Osimertinib in combination with local consolidative therapy of radiation and/or surgery led to a significant extension of progression-free survival for patients with EGFR-mutant metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to findings from the phase II NorthStar trial presented at the...
The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) has released an updated clinical practice guideline on surveillance of Barrett’s esophagus, the only known precursor to esophageal adenocarcinoma. The new guideline, which was published in Gastroenterology, emphasizes risk-based, individualized...
In a retrospective analysis reported in The Lancet Oncology, Black et al examined whether linking of comprehensive whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to mortality data could add prognostic value to standard clinical data and provide a rationale for use of targeted therapies. Study Details In the...
The combination of osimertinib plus chemotherapy led to a median overall survival of 47.5 months compared with 37.6 months with osimertinib monotherapy in patients with EGFR-mutated advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had not received prior treatment for advanced disease, according to...
Lisaftoclax, an investigational BCL2 inhibitor, in combination with pomalidomide/dexamethasone (Pd) or daratumumab/lenalidomide/dexamethasone (DRd) led to improved outcomes for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma and for patients with AL amyloidosis, according to findings from a...
In a Childhood Cancer Survivor Study analysis reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Owens et al identified the risks of colorectal subsequent malignant neoplasms (SMNs) associated with colorectal-specific radiotherapy (RT) doses and chemotherapy doses among 5-year survivors of childhood...
Although palliative care use has increased over time among young adults with advanced cancers in the United States, new research led by the American Cancer Society (ACS) found that utilization still remains very low. The report was presented at the 2025 ASCO Quality Care Symposium (Abstract 320)....
Rare cancers—defined as fewer than 6 cases per 100,000 people per year—are understudied in the United States, and patients with rare cancers may experience unique challenges. In a recent, large study led by the American Cancer Society (ACS), scientists found that patients diagnosed with rare...
In 2022, Congress requested a scientific review from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to study the associated risks of cancer and other health conditions and the use of alcohol. The concern was that the health risks associated with low-to-moderate consumption of ...
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...
In individuals younger than age 50 undergoing a colonoscopy, greater odds for having colorectal cancer were observed among those who presented with rectal bleeding, according to findings from a study presented at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2025 and published in the...
New research revealed that depression can impact surgical outcomes, making it more difficult for patients to recover from surgery, thus leading to higher postoperative costs as well. In patients with gastrointestinal cancers and depression who were undergoing surgery specifically, antidepressants...
John L. Cameron, MD, FACS, a surgeon who radically improved the mortality rates of the Whipple procedure, was honored with the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Owen H. Wangensteen Scientific Forum Award at the ACS Clinical Congress 2025 in Chicago. The award recognizes a surgeon who exemplifies...
In the 1940s, the first drugs proven to cause objective responses in human cancers were developed. Mechlorethamine was discovered as a possible treatment of lymphoid cancers after autopsies on military personnel exposed to mustard gas found destruction of lymphatic tissue and bone marrow....
The results of the multicenter Female Asian Nonsmoker Screening Study (FANSS) suggest that low-dose CT screening is feasible and has value for early lung cancer detection in the historically underserved demographic of Asian women with no history of smoking. These data from the largest United...
On October 8, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved cemiplimab-rwlc (Libtayo) for the adjuvant treatment of adults with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) at high risk of recurrence after surgery and radiation therapy. C-POST Efficacy was evaluated in C-POST (ClinicalTrials.gov ...
In a linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)–Medicare analysis reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Canavan et al found that receipt of systemic anticancer therapy (SACT) at the end of life (EOL) was associated with higher rates of EOL emergency department (ED) use,...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Wieduwilt et al, findings in a cohort of the phase II Alliance study A041703 indicate that the chemotherapy-free regimen of inotuzumab ozogamicin followed by blinatumomab was highly active in patients aged ≥ 60 years with newly diagnosed B-cell...
In the phase III HARMONi trial, when ivonescimab was given with carboplatin plus pemetrexed, vs the chemotherapy regimen alone, after a third-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor, patients with EGFR-mutated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) had a significant delay in disease progression.1...
Studies show that if left untreated, between 20% and 40% of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) lesions may evolve into invasive breast cancer over time. And, according to the American Cancer Society, women diagnosed with lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) have between a 7 and 12 times higher risk of...
A new study found that implementing a network of cancer drug repositories (CDRs) improved access to cancer medications and eliminated unnecessary medication waste by allowing people to donate unopened or unused medications that would otherwise be wasted. This resulted in patients with cancer...
Treatment with obecabtagene autoleucel was the focus of the phase Ib/II multicenter FELIX study of more than 100 adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).1 The initial report in 2024 revealed a rate of complete remission or complete remission with incomplete...
The U.S. government shut down on October 1 after lawmakers were unable to reach a funding agreement. The date also marked the deadline to extend the Medicare telehealth flexibilities that have been in place since the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). As such, telehealth flexibilities have...
In a Brazilian phase II trial (HERCULES; LACOG 0218) reported in JAMA Oncology, Maluf et al found that pembrolizumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy showed activity in patients with advanced penile squamous cell carcinoma. The investigators explained, “Advanced penile squamous cell carcinoma is...
Stereotactic radiation therapy (SABR) was found to be noninferior to surgical resection in terms of overall survival for patients with early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to 10-year results from the STARS trial presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)...
