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Showing 13851 - 13900Using Gene Analytics to Identify Patients at Risk for Treatment Toxicity
Genomic applications are now an accepted part of oncologic science and practice. Differences in gene expression have been used to understand and predict tumor behaviors and response to treatment. And now it seems likely that genomics may also play a pivotal role in guiding treatment preferences by...
Past President of ASCO Takes on New Role at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to Improve Patient Care and Public Health
In June, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (Memorial) in New York announced it had appointed Clifford A. Hudis, MD, FACP, Chief of Breast Medicine Service, to a newly created position of Vice President for Government Relations and Chief Advocacy Officer. In addition to his new role, Dr. Hudis ...
Comparing Regimens Guides Therapeutic Decisions in Previously Treated Advanced Breast Cancer
Kaufman and colleagues recently reported findings of a phase III trial comparing eribulin (Halaven) vs capecitabine in patients with advanced breast cancer who had previously received anthracycline and taxane therapy,1 and a review of their study appears in this issue of The ASCO Post. Although...
ODAC Discussion ‘Constructive’ About Necitumumab for Squamous NSCLC
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) favored the approval of necitumumab in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin for use in first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic squamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In...
Magnetic Resonance Imaging/Ultrasound Fusion: A Promising Technology for Image-Guided Prostate Biopsy
An elegant study by Siddiqui et al1—reviewed in this issue of The ASCO Post—offers compelling evidence for the diagnostic utility of “targeted” prostate biopsy using multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data fused with ultrasound images. The technique involves first performing a...
FDA Grants Orphan Drug Designation to Antitropomyosin Drug for Neuroblastoma
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug designation to Novogen Limited’s chemotherapy candidate drug Anisina for neuroblastoma. Anisina is a small molecule belonging to a family of compounds called antitropomyosins. It has been designed to inhibit Tpm3.1, a structural...
The Value Proposition in Oncology: ASCO Session Weighs Points of View
The value proposition in health care is often represented with the following equation: Value = Outcomes/Cost. The simplicity of this equation, however, belies the complexity of its parts, which are the contributions of multiple stakeholders with unique perspectives. A session presented at the 2015...
ESMO’s Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale Brings Unbiased Perspective to Cancer Drugs’ Worth
An anticancer therapy may be hailed as a breakthrough in some corners, whereas its value may be hotly contested in others. In an effort to bring clear, unbiased perspective to new expensive therapies, the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) has created a valuable tool for oncologists,...
Glioblastoma: Novel Immunotherapy Approaches Generate Responses and Excitement
Checkpoint inhibitors were major attention grabbers at the 2015 ASCO Annual Meeting, but studies suggested there are other encouraging means of harnessing the immune system in the treatment of glioblastoma. EGFRvIII-Targeted Vaccine David A. Reardon, MD, Clinical Director of the Center for...
Is Proton-Beam Therapy Facing a Difficult Future?
Health-care experts are questioning whether proton-beam therapy is on the verge of an economic bubble—ie, a rapid surge in growth for the industry beyond its intrinsic value, inevitably leading to a drastic drop in earnings for proton centers when the “bubble bursts.” A proton-beam facility can...
Value: What Do We Mean, Who Should Decide?
Oscar Wilde famously defined a cynic as “a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.” I do not think that oncologists need to be as cynical as this, but it was very appropriate that a major theme of this year’s ASCO Annual Meeting was the concept of “value.” It is clear that...
Public Urged Not to Overreact to Study Finding Link Between Citrus Fruits and Melanoma Risk
A study finding a link between citrus consumption and increased risk of melanoma1 may provide food for thought about the findings and implications as well as whet the appetite for more evidence, but according to several experts commenting on the study, it does not mean you should stop eating citrus ...
American University of Beirut Appoints Its 16th President, Fadlo R. Khuri, MD
The American University of Beirut (AUB) recently announced Fadlo R. Khuri, MD, as the 16th President of the University. Dr. Khuri is presently Professor and Chairman of the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, and holds the Roberto C. Goizueta...
