In a single-center study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Ford et al found that autologous stem cell transplantation can be safely performed without hematopoietic support in Jehovah’s Witnesses with hematologic malignancies. Jehovah’s Witnesses traditionally refuse...
The American College of Physicians (ACP) released its clinical advice for cervical cancer screening in asymptomatic, average-risk women 21 years or older. Women at average risk are defined as those with no history of a precancerous lesion (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or a more severe ...
Today, more than 80% of childhood cancer patients survive because of advances in treatment and care. However, recent studies have shown that some of these more than 420,000 United States childhood cancer survivors face future health-related challenges as they become adults such as a second cancer...
New evidence suggests that patients with lung cancer who undergo surgery are at higher risk of developing venous thromboembolism, including deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, than previously thought, with elevated risks of complications or death. When thromboemboli occur, they may be...
Despite strong evidence and guidelines supporting its use, postsurgical radiation therapy for prostate cancer patients at risk of tumor recurrence is declining in the United States. The study, published by Sineshaw et al in European Urology, finds fewer than 10% of patients at risk of tumor...
Initial intensive induction chemotherapy may be of benefit in a subgroup of newly diagnosed elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to a study by Ross et al in Oncology Research. However, relapse rates remained high. Elderly patients with AML generally experience worse...
In an Italian randomized phase II trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Pignata et al found that the addition of the antiangiogenic multikinase inhibitor pazopanib (Votrient) to weekly paclitaxel significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with platinum-resistant/refractory...
A new study presented at The International Liver Congress 2015 in Vienna showed that using genomic analyses to understand how and when carcinogenic mutations occur in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma may make it possible to identify specific molecular profiles linked to tumor aggressiveness...
In a study reported in The Lancet Oncology, Roschewski et al found that interim monitoring of circulating tumor DNA in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma distinguished more and less rapid progression and that surveillance monitoring identified recurrence well before clinical evidence was...
In the phase III COMPLEMENT 1 trial reported in The Lancet, Hillmen et al found that the addition of the anti-CD20 antibody ofatumumab (Arzerra) to chlorambucil (Leukeran) increased progression-free survival among patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who were not considered candidates...
In a retrospective single-center study reported in Journal of Clinical Oncology, Rozovski and colleagues found that chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients with disease progression after allogeneic stem cell transplantation had a relatively good prognosis, with apparent benefit of salvage...
In the phase III RAISE trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Tabernero et al found that the addition of the antiangiogenic anti-VEGFR2 antibody ramucirumab (Cyramza) to second-line FOLFIRI (leucovorin, fluorouracil, irinotecan) improved overall survival in patients with metastatic colorectal...
Research from Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey shows genomic profiling identifies mutations in a gene associated with a rare subset of breast cancer—mutations that cannot otherwise be identified with standard clinical analysis of cells and tissue. The findings, presented at the AACR...
In the phase III LUX-Head & Neck 1 trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Machiels et al found that afatinib (Gilotrif) improved progression-free survival vs methotrexate in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck progressing after first-line platinum...
A combination of two molecularly targeted drugs, olaparib (Lynparza) and the investigational agent AZD5363, was safe and yielded responses in patients with a variety of cancer types, including breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers, regardless of BRCA1/2-mutation status, according to data from the...
Long-term, regular aspirin use was associated with a modestly reduced overall risk for cancer, driven primarily by a reduction in the risk for colorectal cancers, according to research presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2015, held April 18 to 22 in Philadelphia (Abstract 876). “Previous...
The dual mTOR inhibitor AZD2014, when combined with the hormonal therapy fulvestrant (Faslodex), was found to be safe in patients with advanced estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer, and some of them experienced clinical benefit from the drug combination, according to phase I clinical...
Breast density, which is associated with breast cancer risk, was found to be higher in black women than white women when measured using novel quantitative methods, according to research presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2015, held April 18 to 22 in Philadelphia (Abstract 2770). “Since...
Vaccination of women aged 18 to 25 with the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine resulted in strong protection against future infection at three anatomic sites among women without prior HPV exposure and may still offer some protection in those with evidence of prior exposure. These findings were...
Combining the immunostimulatory anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody CP-870,893 with the immune checkpoint inhibitor tremelimumab was found to be safe, with clinical evidence of response in patients with advanced melanoma, according to phase I clinical trial data presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2015, ...
Giving the two immunotherapies ipilimumab (Yervoy) and nivolumab (Opdivo) simultaneously yielded better treatment responses than ipilimumab alone in patients with advanced melanoma who received no prior treatment, according to phase II clinical trial data presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2015,...
A first-in-class immunotherapy called IMCgp100 yielded durable responses in patients with advanced cutaneous melanoma and those with advanced ocular melanoma, according to data from a phase I/IIa clinical trial presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2015, held April 18 to 22 in Philadelphia (Abstract ...
Patients with advanced cancers who received mesothelin-directed chimeric antigen receptor–modified T cells (CART-meso), a type of investigational adoptive immunotherapy, tolerated the treatment well, and there was evidence that the infused immune cells persisted in the patients’ blood...
In a single-institution study reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Matasar et al found that Hodgkin lymphoma patients treated during adulthood were at increased risk of all-cause and second primary malignancy mortality compared with SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and...