In a phase III trial (TrilynX) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Bourhis et al found that the addition of xevinapant (an inhibitor of apoptosis proteins inhibitor) to platinum-based chemoradiotherapy did not improve event-free survival in patients with unresected locally advanced...
On September 25, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) removed the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) program for vandetanib, according to an announcement from the agency. Vandetanib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting VEGFR, EGFR, and RET from manufacturer Sanofi (formerly ...
In a Scandinavian trial (ALASCCA) reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Martling et al found that low-dose aspirin reduced the risk of disease recurrence vs placebo in patients with PI3K-altered localized colorectal cancer. Study Details In the double-blind trial, patients with stage I...
Zidesamtinib, an investigational oral, highly selective ROS1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor designed to overcome common resistance mechanisms and improve brain penetration, has demonstrated activity in both pretreated and tyrosine kinase inhibitor–naive patients with ROS1-positive non–small cell lung...
People with more than one tattoo session may have a decreased risk of developing melanoma—with one key caveat, according to research published by McCarty et al in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. A team led by Jennifer Doherty, PhD, Huntsman Cancer Institute investigator, Co-Leader of ...
Curative-intent surgery for patients with early-stage cancer led to new, persistent, long-term opioid use in more than 1 in 10 opioid-naive veterans, according to the results of an observational study published in Cancer. The results of the study highlighted how necessary it is to develop new pain...
New study findings show that children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who were exposed to pesticides during their mother's pregnancy may have a higher risk of death, according to findings published in Cancers. “This study highlights that exposures in the home environment, even before a...
In the preplanned final analysis of the phase III CheckMate 816 trial, an overall survival benefit has been shown for neoadjuvant nivolumab plus chemotherapy in patients with resectable non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).1 Patients treated with the combination experienced an approximate 10%...
Three leading national cancer organizations have issued an updated guideline on postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) for physicians treating patients with breast cancer. The recommendations outline when PMRT is appropriate based on new evidence and evolving clinical practice, and they highlight...
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force currently recommends average-risk screening for four cancer types, including colorectal, cervical, breast, and lung cancer (for those with a sufficient smoking history). Despite this, approximately 70% of cancer-related deaths in the United States are due to...
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is one of the success stories among the hematologic malignancies. Now, with decades of data informing its management, it is time to change some of the practices to which clinicians have become accustomed, said leukemia expert Hagop M. Kantarjian, MD, FASCO, Professor...
The aging population, now the largest group of patients with cancer and cancer survivors, requires a rigorous and focused approach to clinical trial reporting, a need highlighted by the recent author guidelines from the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO; Table 1).1 The guidelines are an important...
In a Chinese phase II trial (ZSAB-TransGOLP) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Shi et al found promising results with tislelizumab plus lenvatinib and GEMOX (gemcitabine plus oxaliplatin) chemotherapy (GOLP) in converting unresectable locally advanced biliary tract cancer to resectable disease....
In an interim analysis of a phase II trial (SunRISe-4) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Necchi et al found that the addition of neoadjuvant TAR-200—a targeted releasing system that provides sustained delivery of gemcitabine within the bladder—to the PD-1 inhibitor cetrelimab resulted in a higher...
Many patients from Europe and the United States have experienced the benefits of anthracyclines in the treatment of an array of cancers, including solid tumors such as breast and ovarian cancers as well as lymphoma. However, a number of these cancer survivors will experience severe chronic cardiac...
The combination of subcutaneous amivantamab-vmjw every 4 weeks plus daily oral lazertinib led to a high response rate in patients with previously untreated EGFR-mutated advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to findings from an analysis of cohort 5 of the PALOMA-2 trial presented at ...
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) led to a 21% reduction in the risk of death compared with open lobectomy for patients with early-stage lung cancer, in a meta-analysis of randomized trials comparing the two approaches. Results of the meta-analysis were presented at the International...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the gemcitabine intravesical system (Inlexzo) for adults with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-unresponsive non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer with carcinoma in situ with or without papillary tumors. The gemcitabine intravesical system is...
Patients diagnosed with recurrent or progressive extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) may benefit from treatment with ifinatamab deruxtecan (I-DXd), a B7-H3–directed antibody-drug conjugate, according to data presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer...
ASCO has issued a new update to its living guideline regarding therapy for stage IV non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without driver alterations, based on results of three studies published recently.1 The update (the first since a previous version in February 2025) includes discussion of...
After decades of incremental progress in the treatment of multiple myeloma, survival has increased from 3 years in the late 1990s to between 8 and 10 years today.1 Could cure for a disease that kills more than 12,000 individuals each year in the United States2 finally be within reach? The long-term ...
The outlook for adequate funding for federal health agencies has become more dire. In July, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) announced it is reducing the number of grant applications it will award for the remaining 2 months of fiscal year 2025 (FY2025), from 9% down to 4%.1 The result is that...
Despite data from the latest edition of The Cancer Atlas showing that nearly half of cancer mortality worldwide is attributed to modifiable risk factors, cancer incidence and mortality rates continue to soar.1 Globally, approximately 19 million new cases of cancer, excluding nonmelanoma skin...
A randomized controlled trial investigating the effect of providing personalized risk information to patients and their providers about the patient’s risk for advanced colorectal neoplasia has found no difference in screening uptake with either the personalized risk messages or provider...
In a Chinese single-center phase II trial (SPRING-01) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Tian et al found that the addition of the PD-1 inhibitor sintilimab to chemotherapy following short-course radiotherapy as part of total neoadjuvant treatment significantly improved the pathologic complete...