A study by Chandarlapaty et al investigating whether mutations in the estrogen receptor are common in patients with advanced breast cancer and how they affect patient outcomes has found that the D538G and Y537S mutations in the estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) gene are prevalent in patients with advanced ...
Among the various guideline-concordant local therapy options available for women with early-stage breast cancer in the United States, mastectomy plus reconstruction had the highest complication rates and complication-related costs for both younger women with private insurance and older women on...
Premenopausal women whose invasive breast cancers were of the luminal A subtype had comparable 10-year disease-free survival rates, regardless of whether or not they received adjuvant chemotherapy, according to data from the phase III Dutch Breast Cancer Cooperative Group (DBCG77B) clinical trial...
In the phase III NAPOLI-1 trial reported in The Lancet, Wang-Gillam et al found that the addition of nanoliposomal irinotecan (Onivyde) to fluorouracil (5-FU) and folinic acid (leucovorin) resulted in improved overall survival in patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal cancer who had received...
In a study update presented by Plesner et al at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, daratumumab (Darzalex) was shown to be safe and effective in combination with lenalidomide (Revlimid) and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (Abstract 507). ...
Using a pediatric chemotherapy regimen to treat young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) significantly improved their outcomes compared to what has historically been achieved with “adult” treatment protocols, report Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists. Overall survival...
Ninety-three percent of pediatric patients (55 of 59) with relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) went into remission after receiving an investigational therapy made from their own immune cells, with continuous remissions of over 1 year in 18 patients and over 2 years in nine...
Depression is a significant predictor of 5-year survival and recurrence in head and neck cancer patients, according to a new study from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. These findings, published by Shinn et al in Psychosomatic Medicine, represent one of the largest reported...
Prophylactic antibiotics significantly reduce the risk of serious bacterial infections in children during the critical first month of treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common childhood cancer, according to a study led by investigators from Dana-Farber/Boston Children's...
Two studies presented at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting examine the common problem of cancer-associated thrombosis. One looked to validate dosing guidelines for avoiding chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia, a common autoimmune response to therapy; the second compared ...
Two new studies to be reported at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting highlighted new insights on genetic mutations in children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) that indicate a higher risk for debilitating chemotherapy-associated bone damage. The study findings were...
A study (Abstract LBA1) to be reported by Abbas Ali et al at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting demonstrated promising early outcomes of a first-in-human trial using a patient’s own genetically modified immune cells to eradicate multiple myeloma. The study...
In a phase III trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Rambaldi et al found that a myeloablative conditioning regimen of busulfan/fludarabine was associated with reduced nonrelapse mortality vs busulfan/cyclophosphamide in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) undergoing allogeneic...
Researchers at the University of Michigan have identified a potential new approach to fertility preservation for young cancer patients that addresses concerns about beginning cancer treatment immediately and the possibility of reintroducing cancer cells during the fertility-preservation process....
Women with a certain type of lung nodule visible on lung cancer screening computed topography (CT) exams face a higher risk of lung cancer than men with similar nodules, according to a new study (SSA04-02) presented by Boiselle et al November 29 at the Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of...
Breast density may not be a strong independent factor for breast cancer risk, according to a new study presented (BR267-SD-THA1) by Katavic et al December 2, 2015, at the Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago. Prior research has shown an association between...
In a phase III trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Gay et al found that progression-free survival was shorter with lenalidomide (Revlimid) plus chemotherapy vs high-dose melphalan plus autologous stem cell transplantation in transplant-eligible patients with multiple myeloma, with no significant ...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Cai et al found intratumoral genetic heterogeneity of ALK rearrangement and coexisting ALK rearrangement and EGFR mutation in lung adenocarcinomas. Study Details The study involved evaluation for ALK fusions and EGFR mutations in 629...
As reported by Scarisbrick et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, a Cutaneous Lymphoma International Consortium study in a large population of patients with advanced-stage mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome has identified independent prognostic factors for overall survival that can be ...
Postmenopausal African American women who use female hormone supplements containing estrogen and progestin (“combination” therapy) are at an increased risk for estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer. The study, published by Rosenberg et al in the Journal of the National Cancer...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval for elotuzumab (Empliciti) in combination with two other therapies to treat patients with multiple myeloma who have received one to three prior medications. “We are continuing to learn about the ways the immune system interacts...
In a German phase II trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Röllig et al found that the addition of sorafenib (Nexavar) to standard therapy improved event-free survival but increased toxicity vs placebo in patients aged ≤ 60 years with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Study...
Additional breast cancers found with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are sometimes larger and potentially more aggressive than those found on mammography, according to a study published by Iacconi et al in Radiology. Researchers said that in some cases, MRI findings of additional cancers not seen...
University of Southern California (USC) researchers have developed a mathematical model to forecast metastatic breast cancer survival rates using techniques usually reserved for weather prediction, financial forecasting, and surfing the Web. For decades, medical schools have taught doctors that...
In a meta-analysis reported in JAMA Oncology, Magnan et al found that intermittent androgen-deprivation therapy was noninferior to continuous androgen-deprivation therapy with respect to overall survival in patients with prostate cancer. Study Details A literature review identified 22 articles...
