A combination of the pancreatic cancer vaccine GVAX, the immune checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab, and the anti-CD137 agonist antibody urelemab may be safe and increase the amount of immune T cells in the tumors of patients with operable pancreatic cancer when given 2 weeks prior to surgical tumor...
Investigators have discovered that cetuximab in addition to concurrent radiotherapy may be safe and effective at treating patients with locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, according to a recent study published by Chang et al in Oncotarget. Treatment for locally advanced cutaneous...
Researchers have uncovered how non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors may develop drug resistance over time and identified the APOBEC3A protein as a potential target for novel cancer therapeutics, according to a study published by Isozaki et al in Nature. The findings point to potential...
Assessments of the health impacts of the nonsugar sweetener aspartame were released today by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the World Health Organization (WHO)/Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Citing “limited...
Researchers have revealed that combining pembrolizumab with other treatments may reduce the size of target tumors, resulting in a higher response rate for patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to a recent study published by Gutierrez et al in Nature Medicine. “We are...
Researchers have uncovered a potential link between chemotherapy-induced changes to gut bacteria and weight gain seen in patients with breast cancer, according to a recent study published by Walker et al in BMC Medicine. The findings may help to identify approaches to avoid obesity-related diseases ...
Jennifer R. Brown, MD, PhD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discusses phase I/II findings from the Bruin study of resistance to pirtobrutinib in patients with covalent BTK inhibitor–pretreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The aim of the study was to explore the genomic evolution of...
New research could warrant reconsideration of current screening guidelines to include a poorly recognized cause of Lynch syndrome, according to a novel study published by Hitchins et al in JNCCN–Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. The findings suggest that the guidelines leave a...
The novel Blood Cancer Awareness Measure tool could identify gaps in the public's knowledge of hematologic malignancy symptoms and aid in the development of future awareness campaigns designed to save lives, according to a new study published by Boswell et al in BMC Cancer and Whitaker et al in...
An elevated body mass index (BMI) could potentially be associated with inferior treatment outcomes in adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), according to a new study published by Shimony et al in Blood Advances. The findings may demonstrate the impact of...
Investigators have found that millions of dollars could be saved annually across the Veterans Health Administration by reconsidering how immune checkpoint inhibitors are delivered, according to a new study published by Bryant et al in Health Affairs. The findings suggested that if vials of immune...
Researchers have found that fecal microbiota transplants from healthy donors may be safe and show potential in improving response rates to immunotherapy in patients with advanced melanoma, according to a phase I study published by Routy et al in Nature Medicine. Background While immunotherapy...
About 50% of patients with metastatic prostate cancer may experience financial hardship as a result of their treatment, according to a new study published by Joyce et al in The Journal of Urology. Background "Our most significant finding may be that patients experience financial toxicity despite...
My father is deaf. Born deaf, he is now 75 years old. He uses his voice, but he sounds strange to a hearing person when he speaks. He uses lip-reading techniques to communicate. A year ago, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. We did his oncology itinerary together. My father cannot go alone to...
Investigators have found that patients with head and neck cancer who had an overweight body mass index (BMI) may have had better outcomes, longer overall and progression-free survival, and lower rates of locoregional failure than those with a normal or obese BMI, according to a new study published...
Robot-assisted resection may be safe and effective at removing difficult-to-reach gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), according to a novel study published by Lwin et al in the Journal of Surgical Research. Background For gastric GISTs, surgery is the standard treatment option; however, ...
The expansion of Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act may be associated with the largest increases in critical palliative care services for patients with advanced cancers in the United States, according to a new study published by Han et al in Health Affairs. The findings uncovered how...
Aaron T. Gerds, MD, of Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, talks about treating the anemia many patients with myelofibrosis experience because of JAK inhibitor therapy. The ACE-536-MF-001 study showed that luspatercept improved anemia and transfusion burden in this population, with a safety...
Researchers have found that repeated COVID-19 vaccination may increase the vaccine’s effectiveness at preventing the infections in patients with lymphoma, particularly after four doses, according to a new study published by Wijaya et al in The Lancet. Background Patients with lymphoma often have...
Performing a minimally invasive staging laparoscopy on patients with newly diagnosed pancreatic cancer may help determine the stage and identify cancer metastases early, according to a novel study published by Gudmundsdottir et al in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. The new findings ...
Investigators have called into question the health benefit of extended surveillance for patients whose pancreatic cysts have not changed size for at least 5 years and had no worrisome features, according to a new study published by Chhoda et al in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology....
The vast majority of cancer survivors may rely on primary care physicians for follow-up treatments, especially in rural areas, according to a new study published by Becevic et al in the Journal of Cancer Education. Background Patients often depend on their primary care physicians to help them...
Physicians may be able to personalize dosing intervals and consequently improve patient outcomes by monitoring early-response biomarkers in patients with prostate cancer who are undergoing treatment with lutetium (Lu)-177–PSMA, according to new findings presented by Emmett et al at the Society of...
The positron-emission tomography (PET) tracer zirconium (Zr)-89–DFO-girentuximab may accurately identify patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma and differentiate the disease from other types of renal tumors, according to findings presented by Calais et al at the Society of Nuclear Medicine...
Researchers have identified a new potential therapeutic target—the cell-surface tumor antigen CUB domain–containing protein 1 (CDCP1)—for patients with all subtypes of metastatic bladder cancer, according to findings presented by Chopra et al at the Society of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular...