In the first randomized trial to compare two U.S. Food and Drug Administration–approved immune checkpoint inhibitors as first-line therapy for patients with advanced melanoma, pembrolizumab (Keytruda) yielded significantly better treatment outcomes than ipilimumab (Yervoy) for all endpoints...
More than 60% of patients with Epstein-Barr virus–associated lymphoproliferative disorder (EBV-LPD) that was nonresponsive to standard rituximab (Rituxan) treatment responded to a new type of immunotherapy called Epstein-Barr virus–specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (EBV-CTL) therapy....
Almost one in four patients (24%) with advanced lung cancer in Europe, Asia, and the United States are not receiving EGFR test results before being started on treatment, researchers reported at the European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC) in Geneva (Abstract LBA2_PR). This lack of test results may...
Cancer DNA circulating in the bloodstream of lung cancer patients can provide doctors with vital mutation information that can help optimize treatment when tumor tissue is not available, an international group of researchers has reported at the European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC) in Geneva...
Three or more hours of walking per week can boost the vitality and health of prostate cancer survivors. Men and women who have survived colorectal cancer and are regular walkers also reported lower sensations of burning, numbness, tingling, or loss of reflexes that many often experience after...
In a study reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, McGlynn et al found that statin use was associated with a reduced risk of primary liver cancer in a setting of low liver cancer prevalence. Other studies have shown a preventive benefit of statin therapy in regions of the world...
In a study reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Treon et al found that ibrutinib (Imbruvica) was highly active and produced durable responses in patients with previously treated Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia. Response rates were highest in patients with MYD88 mutation and...
In the phase III VANTAGE-014 study reported in The Lancet Oncology, Krug et al found that treatment with the histone deacetylase inhibitor vorinostat (Zolinza) did not improve overall survival vs placebo in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma who had progressed on previous chemotherapy....
A population-based cohort study indicates that “more extensive lymph node clearance during surgery for esophageal cancer may not improve survival,” van der Schaaf et al reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. “These results challenge current clinical guidelines,...
Most patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who discontinued ibrutinib (Imbruvica) early “were difficult to treat and had poor outcomes,” according to a study of patients enrolled in four different clinical trials of ibrutinib, with or without rituximab...
Uninsured cancer patients are paying anywhere from 2 to 43 times what Medicare would pay for chemotherapy drugs, according to a new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. These findings were published by Dusetzina et al in Health Affairs. Major Discrepancies Researchers led...
In the phase II TBCRC009 trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Isakoff et al found that platinum monotherapy was active in treatment of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, particularly in cases with BRCA1/2 mutation, and that an assay of genomic instability characteristic of...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Stevanovíc et al observed complete regression of metastatic cervical tumors in two patients following a single infusion of human papillomavirus (HPV)-targeted tumor-infiltrating T cells. In the protocol, nine patients with metastatic cervical ...
In a phase I cohort-expansion study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, McDermott et al found that nivolumab (Opdivo) produced durable responses in patients with previously treated advanced renal cell carcinoma. Responses continued after nivolumab discontinuation in some patients. Study...
A substantial gap exists between patient expectations and current practices for providing information about medical imaging tests that use radiation, according to a new study published by Thornton et al in the journal Radiology. Researchers said the findings highlight a need for better...
In a study reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Wright et al found a weak relationship between measures of patient satisfaction and quality and surgical oncologic perioperative outcomes at the hospital level. Study Details In the study, the Nationwide Inpatient Sample...
In the phase III EORTC 18071 trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Eggermont et al found that adjuvant ipilimumab (Yervoy) significantly improved recurrence-free survival vs placebo in patients with completely resected stage III melanoma at high risk of disease recurrence. Ipilimumab was...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to Clovis Oncology’s investigational agent rucaparib as monotherapy treatment of advanced ovarian cancer in patients who have received at least two lines of prior platinum-containing therapy, with...
In an analysis reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Kelly et al found that low baseline serum vitamin D levels are associated with poorer progression-free and overall survival in patients with previously untreated follicular lymphoma. Study Details The study involved analysis of data...
In a phase I/II study reported in Journal of Clinical Oncology, Ahmed et al found that infusion of T cells expressing HER2-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) with a CD28.ζ signaling domain (HER2-CAR T cells) could produce persistent CAR T cell levels for ≥ 6 weeks in patients with...
In an analysis reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Maio et al found a 5-year survival rate of 18% among treatment-naive patients receiving ipilimumab (Yervoy) plus dacarbazine in a phase III trial. The findings support other data indicating long-term survival in some patients receiving...
In the phase III AETHERA trial reported in The Lancet, Moskowitz et al found that brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) consolidation therapy after autologous stem cell transplantation prolonged progression-free survival by 18 months vs placebo in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma at risk for relapse or...
In the phase III CheckMate 037 trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Weber et al found that treatment with the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab (Opdivo) resulted in a significantly greater response rate vs chemotherapy as second- or later-line treatment in patients with advanced melanoma progressing after ...
A study assessing whether circulating tumor DNA encoding the clonal immunoglobulin gene sequence could be detected in the serum of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma has found that surveillance circulating tumor DNA enabled detection of microscopic disease before it could be seen on CT...
Girls who are overweight as young children and teens may face an increased risk for colorectal cancer decades later, regardless of what they weigh as adults, suggests a new study published by Zhang et al in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. “Our study supports the growing...
In a study reported in JAMA, Nan et al found that two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer with regular aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use by persons of European descent. Study Details The case-control study...