Pankaj Sharda, MD, Joins Fox Chase Cancer Center Department of Medicine
Pankaj Sharda, MD, has joined the Department of Medicine, Endocrinology Division at Fox Chase Cancer Center as an Attending Physician, where he will specialize in endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism. “It is an honor to become part of such a prestigious and well-established organization as Fox...
ACCC Launches Immuno-Oncology Program for Community‐Based Cancer Care Providers
The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) has launched the Institute for Clinical Immuno-Oncology (ICLIO), a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed to facilitate the rapid adoption of immuno-oncology in the community cancer setting. To help with the rapid uptake of immuno-oncology at the...
Microangiopathic Hemolytic Anemia and Thrombocytopenia: Answers From Hematology Expert Review Questions
Question 1: What is the best first step in management of this patient? Correct Answer: C. Start plasma exchange. Expert Perspective Although distinguishing among thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, typical hemolytic uremic syndrome, and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (see Table 1 in the...
Microangiopathic Hemolytic Anemia and Thrombocytopenia: Questions
Hematology Expert Review is an occasional feature that includes a case report followed by questions, answers, and expert commentary. In the July 25 issue of The ASCO Post, part 1 of a case report was published and focused on diagnosis (see summary below). Here, in part 2, the management of this...
Strengthening the Doctor-Patient Relationship: An Interview With Lidia Schapira, MD, FASCO
Earlier this summer, Lidia Schapira, MD, FASCO, a medical oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, was named Editor-in-Chief of Cancer.Net, ASCO’s patient information website. Prior to taking on this role, Dr....
Conquer Cancer Foundation Donor Spotlight: Ludwig Cancer Research
Among the Conquer Cancer Foundation’s newest supporters, Ludwig Cancer Research is an international community of distinguished scientists dedicated to preventing and controlling cancer. Its emphasis on collaboration and long-term support has fostered its role as a leader in immunotherapy and other...
New Symposium Brings Together Oncologists and Primary Care Providers to Advance Survivorship Care and Research
With two-thirds of Americans now living at least 5 years after a cancer diagnosis, there are currently 14.5 million cancer survivors living in the United States. By 2024, that number is expected to increase by nearly 25%.1 Although the growing number of survivors is a welcome sign of progress, this ...
Sonidegib in Basal Cell Carcinoma
In the Clinic provides overviews of novel oncology agents, addressing indications, mechanisms, administration recommendations, safety profiles, and other essential information needed for the appropriate clinical use of these drugs. On July 24, 2015, sonidegib (Odomzo) was approved for treatment...
Johnson & Johnson Creates Independent Bioethics Panel to Evaluate Compassionate Drug Use Requests
In May 2015, Johnson & Johnson announced its partnership with New York University (NYU) School of Medicine in New York to create a first-of-its kind independent bioethics panel to review requests made to the company for compassionate use of an investigational drug and determine how the company...
Geriatric Oncology: A Geriatrician’s Perspective
“The management of older individuals, including older cancer patients, involves a wisdom developed over a lifetime, thanks to time-consuming listening and painstaking collection and interpretation of clinical details.” —Lodovico Balducci, MD It is not simple to be a geriatrician in a world of...
Clinical Trials Actively Recruiting Patients With Genitourinary Cancers
The information contained in this Clinical Trials Resource Guide includes actively recruiting clinical studies for patients with genitourinary cancers—prostate, bladder, uterine, and testicular. The trials are investigating genetic biomarkers of cancer; proton beam therapy; allogeneic bone marrow...
Improved Understanding of Glioma Tumor Biology
The management of patients with lower-grade gliomas is evolving. As evidenced by two recent publications in The New England Journal of Medicine,1,2 reviewed in this issue of The ASCO Post, there has been a substantial increase in our knowledge of the molecular characteristics of these neoplasms....
