Overall survival results from two trials of abemaciclib in advanced breast cancer were reported at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2022. Both MONARCH 3 and monarcHER previously met their primary endpoints of progression-free survival. The current results for overall...
Preserving fertility is a driving concern for many young women with breast cancer. Many of these women have hormone receptor–positive breast cancer and are treated with adjuvant endocrine therapy for 5 to 10 years, which is known to compromise fertility. Younger women who may want to take a break...
In an analysis of the SOFT trial, the Breast Cancer Index accurately identified premenopausal women with hormone receptor–positive early breast cancer who may benefit from ovarian function suppression in addition to adjuvant endocrine therapy. The findings were reported by Ruth O’Regan, MD, Chair...
The combination of capivasertib, an AKT pathway inhibitor, plus fulvestrant, an estrogen receptor antagonist, significantly improved progression-free survival compared with fulvestrant alone in patients with hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer, according to results of...
The combination of palbociclib and fulvestrant did not prolong progression-free survival compared to fulvestrant alone in patients with hormone receptor–positive/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer who had disease progression on prior treatment with a CDK4/6 inhibitor and endocrine therapy,...
The antibody-drug conjugate fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (T-DXd) proved to be superior to the antibody-drug conjugate ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1), significantly improving progression-free survival and overall survival, in women with unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer as ...
Elacestrant—an investigational oral selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD)—achieved longer progression-free survival vs standard-of-care endocrine monotherapy as second- or third-line therapy in patients with estrogen receptor–positive, HER2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer in the ...
Nancy Chan, MD, Director of Breast Cancer Clinical Research at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York, commented on the monarchE analysis for The ASCO Post. She noted that the study investigated the addition of adjuvant abemaciclib (an oral CDK4/6 inhibitor) to endocrine therapy in a...
Results of a planned interim overall survival analysis of the phase III monarchE trial offered further support for the addition of abemaciclib to adjuvant endocrine therapy for patients with hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative, node-positive, high-risk disease, according to Stephen R.D....
Each year, nearly 16,000 children between the ages of 0 and 19 years are diagnosed with cancer, and more than 85% survive for at least 5 years. Overall, this is a large increase in survivors since the mid-1970s, when the 5-year survival rate was just 58%. Today, approximately 500,000 people in the...
On October 13, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved nivolumab (Opdivo) for the adjuvant treatment of completely resected stage IIB or IIC melanoma in patients aged 12 years and older. CheckMate 76K Efficacy was evaluated in CheckMate 76K (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04099251),...
Lung cancer is a significant global health issue, remaining the leading cause of cancer-related deaths with 2.1 million new cases and 1.8 million deaths. Complete surgical resection is the treatment of choice for operable early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and resectable stage IIIA...
Sudan is the third-largest country in Africa, spanning 1,886,068 km2. It is situated in an area surrounded by North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East. As of 2020, Sudan had a population of approximately 43.8 million people, with a significant proportion being younger than age 15....
The September 2023 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Virtual Plenary presentation of the NATALEE health-related quality-of-life (QOL) findings was discussed by Michail Ignatiadis, MD, PhD, and Stephen R.D. Johnston, MD, PhD. Dr. Ignatiadis is Director of the Breast Medical Oncology...
An analysis of patient-reported outcomes in the adjuvant phase III NATALEE trial of ribociclib plus endocrine therapy in early-stage breast cancer showed maintenance of health-related quality of life (QOL), as determined by a number of factors. For patients receiving the inhibitor of...
In a Chinese phase 1b/II trial (COMPASSION-03) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Gao et al found that the anti–PD-1/CTLA-4 bispecific antibody cadonilimab showed activity in previously treated patients with a range of advanced solid tumors, including advanced cervical cancer, esophageal squamous...
On October 9, HistoSonics, the manufacturer of the Edison System and novel histotripsy therapy platforms, announced the marketing authorization of its platform via the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) De Novo Classification Request process, a rigorous premarket review pathway for medical...
Although the 5-year survival rate for multiple myeloma has increased over the past 2 decades—from about 35% in 2000 to approximately 62% in 2015—due to more effective therapies, the cancer remains incurable. According to the American Cancer Society, this year, nearly 36,000 individuals will be...
In the phase III CANOPY-A trial reported in Journal of Clinical Oncology, Edward B. Garon, MD, and colleagues found that adjuvant therapy with the interleukin (IL)-1β pathway inhibitor canakinumab did not significantly improve disease-free survival vs placebo in patients with completely resected...
A guideline update on systemic treatment for melanoma offers new guidance in several areas, including the selection of front-line therapy for patients with metastatic disease with and without BRAF mutations, treatment of patients with earlier-stage disease in the adjuvant setting, and emerging...
On August 14, 2023, the Hepzato Kit—melphalan for injection/hepatic delivery system—was approved as a liver-directed treatment for adults with uveal melanoma with unresectable hepatic metastases affecting less than 50% of the liver.1 Patients must have either no extrahepatic disease or extrahepatic ...
