Patients with colorectal cancer and a history of cannabis use disorder had a more than 20 times higher risk of mortality within 5 years than those without cannabis use order, according to the results of a study published in Annals of Epidemiology. The 5-year mortality rate in patients with a...
Female cancer survivors are more likely to experience cancer-related fatigue and depression than male cancer survivors, and those with cancer-related fatigue and/or depression are almost two times as likely to reduce their recreational activities, according to the results of a retrospective study...
The addition of neoadjuvant and adjuvant pembrolizumab to standard-of-care therapy significantly improved event-free survival over the standard of care alone for patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer in the phase III KEYNOTE-689 trial, according to results presented at the American...
Statin use during targeted therapy treatment led to a 61% improvement in the risk of dying of cancer for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), according to the results of a study published in Blood Advances. The investigators sought to determine the...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the humanized IgG1 monoclonal anti–PD-1 antibody penpulimab-kcqx with cisplatin or carboplatin and gemcitabine for the first-line treatment of adults with recurrent or metastatic nonkeratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The FDA also...
On April 11, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved nivolumab (Opdivo) with ipilimumab (Yervoy) for the first-line treatment of adults with unresectable or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma. (See here for details on approval of this combination immunotherapy for colorectal...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the tyrosine kinase inhibitor cabozantinib (Cabometyx) for adult and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with previously treated, unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic, well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors...
Nicolas Girard, MD, a thoracic oncologist at the Institut Curie, Paris, presented the results of an interim analysis of the open-label phase II COCOON study, at the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2025.1 A readily available preventive regimen (the COCOON regimen) reduced moderate-to-severe...
A few weeks ago, a family member underwent a minor outpatient operative procedure. From a few weeks before the scheduled date of the procedure, multiple text messages and e-mails were forwarded to provide preparatory instructions for the procedure. The day before the procedure, another...
More than 20% of cancer-related claims for next-generation sequencing (NGS) from Medicare beneficiaries were denied between 2016 and 2021. Findings from a cohort study published in JAMA Network Open suggested that there is continued uncertainty about the boundaries of coverage for NGS, even with...
A survey study has shown cautious patient support for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) as a second reader in screening mammograms, according to results published in Radiology: Imaging Center. The study authors sought to determine the sentiments of patients regarding AI use in mammogram...
Individuals who reported exclusive use of combustible cigarettes as well as those who reported dual use of both cigarettes and e-cigarettes showed similarly high toxicant exposure, according to the results of a study published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research. Both groups of smokers showed higher ...
Almost 60% of all deaths from pediatric cancers occur in regions of armed conflict, according to the results of a study published in The Lancet Oncology. Investigators from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Duke University, and other institutions sought to reveal the relationship between...
On April 11, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved nivolumab (Opdivo) with ipilimumab (Yervoy) for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Efficacy was evaluated in CheckMate-9DW (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier...
On April 8, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab (Opdivo) with the CTLA-4 inhibitor ipilimumab (Yervoy) for adult and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with unresectable or metastatic microsatellite instability–high (MSI-H) or mismatch...
On March 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the indication for lutetium Lu-177 vipivotide tetraxetan (Pluvicto) to include adults with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who have been treated with androgen ...
On March 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the PD-L1 inhibitor durvalumab (Imfinzi) with gemcitabine and cisplatin as neoadjuvant treatment, followed by single-agent durvalumab as adjuvant treatment following radical cystectomy, for adults with muscle-invasive bladder ...
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the tyrosine kinase inhibitor cabozantinib (Cabometyx) for adult and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with previously treated, unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic, well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors...
Updated findings from the second planned interim analysis of the phase III ENGOT-cx11/GOG-3047/KEYNOTE-A18 study solidify the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy, followed by pembrolizumab maintenance, as the upfront standard of care for high-risk, locally advanced...
Today’s oncologists are blessed with an abundance of therapies for HER2-positive early breast cancer, but this comes with the challenge of selecting among them. At the 2025 Miami Breast Cancer Conference, Sara A. Hurvitz, MD, FACP, offered insight on common clinical scenarios. Dr. Hurvitz is...
As a Native American and former president of the Seneca Nation of Indians, I am keenly aware of the disparities in cancer care we face in accessing screening and treatment, which results in worse survival rates compared with those of racial and ethnic populations.1 Native American and Alaska Native ...
“Care more particularly for the individual patient than for the special features of the disease.” —Sir William Osler Chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) is the most common leukemia in the Western hemisphere. The majority of patients who require treatment are older than ...
In the phase III JCOG1411/FLORA trial of patients with untreated advanced-stage, very low–tumor burden follicular lymphoma, rituximab induction delayed disease progression to high–tumor burden follicular lymphoma and delayed the initiation of cytotoxic chemotherapy, according to Japanese...
The addition of tafasitamab, a CD19 monoclonal antibody, to the commonly used lenalidomide and rituximab backbone significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma, according to data presented during the 2024 American Society of Hematology...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) in combination with lenalidomide and a rituximab product for adults with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL)—including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified, DLBCL arising ...
Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has evolved from an experimental biomarker to an increasingly actionable tool, informing treatment decisions throughout colorectal cancer care. Whether guiding adjuvant therapy intensification or de-escalation, refining organ-preservation strategies in rectal cancer,...
