The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) recently released the results of its first national public awareness report about risks, actions, and attitudes toward prostate cancer in the PCF 3P Report 2018: Public Perception of Prostate Cancer. Each year, even though more than three million men in...
Researchers have shown that autologous fecal microbiota transplantation may be a safe and effective way to help replenish beneficial gut bacteria in patients with cancer who require intense antibiotics during allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Their findings were published by Taur...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a supplemental application for recombinant human papillomavirus (HPV) 9-valent vaccine (Gardasil 9), expanding the approved use of the vaccine to include women and men aged 27 through 45 years. Gardasil 9 prevents certain cancers and...
With a focus on the pathology aspects of diagnosing lymphoma, the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), the College of American Pathologists (CAP), and the American Society of Hematology (ASH) are collaborating to develop an evidence-based clinical practice guideline for the workup of...
In a study reported in the Journal of Oncology Practice, Hong et al found that the U.S. health-care system increased spending on antineoplastic agents from $26.8 billion in 2011 to $42.1 billion in 2016. The study was a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of IQVIA (formerly QuintilesIMS)...
Despite survival gains for children diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), adolescents and young adults (AYAs)—those between the ages of 15 and 39—diagnosed with the disease have seen only modest improvements in survival. A study by Wolfson et al in Cancer Epidemiology,...
Analysis of male- and female-derived tumor samples revealed differences in prognostic biomarkers, genes that drive cancer, and in regulation of key pathways that may predict responses to treatment, according to results published in two studies in Cancer Research, one by Li et al and the other...
A therapeutic vaccine may boost antibodies and T cells, helping them infiltrate human papillomavirus (HPV)-related head and neck cancer tumors. Researchers from the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania tested the immunotherapy approach in two groups of patients with...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Diorio et al, an international panel has released a clinical practice guideline on prevention and treatment of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in children and adolescents with cancer and pediatric hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation...
How do patients really feel when they are in your care? What does it feel like to cure a cancer? How are the children of oncologists affected when grief is a parent’s occupational hazard? These are the personal topics explored in the candid and inspirational mini-podcast series, Your Stories:...
Cancer.Net is ASCO’s patient information website, hosting a wealth of information and resources for people diagnosed with cancer and their families and caregivers. With information on over 120 types of cancer, visitors to the site can find medical information, tips for treatment management,...
ASCO warns that some of the practices used by pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) companies could hinder patient access to timely, high-quality cancer care. While PBM practices may be intended to help control costs in cancer care, in a new position statement, ASCO describes a range of practices that...
In the world of modern medicine, with its constant stream of new information, it can be hard to keep up—especially when you already have a packed schedule. With so much new information to learn and absorb, and the need to prioritize your time, how do you know what you don’t know? Without...
Advances in the treatment of multiple myeloma have led to longer progression-free survival, but the majority of patients will still relapse despite newer treatments. A number of new drugs and combinations are under study in the hope of improving outcomes. “Multiple myeloma is a complex disease...
Patients treated with more invasive surgical techniques for early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are more likely to become chronic opioid users than patients treated with minimally invasive surgery, highlighting the need for additional research into how pain management after surgery ...
Germline mutations in the breast cancer–susceptibility genes 1 and 2 (BRCA1/2) increase the risk for cancer due to an inability to repair DNA double-strand breaks, and about 5% of patients with unselected breast cancer carry a germline BRCA mutation.1 These DNA repair–deficient tumors are...
In a report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Madenci et al found that survivors of childhood cancer are at increased risk of late venous thromboembolism, with several factors increasing such risk. The study involved data from a...
Monika K. Krzyzanowska, MD, MPH, of Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, summarized the Keynote Lecture, including the points that clinicians should carefully plan their quality improvement projects, understand the barriers to quality, and ensure their efforts are sustainable.
The C-C chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4) is predominantly expressed in type 2 helper T (Th2) cells and regulatory T (Treg) cells.1 Under physiologic conditions and in response to its ligands, CCL17 (TARC) and CCL22 (MDC), CCR4 promotes T-cell migration to the skin.2 Of note, CCR4 is highly expressed in...
In the Clinic provides overviews of novel oncology agents, addressing indications, mechanisms of action, administration recommendations, safety profiles, and other essential information needed for the appropriate clinical use of these drugs. In April 2018, osimertinib (Tagrisso) was approved for...
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) has released its annual Cancer Progress Report,1 highlighting how federally funded research discoveries are fueling the development of new and even more effective ways to prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat cancer. Key advances outlined in the...
Although approximately 20% to 30% of patients with cancer will develop venous thromboembolism (VTE), clinicians continue to debate strategies for pharmacologic treatment and prevention.1 At the 2018 Debates and Didactics in Hematology and Oncology Conference, held on Sea Island, Georgia, Christine...
Because neuroendocrine tumors are not one disease but a continuum of diseases, ranging from well-differentiated tumors to poorly differentiated and small cell tumors, treatment approaches can vary greatly. At the 2018 Debates and Didactics in Hematology and Oncology conference, held on Sea Island,...
The Beat AML Master Clinical Trial seeks to change the treatment paradigm and outcomes in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) by personalizing therapy and ultimately facilitating the approval of novel targeted agents. Co-investigator William Blum, MD, of the Winship Cancer Institute at the Emory...
These days it can be hard for physicians. Many in the physician workforce wonder whatever happened to the ideals and expectations that drew them to this noble profession. The genuine passion to heal the sick and infirm and in turn improve the health of the entire society The ability to touch human ...
