October 10, 2019 (View All Issues)
- An easy-to-understand explanation of health...
Studies Report Prolonged Long-Term Survival With Immunotherapy vs Chemotherapy in Advanced NSCLC
Longer-term follow-up of patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are treated with immunotherapy have appreciably extended survival at 5 years, suggesting that for some patients, this disease can be managed as a chronic condition. These findings are based on two...
Is Implicit Bias Contributing to Time Disparities in Goals-of-Care Conversations With Minority Patients?
GUEST EDITOR
Addressing the evolving needs of cancer survivors at various stages of their illness and care, Palliative Care in Oncology is guest edited by Jamie H. Von Roenn, MD, FASCO. Dr. Von Roenn is ASCO’s Vice President of Education, Science, and Professional Development.
It has been well...
Reflecting on My First National Presentation
I gave my first national presentation of my original clinical research on a topic that was to become a professional obsession: finding a cure for esophageal cancer. (Spoiler, I failed.) It was late May 1982. Writing about this now is undoubtedly predicated on my recent retirement, my desire to...
Durvalumab Plus Chemotherapy: New Option for Extensive-Stage SCLC
The addition of the immune checkpoint inhibitor durvalumab to standard therapy significantly improved overall survival vs standard therapy alone for patients with previously untreated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC), according to a preplanned interim analysis of the phase III CASPIAN...
Selpercatinib: Precision Medicine for RET Fusion–Positive NSCLC
Selpercatinib (LOXO-292), a RET kinase inhibitor, demonstrated antitumor activity in the lungs and brain and durable responses with acceptable tolerability in patients with RET fusion–positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to an updated analysis of the LIBRETTO-001 registration...
Cleveland Clinic Appoints Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, as Department Chair of Hematology/Medical Oncology
Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, has been appointed the new Chair of the Hematology/Medical Oncology Department at Cleveland Clinic. In this capacity, he will recruit and develop staff as well as guide the department’s focus on patient access and a multidisciplinary approach to care. Dr. Abraham currently ...
Novel KRAS Inhibitor Shows Activity in Early Study of Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
The investigational KRAS inhibitor AMG 510 yielded clinical activity in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to updated results of a small ongoing phase I trial reported at the 2019 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) World Conference on...
Final Results of RESONATE Trial Show Long-Term Benefit of Ibrutinib in Relapsed or Refractory CLL
After 6 years of follow-up, extended treatment with ibrutinib showed sustained progression-free survival benefit and depth of response in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), including those with high-risk genomic...
Rituximab Maintenance Adds No Benefit for Patients With Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
After treatment with R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone), rituximab maintenance therapy seems to provide no additional benefit for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in first complete remission, according to data from a phase III trial.1
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ADMIRAL Study Finds Gilteritinib Effective Across Mutation Cohorts of Acute Myeloid Leukemia
The novel FLT3 inhibitor gilteritinib prolonged survival in patients with FLT3-mutated relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) across all mutation cohorts, including NPM1, DNMT3A, DNMT3A/NPM1, and WT1, with the greatest benefit seen in patients with NPM1 and DNMT3A co-mutations,...
CATNON Trial Shows Concurrent Temozolomide May Offer Benefit in IDH-Mutant Anaplastic Glioma
Concurrent temozolomide treatment during radiotherapy did not increase overall survival in patients with anaplastic gliomas without 1p/19q co-deletion, according to data from the second interim and first molecular analysis of the EORTC randomized phase III intergroup CATNON trial.1 However, benefit ...
Lisa M. DeAngelis, MD, Named Physician-in-Chief and Chief Medical Officer of Memorial Sloan Kettering
The Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center recently announced that Lisa M. DeAngelis, MD, has been named Physician-in-Chief and Chief Medical Officer. An expert in brain cancer, Dr. DeAngelis previously served as Chair of the Department of Neurology and was Co-Founder of MSK’s Brain Tumor...
Diabetes and Cancer: Researchers Link Hyperglycemia to DNA Damage
Hyperglycemia may induce DNA damage and inhibit DNA repair, which may explain why individuals with diabetes may have an increased risk for developing cancer, according to a researcher from City of Hope, Duarte, California, who presented these findings at the American Chemical Society (ACS) Fall...
