As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Battaglin et al, an analysis from the phase III CALGB/SWOG 80405 trial of first-line chemotherapy plus bevacizumab or cetuximab in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer showed differences in outcomes according to HER2 gene–expression status....
The combination of avelumab and axitinib may be effective in patients with mismatch repair–proficient recurrent or persistent endometrial cancer, according to new findings presented by Lee et al at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology’s (SGO) 2024 Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer. Background...
Monitoring circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) levels with liquid biopsies could help physicians accurately assess treatment responses and predict future prognoses in patients with operable esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer receiving an immunotherapy doublet, according to a recent study...
In the BLUE-C study—reported in The New England Journal of Medicine—Imperiale et al found that a next-generation multitarget stool DNA test showed high sensitivity for colorectal cancer and high specificity for advanced neoplasia compared with colonoscopy screening. Study Details The U.S....
In the ECLIPSE study—reported in The New England Journal of Medicine—Chung et al found that a cell-free DNA (cfDNA) blood-based test had high sensitivity for colorectal cancer and high specificity for advanced neoplasia in colorectal cancer screening compared with colonoscopy. Study Details The...
Researchers have identified two genetic markers that may illuminate the association between red and/or processed meat consumption and the risk of colorectal cancer, according to a novel study published by Stern et al in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Background Previous studies...
The use of imaging midtreatment for human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma may guide the use of deintensified chemoradiotherapy, according to a phase II study from the University of Michigan presented by Regan et al at the 2024 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck...
he latest findings for circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in colorectal cancer were discussed at the 2024 ASCO Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancers Symposium by Aparna R. Parikh, MD, a gastrointestinal oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard...
Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has become an established biomarker of measurable or molecular residual disease (MRD) after curative-intent surgery in patients with colorectal cancer. The research focus is now on linking ctDNA to long-term outcomes and using it to guide treatment decisions—which was...
A novel MDM2 inhibitor, APG-115 (alrizomadlin), has demonstrated antitumor activity and good tolerability in patients with progressive salivary cancer, particularly adenoid cystic carcinoma, according to data presented by Swiecicki et al at the 2024 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium ...
Researchers have uncovered distinct alterations in the tumor genome of male patients with breast cancer that may suggest potential therapeutic targets, according to a recent study published by Assaad et al in Modern Pathology. Background Breast cancer in male patients represents less than 1% of all ...
Eleni M. Rettig, MD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, discusses the promising but thus far limited data on using circulating tumor HPV DNA for early detection of HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers, which highlights the importance of developing a reliable biomarker (Poster Abstract 177).
Investigators may have uncovered differential associations between smoking and DNA methylation across various racial and ethnic groups, according to a recent study published by Huang et al in the American Journal of Human Genetics. The findings could lead to the development of new strategies to...
Although liquid biopsies are now helping determine the need for adjuvant therapy in a number of malignancies, they have yet to prove useful in the setting of oropharyngeal carcinoma, according to a prospective pilot study presented at the 2024 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium that...
Researchers have found that exposure to secondhand smoke during treatment with cisplatin may reduce its effectiveness in patients with head and neck cancer, even if they don’t have a history of smoking, according to a recent study published by Sadhasivam et al in the International Journal of...
A four-drug targeted therapy regimen proved safe and effective as the first-line treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), achieving a 100% response rate after four cycles, researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, reported at the 2023 American Society...
Researchers may have uncovered the factors contributing to hormone therapy resistance in some patients with advanced estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer, according to a recent study published by Kingston et al in Cancer Discovery. The findings may indicate drugs currently in development...
In a small phase I/II trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Schenk et al found that treatment with tacrolimus, prednisone, and nivolumab without or with ipilimumab produced few responses in kidney transplant recipients with advanced skin cancers, with treatment-related allograft loss...
Despite being recommended in prostate cancer guidelines, homologous recombinant repair (HRR) mutation analysis is widely underused in patients with prostate cancer, according to real-world data presented at the 2024 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (Abstract 210). A major implication of these...
Van K. Morris, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses phase II results on using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as a predictive biomarker of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage II colon cancer. During the trial, no improvement in ctDNA clearance was observed...
At the 2023 Global Cardio-Oncology Symposium (GCOS), international experts explored the ongoing collaborative efforts to improve the cardiovascular health of patients being treated for cancer as well as the bidirectional challenges of translating basic research to clinical care. Focus on Basic and...
In this installment of The ASCO Post ’s Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Naoto T. Ueno, MD, PhD, FACP, Director of the University of Hawaii Cancer Center. Along with his duties leading the cancer center, Dr. Ueno leads translational breast cancer research...
Following surgery to remove a colorectal tumor, patients may have molecular measurable residual disease (MRD). Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), or liquid biopsy, may be used to detect molecular MRD in patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer and to determine whether they may benefit from...
The role of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), or liquid biopsy, as a predictive tool to guide and monitor cancer treatment remains unclear, after the first prospective randomized phase II trial evaluating clearance of ctDNA in patients with stage II colon cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy did not ...
Researchers may have identified a novel genetic mechanism capable of making small cell lung cancer tumors more susceptible to an attack by the immune system, according to a new study published by Murayama et al in Cancer Discovery. The findings could lead to the development of new therapeutics to...