On August 14, 2023, the bispecific B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed CD3 T-cell engager elranatamab-bcmm was granted accelerated approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least four prior lines of...
Gentry King, MD, Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Washington, and Assistant Professor in the Clinical Research Division of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, offered his thoughts on the findings of NuTide:121. “Only recently, with TOPAZ-1...
As a first-line treatment for advanced biliary tract cancer, an experimental formulation of gemcitabine, NUC-1031, given with cisplatin failed to improve outcomes over standard gemcitabine/cisplatin in the global phase III NuTide:121 trial.1 “NuTide:121 has not advanced the field in biliary tract...
In advanced non–small cell lung cancer harboring mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), the role of immune checkpoint inhibitors following disease progression with tyrosine kinase inhibitors has been unclear. Several studies reported at the International Association for the Study ...
Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, has been in the field of oncology for more than 2 decades, he and says this is both one of the most exhilarating and challenging times in cancer care. “What excites me the most are the innovations in treatment that are literally transforming the lives of our patients and...
First-line treatment with osimertinib plus platinum-based chemotherapy achieved a statistically significant and clinically meaningful progression-free survival improvement compared with osimertinib alone in patients with advanced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated non–small cell lung...
In a Japanese-U.S. phase I/II trial (U31402-A-J101) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Ian E. Krop, MD, PhD, and colleagues found that the HER3-targeted antibody-drug conjugate patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd) produced durable responses in previously treated patients with HER3-expressing ...
In an updated analysis of a cohort in the phase IIa MyPathway study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Christopher J. Sweeney, MBBS, and colleagues described outcomes with the combination of pertuzumab and trastuzumab in nonindicated HER2-altered advanced solid tumors. As stated by the ...
In a phase II study (iSABR) reported in JAMA Oncology, Gensheimer et al found that individualized stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) for up to four lung cancer tumors was associated with a high degree of local control and the ability to minimize radiation doses. Study Details Two hundred and ...
A recent study published by Yong et al in Value in Health may help clarify the intricate interplay between the quality-of-life and survival preferences of patients with advanced cancer. Limited access to palliative care services may contribute to suffering, particularly among patients with cancer...
The Alliance Data and Safety Monitoring Board has determined that adjuvant pembrolizumab may improve disease-free survival in patients with localized muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma and locally advanced urothelial carcinoma, according to the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. ...
At the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer, the benefit of two KRAS G12C inhibitors in advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was upheld by the 2-year follow-up analysis of adagrasib in the KRYSTAL-11 and the early-phase CodeBreaK 101...
The ASCO Post’s Integrative Oncology series is intended to facilitate the availability of evidence-based information on integrative and complementary therapies sometimes used by patients with cancer. In this installment, Yen Nien (Jason) Hou, PharmD, DiplOM, LAc, and Jyothirmai Gubili, MS, focus on ...
In this installment of The ASCO Post’s Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Seema A. Khan, MD, MPH, Professor of Breast Cancer Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine. Along with her surgical and academic pursuits, Dr. Khan is an active...
The National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) recognizes the enduring legacies of exceptional U.S. patent holders on an annual basis. On October 26, 2023, three female inductees will be recognized for their extraordinary contributions to cancer care and clinical research. Biochemist Jennifer...
In an interim analysis of a German phase II trial (MMG-CONCEPT) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Leypoldt et al found that Isa-KrD (isatuximab, carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone) produced high rates of measurable residual disease (MRD) negativity newly diagnosed patients...
In a phase II trial (RTOG 3501, TRYHARD) reported in JAMA Oncology, Wong et al found that the addition of lapatinib to chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin did not appear to improve progression-free survival in front-line therapy for stage III to IV non–human papillomavirus (HPV)-related head and neck...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by PierFranco Conte, MD, PhD, and colleagues, the final analysis of the Italian phase III noninferiority ShortHER trial showed little difference in 10-year disease-free survival and overall survival with 9 weeks vs 1 year of adjuvant trastuzumab in...
People who engage in sexual activity or vaginal dilation after chemoradiation for cervical cancer are at lower risk for long-term side effects, according to a new study from researchers in Austria. Findings of the EMBRACE study were presented by Kirchheiner et al at the 2023 American Society for...
Recent developments in surgery and therapeutics are changing the perioperative approach to non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These advances were discussed at the 2023 Debates and Didactics in Hematology and Oncology conference, sponsored by Emory University, by Jennifer W. Carlisle, MD, Assistant ...
Fewer and higher doses of radiation may be effective at treating patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, according to new findings presented by Bentzen et al at the 2023 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting (Abstract LBA 02). Background Head and neck squamous...
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...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Nakamura et al, findings in a cohort of the phase II SGNTUC-019 basket study showed that tucatinib plus trastuzumab was active in previously treated patients with HER2-positive metastatic biliary tract cancer who had not received prior...
In a phase II trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Erin F. Gillespie, MD, MPH, and colleagues found that prophylactic radiotherapy in patients with high-risk asymptomatic bone metastases from solid tumors reduced the risk of skeletal-related events compared with standard of care. A...
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...
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...