Search Results
Your search for what matches 6123 pages
Showing 1451 - 1500Serendipity Plays a Role in a Journey to a Noted Career in Surgical Oncology
Over the past 2 decades, the oncologic mantra “early detection leads to cure” has taken on special meaning in lung cancer, persistently a leading cause of cancer death in the United States. “Over a 25-year period, we’ve seen a revolution in early detection, understanding of tumor biology, and...
A Pioneer in Geriatric Oncology Leaves His Mark and Marches Forward
The field of geriatric oncology has developed steadily over the past several decades, thanks to the dedication of a close-knit community of oncologists who have devoted their careers to advancing multidisciplinary care for older patients with cancer. One such leader is Silvio Monfardini, MD, past...
A Brooklyn Girl Bucks Her Old-Fashioned Upbringing to Become a Leader in Bone Marrow Transplantation
In the face of old school mores, self-motivation and perseverance were needed to build a career as a nationally regarded blood and bone marrow transplant expert. “I was born and reared in Brooklyn, New York, the oldest of seven children of Irish-Italian parents who did not espouse professional...
A Junior High School Teacher Sparks a Love for Science
Peter Marks, MD, PhD, Director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), was born in Brooklyn, New York, near Sheepshead Bay—an area named for the Sheepshead, a fish that can no longer be found in the waters that frame the neighborhood....
A Doctor’s Daughter Becomes a Pioneer in Cancer Survivorship
Although quality of life has been an implicit medical outcome since the time of Hippocrates, integrating the explicit effort to assess the effects of cancer treatment on the patient’s quality—and not quantity—of life was spearheaded by dedicated pioneers. One such trailblazer is Patricia A. Ganz,...
A Love for Surgery Underpins a Career Devoted to Patients With Pancreatic Cancer
There are few, if any, more difficult clinical challenges than pancreatic cancer, a disease that continues to confound the oncology community’s quest for cure. Yet, incremental progress and unflagging optimism drive the way forward, thanks to the researchers and clinicians who have dedicated their...
Lustgarten Foundation–AACR Career Development Awards for Pancreatic Cancer Research
Dannielle Engle, PhD, of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and Avery D. Posey, PhD, of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, were announced at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2021 as the inaugural recipients of the Lustgarten...
Enduring Cancer and Its Treatment With Resilience and Humor
Most cancer memoirs have a similar thread: life suddenly interrupted by arguably the three most dreaded words in the English language, “You have cancer.” Readers anticipate the high-drama uncertainty leading to diagnosis, treatment, and hopefully survivorship, with multiple human storylines woven...
A Seasoned Journalist Seeking Answers Reports From the Front Lines of the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic remains a global health issue, putting unprecedented stress on health-care systems, with important implications for cancer care. Although at this stage the data are fairly limited, we know that patients with cancer are far more vulnerable to worse outcomes, including a greater ...
Cancer Has Taught Me to Live With Purpose
I have had two life-threatening cancers over the past 3 decades and can say without equivocation that there is never a good time to get cancer. My first cancer diagnosis happened in 1992, just weeks after I had accepted the position of Chief Executive Officer of Hughes Electronics. The job meant a...
Agnes Witkiewicz, MD, to Lead Roswell Park’s Cancer Genetics and Genomics Department
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has appointed Agnes Witkiewicz, MD, as Director of Cancer Genetics and Genomics. She will also hold the John & Santa Palisano Endowed Chair of Cancer Genetics. An internationally recognized clinician-scientist who combines groundbreaking laboratory...
Balancing a Reverence for Life With a Belief That Patients Have a Right to a Dignified Death
The U.S. right-to-die movement took root in the mid-1970s, when Derek Humphry helped his wife, who was dying of breast cancer, take her own life. Five years later, Mr. Humphry founded the Hemlock Society, the first right-to-die organization in the United States,1 and set off a firestorm of...
An Epiphany During Fellowship Led to a Career in Geriatric Oncology for Heidi D. Klepin, MD, MS
Geriatric oncologist Heidi D. Klepin, MD, MS, was born and reared in Pearl River, a hamlet on the west side of the Hudson River in New York. “My parents are German immigrants who came to the United States in the 1960s looking for prospects. Growing up in post-war Germany, neither had the...
Celebrating 50 Years of Cancer Progress: The International View
Although the National Cancer Act of 1971 has resulted in tremendous advances in cancer research, which have led to sharp declines in cancer mortality in the United States—from 1991 to 2018, there has been a 31% decrease in overall cancer death rates—and more than 17 million cancer survivors,1 much...
EMPOWER-Lung 1 Trial: New Options, No New Answers
The EMPOWER-Lung 1 trial, recently reported in The Lancet and reviewed in this issue of The ASCO Post, showed an improvement in progression-free and overall survival with cemiplimab-rwlc in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and high PD-L1 expression (tumor proportion score...
Inequities in Breast Cancer Screening During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Breast cancer screening took a sizeable hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research showing that the number of screening mammograms completed in a large group of women living in Washington state plummeted by nearly half. Published by Amram et al in JAMA Network Open, the study...
