In a first-of-its-kind study, patients with breast cancer who underwent implant-based breast reconstruction immediately following a mastectomy reported that getting fewer, higher doses of radiation was just as effective as standard radiation, did not increase side effects, and saved them time and...
Older adults diagnosed with kidney tumors that are not suitable for surgery may benefit from targeted, high-dose radiation, a new study from Australian and Dutch researchers suggests. A multi-institutional phase II study—TransTasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG) FASTRACK II—found 100% local...
People with intermediate-risk, localized prostate cancer may be treated as effectively using fewer and higher doses of radiation therapy delivered over five treatment sessions as they can with lower doses delivered over several weeks, a new phase III randomized trial suggested. The findings, which...
On September 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted de novo marketing authorization for the Invitae Common Hereditary Cancers Panel, an in vitro diagnostic test that may help detect hundreds of genetic variants associated with an elevated risk of developing certain cancers. The...
Researchers have found that low-grade intestinal inflammation may be a side effect of radiotherapy, according to a recent study published by Devarakonda et al in eBioMedicine. Background Radiotherapy is often necessary to cure cancer or slow down cancer development. Although today’s radiotherapies...
Neoadjuvant immunotherapy may be effective prior to surgery in multiple types of cancers, according to a recent study published by Topalian et al in Cancer Cell. Background Neoadjuvant immune checkpoint blockades have been a rapidly growing area of research and are currently being tested across...
Fifty-two years ago, President Richard Nixon signed the National Cancer Act of 1971 into law, which established the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in its current form. At the time, the budget was $1.6 billion. Today, it is $7.8 billion, $4.5 billion less than the amount needed to keep up with...
Gender inequalities and discrimination may adversely impact women’s rights and opportunities to avoid cancer risk factors and impede their ability to seek and obtain timely diagnoses and quality cancer care, according to The Lancet Commission on Women, Power, and Cancer published by Ginsburg et al...
The novel imaging agent gallium (Ga)-68–ABY-025 may help to predict early metabolic response to HER2-targeted treatment in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, according to a recent study published by Alhuseinalkhudhur et al in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. These findings...
Researchers have uncovered elevated rates of hyperglycemia among patients who have breast cancer receiving treatment with alpelisib, according to a recent study published by Shen et al in Cancer. Background Alpelisib is designed to target the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) protein, which is...
Researchers have singled out mutations in 11 genes associated with aggressive types of prostate cancer, according to a novel study published by Darst et al in JAMA Oncology. The new findings may lead to improvements in diagnosis and treatment. Background Currently, oncologists use genetic tests to...
The risk of developing hematologic malignancies may decrease following bariatric surgery in patients with overweight or obesity, according to a recent study published by Sjöholm et al in The Lancet Healthy Longevity. Background Previous studies have shown that overweight and obesity may be risk...
The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, Part 2—published by Negoita et al in the journal Cancer—showed that new diagnoses of six major cancer types in the United States fell sharply between March and May of 2020, coinciding with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The six...
On September 26, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved bosutinib (Bosulif) for pediatric patients aged 1 year and older with chronic-phase, Philadelphia chromosome–positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) that is newly diagnosed or resistant or intolerant to prior therapy. The FDA ...
The majority of information related to gynecologic cancers on the social media platform TikTok may be misleading or inaccurate, according to a recent study published by Morton et al in Gynecologic Oncology. Background “The intent of this study was to understand the needs of patients that may go...
Regular and intense aerobic exercise may be effective at reducing the risk of colorectal cancer in patients with Lynch syndrome by improving the immune system's ability to detect and remove potentially harmful cells, according to a novel study published by Deng et al in Clinical Cancer Research....
Investigators have discovered that significantly higher levels of endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and phenols may be present in patients with breast, ovarian, skin, and endometrial cancers, according to a recent study published by Cathey et al in...
The management of sarcoma presents several challenges because of its rarity and diverse subtypes, making accurate diagnosis and specialized treatment crucial. A multidisciplinary approach involving various experts from different cancer specialties is the optimal strategy to improve survival and...
In this installment of The ASCO Post’s Global Oncology series, Guest Editor Chandrakanth Are, MBBS, MBA, FRCS, FACS, the Jerald L. & Carolynn J. Varner Professor of Surgical Oncology & Global Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, spoke with Héber Salvador, MD, PhD,...
Adam Wolfe, MD, PhD, a radiation oncologist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, has received a $583,200 grant from the American Cancer Society (ACS) to study radiation resistance in pancreatic cancer, a lethal disease with the highest...
In this installment of The ASCO Post’s Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Gil Morgan, MD, a clinical oncologist formerly at the Division of Medical and Radiation Oncology at Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden and now full-time Director of the OncoAlert...
Investigators have found that residing in areas with high levels of particulate air pollution may be associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer, according to a recent study published by White et al in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Background Particulate matter...
The biomarker-driven Lung Cancer Master Protocol (Lung-MAP) may have enrolled a higher percentage of patients who are older, are from rural or socioeconomically deprived areas, and have Medicaid or no insurance compared with conventional, standalone clinical trials in advanced non–small cell lung...
The Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) and ASCO have partnered to develop a new guideline on integrative oncology care of symptoms of anxiety and depression in adults with cancer. The guideline reviews the evidence for a range of integrative approaches, including mindfulness-based...
ASCO recently released a new rapid recommendation update that addresses the use of olanzapine to treat cancer-related cachexia, a topic originally addressed in its 2020 guideline on the management of cancer cachexia in adults with advanced cancer.1,2 At that time, there was insufficient evidence to ...