Entrectinib for NTRK-Positive Solid Tumors and ROS1-Positive Lung Cancer
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.
On August 15, 2019, the oral TRK, ROS1, and ALK kinase...
HPV-Positive Oropharyngeal Cancer Burden Rising Among White Men in the United States
White men older than age 65 will have the greatest burden of oropharyngeal cancer by the year 2030, according to Maura L. Gillison, MD, PhD, Professor and Endowed Chair at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. But there is some good news, she said at the 2019 Winship Cancer Institute of Emory...
FDA Grants Approval to Lenvatinib/Pembrolizumab in Advanced Endometrial Cancer, Announces Project Orbis
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced Project Orbis, an initiative of the FDA Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE). Project Orbis provides a framework for concurrent submission and review of oncology drugs among its international partners. Under this project, the FDA, the...
FDA Approves Cologuard for Persons Aged 45 and Older at Average Risk for Colorectal Cancer
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the noninvasive colorectal cancer screening test Cologuard for eligible average-risk individuals aged 45 years and older, expanding on its previous indication for those aged 50 years and older.
Cologuard is a stool DNA-based colorectal...
Older Sexual and Gender Minorities With Cancer: A Population Hidden in the Open
The term “sexual and gender minorities” encompasses people whose sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or reproductive development varies from traditional, societal, cultural, or physiologic norms1 and includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people. More than 3 ...
Greater Consensus From Global Experts on Controversies in Prostate Cancer
In late August, experts from around the globe convened in Basel, Switzerland, at the 2019 Advanced Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference (APCCC) to discuss controversial areas related to the management of advanced prostate cancer. Although the full proceedings of the conference will be published in...
Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Blocker May Be Linked to Metabolic Imbalance
A metabolic imbalance in some patients with cancer, following treatment with the checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab, may be associated with resistance to immunotherapy and shorter survival, according to scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, in collaborative work with the Broad Institute of...
Ibrutinib/Rituximab Improves Outcomes vs Standard Chemoimmunotherapy in Previously Untreated CLL
In an interim analysis of a U.S. phase III trial (E1912) reported in The New England Journal of Medicine,1 Tait D. Shanafelt, MD, of Stanford University School of Medicine, and colleagues found that ibrutinib/rituximab improved progression-free and overall survival vs standard chemoimmunotherapy in ...
Younger, Fit Patients With CLL: Goal Remains Undetectable Minimal Residual Disease and Time-Limited Therapy
As reviewed in this issue of The ASCO Post, Shanafelt and colleagues recently published the interim analysis of E1912, a U.S. Intergroup–led randomized phase III trial comparing ibrutinib/rituximab, followed by ibrutinib to disease progression vs 6 months of fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and...
Addition of Ribociclib to Endocrine Therapy in Advanced Breast Cancer: MONALEESA-7
As reported in TheNew England Journal of Medicine by Seock‑Ah Im, MD, PhD, of Seoul National University College of Medicine, and colleagues, an interim analysis in the phase III MONALEESA-7 trial has shown an overall survival benefit with the addition of the cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) ...
Benefit of Adjuvant Chemoradiotherapy vs Radiotherapy Alone in High-Risk Endometrial Cancer: PORTEC-3 Trial
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Stephanie de Boer, MD, of the Department of Radiation Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, and colleagues, a post hoc updated survival analysis of the phase III PORTEC-3 trial has shown a significant overall survival benefit of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy ...
Multimodal Therapy for High-Risk or Locally Advanced Endometrial Cancer: Is It Any Clearer in 2019?
Endometrial cancer remains the most common gynecologic malignancy affecting women in the United States. There are over 60,000 new cases diagnosed and more than 12,000 deaths annually. Traditional management includes surgical staging, with optimal disease cytoreduction as able, and adjuvant...
Gene Therapy: A March Forward!
GUEST EDITORS
Dr. Abutalib is Associate Director, Hematology and Cellular Therapy Program and Director, Clinical Apheresis Program Cancer Treatment at Centers of America, Zion, Illinois; Associate Professor, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science; and Founder and Co-Editor of...
