Adjuvant temozolomide, after radiotherapy, improves overall survival in patients with grade 3 anaplastic glioma without 1p/19q codeletion, according to a phase III EORTC (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer) study presented at the 2016 ASCO Annual Meeting.1 “We were...
Formal discussant of these trials Steven M. Devine, MD, of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, was not able to attend the ASCO Meeting, but his slides were presented to the audience. “CAR T-cell therapy was first thought of in the 1980s, but it is only recently that we ...
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has been effective in adults and children with advanced acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but along with efficacy, the treatment can stimulate cytokine-release syndrome, which can be deadly if it goes unrecognized and untreated. Adjusting the dose...
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf, MD, issued the following statement June 29, 2016, regarding the appointment of Richard Pazdur, MD, as the Acting Director of the FDA Oncology Center of Excellence. Dr. Pazdur is currently Director of the Office of Oncology...
The discussant of these studies was Elizabeth Mittendorf, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Breast Surgical Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. Dr. Mittendorf noted that approximately 3% of U.S. breast cancer patients present with de novo stage IV disease. For...
For de novo stage IV breast cancer, does resection of the primary tumor improve outcomes? Two studies presented at the 2016 ASCO Annual Meeting reached different conclusions. A prospective randomized study conducted in Turkey concluded there is a survival benefit at 5 years,1 whereas a U.S....
Stephen K.L. Chia, MD, of the British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, discussed two of these neoadjuvant breast cancer studies at the ASCO Annual Meeting. In the current landscape for neoadjuvant therapy in HER2-positive disease, said Dr. Chia, the NeoSphere, TRYPHAENA, KRISTINE, and I-SPY 2...
In patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer, pathologic complete response rates after neoadjuvant therapy were higher with docetaxel plus carboplatin plus trastuzumab (Herceptin) plus pertuzumab (Perjeta), or TCH+P, than with ado-trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla) plus pertuzumab, or T-DM1+P,...
Daniel F. Hayes, MD, ASCO President, issued the following statement on June 29, 2016: “ASCO commends FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf for his selection of Dr. Richard Pazdur to lead the agency’s new Oncology Center of Excellence. In his nearly 20 years with the FDA, Dr. Pazdur has worked...
In a study report published by Bhatt et al in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center explained how a type of herpesvirus uses mimicry to trick the host cell to produce proteins the virus needs and...
Nancy E. Davidson, MD, the Hillman Professor of Oncology and Director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute in Philadelphia, was the Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group (EBCTCG) study’s formal discussant. With this analysis, she noted, the EBCTCG has “reinforced the long...
The risk of recurrence in estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer is known to continue after 5 years, but just how much is that risk once endocrine therapy is stopped? The Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group (EBCTCG) has concluded it is “appreciable,” with distant recurrences...
When a brain tumor is suspected, its presence is usually confirmed by anatomic imaging such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). But through imaging, not much about the tumor molecularly can be learned. Surgery and a biopsy are necessary to get a glimpse of the cancer...
How best to combine new immunotherapies is a burning question in oncology. A new study in the CheckMate series suggests that nivolumab (Opdivo) and ipilimumab (Yervoy) can be safely and effectively combined as first-line treatment of advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC),1 but further study...
In a study of older women with newly diagnosed stage I to III breast cancer, approximately 1 in 5 lost the ability to complete some of the basic tasks necessary for independent living within 1 year of initiating treatment. The study also found that a simple survey can help identify which women are...
People who visit their primary care physicians are more likely to get potentially life-saving colon cancer screenings and follow-up on abnormal stool blood test results—even in health systems that heavily promote mail-in home stool blood tests that don’t require a doctor visit, a study...
Today, the Cancer Moonshot hosted a summit at Howard University, in Washington, DC, as part of a national day of action that also included more than 270 events in communities across the United States. Vice President Joe Biden joined over 350 researchers, oncologists, care providers, data and...
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are the result of genetic alterations that cause blood stem cells to become abnormal, rendering bone marrow unable to create new, mature blood cells for release into the body. It is estimated that up to 15,000 new cases of MDS are diagnosed in the United States each...
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf, MD, issued the following statement today regarding the appointment of the Acting Director of the FDA Oncology Center of Excellence. “The FDA is honored to be an integral part of the Vice President’s National Cancer...
On June 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a fixed-dose combination of sofosbuvir, 400 mg, plus velpatasvir, 100 mg (Epclusa) to treat adult patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) either with or without cirrhosis. For patients with moderate to severe cirrhosis...
ASCO voiced its strong opposition to the proposed Medicare Part B demonstration project in comments submitted on June 28 for the U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing, “Examining the Proposed Medicare Part B Drug Demonstration.” ASCO underscored the urgent need to advance a fairer...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Chapuis et al, concurrent use of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) antigen-4 (CTLA-4) blockade with ipilimumab (Yervoy) and adoptively transferred antigen-specific CTLs produced enduring responses in patients with stage IV melanoma. Study...
The College of American Pathologists (CAP), the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), and the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) announced today the open comment period for the revised evidence-based guideline, “Molecular Testing Guideline for Selection of...
Bacteria that have the potential to abet breast cancer are present in the breasts of cancer patients, while beneficial bacteria are more abundant in healthy breasts, where they may actually be protecting women from cancer, according to Gregor Reid, PhD, of the Lawson Health Research Institute, and...
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company announced June 27 that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to nivolumab (Opdivo) for the potential indication of unresectable locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma that has progressed on or after a...
1. General views. Photo © ASCO/Matt Herp 2016; 2. Amanda Redig, MD, PhD, recipient of the 2016 Women Who Conquer Cancer Young Investigator Award. Photo © ASCO/Danny Morton 2016; 3. Himisha Beltran, MD, speaks during Precision Medicine in Advanced Prostate Cancer: Understanding Genomics,...
