposed Rule for Graphic Labels on Cigarette Packs and Ads
ASCO submitted comments to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) applauding its proposed rule to implement the use of new graphic warning labels on cigarette packaging and advertisements. The comments were sent in a letter from 2019–2020 ASCO President Howard A. Burris III, MD, FACP,...
Your Stories: Behind the Breakthroughs
When Desirée Walker was diagnosed with breast cancer, she considered not treating it—but more frightening to her than the side effects of chemotherapy was missing the chance to watch her children grow.
In “Mother Knows Best”—part of the Your Stories Featured Conversations series from Conquer...
2020 ASCO Election Candidates
The ASCO Nominating Committee has selected 14 ASCO members as candidates for open leadership positions within the Society, including:
All eligible ASCO members* can vote, and the voting ...