FDA Approves Daratumumab Combination for Transplant-Eligible Patients With Multiple Myeloma
On September 26, 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved daratumumab (Darzalex) in combination with bortezomib, thalidomide, and dexamethasone for newly diagnosed adult patients with multiple myeloma who are eligible for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT).
Efficacy was...
Kidney Cancer Association Announces Recipients of Advanced Discovery and Young Investigator Awards
The Kidney Cancer Association has announced the recipients of the Advanced Discovery Awards (ADAs) and Young Investigator Awards (YIAs). In April, the Kidney Cancer Association approved $1.3 million in new grant funding to advance early detection and new treatments of kidney cancer.
Established...
Early Research on Novel Interleukin-12 ‘Gene Therapy’ in Glioblastoma
Recurrent high-grade glioblastoma has a poor prognosis, with a median overall survival of 6 to 9 months. Treatment is limited, partly because immunotherapy has not yet been shown to be effective in the immunosuppressive microenvironment of this tumor. A novel treatment approach involving...
Managing Rectal Cancer: Better Outcomes Now, but Still a Challenging Clinical Setting
The management of rectal cancer has evolved over the past decades, yielding several major practice changes that have substantially improved outcomes. However, rectal cancer treatment remains challenging and even with improved outcomes can result in life-altering morbidity. To shed light on the...
Study Shows Benefits of Comprehensive Tobacco Treatment Program
Findings from a large smoking cessation study in patients with cancer indicate comprehensive tobacco treatment is effective in helping individuals successfully quit and abstain from smoking. The prospective study, published by Paul Cinciripini, PhD, Chair of Behavioral Science at the MD Anderson...
Biosimilar to Trastuzumab in HER2-Overexpressing Breast, Metastatic Breast, and Metastatic Gastric Cancers
Early in 2019, trastuzumab-dttb was approved as a biosimilar to standard trastuzumab for treatment of HER2-expressing breast cancer in the adjuvant setting, metastatic breast cancer, and metastatic gastric cancer or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma in patients who have not received prior...
How to Help Terminally Ill Patients Find Peace in the Dying Process
End-of-Life Oncology is a new occasional column in The ASCO Post that will explore how to ensure the care received by terminally ill patients is in alignment with their end-of-life goals and wishes. In this inaugural installment, The ASCO Post talked with Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS,...
Inequities in Care for Patients With Cancer and Serious Mental Illness
Studies show that people suffering from serious mental illness are at increased risk for poor cancer outcomes and mortality due to inequities in their cancer care. Although psychiatric care at the time of diagnosis may improve care, current models for integrating psychiatric interventions and...
City of Hope Researchers Receive Awards and Grants
City of Hope recently announced that several of its researchers and faculty have been named as the recipients of several awards and grants. These accolades recognize individuals for their work in their respective fields of human genetics education, genomic research, and leptomeningeal disease.
Higher-Volume Cancer Centers and Patient Outcomes Studies
RESEARCHERS FROM Fox Chase Cancer Center have discovered a link between higher patient volume at cancer facilities and improved survival in two studies of patients with advanced cancer.1,2 These data underscore the ability of a higher-volume facility to provide patients with more experience and...
Horwitz Prize Awarded to Three Scientists for Work on Critical Cancer Pathway
Columbia University awarded the 2019 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize to three scientists: Lewis C. Cantley, PhD, of Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York; David M. Sabatini, MD, PhD, of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts,...
Researchers Examine the Rise in HPV-Related Oropharyngeal Cancers
Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes nearly all cervical cancers and is attributed to some cancers of the vagina, vulva, penis, anus, and oropharynx. Although most HPV infections are asymptomatic and usually resolve within 1 to 2 years, persistent infections can lead to precancer and cancer. According ...
Atezolizumab for PD-L1–Positive Locally Advanced or Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
EARLIER THIS YEAR, atezolizumab was granted accelerated approval in combination with nab-paclitaxel in the treatment of patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer whose tumors express programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1–stained tumor-infiltrating...
