Two doses of a simple tuberculosis (TB) vaccination after surgery helps the immune system fight cancer cells and may improve patient outcomes among those with non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer, according to a pilot study of 40 patients. Initial results from the RUTIVAC-1 Trial were presented by...
A simple urine test could accurately detect clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) recurrence at an early stage, potentially sparing patients from undergoing invasive scans and enabling quicker access to treatment, according to new findings presented by Dabestani et al at the European Association of ...
A novel technique designed to improve the precision of prostate cancer surgery could preserve erectile function in nearly twice as many men compared with standard surgery, according to new findings presented by Almeida-Magana et al at the European Association of Urology (EAU) Congress 2025...
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...
Physician burnout has increased significantly in the past decade, and organizational strategies are vital to improve physician well-being, according to new research from ASCO. This compilation includes reports on the state of professional well-being among oncologists in 2023, burnout trends among...
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 ...
On March 10, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Proposed Rule aimed at addressing improper enrollments in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance Marketplace. This is the first proposed rule released under the new ...
Janet L. Abrahm, MD, FACP, FAAHPM, FASCO, has spent more than half of her oncology career as a palliative care physician. After receiving her medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), in 1973, Dr. Abrahm completed her internship and residency at Massachusetts General...
“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 dire warnings about the lethal consequences of unchecked antimicrobial resistance are getting louder and becoming more urgent. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has called antimicrobial resistance “one of the most important health security threats of our time,” with at least 2.8...
Prostate carcinoma is the most common type of cancer among men in the United States, accounting for more than 299,000 estimated new cases and approximately 35,000 new deaths in 2024.1 A new ASCO guideline based on findings from a systematic review indicates that in metastatic cases of prostate...
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 risk of death from cardiovascular causes may be higher among patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer compared with the general population, according to new findings presented by Ayaz et al at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Annual Scientific Session 2025. Background Cardiovascular...
Regular physical activity prior to a cancer diagnosis may be linked to a lower risk of disease progression and mortality, according to a recent study conducted by Professor Jon S. Patricios, MBBCh, of the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, and colleagues and published in the...
Neoadjuvant therapy that combines chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and the investigational PD-1 inhibitor sintilimab led to a significantly higher pathologic complete response rate in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, according to data presented at the 2025 ASCO...
Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) is honored to announce the addition of former Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, FACS, FASCO, to its Board of Directors. “Dr. Bertagnolli has built her incredible career around improving the lives of patients through...
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,...
The phase III DUO-E study evaluated the addition of the monoclonal antibody durvalumab to chemotherapy, and the benefit of maintenance durvalumab, with and without the PARP inhibitor olaparib, in advanced endometrial cancer. As reported this past year,1 the inclusion of durvalumab reduced the risk...
Investigators may have uncovered associations between the reported number of sunburns and sociodemographic characteristics as well as the prevalence of protective skin behaviors adopted by U.S. adults, according to a recent study published by Etzel et al in the American Journal of Lifestyle...
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...
In a paper published in JAMA Oncology, Tilki et al reported that the current standard monitoring of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) following radical prostatectomy—1.5 to 2 months—is too short to accurately identify recurrence and inform treatment decisions. Rather, PSA levels should be measured...
With right-sizing treatment an aim of many treatment approaches in breast cancer today, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), as well as its overtreatment, has become a potential target of change. Which patients, however, might safely forgo the current recommendations and be safely followed with active...
Erectile dysfunction could be improved through regular exercise in men with prostate cancer, according to a recent study published by Galvão et al in JAMA Network Open. Background Sexual dysfunction is a critical adverse effect of prostate cancer treatment and a major survivorship issue among...
Investigators studied race-associated molecular differences in the pancreatic tumors of Black and White patients to determine whether such differences were associated with response to immunotherapy. The findings were published recently by Mandal et al in Cancer Research Communications and reinforce ...
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...
The ADAURA trial findings showed a significant benefit in disease-free survival with the EGFR inhibitor osimertinib, compared to placebo, making it the recommended standard of adjuvant treatment in patients with EGFR-mutated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for up to 3 years after surgery. In a...
In a Japanese phase II trial (MARBLE) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Shukuya et al found that atezolizumab plus carboplatin/paclitaxel showed promising results in patients with recurrent or metastatic thymic carcinoma. Study Details In the multicenter trial, 48 patients enrolled between June 2022 ...
Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) does not improve survival outcomes for patients with mantle cell lymphoma who achieve a deep first complete remission with undetectable measurable residual disease (MRD) after induction therapy, according to data presented during the 2024 American Society ...
A combination of two immunotherapies may improve treatment response among patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas compared with just one immunotherapy drug, according to a recent study published by Li et al in Cancer Cell. Background Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas occur in the...
Investigators may have uncovered nearly identical mutations to previously examined patient populations and several notable differences that may be clinically relevant among Black patients with ovarian cancer, according to a recent study published by Lawson-Michod et al in Cancer Research....
Recent findings from the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Impact Monitoring Project (HPV-IMPACT), which were published by Gargano et al in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, revealed decreased incidences of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)2+ and CIN3+ lesions among young women....
The consumption of alcohol has been associated with increased cancer risk, but red wine has been perceived by some as a healthier choice compared to white wine and other types of alcohol. Investigators evaluated whether the anticancer properties of red wine were greater in a recent study published...
The PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab plus the tyrosine kinase inhibitor cabozantinib continues to demonstrate a significant survival advantage over sunitinib alone in patients with previously untreated advanced renal cell carcinoma, according to data presented at the 2025 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers...
Taking more daily steps and engaging in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity may both be associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease–related mortality among postmenopausal women with a history of cancer, according to preliminary findings presented by Hyde et al at the American Heart...
Studies have shown that not only does exposure to wildfire smoke, which contains fine particulate matter, increase the risk of developing lung cancer, it can also significantly reduce survival rates among patients recovering from lung cancer surgery. A large national study by researchers at the...
Investigators may have identified new strategies for use in the primary care setting to improve the detection of cancer-susceptibility genes, according to a recent study published by Swisher et al in JAMA Network Open. Background Up to 10% of cancers—including breast cancer, ovarian cancer,...
In an Italian single-center phase II trial (RADIOSA) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Marvaso et al found that the addition of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) to stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) improved progression-free survival in patients with hormone-sensitive oligorecurrent prostate...
Over the past 20 years, the investment in research and development of cancer therapies has been unprecedented, and the pace of new drug development has been accelerating. To illustrate this trajectory, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved 71 treatments for solid cancers in adults...
The investigational drug formulation rhenium (Re)-186 obisbemeda (RNL-186) may extend survival in patients with glioblastoma, according to a recent study published by Brenner et al in Nature Communications. Background Glioblastoma is the most common primary brain tumor in adult patients. The median ...
In recognition of her commitment to tackling the complexities and challenges of cancer, the American Cancer Society (ACS) awarded the 2025 Medal of Honor to W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, MMHC. The Medal of Honor is the American Cancer Society’s most prestigious award given to distinguished...
In JAMA, Lee et al provided a concise, evidence-based summary to help clinicians discuss information regarding breast density and implement shared decision-making with patients following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Mammography Quality Standards Act mandate. Since September 2024,...
Catharine Young, PhD, has spent the past decade of her career focused on cancer policy and advocacy. A native of Johannesburg, South Africa, Dr. Young served as Senior Director of Science Policy at the Biden Cancer Initiative, which began in 2017 by then former Vice President Joe Biden. There she...
A 5-year study on men that had primary partial-gland cryoablation shows that the procedure averted cancer recurrence in most patients while preserving urinary and sexual function. Led by researchers at New York University Grossman School of Medicine, the study tracked the patient outcomes after...
Researchers have uncovered several biomarkers that may predict how patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer will respond to the novel combination of ipatasertib and abiraterone, according to a recent study published by Bono et al in European Urology. Background Prostate cancer...
A large proportion of individuals may be unaware of the risk of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and cancer among men, according to a recent consumer survey commissioned by The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center–Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research...
Updated consensus recommendations from the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer (MSTFCRC) address optimizing the quality of bowel preparation for colonoscopy. The document, published today by Jacobson et al, presents clinical strategies to improve bowel preparation as they apply...
Skin cancers and lymphoma may be more prevalent among individuals with tattoos compared with those without tattoos, according to a recent study published by Clemmensen et al in BMC Public Health. Prior research has shown that tattoo ink does not just remain at the site of injection—instead, when...
The receipt of chemotherapy or endocrine therapy without chemotherapy could be associated with different long-lasting physical health declines among breast cancer survivors compared with those without breast cancer, according to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open. Background Physical...