Researchers have found that a novel technique used during prostate cancer surgery may reduce the risk of postoperative lymphocele by 50%, according to new findings presented by Neuberger et al at the 2023 European Association of Urology Annual Congress (Abstract A0656). The technique—involving the...
On March 8, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided an update on reports of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the scar tissue, or capsule, that forms around breast implants. Previously, on September 8, 2022, the FDA released a safety communication informing the public of reports of...
A common method of detecting prostate cancer may not be accurate enough to serve as a reliable screening tool by itself, researchers have warned. The digital rectal exam (DRE), in which health-care providers check the prostate gland with a finger for unusual swelling or lumps in the rectum, is...
A trial conducted at the University Hospital Bonn, Germany, has been testing the benefit of PSMA-PET/CT (prostate-specific membrane antigen–positron-emission tomography/computed tomography) to help target where to take biopsy samples, potentially improving the diagnosis of prostate cancer by giving ...
Molecular changes observed in the breast tissue of transgender men undergoing androgen therapy may signal the potential for also using the hormone to prevent or treat estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer. The findings were published by Raths et al in Cell Genomics. “These findings build upon...
“There are misconceptions about prostate cancer screening,” Karen Knudsen, MBA, PhD, said in an interview with The ASCO Post about newly published cancer statistics, including an increased incidence of prostate cancer, particularly advanced-stage disease. Dr. Knudsen is Chief Executive Officer of...
Overall cancer mortality rates have decreased 33% since 1991, and cervical cancer incidence decreased 65% from 2012 through 2019, according to the latest statistics reported by the American Cancer Society (ACS).1 Amid this good news, however, was a troubling 3% annual increase in prostate cancer...
In this installment of The ASCO Post’s Global Oncology, guest editor Chandrakanth Are, MBBS, MBA, FRCS, FACS, spoke with Rajendra Toprani, MBBS, MS, MCh, Head of the Department of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology at HCG Cancer Centre, Ahmedabad, India. Dr. Toprani’s areas of interest include oral,...
Discussant of the February ASCO Plenary session, Anjali S. Advani, MD, Staff Physician in the Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders and Director of the Inpatient Leukemia Program, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, noted that the PhALLCON study is the only prospective...
On March 9, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published updates to the mammography regulations to, among other things, require mammography facilities to notify patients about the density of their breasts, strengthen the FDA’s oversight and enforcement of facilities, and help interpreting...
In an analysis reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Gianni Bisogno, MD, PhD, and colleagues detailed 5-year outcomes among children and adolescents with nonmetastatic rhabdomyosarcoma in the European Pediatric Soft Tissue Sarcoma Study Group RMS2005 Study. Study Details The RMS2005 study...
Among the high-quality abstract presentations at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), a few always stand out as particularly meritorious. Each year, The ASCOPost asks our Associate Editor, breast cancer specialist Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, to give us his picks. Dr. Abraham is Chairman of ...
After analyzing the U.S. radiation oncology workforce, investigators projected a relative balance between the supply of radiation oncologists and the demand for radiation therapy services through 2030, according to an American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Workforce Taskforce review...
Researchers have found that screening for residual disease prior to a bone marrow transplant may help physicians identify which adult patients in remission from acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are at risk of relapsing after the procedure, according to a novel study published by Dillon et al in JAMA....
The 3-year follow-up of the phase III CheckMate 9ER trial demonstrates superior outcomes with the combination of nivolumab plus cabozantinib vs the former standard-of-care sunitinib as first-line treatment of advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma.1 These benefits were achieved with the...
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored that public health is the product of one global, integrated ecosystem. Although it is tempting to focus on specific aspects of local health-care systems, or the political or physical environment, health and health care in other countries also impacts the United ...
In 2017, ASCO published a new guideline in the Journal of Clinical Oncology outlining the best practices for communicating effectively with patients and their family members.1 The goal of the communication guideline is to provide oncologists with a framework of specific practices to enable them to...
Studies have shown that although patients with advanced cancer want their oncologists to give them an honest assessment of their prognosis, most patients still perceive their illness as curable.1 And that lack of understanding of their prognosis can lead to reduced use of hospice care and increased ...
This is Part 1 of Clinical Considerations in Chronic Graft-vs-Host Disease, a two-part video roundtable series. In this video, Dr. Yi-Bin Chen and Dr. Mitchell E. Horwitz discuss the case of a 55-year-old man with FLT3-ITD–mutated acute myeloid leukemia in first complete remission who received a...
Chemotherapy may affect the immune system’s ability to attack tumors in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, according to a new study published by Werba et al in Nature Communications. Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is hard to detect and treat, with a 5-year survival rate of ...
Researchers have identified nine new genetic variants that may increase the risk of developing prostate cancer in Black patients, according to a novel study published by Chen et al in European Urology. The investigators also found that genetic differences may help determine which patients are most...
More individuals may undergo cancer screenings when employers are mandated to provide paid sick leave, according to a new study published by Callison et al in The New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers found that breast cancer screening rates increased up to 4% and colorectal cancer...
Investigators have demonstrated that, despite some commonly held misperceptions, hormone therapy doesn’t increase patients’ risk of developing lung cancer—and it could help reduce the risk, according to a 16-year population-based study published by Wu et al in Menopause. The findings may help...
Black women at high risk of developing breast cancer may face a variety of obstacles keeping them from receiving preventive care that could increase their chances of survival if they did develop the disease, according to a new study published by Padamsee et al in PLOS One. The new findings provide...
Researchers have discovered that vitamin B5 in combination with existing drugs may be the key to improving outcomes in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and ineffective red blood cell production, according to a novel study published by Mian et al in Science Translational Medicine....