ASCO Issues Guideline on Dyspnea in Advanced Cancer
ASCO has issued a new guideline on the clinical management of dyspnea in adult patients with advanced cancer.1 Dyspnea—or breathlessness—is a common and distressing symptom affecting upward of 70% of patients with advanced cancer.2 “Dyspnea is a highly prevalent symptom, particularly when people...
Drive, Curiosity, and a Love of Science: One Nurse’s Road to a Leadership Role in Oncology
For this installment of the Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, spoke with Deborah Watkins Bruner, RN, PhD, FAAN, noted for her work in patient-reported outcomes, symptom management, and comparative effectiveness of radiotherapy modalities. Her current research is focused on...
Machine Learning–Based Algorithm May Predict Short-Term Mortality in Patients With Cancer and Prompt Serious Illness Conversations
Although most patients with terminal cancer, 87%, have end-of-life conversations with clinicians about their goals and preferences for care, on average, these discussions happen just 1 month before death and most often occur in acute care settings with clinicians who are not their treating...
NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: 2021 Updates
In 1996, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) published its first set of Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology®, covering eight tumor types. Guidelines are now published for more than 60 tumor types and topics. During the NCCN’s 26th Annual Conference, which was held virtually...
Avapritinib vs Other Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors for PDGFRA D842V–Mutated Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors
Data from a study published by Margaret von Mehren, MD, and colleagues in BMC Cancer showed that avapritinib, a platelet-derived growth factor receptor A (PDGFRA) inhibitor, has a “clinically meaningful benefit” for the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) with PDGFRA D842V...
Equitable Cancer Care: Steps Toward Meaningful Change
As President-Elect of ASCO, you are asked to choose a theme for your presidency. This can be a daunting task, as the theme will not only shape the discourse of your presidency, but also, more importantly, that of the Society. The subject should be one that reflects the needs of the cancer community ...
ASCO’s President-Elect Focuses on Advancing Equitable Cancer Care Through Innovation
Internationally renowned for his pioneering research in combining high-dose radiation therapy and chemotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced head and neck cancer to improve patient survival, ASCO’s President-Elect Everett E. Vokes, MD, FASCO, is dedicating his tenure as President to...
ACMG Clinical Practice Resource Provides New Guidance for Management of Individuals With PALB2 Gene Variants
The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) has released a clinical practice resource from a global team of specialists in cancer genetics that will help inform the clinical management of patients who harbor a PALB2 variant and may be at increased risk of developing breast,...
Stage IV PD-L1–High Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: Immunotherapy Alone or With Chemotherapy?
Except in patients with no smoking history, the addition of chemotherapy to immunotherapy does not add benefit as a first-line treatment in patients with stage IV nonsquamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and high expression of PD-L1, according to real-world experience. Outcomes from the U.S. ...
ASCO Answers Guide: Cancer Survivorship
As patients finish active treatment, they often wonder: “What happens next?” ASCO Answers: Cancer Survivorship assists in answering this often-difficult question by helping patients better understand survivorship, including its psychological, physical, sexual, reproductive, financial, and...
Fostering a Global Community of Early-Career Oncologists, Virtually
In a typical year, the new participants in ASCO and Conquer Cancer’s International Development and Education Awards (IDEA) and International Development and Education Awards–Palliative Care (IDEA-PC) program would arrive at the McCormick Place Convention Center just ahead of the ASCO Annual...
What You Need to Know About Cancer and the Coronavirus
As a three-time breast cancer survivor, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States this past January, I knew I had to do everything I could to avoid getting the virus. A host of lingering side effects from my surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments have left me with cardiovascular...
COVID-19 Pandemic Underscores Shortage of Oncologists
The expected surge of patients, some with advanced cancers, wanting and needing oncology care as the COVID-19 pandemic ebbs, underscores the need for more oncologists, according to Barbara L. McAneny, MD, MACP, FASCO, cofounder and Chief Executive Officer, New Mexico Oncology Hematology...
Surge of Patients With Advanced Cancer Expected Due to Delayed Diagnosis and Treatment During Pandemic
Pent up demand for cancer screenings, diagnostic workups, and treatments delayed or curtailed since the start of the pandemic is expected to result in a surge of patients—some with more advanced disease as a result of delays—seeking appointments with oncologists. “We are starting to see the...
Expert Point of View: Alexander Eggermont, MD, PhD
Formal discussant of CheckMate 915, Alexander Eggermont, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at the Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands, suggested that the lower doses of ipilimumab used in the current study may explain the lack of effect on relapse-free survival. The...
City of Hope Renames Research Center as the Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute
City of Hope has announced the renaming of its diabetes research center as the Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute, in honor of its long-time director and research pioneer. Arthur Riggs, PhD, is known for scientific achievements that include developing the technology leading...
A Sense of Duty Shapes the Career of Medical Oncologist Aparna Parikh, MD
By way of her family lineage, Aparna Parikh, MD, seemed destined for a career in medicine. “Both of my parents are physicians, as well as my maternal grandfather. I have two other siblings, all of whom are in the medical field. Medicine has always been part of my life since childhood. My parents...