SOHO 2019: Ivosidenib/Azacitidine for Newly Diagnosed AML
Findings from a phase Ib study of the combination of the mutant IDH1 inhibitor ivosidenib plus azacitidine for patients with IDH1-mutated, newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) ineligible for intensive treatment showed that the combination was well tolerated and produced more responses than...
SOHO 2019: Melflufen for Patients With Late-Stage, Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma Refractory to Daratumumab and/or Pomalidomide
In a presentation of updated efficacy and safety data from the phase II HORIZON trial, Paul G. Richardson, MD, and colleagues found that melflufen, a lipophilic peptide-conjugated alkylator, showed activity in patients with late-stage relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma refractory to...
SOHO 2019: Fedratinib in Patients With Myelofibrosis: JAKARTA Trials Update
In analyses reported at the 2019 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting and published in Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma & Leukemia, Harrison et al identified response rates to the JAK2 inhibitor fedratinib among patients with myeloproliferative neoplasm–associated intermediate- or...
Vassiliki Papadimitrakopoulou, MD, Appointed Clinical Development Leader of Pfizer Oncology
Vassiliki Papadimitrakopoulou, MD, has been appointed Clinical Development Leader of Pfizer Oncology. Dr. Papadimitrakopoulou will be based in New York City.
Recognized around the world for her expertise in personalized genomics-driven cancer therapies, immunotherapies, translational research,...
A Tale of Two Eugenes
The ASCO Post is pleased to reproduce installments of the Art of Oncology as published previously in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. These articles focus on the experience of suffering from cancer or of caring for people diagnosed with cancer, and they include narratives, topical essays,...
Survey Identifies Gap in Culturally Competent Cancer Care for LGBTQI+ Latinx Population
Most Latinx people who are LGBTQI+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex) reported being reluctant to share their gender identity and/or sexual orientation with a health-care provider, and a majority have never received cancer information tailored for their community, according...
Liquid Biopsy to Determine Patient Response to Immune Checkpoint Blockade
Although studies have demonstrated that microsatellite instability (MSI) and high tumor mutational burden (TMB) are promising pan-tumor biomarkers for identifying patients for treatment with immune checkpoint blockade, obtaining tissue from unresectable or metastatic solid tumors for genetic...
Being an Expert Witness in a Legal Proceeding: A Learning Experience
I read with great interest and appreciation the Law and Ethics in Oncology column, “Should You Become an Expert Witness in a Legal Proceeding? Here Are the Pros and Cons,” by Thaddeus Pope, JD, PhD (August 25, 2019, issue of The ASCO Post). I am an oncologist and have been an expert witness in a...
FDA Approves Apalutamide for Metastatic Castration-Sensitive Prostate Cancer
On September 17, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved apalutamide (Erleada) for patients with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer. Apalutamide was initially approved by the FDA in 2018 for patients with nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.
TITAN Trial
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Quality of Life and Neurocognitive Function With Lomustine/Temozolomide for MGMT-Methylated Glioblastoma
In an analysis of the phase III CeTeG/NOA-09 trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Weller et al found no clinically relevant differences in health-related quality of life or neurocognitive function in patients with newly diagnosed MGMT-methylated glioblastoma treated with lomustine/temozolomide vs ...
Meta-analysis of Chemotherapy and Hormonal Treatments for Postmenopausal Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer
In a systematic review and network meta-analysis reported in The Lancet Oncology, Giuliano et al found that progression-free survival in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer was improved with first- or second-line CDK4/6 inhibitors plus...
Menopausal Hormone Therapy Use and Risk of Breast Cancer
In a study reported in The Lancet, the Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer found that the use of menopausal hormone therapy is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, with risk increasing as the duration of use increases, in both current and past users.
Study...
Cancer Taught Me What It Means to Be a Man
Let’s face it, men don’t go to the doctor as often as we should. At least that has been my experience. I felt compelled to finally make an appointment with my primary care physician after I began working as a research assistant at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai in 2014, as it felt...
Susan G. Komen Unveils $26 Million Investment in Research and Treatments in Metastatic Breast Cancer
SUSAN G. KOMEN recently announced $26 million in funding for new research projects that focus on metastatic breast cancer, new treatments, and disparities in breast cancer outcomes. This year’s grant slate focuses on key areas that will help the organization achieve its bold goal to reduce the...