The Conundrum of Estrogen-Receptor Signaling in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
BOLERO-1—reviewed in this issue of The ASCO Post—is the next installment in a series of randomized trials evaluating the addition of everolimus (Afinitor) to standard therapy in metastatic breast cancer.1 The initial evaluation of everolimus in the HER2-positive metastatic setting looked extremely...
Adding Everolimus to First-Line Trastuzumab/Paclitaxel Does Not Increase Progression-Free Survival in HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer
In the phase III BOLERO-1 trial, reported in The Lancet Oncology, Sara A. Hurvitz, MD, of the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues found that the addition of the mTOR inhibitor everolimus (Afinitor) to trastuzumab (Herceptin)/paclitaxel did not significantly increase...
Calculating the Value of Cancer Drugs
For nearly a decade, Peter B. Bach, MD, MAPP, Director of the Center for Health Policy and Outcomes at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, has been a leading voice in sounding the alarm over the escalating cost of cancer drugs and in seeking a solution to the problem. In 2012, Dr....
Carfilzomib in Combination With Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone in Relapsed Multiple Myeloma
In the Clinic provides overviews of novel oncology agents, addressing indications, mechanisms, administration recommendations, safety profiles, and other essential information needed for the appropriate clinical use of these drugs. On July 24, 2015, carfilzomib (Kyprolis) was approved for use in...
Learning to Refine the Use of Regorafenib to Best Advantage in Advanced Colorectal Cancer
In patients with advanced colorectal cancer who have been heavily treated with a sequence of chemotherapy regimens and/or targeted therapies, the goals of treatment on or off a clinical trial are readily definable. These patients and their managing teams are striving to extend the length of lives,...
Managing Cancer Pain at the End of Life
Cancer-related pain does not exist in a vacuum. To effectively treat it, clinicians should understand the contributing factors. Proper assessment and management of cancer pain at the end of life can significantly alleviate patient suffering, according to Eduardo Bruera, MD, FAAHPM, Department Chair ...
Dispelling the Myths Associated With Osteonecrosis of the Jaw
Osteonecrosis of the jaw associated with cancer treatment is frequently misunderstood, according to Cesar Augusto Migliorati, DDS, MS, PhD, who delivered an update on its proper recognition and management at the 2015 Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer/International Society of...
Short Course of Radiotherapy May Be Adequate for Elderly and Frail Patients With Glioblastoma Multiforme
No difference in overall survival or progression-free survival was observed between elderly and/or frail patients undergoing short and standard courses of radiotherapy for glioblastoma multiforme, according to data presented by Elena Fidarova, MD, at the 2015 Multinational Association of Supportive ...
Gefitinib in EGFR-Mutant Metastatic NSCLC
In the Clinic provides overviews of novel oncology agents, addressing indications, mechanisms, administration recommendations, safety profiles, and other essential information needed for the appropriate clinical use of these drugs. On July 13, 2015, gefitinib (Iressa) was approved for first-line ...
Immunotherapy Makes Inroads in Small Cell Lung Cancer
Early data on immunotherapy for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) have been encouraging. SCLC may catch up to non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), where immunotherapy is now standard of care, if these early data are borne out in phase III trials. Phase Ib and II studies of immunotherapy in SCLC were...
Moving Forward in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: Targeted Combinations and Immunotherapy
The newer targeted therapies and immunotherapies have proven to be a boon to the treatment of lung and other cancers, but how best to deploy those therapies remains a burning question. Another important focus of current research is the identification and validation of biomarkers for these...
‘Right to Try’ Laws: Helpful or Harmful?
Since 2014, “Right to Try” legislation has been sweeping the nation. Created to enable terminally ill patients to gain access to experimental drugs, biologics, and devices by sidestepping the approval process of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), at press time, 22 states have enacted...
