“It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.” —Muhammad Ali Long-term survival in early-stage classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) was first made possible by the introduction of the mantle and inverted Y fields of radiotherapy in the 1960s. The addition of...
Researchers have identified factors that could determine whether donor lymphocyte infusion—a type of adoptive cell therapy—will result in remission among patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who have relapsed following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), according to a...
Previous research has shown that nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including aspirin and COX-2 inhibitors, may reduce the risk of developing colon cancer. A recent CALGB/SWOG study revealed that adding celecoxib to FOLFOX chemotherapy improved disease-free survival in patients with...
Aasma Shaukat, MD, MPH, of NYU Langone, presented results from the PREEMPT CRC study, which evaluated the clinical performance of an investigational blood-based screening test for detecting molecular signals of advanced colorectal neoplasia in an average-risk population (Abstract 18).
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Holtan et al, the addition of cyclophosphamide to posttransplantation graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis with tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil was associated with improved patient-reported outcomes in the phase III BMT CTN 1703 trial in...
In a Chinese phase II study (C-Brain) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Xu et al found that brain radiotherapy in combination with camrelizumab and platinum-doublet chemotherapy produced “promising” results in patients with previously untreated advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with brain...
Late in 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the 2025 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) final rule adopting changes for Medicare payments under the PFS. CMS also released the 2025 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System final rule, which sets hospital outpatient...
Results of a phase III study suggest that the addition of the immunotherapy agent blinatumomab—a bispecific T-cell engager targeting CD19—to standard chemotherapy may help to prevent relapse in more children with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), the most common pediatric cancer,...
The investigational next-generation oral selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) imlunestrant improved progression-free survival both as monotherapy in patients with ESR1 mutations and in combination with the CDK4/6 inhibitor abemaciclib regardless of ESR1 mutational status in patients with...
Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. This year, it’s expected that more than 53,000 individuals will die of the disease. Although screening for the cancer through colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy is effective in detecting the disease, nearly...
Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in the United States, but high recurrence rates persist for patients with early-stage disease. A recent study published by Black et al in Nature Medicine has found that even very low traces of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) may be linked to increased...
In a phase II trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Heinzerling et al found that primary lung tumor stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) followed by concurrent mediastinal chemoradiotherapy (with or without adjuvant immunotherapy) was associated with activity in patients with locally advanced...
Belinda Avalos, MD, Professor of Medicine and a senior advisor to the President of Atrium Health Levine Cancer, will serve as president of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) for a year-long term through December 2025. Overview Dr. Avalos is a physician-scientist with a special clinical...
The drug glucarpidase could serve as an antidote to kidney toxicity in patients receiving the chemotherapy agent methotrexate, according to a recent study published by Gupta et al in Blood. Background As a result of its ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier, methotrexate is one of the most...
Treatment with psilocybin may improve mental health issues among patients with cancer when accompanied by psychotherapy and could result in lasting, positive personality changes in patients with alcohol use disorder, according to two recent studies published by Petridis et al in Nature Mental...
Tumor cells circulating in the blood are the germ cells of breast cancer metastases. They are rare and could not be propagated in the culture dish until now. A team from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the Heidelberg Stem Cell Institute HI-STEM, and the NCT Heidelberg has now succeeded...
According to research reported at the 2024 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition, a link seems to exist between hematologic malignancies and dietary components. The speakers said their studies may ultimately lead to dietary interventions that could alter the course of ...
First responders who worked at Ground Zero in the aftermath of the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City were three times more likely to have genetic changes associated with an increased risk of leukemia compared with other first responders or members of the public who were not...
Researchers have examined whether a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-first approach is safe for prostate cancer detection over the long term, according to a recent study published by Hamm et al in JAMA Oncology. Background Several strategies may be deployed for the early detection of prostate...
At the 2024 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition (Abstract 883), Alexey Danilov, MD, PhD, of the Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation at City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, reported that single-agent epcoritamab led...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved remestemcel-L-rknd (Ryoncil), an allogeneic bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stromal cell therapy for steroid-refractory acute graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) in pediatric patients 2 months of age and older. The application received Orphan...
Researchers may have discovered a factor contributing to cancer cell evasion of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, according to a recent study published by Chen et al in Cell. The findings could lead to more personalized therapies that improve survival among patients with cancer....
Cancer care is increasingly complicated by the presence of comorbidities, which affect nearly two-thirds of patients at the time of diagnosis and can influence treatment decisions, participation in clinical trials, and overall outcomes. During 2024 JADPRO Live, M. Edie Brucker, DNP, MPH, ARNP,...
The phase III ZEST clinical trial, designed to evaluate the PARP inhibitor niraparib for the prevention of breast cancer recurrence in patients with circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), failed to accrue enough patients positive for ctDNA, according to results presented at the 2024 San Antonio Breast...
Researchers have revealed that high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation may not benefit patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) who are in remission following initial treatment, according to new findings presented by Fenske et al at the 2024 American Society of...
A combination of the oral drugs acalabrutinib and venetoclax may be more effective at improving progression-free survival and minimizing serious adverse events in patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) compared with one of two standard multidrug treatment regimens,...
Recent data suggest that a plant-based diet rich in fiber may help to improve the outlook for people with precursor conditions that can lead to multiple myeloma. The research, which involved a 12-week controlled diet with additional health coaching for 20 patients as well as experiments in mice, is ...