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Farrar et al developed a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) transcription scoring system that distinguished survival outcomes in pediatric patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). As stated by the investigators, “Risk classification in pediatric...
Although patient navigation is increasingly recognized as an important component in the delivery of patient-centered cancer care, the service is not universally available across all cancer programs in the United States, often because of the concerns of extra cost without tangible financial...
Researchers have discovered that recent increases in Medicare spending on outpatient end-of-life cancer care may have been driven almost entirely by costs associated with immunotherapy, which is given to fewer than one in five patients, according to a new study published by Mantz et al in the...
Although immune checkpoint inhibitors have substantially improved clinical outcomes in many cancer types, they have also been found to induce immune-related adverse events, including myocarditis, in about 1% of patients receiving the agents, which can lead to a mortality rate of up to 50%. Current...
Researchers have discovered that few adverse events may be associated with the use of inferior vena cava filters to help prevent deep vein thrombosis from developing into pulmonary embolisms, according to a new study jointly published by Johnson et al in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional...
Cedars-Sinai has appointed urologic oncologist, surgeon, and research investigator Hyung Kim, MD, as the inaugural Chair of the newly established Department of Urology. “Dr. Kim is an outstanding clinical and academic leader who will strategically steer our urology enterprise,” said Shlomo Melmed, ...
ASCO has endorsed a new guideline from the College of American Pathologists (CAP) on the use of mismatch repair (MMR) and microsatellite instability (MSI) testing, which could help oncologists more accurately identify patients who may be suitable candidates for immune checkpoint inhibitor ...
Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis of KIT exon mutations may help to predict which second-line therapy is best for patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), according to data presented during the ASCO Plenary Series: January 2023 Session.1 Exploratory analysis of the phase...
Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is a fascinating disease from which many groundbreaking medical and oncologic lessons have been learned. Since the Irish surgeon Denis P. Burkitt, MD, FRCS, FRS, first described rapidly enlarging jaw and facial tumors in Ugandan children in 1958,1 the study of BL has led to...
Approximately 10% of adults in the United States self-report being members of sexual and gender minorities (SGMs), which means that most oncologists will treat SGM patients in their practice. Here are some suggestions on how clinicians and oncology institutions can help SGM patients feel safe and...
In its programming for the 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting, ASCO included a special Education Session on “Gender-Based and Sexual Orientation Inequities: Promoting Inclusion, Visibility, and Data Accuracy in Oncology.” The session offered a comprehensive discussion on the challenges that sexual and gender ...
The invited discussant of the SUNLIGHT trial, Dustin Deming, MD, the ACI/Schwenn Family Association Professor in the Division of Hematology, Medical Oncology, and Palliative Care and Director of JD Fluno Colorectal Cancer Precision Medicine at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, said the findings ...
Investigators have estimated the environmental impacts of prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and prostate biopsies, according to a new study published by Michael S. Leapman, MD, MHS, and colleagues in European Urology. The findings suggest that more carefully selecting patients for...
Researchers have discovered that whole-genome sequencing—rather than the current standard of exome sequencing—may allow physicians to better identify genetic changes that drive cancer development and growth, and create the most effective, personalized treatment plans for patients with classical...
Smoldering myeloma is an asymptomatic plasma cell disorder with a heterogeneous clinical behavior. Two trials presented at the 2022 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition investigated early intervention for smoldering multiple myeloma, aiming for a “curative strategy”...
Combination regimens beyond lenalidomide/dexamethasone were shown to significantly delay—and potentially prevent altogether—progression from smoldering disease to active multiple myeloma, according to researchers who reported findings from two studies at the 2022 American Society of Hematology...
Results of the interim analysis of KEYNOTE-859 are in, and they confirm the overall survival benefit of first-line immunotherapy plus chemotherapy in advanced gastric cancer. Pembrolizumab plus a fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-containing doublet provided a statistically significant improvement in...
As in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2023 ASCO GI Cancers Symposium—its 20th such gathering—played to a full ballroom. It featured a stellar lineup of experts in the field as well as high-quality, impactful research in esophageal, gastric, hepatocellular, pancreatic, biliary tract, and ...
Although there is no history of cancer in my family, I guess it isn’t surprising that I would develop an aggressive form of melanoma on my scalp after years of ultraviolet radiation from sun exposure. Still, getting the diagnosis was devastating. I first noticed a small lump on the top of my head ...
Researchers have found that following chemotherapy, 46% of patients with muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma were able to avoid a cystectomy and achieve a 2-year metastasis-free survival, according to new findings presented by Daniel M. Geynisman, MD, and colleagues at the 2023 ASCO Genitourinary...
In the phase III FORMULA-509 trial, the addition of abiraterone acetate/prednisone and apalutamide—compared with bicalutamide—to salvage radiation therapy plus 6 months of treatment with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist failed to improve progression-free survival postprostatectomy in ...
Researchers have found that an algorithm that calculates patient-reported symptom complexity scores may help oncologists identify patients who are at an increased risk for unplanned visits to the emergency department (ED), creating the potential for additional proactive care and reduced health-care ...
The TALAPRO-2 phase III clinical trial found that combining the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor talazoparib with the androgen receptor inhibitor enzalutamide resulted in significantly better progression-free survival vs the current standard of care for patients with metastatic...
Insights on findings from the phase II MonumenTAL-1 trial1 were offered by Ajay K. Nooka, MD, MPH, Professor in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, and Medical Director of the Winship Data and Technology Applications Shared Resource, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School ...
In the phase I/II MonumenTAL-1 trial, the novel bispecific antibody talquetamab produced responses in more than 70% of heavily pretreated patients with multiple myeloma.1 Of note, the safety profile confirmed results of the phase I portion of the study (recently published in TheNew England Journal...