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Showing 10751 - 10800Expert Point of View: Amber Orman, MD
Amber Orman, MD, of the Department of Radiation Oncology, Breast Section, at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, who was not involved in this study, said: “This study provides guidance when deciding how best to integrate postmastectomy reconstruction and radiation therapy. This is an area...
Expert Point of View: Virginia Kaklamani, MD, and Melinda L. Telli, MD
Moderator of the press conference on this study, Virginia Kaklamani, MD, of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, agreed that an improvement in response is important. “If you are a patient with symptoms, such as a cough from lung metastases, and I give you a combination...
Expert Point of View: Melinda L. Telli, MD
Melinda L. Telli, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, commented on this topic for The ASCO Post. She said the results of the two studies reinforce what has been emerging about the prognostic impact of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. “We have known...
ECCO 2017: Pembrolizumab Shows Activity in Mucosal Melanoma in Multiple KEYNOTE Studies
Three clinical trials of the immunotherapy pembrolizumab (Keytruda) have shown that it is active against a rare subtype of skin cancer, mucosal melanoma. The findings were presented by Butler et al at the 2017 European Cancer Congress (ECCO) (Abstract 1142). Until now, mucosal melanoma has often...
Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes Prognostic in the Metastatic and Neoadjuvant Breast Cancer Settings
Studies presented at the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium added to growing evidence that tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are important prognostic factors in breast cancer. One investigation evaluated their impact in advanced HER2-positive breast cancer, finding a linear relationship between...
The Cost of a Patient’s Last Ride
It was a call from a referring physician who wanted the patient to be transferred to our major academic center. The patient had a history of a lethal malignancy in a very advanced stage. The patient was already outside the bell curve, for she had survived far longer than expected for a malignancy...
Dual Inhibition Proves Effective for BRAF-Mutated Colorectal Tumors
In patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who have mutations in BRAF V600, the addition of the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib (Zelboraf) to cetuximab (Erbitux) and irinotecan significantly improved progression-free survival, results of the phase II Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) 1406 trial have...
ECCO 2017: Breath Test Might Help Detect Stomach and Esophageal Cancers
A test that measures the levels of five chemicals in the breath has shown promising results for the detection of cancers of the esophagus and stomach in a large patient trial presented by Markar et al at the 2017 European Cancer Congress (Abstract 6LBA). Together, stomach and esophageal...
Intermittent Sunitinib Appears Feasible in Previously Untreated Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma
In a phase II study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Ornstein et al found that an intermittent schedule of sunitinib (Sutent) may be feasible in patients with previously untreated metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Study Details In the study, 37 patients with clear cell metastatic...
Phase III Trial Finds First-Line Ceritinib Improves PFS vs Platinum-Based Chemotherapy in ALK-Rearranged NSCLC
In a phase III trial (ASCEND-4) reported in The Lancet, Soria et al found that ceritinib (Zykadia) improved progression-free survival vs platinum-based chemotherapy in first-line treatment of advanced ALK-rearranged non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Ceritinib is a next-generation selective...
Postmenopausal Normal-Weight Women With Poor Metabolic Health May Have Higher Risk for Colorectal Cancer
Few studies have explored the association between metabolic phenotype and colorectal cancer incidence in normal-weight individuals. Now, a study comparing the risk of colorectal cancer in normal-weight postmenopausal women with a metabolically unhealthy phenotype vs those with a metabolically...
Benefits of Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer
In the UK PROMIS study reported in The Lancet, Ahmed et al found that use of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MP-MRI) might reduce the need for transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy and may improve detection of clinically significant prostate cancer. Study Details In the ...
ASCO Clinical Practice Guideline on Management of Small Renal Masses
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Antonio Finelli, MD, of Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, and colleagues, ASCO has released a clinical practice guideline on management of small renal masses. The guideline was derived from an expert panel literature search for and...
