September 10, 2025 (View All Issues)
PARP Inhibition Plus Abiraterone Shows Benefit in HRR-Altered Metastatic Castration-Sensitive Prostate Cancer
Use of the PARP inhibitor niraparib in combination with the androgen biosynthesis inhibitor abiraterone acetate and the corticosteroid prednisone reduced the risk of disease progression, both radiographic and symptomatic, in patients with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer harboring...
Living With the Real-World Consequences of Federal Budget Cuts on Cancer Research
The outlook for adequate funding for federal health agencies has become more dire. In July, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) announced it is reducing the number of grant applications it will award for the remaining 2 months of fiscal year 2025 (FY2025), from 9% down to 4%.1 The result is that...
The Future of Cell Therapy: Optimizing the CAR to the Disease in B-Cell Malignancies
Over the past 20 years, increased understanding of the biological mechanism of disease has led to improved treatment options for all malignancies. Within each disease subtype, we have molecularly characterized tumors and developed specific treatment algorithms to optimize patient outcomes.
Among...
Treatment Rechallenge After Interstitial Lung Disease Related to T-DXd: Is It Safe?
Rechallenge with the HER2-directed antibody-drug conjugate fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (T-DXd) after grade 1 interstitial lung disease (ILD) appeared to be safe in a diverse real-world population, including many patients with breast cancer, as presented during the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting.1 The ...
Experts Share Their Perspectives on Navigating Opioid-Induced Constipation in Oncology
Constipation, a frequent and distressing side effect of cancer treatment, remains underdiagnosed and undertreated—particularly when driven by opioids. Opioid-induced constipation is distinct from functional constipation and requires tailored approaches to assessment and management.
During a...
Radiation Oncology Leaders Name 2025 Fellows of the American Society for Radiation Oncology
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) selected 43 members to receive the ASTRO Fellow (FASTRO) designation this year. This prestigious honor recognizes ASTRO members’ outstanding achievements and contributions to the Society, cancer research, education, patient care, and the...
Personalizing First-Line Therapy in NSCLC: Plasma-Guided Adaptive Treatment Approach
In patients with newly diagnosed, PD-L1–positive, advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who tested negative for driver mutations, implementation of plasma-guided treatment intensification—from monotherapy with the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab to platinum doublet chemotherapy plus...
Use of Cemiplimab as Adjuvant Therapy for High-Risk Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma
The randomized phase III C-POST trial attempted to learn whether the standard-of-care treatment in advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma—cemiplimab-rwlc, which blocks the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway—could reduce recurrence after definitive local therapy for patients who had high-risk features....
Smoldering Multiple Myeloma: How the Guidance Is Changing
Clinical trials have sought to determine the benefit of treating the precursors of multiple myeloma, but as the phenotypes and genomics of this entity are becoming better delineated, the wisdom of early intervention has remained confusing for clinicians. At the 2025 Debates and Didactics in...
Is Cure Finally Achievable in Multiple Myeloma?
After decades of incremental progress in the treatment of multiple myeloma, survival has increased from 3 years in the late 1990s to between 8 and 10 years today.1 Could cure for a disease that kills more than 12,000 individuals each year in the United States2 finally be within reach? The long-term ...
Do the Results From CARTITUDE-1 Represent a Cure for Patients With Multiple Myeloma? We Need Longer Follow-Up to Know for Sure
The results of the CARTITUDE-1 clinical trial demonstrate outstanding and unprecedented long-term efficacy with ciltacabtagene autoleucel, a B-cell maturation antigen–directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.1 (See the July 2025 issue of The ...
The Implications of the Results From CARTITUDE-1 for Future Research and Care in Multiple Myeloma
The results from the CARTITUDE-1 study showed the remarkable efficacy of ciltacabtagene autoleucel, a B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, when used in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma after four or more prior lines of...
Update to ASCO Living Guideline for NSCLC Without Driver Alterations Includes First Comparison of Immunotherapy Options
ASCO has issued a new update to its living guideline regarding therapy for stage IV non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without driver alterations, based on results of three studies published recently.1 The update (the first since a previous version in February 2025) includes discussion of...
‘A Playbook for Best Practices’: ASCO and COA Release Updated Oncology Medical Home Standards
ASCO and the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) have released updated standards for its Oncology Medical Home (OMH) certification program, which were initially codified and published in 2021.1 The 2021 systematic literature review focused on the topics of OMH model of care, clinical pathways, and...
Jeffrey A. Drebin, MD, PhD, Named Chief Physician Executive of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) recently announced that Jeffrey A. Drebin, MD, PhD, has been named Chief Physician Executive. A renowned surgeon-scientist, Dr. Drebin previously served as Chair of the Department of Surgery and brings decades of leadership and clinical experience...
John C. Byrd, MD, FASCO, Named UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Director
John C. Byrd, MD, FASCO, an internationally lauded researcher and clinical specialist in hematologic malignancies, has been appointed Director of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, effective November 2025.
In his role as Director, Dr. Byrd will be responsible for all aspects of the University of...
Overcoming the Challenges of Safely Using Opioids to Treat Patients With Chronic Cancer-Related Pain
Research has shown that pain is among the most commonly experienced and feared aspects of a cancer diagnosis.1 It’s easy to understand why. In fact, cancer-related pain is so ubiquitous, between 20% and 50% of patients with early-stage cancer will experience pain,2 and up to 90% of patients with...
Realizing the Full Potential of Patient Engagement in Clinical Research
Nothing about us without us is a centuries-old value that is a cornerstone of meaningful patient engagement in clinical research. Such engagement has not been automatic and is still largely absent in geriatric oncology research, where older patients traditionally have been excluded from clinical...
OHSU Knight Cancer Institute Receives $2 Billion Commitment From Phil and Penny Knight
Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike, and Penny Knight announced today a record-breaking $2 billion gift to the Oregon Health & Science University’s (OHSU) Knight Cancer Institute to transform the future of cancer care and set a new standard globally.
It is the largest single donation ever made to...
Bridging the Gap in Geriatric Oncology Education: A Global Imperative
As the global population ages, oncology faces an urgent challenge: ensuring that health-care professionals are adequately trained to address the unique complexities of cancer care for older adults. Despite the increasing prevalence of cancer in this demographic, geriatric oncology education remains ...