We have seen remarkable progress in the outcomes of patients with advanced-stage follicular lymphoma over the past 2 decades.1 Recent manuscripts and presentations describing long-term follow-up of randomized trials comparing various chemotherapy platforms (all combined with anti-CD20 antibodies)...
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a poster child for the success of molecularly targeted therapy, with some patients appearing to be “cured” of their disease and others living for a long time after treatment with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting the BCR-ABL1 protein. However, there are still...
Having high levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH)—a hormone that indicates the size of a woman’s ovarian reserve—before menopause may be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, a study by Ge et al in the International Journal of Cancer found. In a major study,...
Thermal ablation is a safe, effective treatment for early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with comparable results to traditional stereotactic radiotherapy, according to a study published by Uhlig et al in the journal Radiology. The results show that ablation may be an effective ...
As reported by Lin et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, cost-effectiveness modeling of treatment with the anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah) in relapsed or refractory pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) showed that price reduction...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Seidman et al, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Breast Cancer Steering Committee Working Group has issued a report on meaningful and appropriate endpoints for clinical trials in metastatic breast cancer. With the goal of providing...
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a supplemental new drug application (sNDA) to expand the prescribing information for carfilzomib (Kyprolis) to include a once-weekly dosing option in combination with dexamethasone (once-weekly Kd70) for patients with relapsed or...
A recent review of patient-caregiver communities focused on non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with genomic alterations showed that these groups are improving outcomes by supporting patients and caregivers, increasing awareness and education, and accelerating research. Patient advocate Janet...
Angiosarcoma of the head, face, neck, or scalp is a rare cancer associated with high rates of local recurrence, distant metastasis, and poor prognosis. Because angiosarcoma is so rare, it is difficult to conduct large-scale research in the cancer. To address this issue, the Broad Institute of MIT...
On September 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved cemiplimab-rwlc (Libtayo) injection for intravenous use for the treatment of patients with metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) or locally advanced cutaneous SCC who are not candidates for curative surgery or...
Findings presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 19th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) showed poziotinib demonstrates clinical activity among patients with stage IV NSCLC with genetic mutations that have previously not responded to treatment....
In a single-center study reported in the Journal of Oncology Practice, Chooback et al found that central nervous system (CNS) metastases are frequent in patients with EGFR-mutant advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and are associated with increased health resource...
Findings from the NELSON study demonstrate that the use of computed tomography (CT) screening among asymptomatic men at high risk for lung cancer led to a 26% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 9%–41%) reduction in lung cancer deaths at 10 years of study follow-up (at 86% compliance). In the...
Findings from a recent study demonstrate that the triple angiokinase inhibitor nintedanib combined with standard-of-care pemetrexed (Alimta)/cisplatin does not impact progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma with...
Findings from the IMpower 133 trial demonstrate that adding the anti–programmed cell death ligand 1 antibody atezolizumab (Tecentriq) to standard first-line therapy with carboplatin and etoposide prolonged overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with...
ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved moxetumomab pasudotox-tdfk (Lumoxiti) injection for intravenous use for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory hairy cell leukemia (HCL) who have received at least two prior systemic therapies,...
A STUDY finding that pathogenic variants in 5 genes are associated with a high risk of triple-negative breast cancer and a 20% lifetime risk for overall breast cancer1 may increase interest in genetic testing. “This is the first study to establish which genes are associated with high lifetime risks ...
USING MULTIGENE hereditary cancer panels to test for mutations in five genes can identify women at high risk for triple-negative breast cancer who may then benefit from more frequent screening, risk management, and potentially targeted therapies as well. A study that looked at multigene panel...
In the fall of 2009, I suddenly went from being a healthy, physically active 47-year-old to a patient with stage IV non–small lung cancer (NSCLC), with a 5-year survival rate of less than 5%. A never-smoker, I had attributed a persistent cough I’d been having to the change in the season. And why...
Although the basic concept of using the body’s immune defense mechanisms to fight cancer has been around for centuries, the idea of using immunotherapy in cancer, in general, returned to prominence when Dr. Thomas Burnet first proposed the theory of cancer immunosurveillance in 1957. Despite...
AT THE END OF 2017, pertuzumab (Perjeta) was granted regular approval for use in combination with trastuzumab (Herceptin) and chemotherapy as adjuvant treatment of patients with HER2- positive early breast cancer at high risk of recurrence.1,2 Supporting Efficacy Data APPROVAL WAS BASED on...
To expose future practitioners to the special challenges of treating cancer in older patients, the Geriatrics Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) has developed a clinical education model for nurse practitioner students. Why Geriatric Oncology? GIVEN THE aging population, my...
MAYO CLINIC physicians Matthew Block, MD, PhD, and Tina Hieken, MD, have received a Stand up to Cancer (SU2C) Catalyst Award to fund melanoma research and a neoadjuvant clinical trial. “This study, “Neoactivate,” will test two novel approaches to the treatment of patients with high-risk, stage 3...
THE DIRECTOR OF Pastoral Care at Roswell Park, Beth Lenegan, PhD, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC). During her 2-year term, beginning in January 2019, Dr. Lenegan will help advance the future of chaplaincy by shaping professional...
THE BONNIE J. ADDARIO Lung Cancer Foundation (ALCF) and the EGFR Resisters, a patient-driven community of people living with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-positive lung cancer, are working together to raise funds and increase awareness of projects that benefit the EGFR-positive cancer...