In a major development in the treatment of breast cancer, short-course, or hypofractionated, radiation therapy has demonstrated comparable outcomes to conventional postmastectomy radiation therapy while reducing treatment breaks and financial toxicity, according to data presented at the 2023...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Zwanenburg et al, 5-year findings from the Dutch COLOPEC trial indicated that the addition of adjuvant hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) to systemic chemotherapy did not improve overall survival vs chemotherapy alone in patients...
Invited discussant of the DUO-E trial, Domenica Lorusso, MD, PhD, commented: “Looking at the data, it’s clear to me that we are entering a new era of clinical research” in endometrial cancer. Patient populations are becoming molecularly refined, which will pave the way for more highly personalized ...
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 ...
Invited discussant Andrea Apolo, MD, of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, emphasized that the EV-302/KEYNOTE-A39 and CheckMate 901 trials mark a significant achievement. “Outperforming chemotherapy in first-line therapy is monumental for our field. The two studies presented are...
As reported in The Lancet Oncology, Zeng et al developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based pathology method that distinguished between better and poorer response to treatment with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). As stated by the investigators:...
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...
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...
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...
On June 29, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-to-3 decision, essentially overturned affirmative action in college admissions, which had allowed, since 1978, for colleges and universities to consider race as a factor in student admissions.1 The ruling will impact enrollment decisions at public...
Real-world outcomes often fall short of those achieved in clinical trials, but this is apparently not so for patients receiving chemoradiotherapy plus consolidation with durvalumab in unresectable stage III non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The robust results achieved in the phase III PACIFIC...
I’ve been contending with health issues since I was 12, when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. As I began my early 30s, I was feeling the healthiest of my life. I was working out 5 days a week and attributed sudden weight loss and fatigue to weight training and high-intensity Zumba classes....
Guest Editor’s Note: Virtual platforms have grown increasingly popular for health- and wellness-promoting activities. But given patients’ unique backgrounds, capabilities, interests, and goals, promoting engagement represents a complex challenge both in the context of care delivery as well as...
Genetic information collected from healthy tissue near lung tumors may be predictive of posttreatment cancer recurrence compared with analysis of the tumors themselves, according to a novel study published by Dolgalev et al in Nature Communications. Background Lung adenocarcinomas are tumors that...
On November 7, the Senate overwhelmingly confirmed Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, FACS, FASCO, by a vote of 62 to 36, as the 17th Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Bertagnolli is currently Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). She served as ASCO President from 2018 to ...
Currently most use of artificial intelligence (AI) in cancer care has been limited to diagnostics, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approving nearly 700 medical devices that utilize AI and/or machine learning, the majority of which are used in the fields of radiology and pathology....
The BTK inhibitor nemtabrutinib may offer a new treatment option for patients with relapsed hematologic malignancies such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to a recent study published by Woyach et al in Cancer Discovery. Background Hematologic malignancies are...
Diagnosing early-stage lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening may improve 20-year survival rates, according to a recent study published by Henschke et al in Radiology. The new findings demonstrated the significance of routine early screenings to detect tumors when they are...
Men with overweight or obesity at age 18 years may have a higher risk of 17 different cancers later in life, according to recent research from the University of Gothenburg. The findings also describe how the youth obesity epidemic is expected to affect cancer incidence over the next 30 years. In...
As reported in The Lancet by Shukui Qin, MD, and colleagues, interim analysis of the phase III IMbrave050 trial has shown significantly better recurrence-free survival with adjuvant atezolizumab/bevacizumab vs active surveillance in patients who underwent curative-intent resection or ablation for...
Researchers have discovered that resistance to PI3K-alpha inhibitors and reduced drug binding in patients with breast cancer may be driven by secondary PIK3CA mutations and so may be effectively treated with a novel class of PI3K-alpha inhibitors designed to bind to different parts of the target,...
Researchers have found that presenting older patients with personalized information regarding the benefits and harms of colorectal cancer screenings may reduce unnecessary screenings, according to a recent study published by Saini et al in JAMA Internal Medicine. Background Colorectal cancer...
On November 2, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data from the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) on tobacco product use among U.S. youth. The findings—which were collected between March and June 2023 and were...
Researchers have developed a highly sensitive blood test capable of early detection by identifying a key protein produced by cancer cells, according to a novel study published by Taylor et al in Cancer Discovery. Background Many tumors become deadly by remaining asymptomatic until they’re too...
Researchers have reported that soy expansion and the subsequent increase of pesticide use in Brazil’s Cerrado and Amazon biomes may correlate with an increased risk of mortality among pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The study was published by Skidmore et al in...
In the INHERIT study—reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology—Geoffrey R. Oxnard, MD, FASCO, and colleagues identified associations between germline EGFR mutations and familial lung cancer. As stated by the investigators, “The genomic underpinnings of inherited lung cancer risk are poorly...
