On October 23, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved belantamab mafodotin-blmf (Blenrep), a B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)–directed antibody and microtubule inhibitor conjugate, in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone for the treatment of adults with relapsed or...
Combination immunotherapy significantly improved disease-free survival after surgery in patients with primary renal cell carcinoma (RCC), according to results from the phase III RAMPART trial. These findings were presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2025 by James...
In early 2023, I began experiencing serious symptoms that were not easily explained away, including deep vein thrombosis in my left leg, extreme weight loss, bruising, wheezing, and shortness of breath so severe that it was difficult to walk my dog more than a few feet without gasping for air. For...
Growing up in Draksharamam, a small village in India, Neelima Denduluri, MD, FASCO, was attracted to the field of medicine after witnessing her grandfather, a general practitioner in the village, care for patients so poor he often provided medical services at no cost. Although Dr. Denduluri’s...
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...
Despite numerous studies showing the benefits of integrating palliative care in both the early- and advanced-stage cancer settings,1 palliative care remains underutilized for most patients with cancer. A recent study by the American Cancer Society found that only 10% of Medicare beneficiaries with...
Patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer showed significantly improved progression-free survival when treated with an oral combination regimen that includes giredestrant, a next-generation oral selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) and full...
The combination of lenvatinib and everolimus significantly improved progression-free survival compared with cabozantinib in patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) that has progressed on PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitors, according to findings from the phase II LenCabo...
Patients with cancer who received mRNA-based COVID vaccines within 100 days of starting immune checkpoint therapy were twice as likely to be alive 3 years after beginning treatment, according to a recent study. These findings, which include more than 1,000 patients treated between August 2019 and...
The first-in-class YAP-TEAD inhibitor VT3989 has demonstrated promising antitumor activity and tolerability in patients with refractory mesothelioma, according to findings from a phase I/II trial presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2025 (Abstract 920O) and...
In a randomized phase II trial, Christiane Querfeld, MD, PhD, and colleagues investigated the effects of a PD-L1–blocking strategy for targeting both the innate and adaptive immune systems in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). At the 2025 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting,1 Dr....
Cornelia Ulrich, MS, PhD, has been elected by the members of the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) to serve as Vice President/President-Elect of AACI’s Board of Directors. Dr. Ulrich is Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Huntsman...
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 European Hematology Association (EHA) has published two new sets of clinical practice guidelines, including its first dedicated guidelines for large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL), which was published in HemaSphere, as well as an updated set of guidelines in collaboration with the European Myeloma...
In a phase II trial (AMALEE) reported in JAMA Oncology, Cardoso et al found that a first-line ribociclib dose of 400 mg was not noninferior to a dose of 600 mg in patients with newly diagnosed hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer. Study Details In the open-label...
Armando E. Giuliano, MD, will receive the William L. McGuire Memorial Lecture Award during the 2025 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS). Dr. Giuliano is being recognized for his pioneering work on sentinel lymph node biopsy for patients with breast cancer, which has transformed the...
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 a prospective cohort study published in JCO Oncology Practice, Ssebyala et al examined long-term health-care utilization and adherence to follow-up care among young adult survivors of breast cancer. Their findings reveal high rates of mammography adherence but persistent gaps in other areas of...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Wang et al, a phase I/II trial (KOMET-001) has shown activity of the oral menin inhibitor ziftomenib in patients with relapsed or refractory NPM1-mutant acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Study Details In the phase II portion of the trial, 92 patients...
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...
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...
Chemoradiation with a pulsed low-dose–rate technique led to lower-than-usual rates of severe esophagitis without compromising efficacy in patients with esophageal and non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to findings from a single-arm phase I study presented as a poster during the American...
In patients rendered immunocompromised by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), a single dose of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine within the first year afterward resulted in low seroconversion rates, as reported by Redjoul et al in JAMA Network Open. However, a...
No significant differences were observed in breast volume loss between five-fraction whole-breast and partial-breast radiation therapy in patients with breast cancer who underwent prior partial mastectomy, according to the results of a study presented in a poster during the American Society for...
