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Showing 1751 - 1800Expert Point of View: Vincent Grégoire, MD, PhD
After presentation of the study by Cheng and colleagues at the 2015 European Cancer Congress, formal discussant Vincent Grégoire, MD, PhD, Department of Radiation Oncology, UCL St-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium, was cautious in endorsing a surgical approach for stage III and IV...
Surgery for Head and Neck Cancer Improves Survival—in Taiwan
A large study presented at the 2015 European Cancer Congress in Vienna found that patients with advanced oropharyngeal or hypopharyngeal cancer had improved survival if their primary treatment included surgery.1 The caveat is that these patients were treated in Taiwan, and the results may not be...
Expert Point of View: Karen Ballen, MD
This is a group of patients who have not done very well over the years. The cure rate for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is over 90%, whereas this group of patients (ie, aged 18–50) typically has a 5-year survival of 40% to 50%. Use of pediatric regimens has boosted that survival, ...
Pediatric Regimen Achieves Higher-Than-Expected Survival in Young Adults With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Adolescents and younger adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) had superior outcomes on a “pediatric” regimen compared with adult treatment protocols. A multicenter phase II study included patients aged 18–50, extending the upper limit of “younger,” since most other trials of this approach...
Expert Point of View: Nikolai Podoltsev, MD, PhD
Both the concept of an antibody-drug conjugate combined with less-intensive chemotherapy and the actual regimen used in this study are exciting, according to Nikolai Podoltsev, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Division of Hematology, Yale University Medical Center, New Haven, Connecticut. “This has...
Promising Upfront Combination in Older Patients With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Frontline treatment with the antibody-drug conjugate inotuzumab ozogamicin plus deintensified chemotherapy is a promising option for older patients with Philadelphia chromosome–negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Phase II results suggest that this combination has the ability to improve...
Expert Point of View: Mark J. Levis, MD
Putting this trial into context, Mark J. Levis, MD, of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, said: “Six different FLT3 inhibitors have advanced into phase III trials. Midostaurin in the only one that has made it to the ‘station.’” “The fact that midostaurin is...
Midostaurin: A New Standard of Care in Acute Myeloid Leukemia?
Upfront treatment with midostaurin added to standard chemotherapy improved survival compared with placebo plus chemotherapy in high-risk patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) characterized by FLT3 mutations. No new drugs have been approved for AML since 1990, and midostaurin is the first...
Expert Point of View: Susan M. O’Brien, MD
Until recently, chlorambucil (Leukeran) was the standard of care for older patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in Europe. In several studies, chlorambucil combined with newer drugs—for example, anti-CD20 antibodies, obinutuzumab (Gazyva), or ofatumumab (Arzerra)—improved survival,...
Ibrutinib Bests Standard of Care for Elderly Patients With CLL
First-line treatment with the Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor ibrutinib (Imbruvica) significantly reduced the risk of dying or disease progression compared with chlorambucil (Leukeran) in older treatment-naive patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in the RESONATE-2 trial. At the time...
Expert Point of View: Virginia Kaklamani, MD
Press conference moderator Virginia Kaklamani, MD, commented on these results from the ABCSG-18 trial: “It’s pretty clear that 3 years of adjuvant denosumab not only reduced fracture risk but improved disease-free survival. It’s also pretty clear that adjuvant bisphosphonates improve disease-free...
Adjuvant Denosumab Improves Disease-Free Survival in Estrogen Receptor–Positive Postmenopausal Breast Cancer
There is good news about denosumab (Prolia). The primary analysis of the ABCSG-18 trial showed that adjuvant denosumab (given at low doses) reduces the risk of clinical fracture by 50% in postmenopausal women with early breast cancer who are taking an aromatase inhibitor.1 More good news is that...
SABCS 2014: Oncotype DX DCIS Score Reliably Predicts Breast Cancer Recurrence in Patients With DCIS
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), which accounts for 30% of all newly diagnosed breast cancer, is actually a precancerous lesion. A proportion of patients will have progression to invasive breast cancer, but up until recently, it has not been possible to identify which patients require further...
SABCS 2014: Ovarian Suppression Added to Hormonal Therapy Reduces Risk of Recurrence in Some Premenopausal Women
Results of the large international SOFT trial present a convincing argument for the addition of ovarian function suppression to adjuvant hormonal therapy to reduce the risk of recurrence in premenopausal women with hormone receptor–positive breast cancer at high enough risk to be treated with ...
SABCS 2014: PI3K Inhibition With Pictilisib in Hormone Receptor–Positive Breast Cancer Not Ready for Prime Time
Interest is high in studying the PI3K pathway in hormone receptor–positive breast cancer, but it is not clear which of the PI3K inhibitors under development—if any—will be a “home run.” Adding the pan-class I selective PI3K inhibitor pictilisib to fulvestrant...
ASH 2014: High Hopes for AG-221 in Advanced Leukemia
Although the data are preliminary, single-agent AG-221 therapy targeted to the IDH2 mutation holds great promise as a nonchemotherapy approach for the treatment of advanced hematologic malignancies, including relapsed/refractory acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and untreated AML. The findings were...