Abstract discussant Rohann J.M. Correa, MD, PhD, a radiation oncologist at London Health Sciences Centre and Assistant Professor at Western University, Canada, shared his insights on this landmark clinical trial for the treatment of kidney cancers. “FASTRACK II represents an important milestone,...
Although surgery remains the standard of care for primary renal cell carcinoma, a novel, noninvasive approach has yielded positive results that could pave the way for future treatment strategies, according to data presented at the 2023 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual...
Discussant of the PACE-B abstract, Neha Vapiwala, MD, FASTRO, acknowledged the impressive efforts of PACE investigators to elucidate the various treatment options for patients with localized prostate cancer—a challenging task because of the frequent absence of clear evidence. Dr. Vapiwala is...
A perioperative regimen of neoadjuvant nivolumab plus chemotherapy followed by surgery and adjuvant nivolumab achieved a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in event-free survival compared with neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus placebo followed by surgery and adjuvant...
Researchers may have discovered a link between certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—also referred to as "forever chemicals"—and an increased risk of thyroid cancer, according to a recent study published by van Gerwen et al in eBioMedicine. Background PFAS are a large, complex group of ...
Researchers have found that a text message–based program in combination with routine laboratory testing could safely accelerate patients to treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors, eliminate the need for in-person assessments with their physicians, and save them about 1.5 hours in total wait...
Yoga-based supportive care may help alleviate the negative side effects of radiation treatment, decrease the use of feeding tube placements, and reduce emergency department visits in patients with head and neck cancer, especially when family caregivers participate, according to new findings...
It is widely acknowledged that patients with cancer living in rural areas of the United States face limited access to medical and oncology providers, often have to travel long distances to receive care, and experience obstacles in clinical trial participation—all of which affect quality of care and ...
Invited discussant Matthew Hatton, MBChB, MSc, FRCP, FRCR, a consultant and Honorary Professor in Clinical Oncology at Weston Park Cancer Center, Sheffield, UK, pointed out that the original analysis of RTOG 0617 was disappointing and failed to find evidence that intensity-modulated radiation...
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) reduced the risk of toxicity to the lungs and radiation exposure to the heart vs three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) for the treatment of locally advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to a planned long-term prospective...
Gender diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in medicine has long been acknowledged as more than “the right thing to do,” with clear evidence of benefits in innovation, collaboration, and workplace culture.1 Yet the data continue to showcase challenges in achieving these goals despite women...
On September 14, 2023, the Breakthrough Prize Foundation announced the winners of the 2024 awards, honoring an esteemed group of the world’s researchers for their impactful scientific discoveries, including a subset responsible for substantial progress in the understanding and treatment of major...
In this installment of The ASCO Post’s Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Elisabete Weiderpass, MD, MSc, PhD, a Brazilian cancer researcher who is a naturalized Swedish and Finnish citizen. She is an expert in cancer epidemiology and cancer prevention. In...
Investigators have discovered that reliable educational materials about breast cancer surgery may be difficult to access and are often presented at much higher reading levels than recommended, according to the findings of two new studies presented by Brennan et al and Satarasinghe et al at the...
Researchers have found that a short course of induction chemotherapy prior to chemoradiation may be effective at reducing the rate of relapse and mortality among patients with locally advanced cervical cancer, according to new preliminary findings presented by McCormack et al at the European...
The chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy idecabtagene vicleucel may offer an overall survival benefit in patients with multiple myeloma, regardless of their race or ethnicity, according to a novel study published by Peres et al in Blood Advances. Background Multiple myeloma—a cancer of...
The drug shortage crisis in the United States may continue to impact the care of 10% of patients and survivors of cancer, according to a new survey from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). Survey Findings In the new survey, researchers asked 1,222 patients and survivors of...
Among the 198 new oncology drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 1998 and 2022, approximately 43% of them were precision therapies, according to a recent study published by Suehnholz et al in Cancer Discovery. Background Precision oncology therapies often require...
Researchers have discovered that patients with longer prostatic urethras may have an increased risk of experiencing moderate and chronic urinary side effects after receiving radiation for prostate cancer, according to a recent study published by Lee et al in Academic Radiology. The new findings...
Women living and working in places with higher levels of fine particle air pollution are more likely to get breast cancer than those living and working in less polluted areas. Results of a study looking at the effects of both residential and workplace exposure to air pollution on breast cancer risk ...
Researchers have identified significant variations in the gut microbiome of patients with precancerous colorectal lesions, suggesting a potential correlation between gut bacteria and the onset of precancerous lesions and colorectal cancer, according to new findings presented by Gacesa et al at...