Ann H. Partridge, MD, MPH, on Adolescent and Young Adult Patients: Their Survivorship Challenges
Ann H. Partridge, MD, MPH, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, summarizes a session she co-chaired on the unique issues affecting adolescent and young adult patients, including their psychosocial needs and concerns that clinicians may overlook.
ECCO 2017: Some Patients With Early-Stage Breast Cancer May Benefit More From Breast-Conserving Therapy Than Mastectomy
Breast-conserving therapy (breast-conserving surgery combined with radiation therapy) may be superior to mastectomy in certain patients with breast cancer, according to results from the largest study on this topic to date, presented at the 2017 European Cancer Congress (Abstract 4LBA). Although...
ECCO 2017: Low Cause-Specific Mortality in Women Over 50 Treated for Ductal Carcinoma in Situ
Women over 50 who have been treated for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) are more likely to be alive 10 years later than women in the general population, according to new research presented by Elshof et al at the 2017 European Cancer Congress (ECCO) (Abstract 173). DCIS differs from breast cancer...
Trends in Cancer Mortality in the United States and U.S. Counties From 1980 to 2014
In a study reported in JAMA, Mokdad et al found that cancer mortality rates have dropped from 240.2 to 192.0/100,000 population between 1980 and 2014. Mortality rates varied widely among U.S. counties for various cancers. The report covers 29 cancers in 3,144 counties. Summarized here are findings...
Small-Intestine GIST Treated Surgically Associated With Better Prognosis in Younger Patients
Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) arise is the wall of the digestive tract and most often occur in the stomach or small intestine. Though more common in later in life, GISTs can occur in adolescents and young adults (AYA) under 40 years old as well. In an article published by Fero et al in...
Health-Related Quality of Life After Cancer Diagnosis in Adolescents/Young Adults
In a longitudinal study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Husson et al found that health-related quality of life improved between diagnosis and 2 years after diagnosis in adolescent/young adult (AYA) patients with cancer, but it remained impaired compared with population norms. Study...
Three Genetic Alterations Identified in Non–Down Syndrome Pediatric Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia
Research led by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has identified three genetic alterations to help identify high-risk pediatric patients with acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL) who may benefit from allogeneic stem cell transplants. The study, published by de Rooij et al in Nature...
ECCO 2017: Twice-Daily Radiation Therapy May Reduce Mortality in Head and Neck Cancer
Treating patients with head and neck cancer with hyperfractionated twice-daily radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy could potentially reduce mortality, according to new research presented by Petit et al at the 2017 European Cancer Congress (ECCO) (Abstract 823). The study, led by Claire...
Potential Surrogate for All-Cause Mortality Risk in Localized Unfavorable-Risk Prostate Cancer
In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Royce et al found that a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) nadir > 0.5 ng/mL may be a dominant risk factor for all-cause mortality after radiation therapy and androgen-deprivation therapy in men with localized unfavorable-risk prostate cancer. Study Details...
Rucaparib in Previously Treated BRCA Mutation–Associated Ovarian Cancer
On December 19, 2016, rucaparib (Rubraca) was granted accelerated approval for the treatment of patients with deleterious BRCA mutation–associated (germline or somatic) advanced ovarian cancer who have received two or more prior chemotherapy regimens.1,2 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ...
Vitamin D and Cancer: A Uniform Dose Is Unlikely to Fit All Patients
Technically, vitamin D is a secosteroid hormone, not a vitamin. Increasing evidence indicates that vitamin D exerts effects beyond calcium homeostasis. Importantly, for example, higher serum vitamin D levels are associated with better cancer outcomes, including survival.1-3 The protective effects...
Canadian Study Looks at an Integrated Palliative Care Model
Although initiation of palliative care from the time of cancer diagnosis produces optimal outcomes for patients, this strategy is often not practiced. A recent Canadian study conducted in patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers examined the opinions of patients with advanced cancer and...
