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Showing 13301 - 13350Medical Groups Release Letter on Proposed Changes to Medicare Physician Payment Rule
The American Medical Association and about 150 medical groups sent the following letter to Seema Verma, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), regarding the administration’s proposals included in the 2019 Medicare physician payment rule. The full text of...
FDA Approves cobas EGFR Mutation Test v2 as Companion Diagnostic With Gefitinib in First-Line Treatment of NSCLC
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the cobas EGFR Mutation Test v2 as a companion diagnostic test with gefitinib (Iressa) for the first-line treatment of patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A companion diagnostic test provides information that is...
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement on Screening for Cervical Cancer
As reported in JAMA, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has updated its 2012 recommendations on screening for cervical cancer. Key Recommendations The key USPSTF recommendations on screening are as follows: The USPSTF recommends screening for cervical cancer every 3 years with...
HPV Vaccine Completion Up 5% From 2016 to 2017
The number of adolescents who are up to date on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination—meaning they started and completed the HPV vaccine series—increased 5 percentage points from 2016 to 2017, according to results from a national survey published by Walker et al in Morbidity and...
FDA Accepts sBLA for Elotuzumab Plus Pomalidomide and Low-Dose Dexamethasone in Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently accepted a supplemental biologics license application (sBLA) for elotuzumab (Empliciti) in combination with pomalidomide (Pomalyst) and low-dose dexamethasone for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who...
ICER Report on Clinical Benefits and Value of Different Antiandrogen Therapies for Men With Nonmetastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has released an evidence report assessing the comparative clinical effectiveness and value of antiandrogen therapies for the treatment of nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. The report focuses on three antiandrogen...
Oncology Organizations Remember Senator John McCain
United States Senator from Arizona John McCain passed away on August 25 of the brain cancer glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Numerous medical societies issued statements in light of his death, reprinted below. ASCO ASCO President Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, FACS, FASCO, issued the following...
CAR T-Cell Therapy in Europe: Differing Decisions on Approval of Two Agents
The European Commission (EC) recently approved the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah) in the European Union (EU) for the treatment of pediatric and young adult patients up to 25 years of age with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that is...
FDA Approves Ibrutinib Plus Rituximab for Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ibrutinib (Imbruvica) plus rituximab (Rituxan) for the treatment of adult patients with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM). With this approval, the ibrutinib prescribing information now includes combination use with rituximab,...
New Software Aims to Predict Patients’ Resistance to Cancer Treatment
New computer software may be used to predict how cancers may respond to a new drug—before it has ever been given to patients. Researchers hope that this new tool could transform the discovery of cancer drugs by predicting how tumors become resistant to treatment before it first becomes...
Early-Life Alcohol Intake May Increase the Odds of High-Grade Prostate Cancer Later in Life
Compared with nondrinkers, men who consumed at least 7 drinks per week during adolescence (ages 15–19) had 3 times the odds of being diagnosed with clinically significant prostate cancer, according to results published by Michael et al in Cancer Prevention Research. “The prostate...
FDA Grants Fast Track Designation to AVB-S6-500 for Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to AVB-S6-500 as a potential treatment for platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer. About AVB-S6-500 AVB-S6-500 is a novel high-affinity, soluble Fc-fusion protein designed to block the activation of the GAS6-AXL...
First Large-Scale Survey of Advanced Practice Providers in Oncology Shows Growing Role for Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants
Advanced practice providers (APPs) have increasingly become integral members of the oncology care delivery team, according to the first large-scale study of nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) in oncology published by Bruinooge et al in the Journal of Oncology Practice....
Mogamulizumab vs Vorinostat in Previously Treated Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma
As reported by Kim and colleagues in The Lancet Oncology, the phase III MAVORIC trial showed that the anti-C-C chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4) monoclonal antibody mogamulizumab (Poteligeo) significantly improved progression-free survival vs vorinostat (Zolinza) among patients with previously treated...
Most Oncologists Have Discussed Medical Marijuana With Patients, Survey Finds
DATA FROM a new survey show that as many as 80% of oncologists have discussed medical marijuana use with their patients. According to the authors, this is the first nationally representative survey to examine oncologists’ practices and beliefs on the subject since the implementation of state...
On Not Being Ready
The ASCO Post is pleased to reproduce installments of the Art of Oncology as published previously in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. These articles focus on the experience of suffering from cancer or of caring for people diagnosed with cancer, and they include narratives, topical essays,...
Focus on the Empire State Hematology & Oncology Society
The Empire State Hematology & Oncology Society (ESHOS), a State Affiliate of ASCO, was formed in January 2017 as a merger of three separate hematology and oncology professional organizations in New York. Stuart P. Feldman, MD, of the New York State Society of Medical Oncologists &...
