OCE Insights is developed for The ASCO Post by members of the Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In this installment, Lieutenant Commander Mitchell Chan, PharmD, BCPS, Team Lead and Clinical Analyst, Lieutenant Cameron Wilson, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP, ...
Question: Based on NATALEE and monarchE data, is there still a need for neoadjuvant chemotherapy in hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative early breast cancer? Answer: In monarchE trial, the CDK4/6 inhibitor abemaciclib combined with endocrine therapy demonstrated long-term efficacy in...
“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 ...
Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered computational program that may be capable of predicting the activity of thousands of genes within tumor cells based on standard microscopy images of a biopsy, according to a recent study published by Pizurica et al in Nature...
Just 50% of patients with early-onset cancers may report discussing fertility preservation options with their physicians prior to receiving oncology treatments, according to a recent study published by Keller et al in JAMA Network Open. Background “From an early-onset cancer diagnosis through to...
The novel trophoblast cell-surface antigen 2 (TROP2)-directed antibody-drug conjugate datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd) vs docetaxel conferred a numerical improvement in overall survival in previously treated patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to the phase III,...
Firmonertinib (AST2818; formerly furmonertinib), a novel EGFR inhibitor, has shown activity and tolerability in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring EGFR P loop and aC-helix compressing (PACC) mutations, according to data presented at the International Association for ...
The combination of the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor osimertinib and the MET inhibitor savolitinib has demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements compared with osimertinib alone as a first-line treatment of patients with de novo MET-aberrant, EGFR-mutant advanced non–small cell lung cancer...
Guest Editor’s Note: Oncology guidelines recommend prehabilitation exercises to minimize postoperative complications. However, the COVID-19 pandemic imposed severe restrictions on patient access to in-person exercise programs offered by hospitals and clinics. In this article, Dr. Krupali Desai...
Researchers may have uncovered the immune basis for the development of myocarditis in patients with cancer receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors, according to a recent study published by Blum et al in Nature. The findings revealed changes in specific types of immune and stromal cells in the heart...
In a recent issue of The New York Times, Barron Lerner discussed Betty Ford’s breast cancer diagnosis in 1974.1 He described the state of the art of breast cancer treatment at the time and how her diagnosis accelerated the uptake of screening across the country. But her cancer was not...
Researchers have identified genes that breast cancer cells may use to survive in the bloodstream after escaping the low-oxygen regions of a tumor, according to a novel study published by Godet et al in Nature Communications. Each of the genes may serve as a potential therapeutic target to prevent...
I’m 50, just a year older than my father was when he died of colorectal cancer. I was 14 when my dad died, so to me, cancer has always been synonymous with death. From a young age, my brothers and I had a goal: to make sure we packed in enough life before age 50. It never occurred to us that death ...
“Inequities are a major obstacle in delivering safe, timely, respectful, and affordable cancer care globally,” commented moderator John Varallo, MD, MPH, FACOG, of the Global Surgery Foundation, at the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) World Cancer Congress (WCC) 2024 in Geneva.1...
According to an ASCO-sponsored study of burnout and career satisfaction among U.S. oncologists, 44.7% of surveyed oncologists reported feeling symptoms of burnout. ASCO offers information, practical advice, and member perspectives on how to prevent and manage burnout and prioritize wellness in your ...
Attendees at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2024 heard the results of many positive clinical trials that will advance the field of cancer treatment. However, a few late-stage trials of promising adjuvant therapies unexpectedly reported negative results. The ASCO Post...
The addition of the PD-L1 inhibitor durvalumab to standard neoadjuvant gemcitabine/cisplatin chemotherapy has demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in survival compared with neoadjuvant chemotherapy in cisplatin-eligible patients with muscle-invasive bladder...
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center recently announced the selection of Jennifer Bickel, MD, as the institution’s inaugural Vice President and Chief Wellness Officer (CWO). She will assume this role on January 6, 2025. Working closely with the Shibu Varghese, MA, Senior Vice...
Quitting smoking within 6 months of receiving a cancer diagnosis could add an average of 2 years to a patient’s life, according to a recent study published by Cinciripini et al in JAMA Oncology. The findings demonstrated a broad survival benefit of using evidence-based smoking cessation to help...
Just weeks or even days or hours away from death, the majority of conscious terminally ill patients often experience growth and meaning in their lives and the absence of fear through end-of-life dreams and visions, according to research by Christopher W. Kerr, MD, PhD. Dr. Kerr is Chief Executive...
The novel trophoblast cell-surface antigen 2 (TROP2)-directed antibody-drug conjugate datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd) vs docetaxel conferred a numerical improvement in overall survival in previously treated patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to the phase III,...
ASCO’s 2022 State of the Oncology Workforce in America report presented a dismal picture of the representation of Hispanic/Latinx oncologists in the field. According to the report, despite initiatives aimed at increasing diversity in the nearly 13,400 oncology workforce, which includes about 36%...
A newly described stage of lymph node–like structures, known as tertiary lymphoid structures, identified in hepatic tumors following presurgical immunotherapy may be vital to successfully treating patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, according to a recent study published by Shu et al in Nature...
I have many of the risk factors for melanoma. I’m fair-skinned, blue-eyed, and have a family history of melanoma, as well as other skin cancers, so I’ve always been diligent about practicing sun safety and maintaining annual full-body skin exams to catch any suspicious moles or lesions that could...