Pamela Laszewski, RN, OCN, Receives 2017 ONS Excellence in Radiation Therapy Nursing Award
Pamela Laszewski, RN, OCN, Clinical Leader of Radiation at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, will receive the notable 2017 Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Excellence in Radiation Therapy Nursing Award during the Annual ONS Congress May 4–7, 2017, in Denver. The award was created to...
New President of the Skin Cancer Foundation Emphasizes Public Education to Reduce Skin Cancer Incidence and Deaths
The statistics on the rising rates of skin cancer are alarming. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, each year over 5.4 million cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer are treated in more than 3.3 million people, and an additional 76,380 people are diagnosed with the deadliest form of skin cancer,...
Ibrutinib: A Potential Option for Chronic Graft-vs-Host Disease?
Currently, there is no U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved therapy for chronic graft-vs-host disease—a life-threatening consequence of stem cell or bone marrow transplant—that has not responded to corticosteroids, but this may be about to change. Ibrutinib (Imbruvica) achieved...
Selected Abstracts From the 2016 ASH Annual Meeting
Here are several abstracts selected from the proceedings of this year’s American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition, highlighting newer therapeutics in follicular lymphoma. For full details of these study abstracts, visit http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/128/22....
Addressing Discrimination and Bias in Medical Education
“As a medical student, I often felt marginalized from my medical community. I have been told that my name is ‘not American,’ fallen prey to being confused for support staff such as a janitor (even while wearing my white coat) and been asked questions like, ‘Where are you really from?’ or ‘How old...
Vanderbilt Study to Explore Lymphedema Self-Care for Head and Neck Cancer Survivors
Vanderbilt University School of Nursing Assistant Professor Jie Deng, PhD, RN, has been awarded a $789,000 research scholar grant by the American Cancer Society to develop and test a self-care program for head and neck cancer survivors diagnosed with secondary lymphedema/fibrosis....
Predicting Outcomes in Older Patients With Cancer
In the French ELCAPA14 study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Ferrat et al found that four frailty classifications performed well in predicting outcomes in a cohort of patients aged ≥ 70 years with various cancers. Study Details The study involved 763 in- or outpatients with...
Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, Elected ASCO President for 2018–2019 Term
Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, a long-time member and volunteer, has been elected to serve as President of ASCO for the term beginning in June 2018. She will take office as President-Elect during the ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago in June 2017. Additionally, three new members were elected to the ASCO...
Conquer Cancer Foundation Researcher Spotlight: Vamsidhar Velcheti, MD
What if more patients with lung cancer could benefit from immunotherapy? Although progress in this area of research is exciting, unfortunately, a vast majority of patients with thoracic malignancies do not respond to this pioneering form of treatment. Vamsidhar Velcheti, MD, Assistant Professor of ...
PARP Inhibitor Niraparib Yields ‘Unprecedented’ Results in Ovarian Cancer in Phase III Trial
The first phase III trial of an inhibitor of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) yielded unprecedented results in treating ovarian cancer. The trial was presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in Copenhagen, Denmark, and electronically reported concurrently in The New England ...
Survivorship Symposium 2017: Younger Survivors of Thyroid Cancer Face Increased Risk of Hypertension, Heart Disease, and Osteoporosis
According to the American Cancer Society, in the United States, thyroid cancer is the most rapidly increasing cancer, tripling in the past 3 decades, and is commonly diagnosed at a younger age than most other adult cancers. A study by Blackburn et al examining whether survivors of thyroid cancer...
Understanding Cancer Epigenetics and Its Clinical Implications
The field of epigenetics emerged in the 1990s and has been described with somewhat variable meanings. In 2008, a meeting at the Cold Spring Harbor laboratory arrived at a definition of epigenetics by consensus: “A stably heritable phenotype resulting from changes in a chromosome without...
Diamonds Are Forever, Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Are Not?
