SNMMI 2019: Phase I/II Trial of Lutetium-177–PSMA-617 Plus Idronoxil in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
A novel therapy using two targeted treatments for prostate cancer has been shown to maximize efficacy while reducing side effects, according to research presented at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) and published by Emmett et al in The Journal ...
SNMMI 2019: Vest to Personalize Lu-177 Dotatate Therapy for Neuroendocrine Tumors
Researchers at the University of Washington are developing a user-friendly vest with technology that collects data to tailor personalized therapy for patients with metastatic, somatostatin receptor 2–positive neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Their study was presented at the 2019 Annual Meeting...
Activity of Niraparib Plus Pembrolizumab in Recurrent Ovarian Carcinoma
In a pooled analysis of the phase I/II TOPACIO/KEYNOTE-162 study reported in JAMA Oncology, Konstantinopoulos et al found evidence of activity of combined niraparib and pembrolizumab in a cohort of patients with recurrent ovarian carcinoma. Study Details The analysis included 60 evaluable women...
Pexidartinib for Advanced Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumors
In the phase III ENLIVEN trial reported in The Lancet, Tap et al found that the colony-stimulating factor 1 inhibitor pexidartinib produced responses in patients with advanced tenosynovial giant cell tumors (TGCTs) not amenable to surgical resection. Study Details In the double-blind portion of...
Implementation of Minimum Hospital Volume Standards Could Impact Ovarian Cancer Surgical Care
Limiting ovarian cancer surgery to high-volume hospitals could improve survival but may also reduce access for many rural and underserved patients, a study from researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons has found. The findings were published by Wright et al...
Treatment of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Immune-Related Cutaneous Adverse Events
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Phillips et al found that immune-related cutaneous adverse events in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors generally responded to symptom- and phenotype-directed dermatologic therapies, and that biologic therapies were effective in...
ECHO-301/KEYNOTE-252: Addition of Epacadostat to Pembrolizumab in Unresectable or Metastatic Melanoma
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Long et al, the phase III ECHO-301/KEYNOTE-252 trial showed no improvement in progression-free or overall survival with the addition of the IDO1 inhibitor epacadostat to pembrolizumab in unresectable stage III or stage IV melanoma. Study Details In the...
Extended Follow-up From the National Lung Screening Trial Reported
Early detection and treatment through screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) has been investigated as a potential means of reducing lung cancer mortality for more than 2 decades. In 2011, a large U.S. study—the randomized National Lung Screening Trial (NLST)—reported a 20%...
SNMMI 2019: Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy May Be Effective in High-Grade Neuroendocrine Neoplasms
Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) has been shown to be safe and effective for patients with grade 3 neuroendocrine neoplasms, according to research presented at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) and published by Zhang et al in The...
SNMMI 2019: PSMA PET During Lu-177–PSMA Radioligand Therapy May Help Guide Treatment
Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron-emission tomography (PET) imaging of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer after two cycles of lutetium-177 (Lu-177)-PSMA radioligand therapy has shown a significant predictive value for patient survival. The research was...
Presence of Teratoma and Disease-Related Death in Advanced Germ Cell Tumors
In a single-center retrospective analysis reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Funt et al found that the presence of teratoma in advanced nonseminomatous germ cell tumors was associated with a greater risk for disease-related death. The study was a retrospective review of primary tumor...
Evaluation of PROMIS Measures After Radical Prostatectomy
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Agochukwu et al validated the sexual interest and sexual satisfaction single-item measures of the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) in men who underwent radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer. The study ...
15-ICML: Adding Lenalidomide to R-CHOP in Newly Diagnosed DLBCL
In the phase II ECOG-ACRIN 1412 trial, presented by Nowakowski et al at the 15th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma (ICML; Abstract 006), researchers sought to compare the addition of lenalidomide to R-CHOP (rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) vs...
15-ICML: Can Serum Biomarkers Provide Prognostic Information in Relapsed Mantle Cell Lymphoma?
Data presented by Lokhande et al at the 15th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma (ICML; Abstract 360) focused on noninvasive strategies to guide patient stratification for relapsed mantle cell lymphoma. Researchers used an antibody-based platform to identify serum proteins in patients...
FDA Pipeline: Applications Accepted in Gynecologic Cancers, Targeted Therapies
Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted a new drug application for niraparib in the treatment of certain pretreated gynecologic cancers; granted Fast Track designation to a T-cell product; accepted investigational new drug applications for a myelopreservation agent and an...
FDA Approves Bevacizumab Biosimilar for Five Cancer Types
On June 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved bevacizumab-bvzr (Zirabev), a biosimilar to bevacizumab (Avastin), for the treatment of five types of cancer: metastatic colorectal cancer; unresectable, locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic nonsquamous non–small cell ...
IMWG Consensus Recommendations on Imaging in Monoclonal Plasma Disorders
Just as newer drugs have significantly improved outcomes for patients with multiple myeloma in the past decade, newer imaging techniques are upgrading detection of the disease, leading to earlier treatment, but standards to help guide clinicians on the optimal use of advanced imaging have lagged...