‘MethylationToActivity’: A Deep Learning Framework for Epigenetic Research
Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are using a type of machine learning to put a new twist on an established technique. The researchers created MethylationToActivity (M2A), a framework for using DNA methylation data to reveal promoter activity and gene expression. The results were...
Expert Point of View: Ursula Matulonis, MD, and Konstantin Zakashansky, MD
Perspectives on ARIEL4 were provided for The ASCO Post by the invited discussant Ursula Matulonis, MD, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Chief of Gynecologic Oncology and the Brock Wilson Family Chair at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, and by Konstantin Zakashansky, MD,...
Virtual Meetings Are Here to Stay
In 2020, the 8th Annual Beirut Breast Cancer Conference (BBCC) was our last in-person meeting. The first cases of COVID-19 started in Lebanon around the end of February 2020, and the pandemic continues into its second year, with waves of rising cases following superspreader events and other likely...
Prospective Study Explores Prostate Cancer and Treatment Outcomes By Race
A study designed to enroll an equal number of Black and White men with advanced prostate cancer confirmed key findings that have been evident in retrospective analyses and suggest potential new avenues for treating Black patients who disproportionately die of the disease. Researchers at Duke Cancer ...
Early Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Are Checkpoint Inhibitors Ready for Neoadjuvant or Adjuvant Use?
Recent clinical trials have been encouraging for the neoadjuvant or adjuvant use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in triple-negative breast cancer, but is this approach ready for the clinic? This question was addressed at PER’s Miami Breast Cancer Conference, held virtually this year, by Adam M....
Accuracy of Lung Cancer Risk Model in Diverse Populations
A commonly used risk prediction model does not accurately identify high-risk Black patients with lung cancer who could gain life-saving benefit from early screening—paving the way for improving screenings and guidelines. These findings were published in a research letter by Shusted et al in JAMA...
Expert Panel–Endorsed Quality Measures for End-of-Life Care for Children With Cancer
There is currently no consensus on what quality end-of-life care for children with cancer looks like, or how to measure and deliver it; however, investigators recently assembled an expert panel to help fill this void. In a study published by Emily Johnston, MD, MS, and colleagues in the journal...
Risk of Colorectal Cancer and Colorectal Polyps in First-Degree Family Members
Researchers have demonstrated a possible connection between colorectal polyps in close relatives and the risk of developing colorectal cancer. The study, which was published by Song et al in the British Medical Journal, is of potential consequence for cancer screening procedures. Colorectal cancer...
Breast Reconstruction Disparities Improved With Medicaid Expansion
Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act was associated with significant increases in breast reconstruction among non-Hispanic Black women, achieving parity at times with non-Hispanic White women, according to a new study presented by Sharon Lum, MD, and colleagues at the American Society...
Hormonal Intrauterine Device Under Study for Managing Early Endometrial Cancer
Disease regression was observed in 82% of women with endometrial hyperplasia with atypia and 43% of women with endometrial cancer after treatment for 6 months with a hormonal intrauterine device in a phase II study reported during the virtual edition of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO)...
Chernobyl at 35 Years: An Oncologist’s Perspective
Editor’s note: Dr. Gale is an authority on medical response to nuclear and radiation accidents and participated in rescue efforts at the Chernobyl disaster, as well as at Goiania, Tokaimura, and Fukushima, among other radiation and nuclear accidents. Anyone reading the popular press or even...
NCI Statement on Ending Structural Racism in Biomedical Research
On March 2, 2021, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) issued the following statement: As one of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the NIH [National Institutes of Health], the National Cancer Institute stands with [NIH Director] Dr. Francis Collins and the entire NIH in supporting UNITE. “I ...
Turning Confusion Into Clarity: Lessons Learned From Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism spectrum disorder refers to a group of conditions characterized by difficulty in navigating normal social situations and having all-absorbing repetitive behaviors or stereotyped interests. At the milder end of the spectrum is Asperger’s syndrome, generally confined to people with higher...
Clinician Recommendations May Pique Patients’ Interest in Complementary and Integrative Therapies
Patients with cancer expressed more interest in complementary and integrative medicine services when these services were recommended by an oncologist or other medical professional or were provided for free in a clinical trial, according to a survey reported in JCO Oncology Practice.1 The survey...
How Interested Are Patients in Integrative Therapies, and How Much Are They Willing to Pay for Them?
The top two barriers to accessing complementary and integrative therapies, according to a survey of 576 patients with cancer and caregivers, were cost, cited by 56%, and a lack of knowledge about the therapies, cited by 52.1%. “Other barriers included a lack of time (29.2%), location of the...
Grateful to Be Alive
Everything about my breast cancer diagnosis, from my presentation to diagnosis, was strange. In the spring of 2006, I was performing my monthly breast self-exam when I felt a hard lump in the upper left quadrant of my left breast. Having lost a good friend to breast cancer 4 years earlier, I was...
Ethical Considerations Before Launching a Clinical Cancer Trial
Randomized clinical trials are highly regulated initiatives that must comply with multiple requirements while maintaining high epistemic standards, a balance that becomes increasingly difficult as the research questions surrounding immunotherapy and targeted agents become more complex. To shed...
