Although pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have seen a dramatic improvement in long-term survival rates over the past 40 years, from approximately 10% to over 95%, adults aged 29 and older have not experienced the same treatment benefits, with survival rates still below...
At a median follow-up of 8.4 years, adjuvant use of ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) continued to improve invasive disease–free survival and overall survival compared with trastuzumab in patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer with residual invasive disease after neoadjuvant therapy. These ...
In an analysis reported in JAMA Oncology, Kerekes et al found that initiation of immunotherapy at the end of life has increased over time in U.S. patients with metastatic cancers. Study Details The retrospective cohort study used data from the National Cancer Database on patients with stage IV...
A paper published by Harvey et al in the journal Cancer detailed three calls to action that the oncology research and clinical care communities should implement to expand access to clinical trials and improve inclusivity to enable more people with cancer to participate in trials closer to home. The ...
Researchers discovered that the blood vessel–relaxing agent carvedilol may be safe and effective at reducing the risk of heart failure in childhood cancer survivors, according to a recent study published by Armenian et al in The Lancet Oncology. These findings indicate carvedilol may improve...
New research published by Lee et al in JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network found patients treated with first-line immunotherapy for advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) had similar results in terms of overall survival, progression-free survival, and treatment duration, ...
Adam S. Kittai, MD, of The Ohio State University, discusses his data supporting the use of CAR T-cell therapy for patients with Richter’s transformation. Given the high response rate to CD19 CAR T-cell treatment, along with early relapse in most patients, allogeneic stem cell transplantation at...
In a Dutch nationwide cross-sectional cohort study reported in JAMA Oncology, Hazen et al found that a reduced use of neoadjuvant radiotherapy as part of chemoradiotherapy was not associated with poorer outcomes in patients with non–locally advanced rectal cancer. As stated by the investigators,...
Robotic surgery may offer significant benefits over laparoscopic procedures in patients with colorectal cancer undergoing colectomies, according to a recent study published by Farah et al in the World Journal of Surgical Oncology. These findings suggest that a majority of patients receiving robotic ...
Investigators have found that providing prophylactic treatment with the biological agent tocilizumab prior to immunotherapy may reduce the incidence of cytokine-release syndrome in patients with multiple myeloma, according to a study published by Kowalski et al in Blood Cancer Discovery. ...
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Pfister et al, a 5-year analysis of the French phase III VESPER trial showed no improvement in overall survival with dose-dense methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (dd-MVAC) vs gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC) in the total perioperative...
Jennifer A. Woyach, MD, of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses phase I/II findings of the BRUIN study on the use of pirtobrutinib after covalent Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma...
The chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy lisocabtagene maraleucel may be a cost-effective second-line treatment option in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), according to a recent study published by Choe et al in Blood Advances. Background In cases...
This past year, President Joe Biden announced the appointment of six members to the National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB; see related article). This board plays a crucial role in advising and assisting the director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in setting the activities of the national...
Abstract discussant Noemí Reguart, MD, PhD, an oncologist at the Hospital Clinic Barcelona, underscored the “impressive” progression-free and overall survival results of the phase III ETER701 trial, which have “never been achieved before in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.” According to...
The addition of anlotinib to immunochemotherapy has achieved the historically longest progression-free survival and overall survival in the first-line setting of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, according to data presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2023...
Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States, and the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2023, it is estimated that about 52,550 individuals died from the...
In a retrospective cohort study of 160 patients with cancer who were suspected of having immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-induced myocarditis, published in JACC: CardioOncology, Osnat Itzhaki Ben Zadok, MD, MSc, and colleagues found that severe ICI-induced myocarditis seemed to be linked to...
Invited discussant of the phase I trial of the claudin 18.2-specific antibody-drug conjugate CMG901 in advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer was Elizabeth Smyth, MD, of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She said CMG901 demonstrated “encouraging results,” but more...
A newly published guideline update from ASCO and Ontario Health provides evidence-based recommendations on the use of systemic therapy for small cell lung cancer (SCLC).1 Recommendations cover where novel agents fit in the treatment landscape, the management of disease in older patients with...
Invited discussant of the PSMAfore trial, Christopher J. Sweeney, MBBS, Director of the South Australian Immunogenics Cancer Institute, University of Adelaide, Australia, congratulated the authors for a well-powered, controlled phase III trial. “The study showed clear documentation of...
On October 16 and 17, 2023, the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) welcomed more than 350 attendees from over 75 countries to its World Cancer Leaders’ Summit in Long Beach, California, to discuss some of the most challenging issues facing patients with cancer worldwide. The theme of...
The use of lutetium-177–labeled PSMA-617 (LuPSMA) improved radiographic progression–free survival by 57% in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who experienced disease progression on an androgen receptor (AR) pathway inhibitor compared with changing to a new AR pathway...
Immunotherapy pioneer Steven A. Rosenberg, MD, PhD, has been awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Biden. It is the nation’s highest honor for technological achievement. Dr. Rosenberg is Chief of the Surgery Branch at the Center for Cancer Research at the National...
On October 16, 2023, pembrolizumab was approved for use with platinum-containing chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment and as single-agent adjuvant treatment in patients with resectable (tumors ≥ 4 cm or node-positive) non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).1 Supporting Efficacy Data Approval was based ...
