In a phase Ib-II study (MORPHEUS-Liver) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Finn et al found that the addition of tiragolumab, an anti-TIGIT monoclonal antibody, to atezolizumab/bevacizumab improved objective response rate in patients with unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic hepatocellular...
A novel system using standing surface acoustic waves may effectively and precisely separate circulating tumor cells from red blood cells, according to a novel study published by Kouhkord and Naserifar in the Physics of Fluids. Background Cancer accounted for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020—nearly...
Treatment with the oncolytic virus talimogene laherparepvec may be effective in patients with basal cell carcinoma, according to a novel study published by Ressler et al in Nature Cancer. Background Although basal cell carcinoma—which typically occurs in chronically sun-exposed areas such as the...
Oral fecal microbiota transplantation may be a feasible and safe option to prevent graft-vs-host disease in patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplant (ASCT), according to a recent report published by Reddi et al in Nature Communications. The findings built on ...
In a German phase III trial (ESOPEC) reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Hoeppner et al found that perioperative chemotherapy with fluorouracil/leucovorin/oxaliplatin/docetaxel (FLOT) improved overall survival vs preoperative chemoradiotherapy in patients undergoing surgery for locally ...
“It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.” —Muhammad Ali Long-term survival in early-stage classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) was first made possible by the introduction of the mantle and inverted Y fields of radiotherapy in the 1960s. The addition of...
Studies have shown that adults living in historically redlined neighborhoods are less likely to be screened for breast, colorectal, and cervical cancers and have worse survival than those living in nonredlined areas. Redlining, a discriminatory, racist practice that began in the 1920s and 1930s in...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Awad et al, exploratory analysis of the comparison of neoadjuvant nivolumab/ipilimumab vs chemotherapy in the phase III CheckMate 816 trial found that nivolumab/ipilimumab was associated with numerically better event-free survival in patients with...
In a phase III trial (NRG/RTOG 0920) reported in Journal of Clinical Oncology, Machtay et al found that the addition of cetuximab to postoperative radiotherapy significantly improved disease-free survival—but not overall survival—in patients with completely resected, intermediate-risk, squamous...
The investigational therapeutic vaccine Vvax001 was found to be safe and showed preliminary clinical effectiveness in a phase II clinical trial of patients with HPV16-positive grade 3 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. If confirmed in a phase III trial, the vaccine may provide a nonsurgical option ...
In a German single-center study reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Gagelmann et al determined that clearance of driver mutations after allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation was associated with better outcomes in patients with myelofibrosis. Study Details The study...
First-line treatment with the targeted therapies encorafenib and cetuximab plus a modified leucovorin, fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin (mFOLFOX6) chemotherapy regimen may be effective in patients with BRAF V600E–mutated metastatic colorectal cancer, according to recent findings presented by Kopetz et ...
In a Childhood Cancer Survivor Study analysis reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Rotz et al found that adult survivors of childhood cancers had a twofold increased risk of developing melanoma compared with the general population. Additionally, those with an invasive melanoma had a more...
According to one of the first biomarker-driven randomized study in people with nonmetastatic colorectal cancer, taking 160 mg of aspirin daily after treatment ends may reduce the risk of cancer recurrence in patients with cancers that harbor a PI3K mutation. These mutations are common to many types ...
Previous research has shown that nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including aspirin and COX-2 inhibitors, may reduce the risk of developing colon cancer. A recent CALGB/SWOG study revealed that adding celecoxib to FOLFOX chemotherapy improved disease-free survival in patients with...
The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) introduced new points to consider surrounding the initiation of targeted therapies in patients with inflammatory arthritis and a history of cancer, according to recent recommendations published by Sebbag et al in the Annals of the...
In a Chinese phase II study (C-Brain) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Xu et al found that brain radiotherapy in combination with camrelizumab and platinum-doublet chemotherapy produced “promising” results in patients with previously untreated advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with brain...
Investigators may have uncovered the financial burden of different medical services on cancer survivors, according to a recent study published by Jafri et al in JAMA Network Open. Background Although the economic challenges faced by patients with cancer as a result of health-care costs are well...
Muscular strength and cardiorespiratory fitness may be associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality in patients with cancer, according to a recent study published by Bettariga et al in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The findings indicated that a tailored exercise regimen may improve ...
Active monitoring appears to be a safe strategy for the management of some patients with low-risk ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), proving noninferior to guideline-concordant management of this patient population (ie, surgery with or without radiation therapy). After 2 years, the rate of invasive...
Late in 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the 2025 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) final rule adopting changes for Medicare payments under the PFS. CMS also released the 2025 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System final rule, which sets hospital outpatient...
Patients with smoldering multiple myeloma derived a significant progression-free survival benefit, along with other positive outcomes, from 3 years of subcutaneous use of the monoclonal antibody daratumumab as compared with active monitoring in the phase III AQUILA study.1 These findings were...
Results of a phase III study suggest that the addition of the immunotherapy agent blinatumomab—a bispecific T-cell engager targeting CD19—to standard chemotherapy may help to prevent relapse in more children with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), the most common pediatric cancer,...
In a phase Ib-II study (RedirecTT-1) reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Cohen et al found that the combination of the bispecific antibodies talquetamab (anti–G protein-coupled receptor family C group 5 member D) and teclistamab (anti–B-cell maturation antigen) was associated with a...
The investigational next-generation oral selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) imlunestrant improved progression-free survival both as monotherapy in patients with ESR1 mutations and in combination with the CDK4/6 inhibitor abemaciclib regardless of ESR1 mutational status in patients with...
