September 25, 2023 (View All Issues)
First-Line Pembrolizumab Plus Lenvatinib Active in Advanced Non–Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
In a phase II trial (KEYNOTE-B61) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Laurence Albiges, MD, PhD, of Gustave Roussy, Paris–Saclay University, Villejuif, France, and colleagues found that first-line pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib produced durable responses in patients with advanced non–clear cell renal ...
Accelerating Progress Against Cancer and Other Life-Threatening Diseases
Cancer—and the quest to accelerate more effective treatments and potential cures for all life-threatening diseases—has perhaps shaped the life of financier Michael Milken more than his legendary career on Wall Street. In the early 1970s, Mr. Milken’s mother-in-law was diagnosed with metastatic...
Distributing Scarce Cancer Drugs Legally and Ethically
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many medical specialties became familiar with supply chain interruptions resulting in drug, equipment, and personnel scarcity. Intensive care unit beds, staff, and essential medicines were at times in short supply. The federal government, individual states, and...
Understanding the Treatment of Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia
Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia is a rare and incurable low-grade B-cell lymphoproliferative disease defined by specific genotypic subtypes that have implications for treatment response and long-term outcomes. Treatment—and there is no established standard—is mainly focused on controlling symptoms...
Highlights in Cancer and Aging From the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
The 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting again demonstrated the Society’s commitment to improving cancer care for all older adults. Pertinent questions related to treatment and management in this population were addressed in educational and oral abstract sessions, clinical science symposia, and...
More on Renal Cell Carcinoma From ASCO 2023: Focus on Atezolizumab Plus Cabozantinib vs Cabozantinib Alone
The addition of the monoclonal antibody atezolizumab to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor cabozantinib failed to improve progression-free survival and overall survival vs cabozantinib alone in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (previously treated with an immune checkpoint inhibitor) in the...
More on Biliary Tract Cancer From ASCO 2023: Focus on Zanidatamab
The HER2-targeting bispecific antibody zanidatamab generated rapid and durable responses in patients with HER2-amplified, locally advanced, unresectable or metastatic biliary tract cancer previously treated with gemcitabine, investigators from the global phase IIb HERIZON-BTC-01 study reported at...
Ipilimumab Plus Nivolumab May Improve Outcomes in Refractory Metastatic Melanoma, Study Suggests
Researchers have discovered that the combination of the CTLA-4 inhibitor ipilimumab and the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab may be an effective second-line therapy in patients with PD-1 blockade–refractory metastatic melanoma, according to a recent study conducted by the SWOG Cancer Research Network and ...
New Assistant Program Director for Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship at Fox Chase Cancer Center
Andrea Porpiglia, MD, MSc, FACS, Associate Professor in the Department of Surgical Oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center, has been promoted to Assistant Program Director for the Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship.
“Dr. Porpiglia has been an instrumental part of teaching the next...
Fixed-Dose Niraparib and Abiraterone Plus Prednisone in BRCA-Mutated Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
On August 11, 2023, the fixed-dose combination of the PARP inhibitor niraparib and the CYP17 inhibitor abiraterone acetate plus prednisone was approved for patients with deleterious or suspected deleterious BRCA-mutated castration-resistant prostate cancer, as determined by a U.S. Food and Drug...
Accelerated Approval Granted for Talquetamab-tgvs in Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma
On August 9, 2023, the bispecific GPRC5D (G protein–coupled receptor, class C, group 5)-directed CD3 T-cell engager talquetamab-tgvs was granted accelerated approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at...
ASTRO Names FASTRO Recipients for 2023
A total of 29 distinguished members of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) have been named Fellows of ASTRO. The ASTRO Fellow designation, FASTRO, honors individuals who have contributed significantly to the Society through committee work, other volunteer service, and to the field...
ASCO Releases Rapid Recommendation Update on Use of Olanzapine to Treat Cancer-Related Cachexia
ASCO recently released a new rapid recommendation update that addresses the use of olanzapine to treat cancer-related cachexia, a topic originally addressed in its 2020 guideline on the management of cancer cachexia in adults with advanced cancer.1,2 At that time, there was insufficient evidence to ...
ASCO Participates in President’s Cancer Panel
ASCO joined the President’s Cancer Panel on September 7, 2023, to highlight the numerous ways ASCO is working to advance the National Cancer Plan and achieve President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot goal of “ending cancer as we know it.”