Ned Sharpless, MD, Testifies Before House Subcommittee on FDA Investigation of Vaping Illnesses and Regulation of E-Cigarettes
Earlier this week, Acting Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Ned Sharpless, MD, testified before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on the FDA’s planned regulation of electronic nicotine delivery systems and investigation of vaping illnesses. His remarks are...
Ariel Hollinshead Hyun, PhD, a Pioneer in Cancer Vaccines, Dies at Age 90
Inspiration comes in many forms. For cancer researcher Ariel Hollinshead Hyun, PhD, known professionally as Dr. Hollinshead, it came at the age of 15, when she was captivated by Paul de Kruif’s book Microbe Hunters. She was fascinated by the lives of early bacteriologists detailed in the book and...
AACR Cancer Progress Report 2019 Released
Today, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) released the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2019, which highlights how research largely supported by federal investments in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is spurring improvements in public health and innovations across the spectrum...
ASCO Advocacy and Policy Initiatives/Activities in 2019
Nearly 20% of Americans receive their health insurance coverage through Medicaid. However, unlike Medicare and other payers, Medicaid is not federally required to cover routine care costs, such as physician visits and laboratory studies, for clinical trials. Only 12 states require this coverage,...
Connect With Research Colleagues by Joining the ASCO Research Community Forum Online
The ASCO Research Community Forum (RCF) has created a new online community to provide a venue for physician investigators and research staff who are conducting and managing clinical trials to engage and network, share best practices, access resources, and learn more about the ASCO RCF and its...
Engage, Discuss, and Learn With ASCO eLearning Multidisciplinary Molecular Tumor Boards
The ASCO eLearning Multidisciplinary Molecular Tumor Boards (MMTBs) offer participants an opportunity to learn from experts and from each other on a variety of tumor-based topics. MMTB formats alternate between slide-based and discussion forum-based layouts. The discussion-based MMTBs are an...
Shining Her Light: 2019 International Women Who Conquer Cancer Mentorship Award Recipient Verna Vanderpuye, MBChB
By simply reaching out to new colleagues, Verna Vanderpuye, MBChB, improved the way oncology is practiced across Africa.
“It is difficult to find yourself in the [predicament] of low government support, lack of research culture, and inadequate infrastructure,” explained Dr. Vanderpuye, a senior...
Submit Your Research Project Applications for ASCO Research Survey Pool
ASCO’s Center for Research and Analytics (CENTRA) is now accepting research applications from ASCO members who wish to conduct member surveys for research purposes.
All researchers who wish to conduct surveys of opted-in ASCO members must complete a Research Survey Pool application. The...
Updated ASCO Resource Helps Educate Patients About Cancer Costs
The financial impact of cancer is a major source of stress and anxiety for patients and their families. The ASCO Answers Managing the Cost of Cancer Care booklet provides practical advice and information on financial topics in cancer care, including:
New Results From the TAPUR Study Reported in JCO Precision Oncology
New results from ASCO’s Targeted Agent and Profiling Utilization Registry (TAPUR) Study demonstrated that single-agent palbociclib has no meaningful clinical activity in patients with CDKN2A-mutated or -deleted advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma.
The results, based on data...
Assessing Full Impact of Prior Authorization Plus Electronic Prior Authorization Needed to Remove Barriers to Care
ASCO submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to a proposed rule regarding Secure Electronic Prior Authorization for Medicare Part D. Under the proposal, clinicians would be able to complete prior authorizations for Part D prescriptions online using a ...
Featured Conversations
Developed by Conquer Cancer, the Your Stories podcast series shares unscripted conversations among patients, doctors, and the family and friends who conquer cancer with them. The series also includes transcripts of conversations. In one such featured conversation, “Doctors’ Orders,” two seasoned...
Graviola
GUEST EDITOR
Integrative Oncology is guest edited by Jun J. Mao, MD, MSCE, Laurance S. Rockefeller Chair in Integrative Medicine and Chief of Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York.
The ASCO Post’s Integrative Oncology series is intended to...
