Investigators have uncovered that North Carolina’s urban counties may have higher overall incidences of breast cancer than its rural counties, especially at early stages at diagnosis, according to a recent study published by Gearhart-Serna et al in Scientific Reports. These findings may serve as a...
The immune checkpoint inhibitor durvalumab may be safe and effective at improving overall survival in patients who have advanced or metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and borderline performance status, according to a recent study published by Shaverdashvili et al in eClinicalMedicine....
A high proportion of patients with colorectal cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa may receive no treatment or inadequate treatment, regardless of the disease’s curability, according to a recent study published by Hämmerl et al in JNCCN–Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. The new findings ...
On November 27, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the selective gamma secretase inhibitor nirogacestat (Ogsiveo) for adult patients with progressing desmoid tumors who require systemic treatment. This is the first approved treatment for desmoid tumors. DeFi Trial Efficacy was...
Abstract discussant Noemí Reguart, MD, PhD, an oncologist at the Hospital Clinic Barcelona, underscored the “impressive” progression-free and overall survival results of the phase III ETER701 trial, which have “never been achieved before in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.” According to Dr. ...
The addition of anlotinib to immunochemotherapy has achieved the historically longest progression-free survival and overall survival in the first-line setting of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, according to data presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2023...
Upal Basu Roy, PhD, MPH, Executive Director of Research at the LUNGevity Foundation, in Chicago, shared his thoughts with The ASCO Post on the INCREASE trial’s findings and their potential impact on clinical practice. As Dr. Roy explained, neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy remains the current standard ...
The integration of immunotherapy with traditional chemoradiotherapy has significantly increased pathologic complete response rates in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to data presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2023 World Conference on...
Helena Linardou, MD, PhD, Director of the 4th Department of Oncology and Comprehensive Clinical Trials Center, Metropolitan Hospital, Athens, was invited to discuss the subgroup analysis of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) in the DS7300-A-J101 trial. She first noted that the antibody-drug conjugate...
The antibody-drug conjugate ifinatamab deruxtecan has demonstrated “robust and durable efficacy” in patients with heavily pretreated small cell lung cancer, according to a subset analysis of the DS7300-A-J101 trial presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2023 World...
Abstract discussant Hiroaki Akamatsu, MD, PhD, of Wakayama Medical University, Japan, highlighted the promising efficacy data supporting iruplinalkib, a highly selective, oral inhibitor of ALK and ROS1, in patients with ALK-positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). “The efficacy profile is very ...
The novel ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor iruplinalkib has demonstrated potential for a difficult-to-treat subset of patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to data presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer.1 A...
First-line treatment with osimertinib plus platinum-based chemotherapy achieved a statistically significant and clinically meaningful progression-free survival improvement compared with osimertinib alone in patients with advanced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated non–small cell lung...
Gerard A. Silvestri, MD, MS, the Hillenbrand Professor of Thoracic Oncology at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, praised the investigators of the Taiwan National Lung Cancer Screening Program for their accomplishment. “It’s incredible that they screened almost 50,000...
Findings from the Taiwan National Lung Cancer Early Detection Program have shown that lung cancer screening by low-dose computed tomography (CT) can detect tumors at an early-enough phase to allow for effective intervention. In a recent analysis, 85% of tumors detected by screening were stage 0 or...
Discussant of the abstract on the MARS-2 trial, Paula Antonia Ugalde, MD, Associate Surgeon, Division of Thoracic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, underscored the significance of this “outstanding trial,” which she called a “landmark study for the field.” Despite the ban on asbestos, ...
The results of a recent study from the United Kingdom could spell the end of a long-standing treatment strategy for mesothelioma, according to data presented during the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer.1 When combined with...
The management of lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies has evolved significantly over the past decade. Thanks to many scientific advancements in the field, new therapeutic options, and improvements in screening and early detection, more patients are being cured, and many others are living...
The National Academy of Medicine recently announced the election of 100 members during its annual meeting, including 10 international members. Election to the Academy is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated major...
Guest Editor’s Note: The Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) held its 20th international conference in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The conference focused on the theme “Integrative Oncology as Standard of Care: The Time Is Now.” The mood was festive, and the weather cooperated with warm temperatures, ...
A lot of my experience with cancer is hazy to me. I was taking narcotics for pain around the clock when I was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma in 2013, so there are some missing memories during those early days. I was 19 and a freshman in college when my symptoms started. I have always been active in ...
In this installment of The ASCO Post’s Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Dennis J. Slamon, MD, PhD, one of the principals in the discovery and development of trastuzumab—the first monoclonal antibody used against an oncogene that altered our entire approach...
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders that are characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis, resulting in cytopenias, and they carry a risk of progression to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In 2022, the fifth edition of the World Health ...
Jarushka Naidoo, MHS, MBBCh, of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, University of Medicine and Health Sciences, discusses some of the key lung cancer data presented at the ESMO Congress 2023: CheckMate 77T, a phase III study of nivolumab, chemotherapy, and surgery for previously untreated...
On November 17, President Joe Biden announced the appointment of W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, Chair of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Physician-in-Chief for Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital and Clinics, as his choice for Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Dr. ...