A study that tracked tens of thousands of middle-aged and older men for more than 20 years has found that vigorous exercise and other healthy lifestyle habits may cut their chances of developing a lethal type of prostate cancer by up to 68%. While most prostate cancers are clinically indolent, a...
In a phase II study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Catenacci et al found no benefit of adding vismodegib (Erivedge) to gemcitabine in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Sonic hedgehog (SHH), an activating ligand of the smoothened receptor (SMO) inhibited by vismodegib, has...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval for ixazomib (Ninlaro) in combination with two other agents to treat patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy. “As we learn more about the underlying biology of multiple myeloma, we are encouraged ...
A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published by Bradley et al in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment showed that patients with breast cancer whose health insurance plans included prescription drug benefits were 10% more likely to start important hormonal therapy than patients who did not ...
Scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), in collaboration with researchers from University of California Merced and Davis, have found that a secreted protein predominantly expressed in bone inhibits prostate cancer metastasis to bone. Their research was published recently by...
Women who have ovarian cancer often develop a condition called ascites, which is a buildup of fluids in the abdomen. The most common treatment for ascites is puncturing the abdomen and manually draining the fluid, which is painful, risky, and must be repeated every few weeks. University of...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Johung and colleagues identified factors that distinguished survival rates among patients with ALK-rearranged non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and brain metastasis. The study included 90 patients from six institutions. Of them, 84...
A study analyzing data from a large, nationally representative U.S. health survey population comparing biomarkers of tobacco exposure in smokeless tobacco users and cigarette smokers has found the exclusive smokeless tobacco users have higher observed levels of exposure to nicotine and a...
Although urothelial cancer of the bladder is sensitive to platinum-based chemotherapy, the vast majority of patients treated with these therapies will develop progressive disease within 8 months of treatment, and the median survival is reported to be between 13 and 15 months, according to a new...
The likelihood of receiving curative-intent surgery for patients with early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) varies substantially from state to state, according to data presented at the Eighth American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Conference on the Science of Cancer Health...
Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval for daratumumab (Darzalex) to treat patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least three prior treatments, including a proteasome inhibitor and an immunomodulatory agent, or who are double-refractory to a proteasome ...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval for an oral medication to treat patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Osimertinib (Tagrisso) is now approved for patients whose tumors have a specific epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation ...
Scientists have developed a highly sensitive blood test that can spot when breast cancers become resistant to standard hormone treatment, and have demonstrated that this test could guide further treatment. The test gives an early warning of resistance to aromatase inhibitors, which are used to...
Patients who develop ovarian cancer appear to have better outcomes if they have a history of oral contraceptive use, according to a study by Mayo Clinic researchers published by Jatoi et al in BMC Cancer. “Multiple studies from a variety of sources have indicated that oral contraceptives are ...
A prediction model created for projecting absolute invasive breast cancer risk in Hispanic women provides a more accurate assessment of their risk of developing breast cancer compared with existing models that are based on data from non-Hispanic women, according to a new study by Banegas et al....
A phase I study evaluating the safety, pharmacokinetic profile, pharmacodynamic effects, and antitumor activity of the first-in-class investigational NEDD8-activating enzyme (NAE) inhibitor pevonedistat (TAK-924/MLN4924) in patients with relapsed/refractory lymphoma or multiple myeloma has found...
In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Prince et al found that the hospitalization rate among patients receiving systemic therapy for metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was much higher in observational studies vs clinical trials among studies reporting hospitalization rates. Study...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved cobimetinib (Cotellic) to be used in combination with vemurafenib (Zelboraf) to treat metastatic or unresectable melanoma, with the BRAF V600E or V600K mutation. “As we continue to advance our knowledge of tumor biology, we have...
Job applicants who are cancer survivors are less likely to receive callbacks from potential retail employers than those who did not disclose their health history, according to a recent study by Rice University and Pennsylvania State University researchers. Study Findings The study, published by...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Weigel et al in the Children’s Oncology Group, a strategy of dose intensification and interval compression, use of the most active agents determined in phase II window studies, and use of irinotecan as a radiation sensitizer has been found to ...
Australian scientists have identified a critical molecular “feedback loop” that helps initiate and drive neuroblastoma, a cancer of the nervous system in children that is triggered in embryonal nerve cells. This feedback loop massively accelerates cancer development. The research team...
More children are surviving malignant brain tumors than in the past, thanks to the use of intense treatments using platinum-based chemotherapy (cisplatin and high-dose carboplatin). Unfortunately, the therapy has a known side effect of permanent hearing loss, resulting from damage to the inner ear. ...
In a Canadian phase III trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Chow et al found that prophylactic dexamethasone reduced the incidence of radiation-induced pain flare compared with placebo in patients receiving palliative radiotherapy for bone metastases. Study Details In this double-blind trial,...
Two phase III trials, reported in JAMA by Fleshman et al and Stevenson et al, failed to show noninferiority of surgical outcome for laparoscopic vs open resection in patients with rectal cancer. ACOSOG Z6051 Trial In the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG) Z6051 trial, reported...
In a trial reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Baron et al found that daily vitamin D and calcium supplementation did not reduce recurrence of colorectal adenomas in patients with recently diagnosed adenomas and no known polyps remaining after complete colonoscopy. Study Details In...