A Firsthand Account of Cancer and Mental Illness
Brain tumors are among the most challenging clinical scenarios faced by the oncology community. Along with devastating physiologic damage, brain tumors often have a dramatic effect on the patient’s cognitive, neurologic, and psychological functions. However, the body of literature focusing on...
Oncofertility: An Emerging and Much-Needed Field
The American Cancer Society estimated that in 2015 in the United States, more than 86,000 women younger than age 45 were diagnosed with cancer. Many of them face reproduction and fertility concerns, which could lead to long-term distress and impaired quality of life in survivorship. To shed light...
Psycho-oncology: After Decades of Acceptance, Still an Emerging Field
As the field of psycho-oncology continues to mature, new studies are being conducted to evaluate ways to better address the needs of patients with cancer and their families. The ASCO Post recently spoke with Michael Hoerger, PhD, MSCR, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Psychiatry, and Oncology at ...
SMARTIE Initiative for Advanced Practitioners in Oncology Recognized by Alliance for Continuing Education
AN ONGOING educational initiative, the Study to Measure Advanced Practitioner Retention of Targeted Information and Education (SMARTIE), measures oncology learning and how it is used with advanced practitioners and their patients with cancer. The initiative, conducted by Harborside Medical...
NCCN Publishes Guidelines for Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia to Optimize Therapy, Preserve Fertility in Pregnant Women With Rare Cancer
THE NATIONAL Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) has released new treatment guidelines for a group of rare cancers that impact women during pregnancy. Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia, also known as gestational trophoblastic disease, can occur when tumors develop in the cells that would...
New ESMO Tumor DNA Scale Helps Match Patients to Optimal Targeted Treatments
A new scale for tumor DNA mutations called ESCAT (European Society for Medical Oncology [ESMO] Scale for Clinical Actionability of Molecular Targets) is aiming to simplify and standardize choices for targeted cancer treatment. Information about the development and use of the scale in practice was...
Outcomes for Rural Patients With Cancer Enrolled in Clinical Trials
The disparity in survival rates between rural and urban patients is reduced when patients in both settings are enrolled in clinical trials, SWOG study results show. The study results were published in JAMA Network Open by a team led by Joseph Unger, PhD, a SWOG biostatistician...
Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy in Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer
In a Chinese phase III trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Yang et al found that adding neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy to surgery improved survival in locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. Study Details In the open-label trial, 451 patients with potentially...
Active Surveillance of Lung Subsolid Nodules May Reduce Unnecessary Surgery and Overtreatment
Subsolid nodules can be considered a biomarker of lung cancer risk, and should be managed with long-term active surveillance. Conservative management of these nodules may reduce unnecessary surgery and overtreatment in patients with multiple comorbidities and aggressive lung cancer arising from...
Gene-Expression Predictor for Immunotherapy Response in Melanoma
In a new study, researchers developed a gene expression predictor that can indicate whether melanoma in a specific patient is likely to respond to treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Their research was published by Auslander et al in Nature Medicine. “There is a critical need to be...
FDA Grants Orphan Drug Designation to CPI-613 for the Treatment of Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug designation to CPI-613 for the treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma. CPI-613 is a novel lipoic acid analog with an anticancer activity that inhibits multiple enzyme targets within the tricarboxylic acid cycle. This drug is...
Adding Sorafenib to Topotecan in Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer
In a German phase II trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Chekerov et al found that the addition of sorafenib (Nexavar) to topotecan improved progression-free survival in women with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Study Details In the multicenter investigator-initiated double-blind trial,...
FDA Approves Pembrolizumab in Combination With Chemotherapy for First-Line Treatment of Metastatic Nonsquamous NSCLC
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in combination with pemetrexed (Alimta) and platinum as first-line treatment of patients with metastatic, nonsquamous non–small cell lung cancer with no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations. Pembrolizumab...
Impact of Doctor-Patient Communication on Outcomes in Cancer Survivors
A new study from the American Cancer Society has found that patients with cancer who reported greater satisfaction in the way their provider communicated with them received more efficient care, with fewer office visits and better health outcomes. These findings were published by Rai et al in...
Cetuximab With Radiotherapy Found to Be Inferior to Standard Treatment in HPV-Positive Oropharyngeal Cancer
An interim analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial of patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal cancer found that treatment with radiation therapy and cetuximab (Erbitux) is associated with worse overall and progression-free survival compared to the current standard...
Bevacizumab and Temozolomide in First Recurrence of Glioma Without 1p/19q Codeletion
In a phase II trial funded by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer and reported in The Lancet Oncology, van den Bent et al found no evidence of a survival benefit with the addition of bevacizumab (Avastin) to temozolomide in patients with a first recurrence of World Health ...
FDA Approves Nivolumab for Certain Patients With Previously Treated Small Cell Lung Cancer
Today, nivolumab (Opdivo) received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for patients with metastatic small cell lung cancer (SCLC) whose cancer has progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy and at least one other line of therapy. Approval for this indication has been...