ASCO and the National Cancer Policy Forum cohosted a workshop on October 5–6, 2023, to mark the 10-year anniversary of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) consensus report, Delivering High-Quality Cancer Care: Charting a New Course for a System in Crisis.1 The National Cancer Policy Forum is a...
An ASCO Rapid Recommendation Update advises oncologists to avoid the use of triple combination therapy for the management of metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC).1 The new guidance, which updates recommendations from the original 2022 guideline, reflects findings from a phase III,...
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Fred Saad, MD, of the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, and colleagues, the final prespecified overall survival analysis of the phase III PROpel trial has shown no significant benefit with the addition of first-line olaparib to abiraterone in...
Benjamin Besse, MD, PhD, of the Gustave Roussy Cancer Centre, discusses new findings on AZD7789, which targets PD-1 and TIM-3, in patients with stage IIIB–IV non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with previous anti–PD-L1 therapy. This bispecific antibody showed manageable safety and preliminary...
On November 16, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the androgen receptor inhibitor enzalutamide (Xtandi) for patients with nonmetastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer with biochemical recurrence at high risk for metastasis. EMBARK Trial Efficacy was evaluated in EMBARK...
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) issued recommendations for patient-centered strategies for performing partial-breast irradiation in patients with early-stage invasive breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). The new clinical guidelines were published by Shaitelman et al ...
Researchers have uncovered an increased incidence of certain types of cancer in Sweden following the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident, according to a novel study published by Tondel et al in Environmental Epidemiology. Study Methods and Results The Chernobyl accident in 1986 led to the spread ...
On November 16, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved capivasertib (Truqap) with fulvestrant for adult patients with hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer with one or more PIK3CA/AKT1/PTEN alterations, as detected by an...
On November 15, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the next-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor repotrectinib (Augtyro) for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic ROS1-positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). According to the American Lung Association, the ROS1 ...
Individuals who experience occupational exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation may have a high rate of nonmelanoma skin cancer incidence and mortality, according to a recent study published by Pega et al in Environment International. These findings highlighted the large and increasing burden...
Investigators have uncovered that fewer surgical, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments may have been performed in patients with cancer during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent study published by Nogueira et al in JAMA Oncology. The new findings may be attributable...
Benjamin Besse, MD, PhD, of the Gustave Roussy Cancer Centre, discusses phase II findings from the HERTHENA-Lung01 study, which showed patients with previously treated EGFR-mutated non–small cell lung cancer may benefit from the antibody-drug conjugate patritumab deruxtecan after EGFR tyrosine...
A novel assay may be effective at detecting a unique molecular marker in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to a recent study published by Young et al in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics. The new findings may revolutionize the way AML is detected and treated. Background AML...
Researchers have compiled a comprehensive list of genetic variants that may be associated with the risk of developing prostate cancer, according to a recent study published by Wang et al in Nature Genetics. The new findings included major increases in representation among patients from racial and...
Investigators may have uncovered an association between exposure to computed tomography (CT) radiation in young patients and an increased risk of hematologic malignancies, according to a recent study published by Bosch de Basea Gomez et al in Nature Medicine. These recent findings highlighted the...
Bone scans may overstage prostate cancer at initial staging compared with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron-emission tomography (PET), according to a recent study published by Hope et al in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Background PSMA PET is known to be more accurate than...
Investigators have found that Black patients with early-onset colorectal cancer in the United States may receive worse and less timely, guideline-concordant care than White patients, according to a recent study published by Nogueira et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Background “Colorectal...
Early findings from the phase II EDGE-Gastric trial indicate the potential for two novel agents to make a difference in advanced gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma, according to findings reported at the ASCO Plenary Series: November 2023 Session by Yelena Y. Janjigian, MD, Chief of the...
The risk of developing skin cancer may be twofold for patients with lymphedema, according to a recent study published by Anand et al in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. The new findings may contribute to growing information linking lymphedema to localized changes in immunity and a predisposition for...
Investigators have found that patients with breast cancer who have insufficient levels of vitamin D prior to initiating treatment with paclitaxel may be more likely to experience peripheral neuropathy, according to a recent study published by Chen et al in JNCCN–Journal of the National...
On November 9, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ADAMTS13, recombinant-krhn (Adzynma), the first genetically engineered protein product indicated for prophylactic or on-demand enzyme replacement therapy in adult and pediatric patients with congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic...
The management of ovarian cancer remains challenging within health-care systems worldwide. Recently, clinical and translational research on ovarian cancer has led to promising advances that have improved the survival outcomes of women diagnosed with this aggressive gynecologic cancer. These...
On November 7, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revised the existing indication of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in combination with trastuzumab, fluoropyrimidine, and platinum-containing chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic...
On November 8, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved fruquintinib (Fruzaqla) for adult patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who received prior fluoropyrimidine-, oxaliplatin-, and irinotecan-based chemotherapy; an anti-VEGF therapy; and—if their disease is RAS wild-type and it...
Remarkable progress has been made in the treatment of lung cancer in the past 10 to 15 years; it is therefore not surprising that lung cancer mortality in the United States is declining consistently, at the rate of 2% to 4% annually in recent years. Long-term survival is possible even for patients...