Guest Editor’s Note: Advances in cancer treatments have led to an increase in survival rates, but the quality of life is often diminished during survivorship. Because modifiable personal behavior contributes to health-care outcomes, interventions that support healthy behaviors may improve health...
In the neoadjuvant I-SPY2.2 trial, a treatment strategy including the antibody-drug conjugate datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd), partnered with the PD-L1 inhibitor durvalumab, yielded a high pathologic complete response rate, especially in immune-positive and “all-negative” subtypes.1...
OCE Insights is an occasional department developed for The ASCO Post by members of the Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In this installment, the OCE’s Steven Clark Cunningham, MD, MLA, FACS, Clinical Reviewer on the Gastrointestinal Cancers Team, ...
In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that “no level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health.”1 The warning came decades after the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen, which is the highest risk group, and also includes...
The combination of the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor osimertinib and the MET inhibitor savolitinib has demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements compared with osimertinib alone as a first-line treatment of patients with de novo MET-aberrant, EGFR-mutant advanced non–small cell lung cancer...
Implementing the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Geriatric Surgery Verification program may reduce rates of postsurgical mortality and increase the proportion of patients with documentation standards such as advanced care directives, according to two new studies presented by Horattas et al and...
My dad agreed to receive hospice on a technicality. It happened after weeks of trying to get him home oxygen. My brother drove him to the oncologist’s office, and I helped him get into the wheelchair. He did not complain, but just asked me to hold his coffee mug, smiling because I snuck him a...
Younger adults with colon cancer tend to be diagnosed at a later stage and have more aggressive types of tumors. Additionally, young patients living with colorectal cancer have long-term, adverse consequences on their lives, which are different from the impact the disease has on older adults,...
Investigators have found that one-third of adult survivors of childhood cancers may experience a severe fear of cancer recurrence that impacts their daily lives, according to a recent study published by Pizzo et al in JAMA Network Open. Background Although the number of survivors of childhood...
Among most members of the health-care and oncology workforces, the lofty goals of the organizational framework of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) seem to be clear and indisputable: to promote the fair treatment and full participation of all people, particularly groups who have historically...
Neoadjuvant therapy for patients with resectable stage III melanoma has recently emerged as a better approach than resection plus adjuvant therapy. At the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2024, updates of pivotal neoadjuvant studies demonstrated the long-standing benefit of...
The Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) 2024 Annual Meeting showcased several groundbreaking studies in the field of hematologic oncology, including key findings in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The ASCO...
For women with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer, KEYNOTE-522 changed the treatment paradigm several years ago. Support for neoadjuvant use of the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy, followed by adjuvant pembrolizumab, was bolstered by the positive overall survival analysis...
The ASCO Annual Meeting brings together oncologists, researchers, and health-care professionals to share the latest advancements in cancer care. The 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting (ASCO24) was particularly momentous for those of who received the international development and education award (IDEA). As...
Three years ago, it had become clear that I needed to be tested for the BRCA1/2 mutation. I knew my family history of cancer was not good. My paternal grandmother died of breast cancer when she was just 41, and her mother had likely died of cervical cancer when she was in her 50s. More recently,...
Spiritual beliefs and a historically based distrust of clinical research may influence Black patients’ decisions about whether to participate in cancer trials, according to new findings presented by Gomez et al at the 2024 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting (Abstract...
A substantial number of patients with brain metastases who experience cognitive side effects after radiation therapy may fully regain cognitive function, according to recent findings presented by Cherng et al at the 2024 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting (Abstract 150). ...
OCE Insights is an occasional department developed for The ASCO Post by members of the Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In this installment, the OCE’s Steven Clark Cunningham, MD, MLA, FACS, Clinical Reviewer on the Gastrointestinal Cancers Team, ...
An accelerated course of postmastectomy radiation therapy may not increase complications in patients with breast cancer undergoing breast reconstruction, according to recent findings presented by Poppe et al at the 2024 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting (Abstract 1) and ...
An updated overall survival analysis of the phase III HIMALAYA study, now at 5 years, confirms the benefit for the STRIDE regimen of the monoclonal antibodies durvalumab plus tremelimumab in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.1 [The STRIDE regimen consists of a single priming dose of...
Deintensified treatment involving a lower radiation dose and immunotherapy in place of chemotherapy may not perform as well as a more rigorous chemoradiation treatment approach in patients with early-stage human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal cancer, according to new findings...
Adding the immune checkpoint inhibitor durvalumab, with or without the monoclonal antibody oleclumab, to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) significantly improved pathologic complete response rates in patients with high-risk hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast ...
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has always prided itself on its commitment to evidence-based, expert consensus–driven recommendations for cancer care, with a special focus on breaking down the barriers that contribute to disparities in outcomes across all patients with cancer. With ...
Communication between health-care providers and older patients with cancer regarding the significance of physical activity may help reduce the risk of falls during cancer therapy, according to new findings presented by Lu and Zheng at the 2024 ASCO Quality Care Symposium (Abstract 224). Background...
Multicancer early detection (MCED) tests are beginning to enter clinical practice, but how useful will they be? “This is an exciting field, with many competing technologies. MCED assays will be coming across your desk in the near future if they haven’t already. But they are not a panacea. They are ...
Investigators have found that Black women may have a higher risk of dying from all subtypes of breast cancer compared with White women, according to a recent study published by Torres et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The findings demonstrated that higher mortality rates among Black women...