In a French phase III trial (IFM2017-03) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Manier et al found that a dexamethasone-sparing regimen of daratumumab plus lenalidomide improved progression-free survival vs lenalidomide plus dexamethasone in patients with frailty and newly diagnosed multiple myeloma....
A recent study has found that mutations in blood-forming cells may explain the increased risk for leukemia and other blood disorders among first responders exposed to the 9/11 World Trade Center (WTC) disaster site and its toxic dust. The study also points to a novel strategy for use against...
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...
On October 2, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved lurbinectedin (Zepzelca) in combination with atezolizumab (Tecentriq) or atezolizumab and hyaluronidase-tqjs (Tecentriq Hybreza) for maintenance treatment of adults with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) whose disease...
For patients with recurrent retroperitoneal sarcomas that cannot be treated surgically, treatment choices are limited. These tumors can grow in the abdomen adjacent to vital organs or enmeshed within the bowel. Given their radioresistant nature, they require high doses of radiation that risk...
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)...
Adjuvant radiation therapy following radical cystectomy and chemotherapy was found to be safe and efficacious for patients with locally advanced muscle-invasive bladder cancer, according to findings from the phase III randomized BART trial presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology...
Patrick Goodley, MBBChir, MRCP, of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, reports results from a study that looked at treatment and survival rates in people aged 75 to 80 years diagnosed with screen-detected lung cancer in two targeted lung cancer screening implementation settings (Abstract...
A new clinical trial found that people with a limited number of metastases from recurrent prostate cancer lived significantly longer without disease progression when they received a radiopharmaceutical drug before targeted radiation compared with radiation alone. The phase II LUNAR trial is the...
There has been a rapid increase in the global number of cancer cases and deaths between 1990 and 2023, despite advances in cancer treatment and efforts to tackle cancer risk factors over that same period. Without urgent action and targeted funding, 30.5 million people are forecast to receive a new...
In a phase II trial (PASS-01) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Knox et al found similar progression-free survival with modified leucovorin, fluorouracil, irinotecan, oxaliplatin (mFOLFIRINOX) vs gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel in patients with previously untreated metastatic pancreatic...
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...
In a Dutch phase III trial (PREOPANC-2) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Janssen et al found no difference in overall survival between patients receiving neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX vs neoadjuvant gemcitabine-based chemoradiotherapy for resectable or borderline resectable pancreatic ductal...
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 ...
The 15th edition of the annual AACR Cancer Progress Report presents a mixed picture of the major advances in cancer care over the past year, including the approval of 20 new anticancer drugs, juxtaposed against the continuing rise in early-onset cancers and disparities in care as well as the...
The combination of the EGFR-targeting tyrosine kinase inhibitor osimertinib with platinum-based chemotherapy significantly improved overall survival as a first-line treatment for patients with EGFR-mutated, advanced, non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) compared with osimertinib monotherapy,...
Acute cystitis signaled the presence of urogenital cancers in middle-aged men and women, according to the results of a Swedish cohort study published in BMJ Public Health. Based on these findings, the researchers suggested that acute cystitis could be used as a clinical marker for urogenital...
In a single-center phase II trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Tang et al found that metastasis-directed radiotherapy without systemic therapy was associated with good outcomes in patients with oligometastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Study Details In the trial, 121 patients...
In a preplanned 10-year analysis from the phase III PORTEC-3 trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Post et al found that adjuvant chemoradiotherapy was associated with improved overall survival and recurrence-free survival vs radiotherapy in women with high-risk endometrial cancer. Study Details...
In a phase I, first-in-human trial of nearly 50 patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies, the orally administered, small molecule degrader bexobrutideg (NX-5948) was reported to be well tolerated, including in those with a longer duration of treatment and higher doses. Clinical...
In a U.S. two-center phase III trial (MC1675) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Ma et al found that de-escalated adjuvant radiotherapy was associated with a reduced cumulative, chronic grade ≥ 3 toxicity rate at 3 to 24 months after radiotherapy compared with standard adjuvant treatment in patients...
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 results of a retrospective cohort study published in JAMA Network Open revealed an association between having a history of moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the risk of developing malignant brain tumors in adult civilians from the United States. Marini et al confirmed the...
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....