Multidisciplinary Approach for Addressing Immunotherapy-Related Toxicities
New research published in JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and presented by Jarushka Naidoo, MBBCh, at the NCCN 2019 Annual Conference suggests that institutions and networks that utilize immunotherapy should consider establishing multidisciplinary teams for...
Breast Cancer Screening With Addition of MRI to Mammography in Women With Familial Risk
The Dutch FaMRIsc study, reported in The Lancet Oncology by Saadatmand et al, found that the addition of screening magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to mammography resulted in identification of more breast cancers—and identification at an earlier stage—vs mammography alone among women...
Failure-Free Survival With Ultrahypofractionated vs Conventionally Fractionated Radiotherapy in Prostate Cancer
In the Scandinavian phase III HYPO-RT-PC trial reported in The Lancet, Widmark et al found that ultrahypofractionated radiotherapy was noninferior to conventionally fractionated radiotherapy in failure-free survival in patients with intermediate- to high- risk prostate cancer. Study Details In...
FDA Approves Daratumumab in Combination With Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone for Newly Diagnosed, Transplant-Ineligible Patients With Multiple Myeloma
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved daratumumab (Darzalex) in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone for the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). The application received approval ...
15-ICML: Final Data From ALCANZA: Brentuximab Vedotin for CD30-Positive CTCL
Final analyses from the ALCANZA study, a phase III trial investigating brentuximab vedotin vs physician’s choice for the treatment of CD30-positive cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), were presented by Horwitz et al at the 15th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma (ICML; Abstract...
Leading Organizations Call on Congress to Help Eliminate HPV-Related Cancers
Today, the American Association for Cancer Research, Moffitt Cancer Center, and Biden Cancer Initiative hosted a congressional briefing titled “Let’s End HPV-Related Cancers” in Washington, DC. In conjunction with this briefing, leading health organizations and...
15-ICML: ROBUST Trial Examines Efficacy of Lenalidomide/R-CHOP in Previously Untreated ABC-Type DLBCL
The ROBUST trial compared the addition of lenalidomide to R-CHOP (rituximab plus cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/vincristine/prednisone) vs placebo/R-CHOP in previously untreated, prospectively selected, CD20-positive patients with activated B-cell–like (ABC)-type diffuse large B-cell...
15-ICML: Genotyping of ctDNA in Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma
An abstract presented by Camus et al at the 15th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma (ICML; Abstract 138) found that targeted genotyping of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in classical Hodgkin lymphoma at diagnosis “may help to assess early treatment response in complement to...
Final Analysis of the PHARE Trial: 6 Months vs 12 Months of Adjuvant Trastuzumab in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
In the French phase III PHARE trial reported in The Lancet, Pivot et al found that noninferiority of 6 months vs 12 months of adjuvant trastuzumab combined with standard chemotherapy could not be demonstrated for disease-free survival in HER2-positive early breast cancer. An earlier interim...
Outcomes of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Treatment in Patients With Advanced NSCLC Receiving Baseline Corticosteroids
In a single-center study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Ricciuti et al found better outcomes with immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment among patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving baseline prednisone equivalent of ≥ 10 mg daily for...
Niraparib Plus Pembrolizumab in Advanced Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
In the phase II TOPACIO/KEYNOTE-162 trial reported in JAMA Oncology, Vinayak et al found evidence of activity of combined niraparib and pembrolizumab in a cohort of patients with advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, with higher response rates seen in patients with BRCA mutations or ...
15-ICML: Post Hoc Analysis of MAVORIC Study: Mogamulizumab in Patients With Previously Treated Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma
The MAVORIC study—presented by Scarisbrick et al at the 15th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma (ICML; Abstract 034)—examined the efficacy of mogamulizumab, a monoclonal antibody that targets the CC chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4), in patients with previously treated mycosis...
15-ICML: Identifying Genetic Alterations Associated With Relapse in DLBCL
In an abstract presented by Rushton et al at the 15th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma (ICML; Abstract 004), researchers found that patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with specific mutations in relapse-enriched genes may be at a higher risk of treatment failure. The...
Transition to Outpatient Infusional EPOCH-Based Chemotherapy at a Safety Net Hospital
In a report published in the Journal of Oncology Practice, Keshvani et al found that transitioning from inpatient to outpatient ambulatory infusional EPOCH (etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and doxorubicin)-based chemotherapy in patients with lymphoma at a safety net hospital...
Activity of Nivolumab for Renal Cell Carcinoma Brain Metastases
In an analysis of the phase II GETUG-AFU 26 NIVOREN study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Flippot et al found that nivolumab had limited activity in patients with previously untreated brain metastases from clear cell renal cell carcinoma. The study assessed nivolumab in patients with ...
Does Adjuvant Chemoradiotherapy Extend Relapse-Free Survival in Stage III or IVA Endometrial Cancer?
In the phase III GOG 258 trial reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Matei et al found that 6 months of adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy plus radiation therapy did not improve relapse-free survival vs chemotherapy alone in stage III or IVA endometrial cancer. In the open-label...
Exposure to Specific Carcinogens and Prostate Cancer Risk Among World Trade Center First Responders
Since the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, studies have shown an increased risk of several cancers—including multiple myeloma and prostate, head and neck, and thyroid cancers—among first responders to the scene. The results from a new study by Gong et al...