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: The Dawn of a New Era for Lung Cancer Therapy
The therapeutic paradigm for lung cancer has changed rapidly over the past few years toward individualized therapy. For certain subsets of patients, molecularly targeted agents have resulted in robust gains in overall survival and quality of life. However, for the majority of patients with...
Studies Explore New Avenues to Pursue in Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Two agents targeting novel pathways show promise in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, according to separate studies presented at the 2015 ASCO Annual Meeting and reviewed at the Best of ASCO® meeting by Steven J. Isakoff, MD, PhD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. The first study...
James Welsh, MD, FACRO, Elected President of the American College of Radiation Oncology
Loyola University Medical Center radiation oncologist James Welsh, MD, FACRO, was recently elected president of the American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO). Dr. Welsh, installed as president during ACRO’s Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, will serve a 2-year term as President. In 2017, Dr....
Increased Lifetime Risk of Cardiovascular Disease for Patients Treated for Hodgkin Lymphoma
Survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma treated as adolescents or adults are at increased risk of cardiovascular diseases throughout their lives, according to results of a retrospective cohort study of 2,524 Dutch patients followed for a median of 20 years. “Treating physicians and patients should be aware...
Expect Questions or Ask About Postmastectomy Pain
Since postmastectomy pain occurs in an estimated 20% to 40% of patients undergoing the procedure, physicians who treat these women can expect questions about the pain and how to deal with it. However, some patients may be reluctant to ask about it. “Sometimes, women don’t want to complain to their ...
Increased Interest in Simple Injection to Treat Women With Postmastectomy Pain
After presenting results of a study showing that injecting a standard analgesic combination into trigger points of pain along the inframammary fold relieved postmastectomy pain, Laura J. Esserman, MD, MBA, Director of the Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center and Co-Leader of the Breast Oncology...
Unneccessary Complexity in Scientific Terminology?
In the highlighted quote in the article titled “Ado-Trastuzumab Emtansine Fails to Replace Standard of Care in First-Line Metastatic Breast Cancer,” which appeared in on page 3 of the July 10 issue of The ASCO Post, a most remarkable sentence was constructed: T-DM1 and T-DM1 plus pertuzumab...
ASCO and UICC Collaborate to Extend Reach of the Journal of Global Oncology
ASCO and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) announced their partnership to expand the reach of the Journal of Global Oncology (JGO), a new open-access journal that will focus on cancer care, research, and care delivery issues unique to countries and settings with limited health-care...
From Small-Town Mexico to Big Pharma, a Look at Opiates for Good and Bad
Bookmark Title: Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic Author: Sam Quinones Publisher: Bloomsbury Press Publication date: April 21, 2015 Price: $28.00; hardcover, 384 pages Despite growing awareness within the oncology community and the emergence of the palliative care...
To the One of the Many
(Using Shakespeare’s words to confront the plight of a Physician) Give me that man That is not passion’s slave Give me that blanket that comforts and soothes For in my heart There was a fighting that would not let me sleep, Our indiscretion Sometimes serves us well. In those wakeful...
Coriolus versicolor
The use of dietary supplements by patients with cancer has increased significantly over the past 20 years despite insufficient evidence of safety and effectiveness. Finding reliable sources of information about dietary supplements can be daunting. Patients typically rely on family, friends, and the ...
‘Share the Journey’ Mobile App Aims to Understand the Different Experiences of Breast Cancer Survivors
In March 2015, Sage Bionetworks and Apple released “Share the Journey: Mind, Body, and Wellness After Breast Cancer,” a patient-centered iPhone app that tracks five common consequences of breast cancer treatment, including fatigue, cognitive function, sleep disturbances, mood changes, and a...
I’m Living a Full and Happy Life With Stage IV Breast Cancer
After coping with breast cancer for more than a decade, it is difficult for me to put into words exactly how grateful I am to all the doctors, nurses, and researchers whose efforts have kept me alive for all these years. And not just alive, but thriving. A routine mammogram had discovered two...
