In an Indian phase II trial (BEER BTC) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Ramaswamy et al found that maintenance therapy with bevacizumab/erlotinib improved progression-free survival vs active surveillance in patients with advanced biliary tract cancers who had at least stable disease...
Twenty minutes of mindful breathing, which focuses a person’s attention on their breath, seems to rapidly reduce the intensity and unpleasantness of cancer pain and relieve the associated anxiety, suggest findings from a small comparative study published by Tan et al in BMJ Supportive &...
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools may be used to better understand the risk of specific cardiac arrhythmias when various parts of the heart are exposed to different thresholds of radiation as part of a treatment plan for non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to a recent study published by...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the EGFR inhibitor lazertinib (Lazcluze) in combination with the EGFR/MET-targeting bispecific antibody amivantamab-vmjw (Rybrevant) for the first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non–small cell lung cancer...
Combining Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibition with chemoimmunotherapy induction significantly extended progression-free survival for older patients with mantle cell lymphoma, and there was also a trend toward improvement on the overall survival benefit, according to data presented during the...
Growing awareness of the benefits of palliative care in patients with cancer has prompted ASCO to update its recommendations for clinicians, patients, caregivers, and health-care organizations on integrating palliative care in oncology.1 The updated guideline reinforces prior recommendations in the ...
Researchers have developed an alternative set of simple criteria using a prediction model to identify groups of patients who may benefit most from lung cancer screening but are disproportionately excluded by current eligibility criteria, according to a new study published by Kearney et al in the...
Researchers have shown that participating in an exercise program may improve pain, fatigue, and the quality of life in patients with metastatic breast cancer, according to a recent study published by Hiensch et al in Nature Medicine. Background “Although there’s substantial evidence for the...
At the 2024 Debates and Didactics in Hematology and Oncology Conference, sponsored by Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute, cardiologist-by-training Anant Mandawat, MD, FACC, briefly reviewed how the emerging field of cardio-oncology is blazing a path toward “bigger and bolder cancer care” and offered...
A subgroup analysis of data from the LIBRETTO-431 trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04194944) showed that the selective RET inhibitor selpercatinib safely improved progression-free survival compared to chemotherapy plus pembrolizumab in East Asian patients diagnosed with RET fusion–positive...
Although esophageal cancer in the United States is relatively rare, affecting about 22,400 people each year and making up about 1% of all cancer cases,1 the disease is common in East and Central Asia countries. Nearly 90% of patients with esophageal cancer in Asia are diagnosed with the squamous...
New modeling data have been released that describe the projected impact of the first and only multitarget stool DNA test (marketed as Cologuard) on patients, health-care professionals, and the U.S. health-care system since its U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval 10 years ago. About the ...
It was a hot and humid Tuesday in July, and I distinctly remember being grateful for the air conditioning in the pastel-shaded waiting room of the oncology outpatient clinic. My father sat silently beside me. We knew this room well, as we did the doctor we had arrived to see. He had been my...
Endometrial cancer is most frequently diagnosed among women aged 55 to 65, with a median age at diagnosis of 64 years.1 In epidemiologic studies, women diagnosed with endometrial cancer at an older age are more likely to have high-grade disease, aggressive histology, deep myometrial invasion, lower ...
A prospective-retrospective translational study reported in JAMA Oncology by Ruth M. O’Regan, MD, and colleagues confirmed the prognostic value of the Breast Cancer Index (BCI) in a Suppression of Ovarian Function Trial (SOFT) trial–derived population of premenopausal women with early-stage,...
The risk of developing mental health issues may be higher among patients who have rare cancers compared with those who have common cancers, according to a recent study published by Low et al in eClinicalMedicine. Background Rare cancers—those affecting fewer than 6 out of 100,000 individuals per...
Is the optimal first-line treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) monotherapy with a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor or some combination regimen? This clinical question was explored by two speakers at the 2024 Pan Pacific Lymphoma Conference, sponsored by the University of...
Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of primary liver cancer, accounting for about 80% of all primary liver cancers in the United States, and is currently the sixth most common cancer and the fourth most common cause of cancer-related deaths. Although immunotherapy is now a mainstay for ...
Investigators have found that adults with learning disabilities may be more likely to die from cancer compared with those in the general population, according to a recent study published by Ward et al in BMJ Open. Background Many cancers are considered either preventable or treatable. However,...
Researchers have examined whether a mouthwash-based test could detect biomarkers to help physicians predict disease recurrence in patients with head and neck cancer, according to a recent study published by Franzmann et al in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery. Background Head and neck...
Researchers have discovered that uterine serous carcinoma tumors in Black patients tend to express more aggressive and immunosuppressive features than tumors in White patients, according to a recent study published by Foley et al in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Uterine serous...
Researchers have found that diet-derived molecules known as metabolites may be the main drivers of early-onset colorectal cancer risk, especially those associated with red and processed meat, according to a recent study published by Jayakrishnan et al in npj Precision Oncology. Background Despite...
Researchers have uncovered that T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) may be frequently driven by genetic changes in noncoding portions of the DNA, according to a recent study published by Pölönen et al in Nature. The investigators believe these findings may lead to a paradigm shift in...
“Symptom-triggered testing”—prompted by symptoms such as pain, abdominal bloating/swelling, and feeling full soon after starting to eat—detected early-stage aggressive ovarian cancer in one of four individuals affected, according to an analysis from the ROCkeTS trial published by Kwong et al in the ...