Comparison of Combination Dosing Schedules of Neoadjuvant Ipilimumab/Nivolumab in Macroscopic Stage III Melanoma
In the phase II OpACIN-neo study reported in The Lancet Oncology, Rozeman et al identified a promising dosing schedule for neoadjuvant ipilimumab/nivolumab in macroscopic stage III melanoma. Study Design The trial included 86 evaluable patients with resectable stage III melanoma involving the...
Are Cardiac Events During Proteasome Inhibitor Therapy for Relapsed Multiple Myeloma Common?
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Cornell et al found that cardiovascular adverse events are common in patients receiving proteasome inhibitor therapy for relapsed multiple myeloma and are associated with poorer outcome. The prospective observational study involved 95...
Immune Response to HPV16-Driven Tumorigenesis May Be Detectable Before Clinical Diagnosis of Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
An international group of researchers has found that antibodies to the human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) may develop in the body between 6 to 40 years prior to a clinical diagnosis of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and their presence indicates a strong increased risk of the disease....
Study Finds Primary Care Providers Are Engaged in Cancer Survivorship Care but Report Barriers to Optimal Care Delivery
A new study published by McDonough et al in the Journal of Oncology Practice found that while primary care physicians are often involved in cancer survivorship care, many do not feel adequately prepared for key components of it. The study shared the results of a survey of 117...
Link Between Poor Oral Health and Increased Liver Cancer Risk
Poor oral health is associated with an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, according to new research published by Jordão et al in the United European Gastroenterology Journal. Methods “Poor oral health has been associated with the risk of several chronic diseases, such as...
AACR Environmental Carcinogenesis: Silicone-Based Wristbands for Detection of Occupational Environmental Exposures for Firefighters
First responders such as paramedics and firefighters may be exposed to hazardous occupational environmental exposures, but linking these exposures to conditions such as cancers is difficult due to the latency period of disease, magnitude of potential exposure, and potential interactions of...
AACR Environmental Carcinogenesis: Lowering Exposure to Nitrates in Drinking Water May Reduce U.S. Cancer Cases
Nitrate levels in water resources have increased in many areas of the world, largely due to the use of inorganic fertilizer and animal manure in agricultural areas. Research has shown that the risk of specific cancers and birth defects may be increased when nitrate is ingested under conditions that ...
AACR Environmental Carcinogenesis: Study Finds Environmental Quality Linked With Distant/Metastatic Breast Cancer Risk
Although many risk factors increase a woman’s chance of developing breast cancer—including genetic and hormonal causes—there is increasing evidence suggesting an environmental link. A study investigating the effects of the cumulative environmental quality on aggressive breast...
ENGOT-OV16/NOVA: Niraparib Maintenance According to Complete or Partial Response to Platinum Chemotherapy for Recurrent Ovarian Cancer
In an analysis of the phase III ENGOT-OV16/NOVA trial in recurrent ovarian cancer reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, del Campo et al found that patients had clinical benefit from niraparib maintenance vs placebo irrespective of whether they had a partial response or complete response to...
Body Fat Distribution and Risk of Aggressive Prostate Cancer
In a prospective study of directly measured body fat distribution and prostate cancer risk, investigators found that higher levels of abdominal and thigh fat are associated with an increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer. The findings—published by Dickerman et al in Cancer—may lead ...
Colorectal Cancer Alliance Opens 2019 Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer Survey
The Colorectal Cancer Alliance is calling on allies to participate in its 2019 Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer Survey. The survey enables the Alliance to learn about and track the self-reported medical, psychosocial, and quality-of-life experiences of patients, survivors, and...
Performance of Machine-Learning Classifiers in the Diagnosis of Pigmented Skin Lesions
In a study conducted under the supervision of researchers from the MedUni Vienna, human experts competed against computer algorithms in diagnosing pigmented skin lesions. The algorithms achieved better results when diagnosing, but had decreased performance for out-of-distribution images. These...
Gait Speed Identifies Frailty, Could Help Predict Outcomes in Older Patients With Hematologic Cancers
The speed at which older individuals with blood cancers are able to walk 4 meters (about 13 feet) holds information about their overall health and may help to predict survival and unplanned hospital visits, according to study published by Liu et al in Blood. The association was...
Personalized Assay May Aid in Determining Risk of Recurrence of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Sixty percent of patients with triple-negative breast cancer will survive more than 5 years without disease after standard treatment, but 4 out of 10 women will have a rapid recurrence of the disease. There are currently no clinical tests to assess an individual patient’s prognosis, so all...
Rate and Outcome of Late Relapses in Patients With DLBCL Treated With Immunochemotherapy
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Wang et al identified the rates and outcomes of relapses of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in patients who had achieved 24-month event-free survival (EFS) after immunochemotherapy. Study Details The study involved 1,324...
Association of Antibodies With Pegaspargase Allergic Reactions and Failure of Rechallenge in Pediatric ALL
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Liu et al determined the frequency of allergic reactions and consequences of development of antibodies to pegaspargase (PEG-ASP) among pediatric patients with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). As noted by the...