Adding intraperitoneal (IP) paclitaxel to standard intravenous (IV) paclitaxel plus S-1 (oral fluoropyrimidine derivative) significantly extended overall survival for patients with gastric cancer peritoneal metastases, according to data presented at the 2025 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers...
Definitive radiation therapy offers a high degree of locoregional control in large, locally advanced basal cell carcinomas (BCC), according to results from a recent multi-institutional research study published by Su et al in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology · Biology · Physics. One...
The 2025 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium once again delivered a slate of high-impact studies spanning esophageal, gastric, hepatocellular, pancreatic, biliary tract, and colorectal malignancies. Experts in the field offered fresh perspectives on evolving standards of care, and investigators ...
Results from the phase III NRG Oncology GOG-0263 trial—which tested the addition of cisplatin-based chemotherapy to adjuvant radiotherapy following radical hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy for patients with early-stage, intermediate-risk cervical carcinoma—indicated that the addition of...
Cancer and its treatments often contribute to burdensome symptoms that negatively impact patients’ quality of life and treatment outcomes, including fatigue, anxiety, and depression.1 Many patients experience multiple symptoms concurrently2 that can disrupt their treatments and lead to unplanned...
Testosterone recovery to normal levels after long-term term androgen-deprivation therapy and radiotherapy significantly improved overall survival in patients with high-risk prostate cancer, according to data presented at the 2025 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.1 Long-term data from the phase...
Among the high-quality abstract presentations at the 2024 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), a few always stand out as particularly meritorious. Each year, The ASCO Post asks our Deputy Editor, breast cancer specialist Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, to give us his picks. Dr. Abraham is Chairman...
“Care more particularly for the individual patient than for the special features of the disease.”—Sir William Osler Chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) is the most common leukemia in the Western hemisphere. The majority of patients who require treatment are older than ...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved vimseltinib (Romvimza), a kinase inhibitor, for adults with symptomatic tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT) for which surgical resection will potentially cause worsening functional limitation or severe morbidity. MOTION Trial Efficacy was...
Several cardiovascular risk factors such as advanced age and smoking history may be prevalent among patients with lung cancer at the time of diagnosis and may increase their risk of future cardiovascular disease, according to findings presented by Malozzi et al at the American College of...
The final overall survival results from cohort 1 of the phase III TALAPRO-2 trial showed a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement with the PARP inhibitor talazoparib plus the androgen receptor inhibitor enzalutamide vs standard-of-care enzalutamide in treatment-naive...
Studies show that about one-quarter of advanced prostate cancers have alterations in DNA damage response genes involved directly or indirectly in homologous recombination repair (HRR) gene alterations, including BRCA1/BRCA2 genes, which can sensitize them to treatment with PARP inhibitors. Final...
Although national guidelines, including ASCO’s palliative care guideline,1 call for the early integration of palliative and oncology care for patients with advanced cancer, only 36% of those with a very poor prognosis and 18% of those with a poor prognosis receive palliative care services.2 The...
ZUMA-2 is a single-arm, multicenter, open-label phase II study that investigated leukapheresed adults with mantle cell lymphoma whose disease was refractory to or had relapsed after up to five prior lines of therapy, including anthracycline or bendamustine-containing chemotherapy; anti-CD20...
ASCO has updated its guidelines on the role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients newly diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer, underscoring key considerations in selecting patients for treatment and where to go from there.1 Since ASCO’s previous guidelines were published in 2016, there has been ...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) in combination with lenalidomide and a rituximab product for adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL)—including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified, DLBCL ...
In JCO Oncology Advances, Schenkel et al published the results of an ASCO survey measuring professional well-being, satisfaction, and the effect of both on career plans among oncologists in the United States. The analysis revealed a higher rate of burnout compared with that observed a decade ago....
A record-breaking number of abstracts were submitted for the 2024 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition, and nearly 8,000 were accepted. The ASCO Post strives to provide in-depth coverage of those with the greatest impact. Here, we offer snapshots of others of...
The results from the phase III FIRE-4 randomized clinical trial show that liquid biopsy accurately identified patients with RAS/BRAF V600E wild type–mutated metastatic colorectal cancer. The findings confirm the high clinical relevance of liquid biopsy performed at baseline before the start of...
Two pivotal phase III trials presented at the 2024 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition mark a significant shift toward chemotherapy-free approaches in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), offering potentially more effective and tolerable treatment options for both...
A phase III trial has shown adding the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab to anthracycline- and taxane-based chemotherapy that patients receive ahead of surgery may improve breast cancer cure rates. CheckMate-7FL involved 510 patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, HER2-negative early breast cancer,...
The oral MDM2 inhibitor navtemadlin is the first single agent to demonstrate significant efficacy in JAK (Janus kinase) inhibitor–refractory myelofibrosis, achieving improvements in spleen volume, symptoms, and biomarkers, according to data presented at the 2024 American Society of Hematology (ASH) ...
Studies have shown that adults living in historically redlined neighborhoods are less likely to be screened for breast, colorectal, and cervical cancers and have worse survival than those living in nonredlined areas. Redlining, a discriminatory, racist practice that began in the 1920s and 1930s in...
The antibody-drug conjugate fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (T-DXd) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-low (immunohistochemistry [IHC] 1+ or IHC 2+/in situ...