President Barack Obama has tapped Lawrence O. Gostin, JD, LLD, Georgetown University Professor and Faculty Director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown Law, to serve as a member of the National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB). He will serve a 6-year term. The 18 ...
The first clinical trial to compare standard-of-care chemotherapy with molecularly tailored therapy (also known as precision medicine) for metastatic pancreatic cancer is now enrolling patients at multiple sites around the country. Patients who have been treated with one round of chemotherapy for...
The American Medical Association (AMA) has introduced the 21 members of its Board of Trustees for the coming year, following elections held during the Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates. Andrew W. Gurman, MD, an orthopedic hand surgeon, was sworn in as the 171st President of the AMA. In...
Recent reports about treatment options for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ, and the ensuing debate and comments played out in the media, may prompt increased questions from patients. A review summarizing data about these treatment options concluded that surgery and radiation therapy “remain...
A review of more than 50 studies (many randomized controlled trials) concluded that surgery and radiation therapy “remain standard-of-care treatment options” in the management of ductal carcinoma in situ.1 The review continues the widely reported discussion on managing ductal carcinoma in situ,...
Two clinician-scientists whose groundbreaking work has shown how the human body’s own immune system can fend off cancer will share the 2016 $100,000 Taubman Prize for Excellence in Translational Medical Science, the University of Michigan’s A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute announced....
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center has appointed a nationally recognized surgeon and liver cancer expert to lead its surgical and surgical oncology programs. Timothy Pawlik, MD, MPH, PhD, will be the Chair of the Medical Center’s Department of Surgery, as well as The Urban Meyer III...
Curtis Pesmen is a well-regarded writer who has authored six books of nonfiction as well as numerous articles for publications such as Esquire and The New York Times. He also has served as founding editor of LIVESTRONG Quarterly and often speaks and writes on patient advocacy. Shortly after...
Readers of the recently published memoir A Series of Catastrophes & Miracles: A True Story of Love, Science, and Cancer find out that the book has a happy ending on the cover page of chapter 1. Spoiler: I lived, writes the author, Mary Elizabeth Williams, an acclaimed journalist with a list...
In his new book, Sharks Get Cancer, Mole Rats Don’t: How Animals Could Hold the Key to Unlocking Cancer Immunity in Humans, James S. Welsh, MD, examines a wide array of animal and human biologic phenomena, searching for clues that might help us unlock the full power of the human immune system....
The Genomic Data Commons (GDC), a unified data system that promotes sharing of genomic and clinical data among researchers, was launched on June 6 with a visit from Vice President Joe Biden to the operations center at the University of Chicago. An initiative of the National Cancer Institute (NCI),...
The St. Jude Department of Pathology has received accreditation to the ISO15189 standard under the College of American Pathologists (CAP) 15189SM Accreditation Program. St. Jude is the first children’s hospital in the nation to be accredited under this program. The accreditation is based on the...
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has named Michael Dyer, PhD, Chair of the Department of Developmental Neurobiology. “A true visionary in his field, Dr. Dyer is a remarkable scientist who has worked tirelessly to unravel some of the long-held mysteries of childhood cancer,” said James R....
JULY The 5th International Inflammatory Breast Cancer ConferenceJuly 9-10 • Boston, MassachusettsFor more information:www.hmscmeregistration.org/events/breast-cancer-new-horizons-current-controversies/custom-21-857304c388f143b7840614d1bb151442.aspx 24th Biennial Congress of the European Association ...
Peter S. Conti, MD, PhD, Professor of Radiology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Biomedical Engineering, and Director of the Molecular Imaging Center at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, has been named the 2016 recipient of the prestigious Paul C. Aebersold Award....
Phase 0 Study Title: Use of Definity® Contrast Agent for Ultrasound of Intraocular Tumors Study Type: Interventional/single-group assignment Study Sponsor and Collaborators: Emory University Purpose: To determine if microbubbles may be used as a contrast agent to help image tumors in the eye. In...
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) has been designated a Lung Cancer Screening Center by the American College of Radiology (ACR). The ACR Lung Cancer Screening Center designation is a voluntary program that recognizes facilities that have committed to practice safe, effective diagnostic...
Katherine L. Nathanson, MD, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, has received the 2015 Frohlich Visiting Professorship through the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)....
CancerLinQ LLC, recently announced that it has completed agreements with 36 vanguard oncology practices from around the country to begin implementing the tool. According to physicians at the vanguard practices, gaining access to the experience of oncology practices across the country motivated...
In 2010, ASCO established the Community Research Forum to support clinical investigators and community-based research sites. Building on the Forum’s success in providing solutions for community-based research programs and the cancer research community at large, ASCO has decided to expand the Forum...
ASCO and Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) have launched a collaborative effort to modernize eligibility criteria to promote greater patient participation in cancer clinical trials. Although it is important for defining the population under study and ensuring patient safety, overly strict...
Thomas G. Roberts, Jr, MD, is Managing Member at Farallon Capital Management, LLC and Chair of the Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO Board of Directors and Executive Committee. What led you to oncology prior to your career in finance? TGR: As an intern at Massachusetts General Hospital, I was...
Cancer.Net has newly updated information specifically for older patients with cancer and is expanding coverage of this segment of cancer care across the site. Direct your patients and their caregivers to cancer.net/olderadults to find articles on aging and cancer, making treatment decisions, and...
The inaugural Cancer Survivorship Symposium, held in January 2016, drew more than 800 attendees across the cancer-care spectrum—far exceeding the goal of 500 attendees. As a way to continue the discussion from the meeting, several faculty members responded to questions from General Sessions 5 and...