BRCA Testing in Medically Underserved Women in Southeastern United States
Medically underserved women in the Southeast region of the United States diagnosed with breast cancer or ovarian cancer may have not received genetic testing that could have helped them and their relatives make important decisions about their health, according to new research from Vanderbilt-Ingram ...
Bendamustine Followed by Obinutuzumab Plus Venetoclax in Treatment-Naive and Relapsed/Refractory CLL
In a German phase II trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Cramer et al found promising response rates with bendamustine followed by obinutuzumab (Gazyva) plus venetoclax (Venclexta) in both treatment-naive and relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). In the trial, patients with an ...
ASCO Statement: Step Therapy Creates Barriers to Care for Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries With Cancer
ASCO strongly opposes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) decision to allow Medicare Advantage plans to employ step therapy across physician-administered and self-administered drugs under Medicare Part B and Part D. “In modern cancer care, there is frequently a lack of...
Set Your Practice Staff Up for Success: ASCO University Certificate Programs for Advanced Practitioners
Advanced practitioners (APs) are playing an increasing role in oncology as the demand for team-based care increases. With the growing number of APs joining oncology practices comes the increased need for training materials that are specifically tailored to this group. To meet this need, ASCO...
Don’t Forget to Register for ASCO’s Research Community Forum Annual Meeting
Space is limited for this year’s Research Community Forum Annual Meeting. Physician investigators and research staff are invited to attend this one-of-a-kind meeting taking place September 23–24 at ASCO headquarters in the DC metro area. The meeting offers a unique platform to physician researchers ...
Newly Updated! ASCO Resource to Help Patients Quit Tobacco
ASCO Answers: Stopping Tobacco Use After a Cancer Diagnosis offers people with cancer and their caregivers information on why and how to quit tobacco use. With information on available treatments and resources, this booklet gives patients practical tools to work with their health-care team to stop ...
A New Way to Contribute to Research: Join ASCO’s Research Survey Pool
Researchers frequently contact ASCO with requests to survey Society members. To help facilitate this type of research for ASCO members, ASCO has changed its previous policy of declining such requests and is now assembling a cohort of members who are willing to participate in investigator-initiated...
New Tool for Assessing Frailty Predicts Survival in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma
A new frailty index predicts overall survival for patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma, according to a study recently published in JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics (JCO CCI). This tool is important because frailty is a critical factor in treatment decision-making for many patients with...
Inaugural Award Recipient Studies Potential of HE4 Blockade as a Novel Immune Therapy in Ovarian Cancer
In 2018, Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) provided funds for Conquer Cancer to establish a Young Investigator Award (YIA) supporting female researchers and underscore the importance of gender diversity in oncology practice and research. “We provided this grant as part of our commitment to empowering...
Breast Cancer Surgeon Hannah Hazard-Jenkins, MD, Deftly Balances Career and Family
GUEST EDITOR Dr. Abraham is the Director of the Breast Oncology Program at Taussig Cancer Institute, and Professor of Medicine, Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic. For this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, spoke with breast cancer surgeon...
Obesity and Cancer: Complex Interplay of Multiple Factors
The evolving concept that dietary fat plays an important role in the etiology of human cancer emerged more than 50 years ago. Ernst Wynder, MD, whose seminal epidemiologic work led to identifying smoking as a contributory cause of lung cancer, presented a paper in 1967 showing a decided correlation ...
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to Assist Cancer Center in Beijing
To meet the growing demand for high-quality cancer care in China, Tahoe Hospital Management Co Ltd has reached a 5-year agreement with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) where health-care professionals from the Pennsylvania-based medical center will assist in the planning and...
Be Prepared to Assist Patients to Make Informed Decisions About Breast Reconstruction Options
Two studies about postmastectomy breast reconstruction were recently published in JAMA Surgery. One study found overall complication rates of 32.9% at 2 years after reconstruction, with women having autologous reconstruction more likely to have complications than those having implant...
Breast Reconstruction: ‘A Process Not a Procedure’ With Potential Short- and Long-Term Complications
The complication rate among women who underwent postmastectomy breast reconstruction was 32.9% at 2 years postoperatively, and women undergoing autologous reconstruction “had significantly higher odds of developing any complication compared with those undergoing expander-implant reconstruction,”...
Navigating the ‘New Normal’: NCCN Summit Examines Access to High-Quality Cancer Care
It’s not just the leaps in development of precision medicines, the soaring costs, the new payment models, clinical trial designs, sources of data, and federal policies. It’s all of them plus the rapidity with which change is happening that makes this era of oncology exceptional. “I would say...
Cannabinoids for Cancer Pain: Dangerous or Beneficial?
Cannabis has been used in health care for millennia, and its use has been well documented, albeit never definitively integrated into clinical practice. Recent societal changes and the increasing acceptance and availability of cannabis have reignited the medical and public debate around its role in...