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Michael S. Hofman, MBBS, and colleagues, overall survival results from the Australian phase II TheraP trial showed no difference with lutetium-177–labeled PSMA-617 (LuPSMA) vs cabazitaxel in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and...
Investigators have uncovered concerningly large gaps in evidence regarding the true benefits of opioids for pain relief in patients with cancer, according to a novel study published by Shaheed et al in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. The new findings could challenge the commonly held view that ...
Translational research is a key ingredient in guiding both genetic and pharmacologic cardioprotective approaches in patients being treated for cancer, according to international experts from the International Cardio-Oncology Society and the Global Cardio-Oncology Symposium (GCOS) committee. Fadi N. ...
Invited discussant Bonny Morris, PhD, RN, MSPH, of the American Cancer Society, underscored the use of precision medicine education, literacy, and language-concordant educational tools, as well as effective interventions for food insecurity, to improve cancer health equity in underserved rural...
A decade-long journey toward improving end-of-life care for patients with advanced cancer has demonstrated positive effects on survival, health-care use, and cost of care, according to data presented at the 2023 ASCO Quality Care Symposium.1 Post hoc analysis of an advance care planning...
The data developed over the past few years have overwhelmingly favored geriatric assessment as part of the routine care for older patients with cancer. It has become the standard of care. ASCO has recently published a Practical Geriatric Assessment to aid in the implementation of this vital...
At the 2023 Global Cardio-Oncology Summit in Madrid, in a joint session with ASCO and the International Cardio-Oncology Society, Anita Arnold, DO, FACC, MBA, Director, Noninvasive Cardiology, and Director of Cardio-Oncology, Lee Memorial Health Systems, Fort Myers, Florida, discussed the...
Adding the antibody-drug conjugate ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) to the HER2-targeted agent tucatinib extended progression-free survival by about 2 months vs treatment with T-DM1 alone among patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer, according to...
Researchers have uncovered that psilocybin-assisted therapy may be safe and effective in patients with cancer and comorbid major depressive disorder, according to two novel studies published by Agrawal et al and Beaussant et al in Cancer. Background Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic chemical found in...
Researchers have found that adopting a Lung Nodule Program may increase early lung cancer detection in patients who are not eligible for lung cancer screening under existing age-eligibility criteria, according to a recent study published by Liao et al in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology. ...
Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists may be effective at reducing the risk of colorectal cancer in patients with a higher body mass index (BMI) and diabetes, according to a recent study published by Wang et al in JAMA Oncology. Background Obesity is a chronic health condition that...
William G. Wierda, MD, PhD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses results from the phase I/II BRUIN study, which shows encouraging response and overall survival in patients with Richter transformation. Although this condition remains a challenging diagnosis, pirtobrutinib...
On December 11, ConcertAI announced the acquisition of CancerLinQ, previously a subsidiary of ASCO. In conjunction with the acquisition, ASCO will maintain a multiyear cooperation agreement with CancerLinQ. Building on CancerLinQ’s mission when launched by ASCO in 2013, this new venture will...
Use of venetoclax may increase survival in non-Hispanic Black patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to recent findings presented by Wang et al at the 2023 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition (Abstract 955). Background Although the standard treatment...
The targeted therapy bezuclastinib may be safe and effective at reducing markers of disease burden and improving symptoms in patients with nonadvanced systemic mastocytosis, according to recent findings published by Bose et al at the 2023 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting &...
Elranatamab may be safe and effective in Black patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, according to new findings presented by Varshavsky-Yanovsky et al at the 2023 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition (Abstract 3333). Background Elranatamab—an...
Patients with relapsed or refractory acute leukemia with rearrangement in the lysine methyltransferase 2A gene, a genetic marker known as KMT2A, who were treated with revumenib, a small-molecule inhibitor of menin-KMT2A interactions, saw an overall response rate of 63%, according to results from...
Among patients who have acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with genetic mutations in NPM1, those with no residual leukemia cells in the blood based on high-sensitivity testing after two cycles of chemotherapy achieved high rates of overall survival at 3 years and saw no additional survival benefit from...
Newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma who received daratumumab along with the standard care regimen of bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (VRd) had significantly higher rates of survival without disease progression compared with those who received VRd alone. Results from the phase ...
Researchers may have uncovered the underlying mechanisms of gene mutations commonly seen in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and other myeloid neoplasms, according to new findings presented by Chaudhry et al at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition (Abstract...
A novel artificial intelligence (AI) model may help physicians distinguish and identify prefibrotic primary myelofibrosis from essential thrombocythemia, according to new findings presented by Srisuwananukorn et al at the 2023 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition...
Data presented at the 2023 ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition suggest that chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell immunotherapy remains a viable option for patients who have lymphoma that goes into remission before the cell therapy begins (Abstract 615). While the findings do not answer the...
Patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) who received a combination therapy including arsenic trioxide, all-trans retinoic acid, and ascorbic acid (AAA) in oral form with no or minimal chemotherapy showed high rates of survival and relapse-free survival at 3 years, according to new findings ...
Among patients newly diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who were treated with two targeted agents and whose duration of treatment was determined by high-sensitivity testing for residual cancer cells in the blood, 97.2% were free of cancer progression and 2% had died at 3 years. By...
Researchers have found that patients with psychiatric or substance use disorders may have an increased risk of experiencing poorer outcomes such as early mortality following treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with venetoclax combination therapies compared with those without a recent history ...