A recent study found that a combination of the mTOR inhibitor everolimus and the hormone-blocking drug lanreotide extended progression-free survival compared with everolimus alone for people with some types of neuroendocrine tumors in the pancreas or gastrointestinal tract. The research will be...
Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. This year, it’s expected that more than 53,000 individuals will die of the disease. Although screening for the cancer through colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy is effective in detecting the disease, nearly...
A study evaluating ChatGPT’s ability to accurately respond to patient inquiries regarding colon cancer by comparing its responses with assessments from expert clinical oncologists found that questions about symptoms, prevention, and screening for the cancer were highly accurate. However, responses...
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) expressed its gratitude to Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, for her outstanding service to the United States during her 14-month tenure as Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Background Dr. Bertagnolli recently announced that she will...
The findings in the American Cancer Society’s annual report, Cancer Statistics, 2025, show a mixed trend in cancer incidence and mortality rates. While cancer mortality declined by 34% from 1991 to 2022 in the United States—largely due to smoking reductions, earlier detection, and improved...
In a phase II trial (S1613) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Raghav et al found no difference in progression-free survival overall with trastuzumab/pertuzumab vs cetuximab/irinotecan in the second- or third-line treatment of RAS/BRAF wild-type HER2-positive metastatic colorectal...
Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and biopsy may speed up the time to correct treatment among patients with a muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma, according to a recent study published by Bryan et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Background Usual tests for muscle-invasive...
Guest Editor’s Note: With growing evidence indicating that regular physical activity helps control cancer symptoms, oncology guidelines recommend exercise before, during, and after cancer treatment. Observational data also demonstrate a promising association between physical activity and favorable...
On January 14, Monica Bertagnolli, MD, FACS, FASCO, announced that she was ending her tenure as the 17th Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She began her role as Director on November 9, 2023. Dr. Bertagnolli was the 16th Director of the National Cancer Institute, a role she held...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a proposed rule that, if finalized, would make cigarettes and certain other combusted tobacco products minimally or nonaddictive by limiting the level of nicotine in those products. If the rule is finalized, the United States would be the first...
Investigators may have uncovered an association between manufactured per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels in drinking water and the incidence of certain digestive, endocrine, lung, oral, and pharyngeal cancers, according to a novel study published by Li et al in the Journal of Exposure ...
The Tomosynthesis Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial (TMIST) has reached its enrollment goal of 108,508 women, as announced by the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN). The study will now proceed with the completion of regularly scheduled mammograms and follow-up on all participants...
As reported in JAMA Oncology by Daw et al, findings in a cohort of the phase II CheckMate 744 trial indicated good outcomes with a response-adapted, transplantation-free treatment approach in children and adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with low-risk relapsed classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL)....
In a Chinese phase I trial (KYM901) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Ruan et al found that CMG901—a first-in-class claudin 18.2–targeting antibody-drug conjugate—had manageable toxicity and activity in patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer. CMG901 comprises a...
Pediatric patients with cancer who have obesity at the time of diagnosis may face an elevated risk of mortality, according to a recent study published by Sassine et al in Cancer. Study Methods and Results In the retrospective study, investigators examined data from the Cancer in Young People in...
Although lung cancer and related cancer deaths decreased in the world’s 10 most populous countries from 1990 to 2019, these positive statistics may not address trends in mortality linked to tobacco use, air pollution, and asbestos exposure, according to a recent study published by Jani et al in...
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) announced that the organization participated in a 2-day meeting at the Middle East North Africa (MENA)–NCCN Regional Coordinating Center. Background The MENA-NCCN Regional Coordinating Center is supported by the Ministry of National Guard Health...
A new study examining the use of high-cost drugs among patients with colorectal cancer and non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) found those insured through Medicare Advantage received less expensive cancer drugs compared to others on traditional Medicare. The findings were published by Bradley et al...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Sands et al, the phase II TROPION-Lung05 trial showed “encouraging activity” of datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd) in patients with advanced/metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with actionable genomic alterations whose disease progressed...
Kenneth H. Cowan, MD, PhD, served for 24 years as Director of NCI-designated cancer center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), now called the Nebraska Medicine Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center in Omaha. Dr. Cowan died on December 15, 2024, at the age of 77 years. A native...
Researchers have demonstrated that a novel artificial intelligence (AI)-based platform could aid physicians and patients in assessing the benefit from a particular therapy being tested in a clinical trial, according to a recent study published by Orcutt et al in Nature Medicine. The AI platform may ...
In a phase II trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Heinzerling et al found that primary lung tumor stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) followed by concurrent mediastinal chemoradiotherapy (with or without adjuvant immunotherapy) was associated with activity in patients with locally advanced...
Researchers may have advanced the understanding of genetic alterations in the BRCA2 gene, according to a recent study published by Huang et al in Nature. The findings could improve the accuracy of genetic testing and allow health-care professionals to offer more precise risk assessments and...
Researchers have discovered of a new type of stem cell in the brain that could lead to the development of more effective treatments in adult patients with glioblastoma, according to a recent study published by Wang et al in Nature. The finding could help explain how adult brain cells take advantage ...
For women with high-risk, BRCA-positive breast cancer, 1 year of adjuvant treatment with the PARP inhibitor olaparib following primary treatment continued to improve overall survival compared with placebo, according to the third interim analysis of the phase III OlympiA trial presented at the 2024...