Researchers may have uncovered how combination immunotherapies targeting the immune checkpoints PD-1 and LAG-3 may work together to activate immune responses in patients with melanoma, according to two recent studies published by Cillo et al and Andrews et al in Cell. The findings may shed light on ...
More than 2 years ago, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden reignited the Cancer Moonshot with the goals of reducing the cancer death rate in the United States by at least half (preventing more than 4 million cancer deaths) by 2047 and improving the experience of people who are touched by...
With the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has become a chronic disease for most patients. Furthermore, we now know that some patients can successfully stop treatment and remain in remission. “Stopping tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy is something we get a...
Women whose fallopian tubes are removed during sterilization via laparoscopy may have only marginally more surgical complications compared with those whose tubes are cut during tubal occlusion, according to a recent study published by Strandell et al in The Lancet Regional Health–Europe. The...
Investigators have uncovered disparities in the projected rates of future cancer incidence and mortality among men based on age and country’s socioeconomic status, according to a recent study published by Bizuayehu et al in Cancer. Background Prior research has shown that men may face higher rates...
The antibody-drug conjugate sacituzumab govitecan-hziy may be effective in treating patients with breast cancer who have brain metastases or recurrent glioblastoma multiforme, according to a recent study published by Balinda et al in Nature Communications. Background About 50% of all female...
An activity pattern in certain genes responsible for building proteins known as spleen tyrosine kinases may predict the occurrence of severe side effects from immunotherapy in patients with melanoma, according to a recent study published by Monson et al in Clinical Cancer Research. Background...
In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Sikavi et al found that regular aspirin use was associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer overall and among individuals with less healthy vs more healthy lifestyles. Study Details The prospective cohort study focused on data from 107,655 participants...
In a study reported in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, Gallagher et al found that individuals with cannabis-related disorder were at an increased risk of head and neck cancer vs those without cannabis-related disorder. Cannabis-related disorders are defined by the excessive use of...
Women who develop gestational diabetes may not have a higher likelihood of being diagnosed with breast cancer, according to recent findings that will be presented by Christensen et al at the upcoming European Association for the Study of Diabetes Annual Meeting 2024 (Abstract 180). Background...
Researchers have demonstrated that adding metastasis-directed radiation therapy to standard-of-care chemotherapy may improve progression-free survival in patients with oligometastatic pancreatic cancer, according to a recent study published by Ludmir et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology and...
Immune checkpoint inhibitors, including atezolizumab, have been evaluated in several phase II trials for neoadjuvant therapy in resectable lung cancer, both with and without chemotherapy, such as the LCMC3 trial and CheckMate 816. Ongoing studies, including the IMpower030 trial, are further...
On August 8, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved denileukin diftitox-cxdl (Lymphir), a novel immunotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) who have received at least one prior systemic therapy. Denileukin diftitox is...
Adding a Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) inhibitor to standard immunosuppressive drugs may not improve prevention of acute graft-vs-host disease in patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing treatment with allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, according to a recent study published by Pidala...
The risk of developing breast cancer may be increased among some women who undergo menopause prior to age 46, according to a recent study published by Allen-Brady et al in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Background Early menopause occurs in women aged 40 to 45 years. Primary ...
ASCO, along with more than 100 medical organizations and societies, sent a letter to members of the U.S. House and Senate leadership urging Congress to prioritize and advance several bills and legislative proposals that would provide greater fiscal stability for physicians and reform key elements...
The survival rates of patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have improved since the introduction of the first immunotherapeutic in this population in the United States in 2015, according to a recent study published by Wang et al in Cancer. NSCLC accounts for up to 90% of all...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved vorasidenib (Voranigo), an isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (IDH1) and -2 (IDH2) inhibitor, for adult and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with grade 2 astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma with a susceptible IDH1 or IDH2 mutation, following...
Although esophageal cancer in the United States is relatively rare—affecting about 22,400 people each year and making up about 1% of all cancer cases—the disease is common in East and Central Asian countries. Nearly 90% of patients with esophageal cancer in Asia are diagnosed with the squamous cell ...
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, accounting for the highest mortality rates among both men and women. Most lung cancers—between 80% and 85%—are non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and between 1% and 2% of patients are diagnosed with RET-altered NSCLC. The results...
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Detecting this disease in its early stages significantly improves survival rates, making low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening an essential component in the fight against lung cancer. Recent studies, particularly from...
U.S. adults who use e-cigarettes daily and smoke combustible cigarettes may be more likely to quit smoking traditional cigarettes compared with those who smoke but use e-cigarettes less frequently, according to a recent study published by Kasza et al in JAMA Network Open. The findings suggest that...
In a population-based retrospective cohort study (Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Survivor Study; TYACSS) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Sunguc et al identified risks of adverse obstetric outcomes among female survivors of adolescent and young adult cancers in England and Wales. Study Details The...
In the phase II INSIGHT 2 trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Yi-Long Wu, MD, and colleagues found that the combination of tepotinib plus osimertinib showed clinically meaningful activity in patients with advanced or metastatic EGFR-mutated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with MET...
Researchers may have uncovered the mechanisms behind fungal bloodstream infections in patients who receive bone marrow transplants, according to a recent study published by Zhai et al in Nature Medicine. Background A phenomenon known as heteroresistance occurs when a tiny fraction of bacteria...
The results of routine blood tests could be used to speed up cancer diagnoses among patients with abdominal symptoms, according to a recent study published by Rafiq et al in PLOS Medicine. Background Most patients who report symptoms of abdominal pain or bloating to their physicians are referred...