Standard-of-care treatment comprising venetoclax plus hypomethylating agents was found to be safe and effective in some patients aged 80 years and older with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to a recent study published by Madarang et al in Blood Neoplasia. Background Older adult patients...
Cancer is not an unfamiliar disease to me. My mother died of cancer when I was 12. My oldest sister died of breast cancer, an aunt died of cancer (I don’t know which type), and my older brother is a prostate cancer survivor. So, when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in October 2021, the news...
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has launched the Cancer Screening Research Network, a clinical trials network to evaluate emerging cancer screening technologies. The new network will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s Cancer Moonshot initiative by investigating how to identify cancer ...
On December 1, 2023, pirtobrutinib (Jaypirca), a selective, noncovalent Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor that inhibits both wild-type and C481-mutant BTK with equal low nanomolar potency and is designed to address several of the limitations of covalent BTK inhibitors, was granted...
On October 31, 2023, pembrolizumab (Keytruda) was approved for use with gemcitabine/cisplatin in first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic biliary tract cancer.1 Supporting Efficacy Data Approval was based on the double-blind KEYNOTE-966 trial...
On December 14, 2023, the hypoxia-inducible factor inhibitor belzutifan (Welireg) was approved for patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma with disease progression on previous treatment with a PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitor and a vascular endothelial...
As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Thomas Powles, MD, Barts Cancer Institute Biomedical Research Centre, Queen Mary University of London, and colleagues, the phase III EV-302 trial has shown that the combination of the antibody–drug conjugate enfortumab vedotin-ejfv, which is...
In two studies reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, investigators found that a cell-free DNA (cfDNA) blood-based test (ECLIPSE study)1 and a next-generation multitarget stool DNA test (BLUE-C study)2 both showed high sensitivity for colorectal cancer and high specificity for advanced...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Sayan et al, analysis of long-term findings from the phase III Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Trial 05-043 showed that whole-pelvic radiation therapy (WPRT) was associated with favorable survival outcomes vs prostate-only radiation therapy (PORT)...
In a single-institution study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Watson et al identified risk factors for osteoradionecrosis of the jaw and developed a classification system for the condition in patients receiving radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. Study Details The study...
In an analysis of data from the PORTEC-1, -2, and -3 trials reported in The Lancet Oncology, Wakkerman et al found that older age was associated with more aggressive tumor features and poorer outcomes in patients with endometrial cancer. Study Details The analysis included data from 1,801...
The novel investigational positron-emission tomography (PET) imaging agent gallium (Ga)-68–DPI-4452 may offer rapid and accurate visualization of lesions in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma, according to a recent study published by Hofman et al in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. The...
Exposure to certain chemicals while on the job may increase the risk of prostate cancer among firefighters, according to a recent study published by Quaid et al in Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis. Background Prostate cancer has the highest incidence of any cancer type among U.S. male...
ASCO’s new policy statement highlights the need for formalized efforts to address health-related social needs and outlines ways to address social determinants of health (SDOH) in cancer care. Social determinants are defined as conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age, which...
Cancer doctors from across the United States are lending their voices to a new advocacy campaign to end drug shortages. Led by the Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), nearly 500 oncology professionals have signed an open letter to Congress and the administration highlighting the severe impact ...
Olivier Elemento, PhD, Director of the Englander Institute for Precision Medicine (EIPM) at Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, recently announced that Bishoy M. Faltas, MD, has been named Chief Research Officer of EIPM effective immediately. EIPM is a large multidisciplinary institute that uses...
In updated findings from the phase III KEYNOTE-756 trial, the addition of pembrolizumab to chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting improved the rates of pathologic complete response for patients with high-risk estrogen receptor–positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, regardless of their age or...
New research findings have highlighted the importance of personalized treatment approaches with the monoclonal antibody durvalumab based on mismatch repair (MMR) status in newly diagnosed patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, according to data presented during the Society of...
Treatment with the first-in-class PD-1/CTLA-4 bispecific antibody cadonilimab plus XELOX (capecitabine, oxaliplatin) chemotherapy demonstrated a survival advantage for patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma as first-line treatment, regardless of PD-L1...
According to Google Chief Executive Officer Sunder Pichai, artificial intelligence (AI) is “the most profound technology humanity is working on—more profound than fire or electricity or anything that we’ve done in the past.” The impact of AI on health care and especially cancer care will not be...
A recent survey by ASCO measuring postpandemic burnout among oncologists in the United States shows that professional satisfaction and work-life balance have significantly deteriorated over the past decade, with 59% of respondents reporting one or more symptoms of burnout, compared with 34% in...
Two studies presented at the 2024 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium added support for the deintensification of radiotherapy in early-stage oropharyngeal squamous cell cancers associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV), a subtype typically more responsive to therapy compared to...
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Howard A. Burris III, MD, FACP, FASCO, and colleagues, a patient-reported outcome (PRO) analysis from the phase III TOPAZ-1 trial showed no “detrimental effect” with the addition of durvalumab to gemcitabine/cisplatin in patients with advanced biliary tract...
In a retrospective cohort study reported in JAMA Oncology, Montagna et al found that patients with breast cancer with nodal downstaging after neoadjuvant chemotherapy had a low rate of axillary recurrence, with no difference observed for staging with targeted axillary dissection vs sentinel lymph...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Ann H. Klopp, MD, PhD, and colleagues, results from an NRG Oncology/GOG trial showed “excellent” progression-free survival outcomes with radiation therapy alone for local recurrences of endometrial cancer, with the addition of cisplatin in...