This all-day, virtual event was the first public meeting in support ...
SIO and ASCO Partner to Develop Integrative Oncology Care Recommendations for Anxiety and Depression in Patients With Cancer
The Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) and ASCO have partnered to develop a new guideline on integrative oncology care of symptoms of anxiety and depression in adults with cancer. The guideline reviews the evidence for a range of integrative approaches, including mindfulness-based...
Ibrutinib Included Among the 10 Drugs Slated for Medicare Price Negotiations
On August 29, the Biden Administration announced the first 10 prescription medications that will be included in Medicare’s price negotiations with drug manufacturers as the government aims to reduce the financial burden on millions of older Americans and potentially save the Medicare program...
From Texas to Sweden, Medical Oncologist Gil Morgan, MD, Enjoys Connecting the Cancer Community
In this installment of The ASCO Post’s Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Gil Morgan, MD, a clinical oncologist formerly at the Division of Medical and Radiation Oncology at Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden and now full-time Director of the OncoAlert...
Vorasidenib Improves Progression-Free Survival in IDH1- or IDH2-Mutant Grade 2 Glioma
As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Ingo K. Mellinghoff, MD, FACP, and colleagues, the phase III INDIGO trial has shown that vorasidenib, an oral brain-penetrant inhibitor of mutant IDH1 and IDH2 enzymes, significantly improved progression-free survival vs placebo in patients with ...
FDA Approves Melphalan Hepatic Delivery System for Adult Patients With Unresectable Hepatic-Dominant Metastatic Uveal Melanoma
On August 14, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the HEPZATO KIT, a melphalan hepatic delivery system, as a liver-directed treatment for adult patients with metastatic uveal melanoma and unresectable hepatic metastases affecting less than 50% of the liver and no extrahepatic...
Retrospective Study Reports Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Used in CML Associated With Nephrotoxicity
Investigators reported that the tyrosine kinase inhibitor dasatinib, commonly used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), was associated with nephrotoxicity in 10% of 32 patients with CML being treated with dasatinib in a multicenter, retrospective clinical study conducted to determine the...
ACS Funds UAMS Study to Understand Treatment Resistance in Pancreatic Cancer
Adam Wolfe, MD, PhD, a radiation oncologist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, has received a $583,200 grant from the American Cancer Society (ACS) to study radiation resistance in pancreatic cancer, a lethal disease with the highest...
Surgical Oncologist Héber Salvador, MD, PhD, Offers an Inside Look at Cancer Care in Brazil, Complete With Its Diversity and Inequities
In this installment of The ASCO Post’s Global Oncology series, Guest Editor Chandrakanth Are, MBBS, MBA, FRCS, FACS, the Jerald L. & Carolynn J. Varner Professor of Surgical Oncology & Global Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, spoke with Héber Salvador, MD, PhD,...
Finding a New Life Purpose After Cancer
In the summer of 2012, I was living my dream. At 28 years old, I had gone from an impoverished childhood in South Central Los Angeles to the high life in the city of Los Angeles. Unable to afford to go to college, an after-school program helped launch me into a career in the hospitality industry. I ...
Catalyzing Change: Young Moroccan Oncologists Spearhead the Fight Against Sarcoma
The management of sarcoma presents several challenges because of its rarity and diverse subtypes, making accurate diagnosis and specialized treatment crucial. A multidisciplinary approach involving various experts from different cancer specialties is the optimal strategy to improve survival and...
27th Cancer Leadership Awards Recipients Announced by Friends of Cancer Research
Friends of Cancer Research recently announced its 2023 Cancer Leadership Awards honorees: Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Robert Califf, MD, and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI).
Dr. Califf, recognized for his work in the field of cardiology and the broader...
City of Hope Receives $32.3 Million From the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to Advance Innovative Therapies
Researchers at City of Hope were awarded $32.3 million from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to support three novel phase I clinical trials evaluating innovative cell and gene therapies for patients with HIV, acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and severe aplastic anemia. Beckman ...
MD Anderson and Ochsner Health Partner to Create First Fully Integrated Cancer Program in Louisiana
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and New Orleans–based Ochsner Health recently announced a partnership to create Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center in southeastern Louisiana. Patients with cancer in the region now will have access to treatments that are among the most advanced in...