Researchers have created the world’s largest and most comprehensive atlas of normal breast tissue—the Human Breast Cell Atlas—which may provide an unprecedented understanding of mammary biology and help identify therapeutic targets for diseases such as breast cancer, according to a recent study...
Patients with polycystic ovary syndrome may not have a higher risk of ovarian cancer than those without the condition; however, postmenopausal patients with polycystic ovary syndrome may have twofold the risk of developing ovarian cancer, according to recent findings presented by Frandsen et al at...
Female survivors treated for Hodgkin lymphoma may face declining fertility at a younger age, according to recent findings presented by Drechsel et al at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) 2023 Annual Meeting (Abstract O-083). The new research also suggested that the...
Researchers have identified seven potential risk factors for early-onset colorectal cancer in male patients and developed a novel risk evaluation model, according to a recent study published by Imperiale et al in Cancer Prevention Research. The findings may help 45- to 49-year-old patients accept...
Carmen E. Guerra, MD, MSCE, of the University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center, discusses three key abstracts presented at ASCO: strategies to increase accrual of underrepresented populations in Alliance NCTN trials, how patient-clinician education can strengthen partnerships and improve...
About 50% of LGBTQ+ patients and survivors of cancer may be concerned about facing discrimination in a health-care setting, according to a new survey from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). The new findings demonstrated that these concerns and experiences with...
The combination of curettage and cryosurgery may be a safe and effective treatment method for patients with basal cell carcinoma, according to a novel study published by Backman et al in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Background The incidence of skin cancer is continuing to...
On June 26, 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration awarded $50 million in the launch of the Persistent Poverty Initiative—a program designed to alleviate the cumulative effects of persistent poverty on cancer outcomes by increasing research capacity, fostering cancer prevention research, and...
Iopromide-300 and -370 (Ultravist), an iodine-based contrast agent, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for contrast-enhanced mammography—making it the only contrast agent approved for this indication. The product can be used to visualize known or suspected lesions of...
Investigators have found that artificial intelligence (AI) language models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT may accurately identify appropriate imaging tests for breast cancer screenings and breast pain, according to a recent study published by Rao et al in the Journal of the American College of Radiology....
Women of African descent may have an elevated risk of being diagnosed with advanced endometrial cancer and developing aggressive tumors compared with White women, according to a recent study published by Medina et al in Cancer. Background Endometrial cancer is classified as endometrioid or the more ...
A combination of pretherapy imaging and dosimetry may help patients with refractory differentiated thyroid cancer obtain the maximum benefit from radioactive iodine treatments following redifferentiation therapy, according to a novel study published by Taprogge et al in The Journal of Nuclear...
A genetic marker involving the EGFR and ERBB2 genes may be predictive of which patients with hepatocellular carcinoma are most likely to develop resistance to lenvatinib, according to a study published by Lim et al in Gastroenterology. The new findings could help researchers develop alternative...
Yoshie Umemura, MD, was recently appointed as Chief Medical Officer of the Ivy Brain Tumor Center and Chief of Neuro-Oncology and the William and Joan Shapiro Chair of Neuro-Oncology at Barrow Neurological Institute. Dr. Umemura plans to build on the Ivy Center’s clinical trials program and...
Delays in cancer screening during the COVID-19 pandemic will likely cause a significant increase in cancer cases that could have been caught earlier with screening. These cases may now be diagnosed at later stages, placing an increased burden on an already-strained health-care system, according to...
On June 21, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the supplemental biologics license application for blinatumomab (Blincyto) for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with CD19-positive B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in first or second complete remission...
Researchers have revealed that the KDM5D gene on the Y chromosome, which is upregulated in KRAS-mutated colorectal cancer, may be responsible for increasing tumor cell invasiveness and reducing antitumor immunity in male patients, according to a recent study published by Li et al in Nature. The new ...
Researchers have found that the loss of the Y chromosome, a common impact of the aging process in men, may help cancer cells evade the body’s immune system and result in aggressive bladder cancer—but it may also render the disease more vulnerable and responsive to immune checkpoint...
On June 20, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved talazoparib (Talzenna) with enzalutamide for homologous recombination repair (HRR) gene–mutated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. TALAPRO-2 Efficacy was evaluated in TALAPRO-2 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier...
Investigators have shed light on the disparities that may be contributing to the high cancer burden of Appalachian Kentucky compared with the rest of the state and country, according to a new study published by Hudson et al in The Journal of Rural Health. Kentucky currently ranks first in the...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new voluntary pilot program to help physicians select safe and effective cancer treatments, with guidance on in vitro companion diagnostic tests to determine which corresponding oncology drugs may provide the most benefit for their patients....
Shailender Bhatia, MD, of the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, discusses phase I/II results on the efficacy of nivolumab with or without ipilimumab in patients with recurrent or metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma. The study found that, for this rare and aggressive skin...
The KRAS G12C inhibitor adagrasib may be effective at suppressing cancer growth not only within the lungs but also in brain metastases for patients with KRAS G12C–mutated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to a new study published by Negrao et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology....
Targeted therapy with fruquintinib may improve overall survival and progression-free survival in patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer, according to a novel study published by Dasari et al in The Lancet. Background According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the...
Aromatase inhibitors may interfere with the efficacy of weight loss medications in breast cancer survivors, according to a new study presented by Fansa et al at the 2023 Endocrine Society Annual Meeting. Background Aromatase inhibitors are designed to block the activity of the aromatase enzyme,...