Investigators have examined the historical evolution of Community Outreach and Engagement initiatives at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and NCI-designated cancer centers and provided recommendations to guide future efforts, according to a recent study published by Pohl et al in CA: A Cancer...
Saruparib, a first-in-class PARP1-selective inhibitor, was reported to have favorable safety and anticancer activity in heavily pretreated patients with breast cancer harboring homologous recombination–repair (HRR) mutations, according to the results of the phase I/II PETRA study presented at the...
Researchers have identified novel biomarkers in renal cell carcinoma subtypes, according to a new study published by Li et al in Cell Reports Medicine. The findings may help identify therapeutic targets in non–clear cell renal cell carcinomas. Background Renal cell carcinoma is a diverse cancer...
In a phase III study (ORANGE II PLUS) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Fichtinger et al found that among patients with indications for hemihepatectomy suitable for both laparoscopic and open approaches, of whom the majority had cancer, the laparoscopic approach was associated with a...
In an analysis of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in the DESTINY-Breast02 trial published in The Lancet Oncology, Tanja Fehm, MD, and colleagues found that general health status/quality of life was maintained over time with fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (T-DXd) vs physician’s choice of therapy...
In patients with ovarian cancer, second-look surgery may find a role again. The evaluation of measurable residual disease (MRD) using second-look laparoscopy identified more women who had detectable MRD after front-line treatment than did circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), according to a study...
Researchers have shown that adjuvant radiation therapy rather than salvage radiation therapy may improve the function of artificial urinary sphincters for stress urinary incontinence in patients who have undergone surgery for prostate cancer, according to new findings presented by Gaines et al at...
Adding the phosphatidylserine-targeting antibody bavituximab to the immunotherapy agent pembrolizumab may improve response rates without compromising safety in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, according to a recent study published by Hsieh et al in Nature Communications. The findings...
In the phase I TROPION-PanTumor01 trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Aditya Bardia, MD, PhD, and colleagues found that the antibody-drug conjugate datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd) was active in patients with locally advanced or metastatic hormone receptor...
In a U.S. retrospective cohort study (SPOTLIGHT) reported in JAMA Network Open, Mooradian et al found that a substantial proportion of patients with unresectable stage III non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) did not receive consolidation durvalumab after chemoradiotherapy—but those who did had...
In a research letter published by Andres et al in JACC: CardioOncology, staff from Royal Brompton Hospital, Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London described their experience over 10 years in the UK’s first cardio-oncology service. Study Details The study involved data from the initial ...
Recent research has provided valuable insights into the long-term outcomes of patients with pathogenic BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations who undergo breast-conserving therapy, according to a study presented at the 2024 Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) Annual Meeting.1 The observational study found that...
Testing for measurable residual disease (MRD) prior to bone marrow transplant may be effective and practical in patients in remission after receiving treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to a recent study published by Dillon et al in JAMA Oncology. Study Methods and Results In the...
A novel artificial intelligence (AI) model may accurately predict which patients with cancer may require mental health services during cancer care, according to a recent study published by Nunez et al in Communications Medicine. Background Mental health has been shown to have a significant impact...
In a Chinese study reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Hu et al found that sequential CD7 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) without graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis was effective in patients with...
In a single-center phase II trial reported in JAMA Network Open, Schaverien et al found that a strategy of premastectomy radiotherapy and immediate breast reconstruction was feasible in patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer. Study Details A total of 49 patients with cT0–T3, N0–N3b breast...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by David R. Spigel, MD, and colleagues, the phase III RESILIENT Part 2 trial has shown no overall survival benefit with second-line liposomal irinotecan vs topotecan in patients with small cell lung cancer whose disease progressed on or after...
Altering or increasing the dosages of smoking cessation regimens may help patients quit smoking, according to a recent study published by Cinciripini et al in JAMA. The findings indicated that the smoking cessation drug varenicline may be more effective than combined nicotine replacement therapy...
Investigators uncovered that community oncology practices emerged as the preferred sites of service for cancer treatment compared with hospitals and academic centers, according to a recent case study. The findings may challenge the common perception of hospitals and academic centers as preferable...
In a Japanese retrospective study reported in JACC:CardioOncology, Gon et al identified the incidence and outcomes of arterial thromboembolism in patients with cancer. Study Details The study used data on 97,448 patients with cancer (median age = 70 years) from the Osaka Cancer Registry linked with ...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Klümper et al established a fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay to measure NECTIN4 copy number variations and found that NECTIN4 amplification was associated with high activity of the anti-NECTIN4 antibody-drug conjugate...
In an update of a Norwegian trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Ekanger et al found that long term, salvage reirradiation for locally recurrent prostate cancer was feasible and associated with good outcomes. Study Details The study included 38 patients with locally recurrent disease ...
Listening to mindfulness audio recordings may effectively alleviate the side effects of radiation therapy in men with prostate cancer, according to a recent study published by Victorson et al in Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health. Background Men with prostate cancer who receive...
The American Cancer Society (ACS) has detailed disparities in the mortality rates for preventable cancer types among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander patients in a new Cancer Facts & Figures report published by Wagle et al. Background In this report, the Asian...
Glecirasib monotherapy demonstrated efficacy in previously treated patients with KRAS G12C–mutated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) according to data presented during the ASCO Plenary Series: April 2024 Session (Abstract 468214). Results of the pivotal Chinese phase II study of glecirasib...