Sir Donald Munger: “You have been on holiday, I understand. Relaxing, I hope?” James Bond: “Oh, hardly relaxing, but most satisfying.” (Diamonds Are Forever) As tyrosine kinase inhibitors became the mainstay of therapy for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), our assumption has been that...
Falls in Older Patients With Cancer: Recognizing and Reducing the Risk
In older patients, a current or previous cancer diagnosis confers a 15% to 20% greater risk of suffering a fall.1 Defined as an “unexpected event in which the participant comes to rest on the ground, floor, or lower level,” a fall occurs in 30% to 50% of cancer patients 65 years of age or...
Nivolumab in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck in CheckMate 141: Game Not Over
Most patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck present with locally advanced disease. With combined-modality approaches, the chance of cure ranges from < 50% to up to 80%, depending on the site, stage, and other risk factors, such as human papillomavirus (HPV) status. When...
New AACI President Stanton L. Gerson, MD, Aims to Integrate Cancer Treatment Advances Into the Community
Stanton L. Gerson, MD, became the new President of the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) during the Association’s 2016 Annual Meeting in Chicago, held October 23–25. Dr. Gerson is the Asa and Patricia Shiverick–Jane Shiverick (Tripp) Professor of Hematological Oncology at the Case...
ASCO Endorses ASTRO Guideline on Radiation Therapy for Glioblastoma
As reported by Erik P. Sulman, MD, PhD, of MD Anderson Cancer Center, and colleagues in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, ASCO has endorsed the 2016 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) evidence-based guideline on radiation therapy for glioblastoma.1 The endorsement was based on review ...
Optimizing Access to Fertility Preservation Options
Ensuring that people with cancer understand how cancer treatment could affect their fertility and what options are available for preserving fertility were widely recognized as top priorities by attendees of the 2016 Oncofertility Conference in Chicago. As detailed at the conference, means of...
Managing Breast Cancer in a Pregnant Patient
“One of the most challenging oncologic situations that I face as a clinician is the diagnosis of breast cancer in a young pregnant patient,” Jacqueline Jeruss, MD, PhD, Director of the Breast Care Center at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, told the more than 250...
Antiretroviral Agent Makes Strong Showing in Refractory Multiple Myeloma
An antiretroviral drug that is used for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) demonstrated strong activity when combined with bortezomib (Velcade) in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma in a small multicenter phase II study presented at the 2016 American Society of Hematology (ASH)...
Brentuximab Vedotin Plus Nivolumab Highly Active in Relapsed Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma
Response rates of 90% to 100% were achieved in early studies evaluating the combination of brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) and nivolumab (Opdivo) in relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma. The findings were presented at the 2016 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting &...
Ian Chau, MD, on Esophageal and Gastric Cancers: Systemic Agents and Options
Ian Chau, MD, of the Royal Marsden Hospital, discusses the continuum of care in esophageal and gastric cancers and the multiple active lines of treatment. Routine adoption of genomic testing may lead to further refinement of current treatment and more options in the future.
Expert Point of View: Philip McCarthy, MD
The ASCO Post asked Philip McCarthy, MD, Professor of Oncology and Internal Medicine at Roswell Park Cancer, Buffalo, and Director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant Center there, to comment on these study findings. He first addressed the need to study earlier intervention for smoldering ...
High Response Rates to Triplet Therapy in Smoldering Myeloma
High-risk patients with smoldering multiple myeloma responded to a regimen of elotuzumab (Empliciti), lenalidomide (Revlimid), and dexamethasone, in a multicenter phase II study led by Irene Ghobrial, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston.1 “The high response rates among this patient...
Ibandronate Fails to Improve Disease-Free Survival in Early Breast Cancer Patients—but With Favorable Trends
Addition of the oral bisphosphonate ibandronate to endocrine therapy did not significantly improve disease-free survival in patients with early breast cancer, according to the first results from the Dutch TEAM IIb trial presented at the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.1 The results were...