Researchers have discovered that the combination of the CTLA-4 inhibitor ipilimumab and the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab may be an effective second-line therapy in patients with PD-1 blockade–refractory metastatic melanoma, according to a recent study conducted by the SWOG Cancer Research Network and...
The 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting again demonstrated the Society’s commitment to improving cancer care for all older adults. Pertinent questions related to treatment and management in this population were addressed in educational and oral abstract sessions, clinical science symposia, and case-based...
Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia is a rare and incurable low-grade B-cell lymphoproliferative disease defined by specific genotypic subtypes that have implications for treatment response and long-term outcomes. Treatment—and there is no established standard—is mainly focused on controlling symptoms...
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many medical specialties became familiar with supply chain interruptions resulting in drug, equipment, and personnel scarcity. Intensive care unit beds, staff, and essential medicines were at times in short supply. The federal government, individual states, and...
The anti–PD-L1 monoclonal antibody durvalumab in combination with other immuno-oncology agents may outperform treatment with durvalumab alone in the neoadjuvant setting for patients with early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to a recent study published by Cascone et al in Cancer ...
Cancer—and the quest to accelerate more effective treatments and potential cures for all life-threatening diseases—has perhaps shaped the life of financier Michael Milken more than his legendary career on Wall Street. In the early 1970s, Mr. Milken’s mother-in-law was diagnosed with metastatic...
Researchers have uncovered the vital role that the immune system may play in determining the duration of remission and progression-free survival in patients with multiple myeloma, according to a recent study published by Coffey et al in Nature Communications. The new findings suggested that the...
Bipartisan legislation that may help to eliminate financial barriers to prostate cancer screening was introduced in the U.S. Senate. Sponsored by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and John Boozman (R-AR), the Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening for High-Risk Insured Men (PSA Screening for HIM) Act would...
In a single-institution phase II study reported in The Lancet Oncology, Cytryn et al found that the combination of regorafenib, nivolumab, and FOLFOX (fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin) showed activity as a first-line treatment regimen for patients with HER2-negative metastatic...
Breast milk from women with breast cancer who were diagnosed during pregnancy or postpartum may contain circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), according to researchers at the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) in Barcelona. The investigators noted that ctDNA can be detected through liquid biopsy in ...
Researchers have revealed that non–English speakers who seek information from hospitals across the United States may face a concerning lack of access to cancer care services, according to a new study published by Chen et al in JNCCN–Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Background...
On September 15, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved momelotinib (Ojjaara) for the treatment of intermediate- or high-risk myelofibrosis, including primary myelofibrosis or secondary myelofibrosis (post–polycythemia vera and post–essential thrombocythemia), in adults with anemia....
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is recognized every September to help shine a light on the realities of pediatric cancer and raise awareness of the important work being done to make a difference for the children who are diagnosed with cancer. September 15 also marked the start of Hispanic Heritage ...
In an interim analysis of a small phase I study reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Chiesa et al found that base-edited CAR7 T cells were active in pediatric patients with relapsed T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). As stated by the investigators: “Cytidine deamination that is...
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is recognized every September to help shine a light on the realities of pediatric cancer and raise awareness of the important work being done to make a difference for the children who are diagnosed with cancer. September 15 also marked the start of Hispanic Heritage ...
De-escalation of chemoradiotherapy after induction chemotherapy yields excellent oncologic outcomes in patients with high-risk oropharyngeal cancer associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV). Results of the nonrandomized phase II Quarterback trial suggest that this subset of patients may be...
As a first-line treatment of recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, the PD-L1 inhibitor durvalumab plus weekly carboplatin and paclitaxel provided clinically significant efficacy in the phase II FRAIL-IMMUNE (GORTEC 2018-03) trial.1 This regimen may prove to be an effective...
Head and neck cancers comprise approximately 4% of all new cancer diagnoses globally and represent approximately 110,000 new cancer diagnoses and 17,000 cancer deaths annually in the United States. Head and neck cancers are a heterogenous group of malignancies where prognosis and treatment varies...
The invited discussant of the VERSATILE-002 and CUE-101-01 trials, Erminia Massarelli, MD, PhD, MS, said both are examples of a growing interest in evaluating immunotherapeutic strategies and treatment sequences in early-stage head and neck squamous cell cancer as well as in metastatic disease. Dr. ...
The ASCO Post asked for comment from Glenn J. Hanna, MD, Director of the Center for Salivary and Rare Head and Neck Cancers, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Hanna said it is important to put the findings of KEYNOTE-4121 into context...
The addition of perioperative durvalumab to neoadjuvant chemotherapy may be associated with a tolerable surgical safety profile and may not adversely impact surgery in patients with resectable non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to new findings presented by Mitsudomi et al at the...
In a Chinese study reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Li et al found evidence that the anti–Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) anti-BNLF2b total antibody, P85-Ab, may be a promising biomarker for nasopharyngeal cancer screening. Study Details In the study, a peptide library representing highly...
On September 11, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved motixafortide (Aphexda) in combination with filgrastim to mobilize hematopoietic stem cells to the peripheral blood for collection and subsequent autologous transplantation in patients with multiple myeloma. Motixafortide is...
ASCO has updated a guideline on the practical assessment and management of age-associated vulnerabilities in older patients receiving systemic cancer therapy.1 Among the updates, the guideline adds more detail to domains that should be evaluated in geriatric assessments (GAs) and expands patient...
Lung cancer, both small cell and non–small cell, is the second most common cancer in both men and women in the United States, with about 238,340 new cases diagnosed each year, and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality, accounting for more than 127,000 deaths annually.1 Lung cancer in...