The experimental drug rilzabrutinib was well tolerated and generated an increase in platelet counts among some adults with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) who had not experienced lasting improvements with other available ITP treatments, according to the results of a phase III trial. These findings...
Findings from a series of studies conducted in mice, human tissues, and healthy volunteers suggest that a ketogenic diet may enhance the effectiveness of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. The results point to β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), a substance produced when a ketogenic diet is...
Intense pain on the right side of my lower rib cage, in 2020, sent me first to my chiropractor for relief and then to my primary care provider for tests. Because of the location of the pain, the chiropractor thought I might be having a gallbladder attack, but the results from a urine test showed a ...
The soaring number of cancer survivors since the National Cancer Act of 1971 was enacted into law provides a snapshot of the profound progress made against cancer over the past half-century: 3 million survivors in the 1970s,1 compared to more than 18 million today, and that number is expected to...
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) honored Rep. Michael Burgess, MD (R-TX) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) health scientist Mary Hulihan, DrPH, for their leadership on issues of importance to hematology research and practice at the 2024 ASH Annual Meeting &...
At the 2024 JADPRO Live event, which is held annually for advanced practitioners in oncology, high-risk myelofibrosis was a featured topic. “The treatment landscape has developed so much that JADPRO asked us to present our talks on the main stage this year,” said Julie Huynh-Lu, PA-C, Supervisor...
The results of the HARMOny study published in JACC: CardioOncology by Beekman et al did not reveal a long-term adverse effect of prophylactic surgical menopause on the development of coronary artery calcium—a marker of cardiovascular disease risk—in women with a high familial risk of ovarian...
Worldwide, more than a billion people have obesity—including 650 million adults, 340 million adolescents, and 39 million children1—a rate that has nearly doubled since 1980.2 In the United States alone, about two out of three adults are overweight or have obesity, and one out of three have...
In a Chinese phase III trial (EXTENTORCH) reported in JAMA Oncology, Cheng et al reported that the addition of the immunoglobulin G4 PD-1–blocking antibody toripalimab to first-line chemotherapy with etoposide plus cisplatin or carboplatin (EP) improved progression-free survival among patients with ...
It’s not news that some viruses, including human papillomavirus, human immunodeficiency virus, Epstein-Barr, and hepatitis B, can cause or accelerate the development of cancer. But a recent story in The Washington Post about rare cancers being diagnosed in individuals who had previously been...
In the phase III CEPHEUS trial,1 the achievement of undetectable measurable residual disease (or MRD negativity)—the primary endpoint—was met by 61% of patients with transplant-ineligible or deferred newly diagnosed multiple myeloma treated with the monoclonal antibody daratumumab plus bortezomib, ...
A second-generation chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy may offer a new option for patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), an aggressive blood cancer with few treatment options. Results from the phase Ib/II FELIX trial, published by Roddie et al in ...
A recent report highlighted evidence-based recommendations for the prevention, detection, and management of cancer therapy–related cardiovascular toxicity and cardiovascular events in patients with cancer, as well as knowledge gaps. Select considerations are summarized herein. “The European Society ...
Researchers have demonstrated that a targeted intervention may increase screening rates in patients who do not adhere to current colorectal cancer screening recommendations, according to a recent study published by Reuland et al in JAMA Network Open. Background Colorectal cancer screening is often...
My twin brother and I were adopted at 18 months old, so I don’t know the medical history of our biological parents and family. But for certain, cancer has played an integral—and heartbreaking—role in my life. Both of my adoptive parents were diagnosed with genitourinary cancers at relatively early ...
Participants of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Minority Recruitment Initiative had lower attrition rates in graduate and medical programs, were more likely to pursue a career in hematology, and had high levels of engagement at ASH beyond their participation in the program, according to a ...
Investigators have found that firefighters may face occupational exposures to multiple chemicals that could increase their risk of developing breast cancer, according to a recent study published by Cardona et al in Toxics. Background Prior research has revealed that firefighters have significantly...
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) will recognize exemplary hematologists who have made significant contributions to the field with several honorific awards at the 2024 ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition, being held December 7–10 in San Diego. “ASH is honored to recognize these outstanding...
“While clinical trials emphasize improvement in cure rates for patients with advanced classical Hodgkin lymphoma, an important goal is reducing the potential long-term effects of treatment,” commented Iris Isufi, MD, of the Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, Connecticut, and ...
Presurgical treatment with the novel drug vidutolimod and the PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab may improve outcomes in patients with stage III cutaneous melanoma, according to a recent study published by Davar et al in Cancer Cell. The findings supported the development of vidutolimod for...
Researchers have found that combining the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab with standard chemotherapy may improve treatment outcomes in patients with small cell bladder cancer and small cell/neuroendocrine prostate cancer, according to a recent study published by Gu et al in Cell Reports Medicine....
A small study investigating tumor treating fields—an antimitotic electric fields therapy—in combination with pembrolizumab and temozolomide for the treatment of patients with glioblastoma was found to be a promising strategy, especially in patients with substantial residual tumor, according to the...
Researchers have assessed the efficacy of targeting the CD47 protein combined with traditional immunotherapy drugs in patients with colorectal cancer, with a recent study published by Arai et al in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer. The findings indicated that the combination approach could...