A novel blood test may accurately detect neuroendocrine prostate cancer and differentiate it from castration-resistant prostate adenocarcinoma, according to a recent study published by Franceschini et al in Cancer Discovery. Background Approximately 10% to 15% of patients with metastatic prostate...
Researchers may have uncovered a novel strategy to predict whether synthetic chemicals may cause breast cancer by examining their specific traits, according to a recent study published by Kay et al in Environmental Health Perspectives. Background The incidence of breast cancer—the most common...
Researchers have developed a novel computational model for personalized prognosis prediction in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, according to a new study published by Maura et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Their model for individualized risk in multiple myeloma, or IRMMa,...
A novel vaccine may be effective at preventing relapse in patients with KRAS-mutated pancreatic and colorectal cancers, according to a recent study published by Pant et al in Nature Medicine. Background KRAS-mutated cancers make up about 25% of all solid tumors, including 90% of pancreatic cancer...
Researchers have evaluated the efficacy of atezolizumab in combination with carboplatin in patients with triple-negative breast cancer, according to a recent study published by Lehmann et al in JAMA Oncology. The new findings may help researchers better understand biomarkers of immunotherapy...
Next-generation sequencing may help better identify patients with cancer and mismatch repair deficiency who may benefit from immunotherapy, according to a recent study published by Farhat et al in Cancer Cell. The new findings indicated that treating more patients with immunotherapy may require...
The use of lutetium-177–labeled PSMA-617 (LuPSMA) improved radiographic progression–free survival by 57% in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who experienced disease progression on an androgen receptor (AR) pathway inhibitor compared with changing to a new AR pathway...
Translational research is a key ingredient in guiding both genetic and pharmacologic cardioprotective approaches in patients being treated for cancer, according to international experts from the International Cardio-Oncology Society and the Global Cardio-Oncology Symposium (GCOS) committee. Fadi N. ...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Innocenti et al, analysis of DNA mutational profiling in the phase III CALGB (Alliance)/SWOG 80405 trial of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with bevacizumab or cetuximab with chemotherapy showed differences in outcome associated...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Han et al found that persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) after chemoradiation was associated with poorer outcomes in patients with cervical cancer. Patients at high risk of poorer outcomes could also be...
On December 18, W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, began her work as the 17th Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Dr. Rathmell was selected by President Biden to succeed Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, FACS, FASCO, who left NCI to become the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on...
An ASCO guideline has been developed to inform the use of systemic treatments for metastatic, well-differentiated gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs).1 The guideline helps fill a knowledge gap among community oncologists in particular, who typically do not see many of these rare ...
Comprehensive profiling of fusion RNAs present in a large cohort of metastatic breast tumors revealed unique fusion mutations that may be therapeutically targetable, according to results presented at the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (Abstract GS03-09). Fusion mutations occur when a...
In a UK single-institution study (EPI-SURE) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Evans et al found that the novel WID-qEC DNA methylation test outperformed ultrasonography in detecting uterine cancer in women with abnormal uterine bleeding. Study Details The prospective observational study invited...
In an analysis of the phase III PROfound trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Joaquin Mateo, MD, PhD, and colleagues found that olaparib improved outcomes vs abiraterone or enzalutamide among the subgroup of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who had...
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...
The National Academy of Medicine recently announced the election of 100 members during its annual meeting, including 10 international members. Election to the Academy is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated major...
In this installment of The ASCO Post’s Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Dennis J. Slamon, MD, PhD, one of the principals in the discovery and development of trastuzumab—the first monoclonal antibody used against an oncogene that altered our entire approach...
A novel assay may be effective at detecting a unique molecular marker in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to a recent study published by Young et al in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics. The new findings may revolutionize the way AML is detected and treated. Background AML...
Researchers have compiled a comprehensive list of genetic variants that may be associated with the risk of developing prostate cancer, according to a recent study published by Wang et al in Nature Genetics. The new findings included major increases in representation among patients from racial and...
Remarkable progress has been made in the treatment of lung cancer in the past 10 to 15 years; it is therefore not surprising that lung cancer mortality in the United States is declining consistently, at the rate of 2% to 4% annually in recent years. Long-term survival is possible even for patients...
Researchers have found that a DNA repair–facilitating mechanism may be responsible for a tumor’s treatment resistance and could be treated with a combination of chemotherapies, according to a recent study published by Marullo et al in Cancer Research. The mechanism involves the shuttling of...
Researchers have discovered that resistance to PI3K-alpha inhibitors and reduced drug binding in patients with breast cancer may be driven by secondary PIK3CA mutations and so may be effectively treated with a novel class of PI3K-alpha inhibitors designed to bind to different parts of the target,...
“CheckMate 77T shows very promising results to support the use of perioperative nivolumab in resectable NSCLC,” said formal discussant Marina C. Garassino, MD, of the University of Chicago. “In particular, the trial demonstrated that patients could achieve incredible disease control rates. These...
The University of Arizona College of Medicine–Tucson Department of Surgery is pleased to welcome Praveen Sridhar, MD, as Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery’s Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Dr. Sridhar, who is particularly interested in thoracic oncology and minimally...