ASH 2014: CD19-Directed CAR T-Cell Therapy Yields High Rate of Durable Remissions in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
As more experience is gained with the use of genetically engineered chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in pediatric patients with relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the data continue to be highly encouraging. To date, 36 of 39 pediatric ALL patients (92%) treated with...
ASH 2014: Blinatumomab Achieves Complete Molecular Responses in Majority of B-Cell Leukemia Patients
Results from the international phase II BLAST study show that one cycle of blinatumomab (Blincyto) immunotherapy achieved complete minimal residual disease response in 78% of patients with precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Complete minimal residual disease response was...
ASH 2014: Post-Transplant Brentuximab Vedotin Improves Progression-Free Survival in Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients
In Hodgkin lymphoma patients at risk for disease progression following autologous stem cell transplant, early consolidation post-transplant with brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) significantly improved progression-free survival compared with placebo in the phase III AETHERA trial. The findings were...
ASH 2014: HIV-Related Lymphoma Can Be Safely Treated With Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplant
Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related relapsed/refractory lymphoma can safely undergo autologous hematopoietic cell transplant, according to results of a phase II multicenter trial. At many centers, patients with HIV-related lymphoma are currently excluded from this potentially...
ESMO 2014: Lung Cancer Vaccine Fails to Improve Survival in Surgically Resected Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
The MAGRIT trial showed disappointing results for a developmental vaccine called MAGE-3 in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had undergone surgical resection. This is the largest vaccine trial conducted in lung cancer, and investigators hoped that an immunotherapy approach...
ESMO 2014: Afatinib Improves Progression-Free Survival in Advanced Head and Neck Cancer
The tyrosine kinase inhibitor afatinib (Gilotrif) was significantly superior to methotrexate as second-line therapy in patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck who progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy, according to results of the LUX-Head & Neck 1 trial. The...
ESMO 2014: Novel Oral Agent Treats Cancer-Related Cachexia in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
For the first time, studies show that a drug is effective in treating cancer-related cachexia. Oral anamorelin hydrochloride increased lean body mass, achieved weight gain, and improved quality of life in patients with cancer-related cachexia in two pivotal phase III studies presented at the ESMO...
Clinical Trials Investigate Treatment Options for Precursor Diseases to Multiple Myeloma
The availability of newer agents that have transformed treatment outcomes in multiple myeloma has naturally led to interest in studying these drugs earlier in precursor states, such as monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and smoldering myeloma. Recent evidence suggests that this may...
Search for Effective Regimens in Elderly Patients With Hodgkin Lymphoma
As the U.S. population continues to age, oncologists will be faced with a growing number of elderly patients with Hodgkin lymphoma, but there is currently no consensus on how to treat this population. Regimens used to treat younger patients have too much toxicity for most older patients, and thus...
Palbociclib Plus Letrozole Achieves Impressive Results in Metastatic Breast Cancer
First-line treatment with the combination of palbociclib plus letrozole extended progression-free survival by approximately 50% in patients with metastatic estrogen receptor–positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, according to final results of a randomized phase II study presented at the...
Cytoreductive Nephrectomy Improves Survival in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients With Longer Life Expectancy
Prior to the advent of targeted therapy, cytoreductive nephrectomy was associated with a 6-month improvement in overall survival in metastatic renal cell carcinoma. With the development of new and better targeted therapies for metastatic renal cell carcinoma, the appropriate use of cytoreductive...
Patients With Near-Complete Response After Induction Therapy May Be Candidates for Bladder-Sparing Therapy
Bladder-sparing approaches are typically reserved for patients with bladder cancer who have a complete response to combined modality induction therapy (radiation plus chemotherapy). A new phase II study suggests that patients with near-complete response should also be considered for bladder-sparing ...
Studies Evaluate Trends in the Surgical Management of Penile Cancer
A large retrospective population-based study shows that potentially fatal penile cancers are surgically undertreated in the United States and more benign penile cancers are surgically overtreated. Even though penile cancer is rare in the United States, accounting for about 1,570 new cases in 2013...
Prostate Health Index May Provide New Tool to Identify Patients Assigned to Watchful Waiting Who Require Immediate Treatment
A simple tool called “phi” appears to be able to identify which patients assigned to active surveillance for prostate cancer are more likely to require treatment. Phi, or the prostate health index, is calculated from three serum measurements: PSA, free/total PSA, and a new measurement,...
Prolonged Hormone Therapy Exposure Increases Risk of Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease in Older Patients With Prostate Cancer
Although androgen deprivation therapy extends survival in men with prostate cancer, its use is associated with unwanted side effects. In addition to the well-known side effects of impaired sexual function and hot flashes, prolonged exposure to androgen deprivation therapy can also lead to diabetes...
Study Examines Immunotherapy in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
In the randomized, phase III CA184-043 trial, ipilimumab (Yervoy) improved progression-free survival and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response compared with placebo, but failed to improve overall survival significantly in postdocetaxel metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer....
Radiation Plus Hormone Therapy Extends Survival in Patients With High-Risk Prostate Cancer
The addition of radiation to lifelong hormone therapy with oral antiandrogens vs antiandrogens alone reduced the prostate cancer–specific death rate by more than 50% at 10 and 15 years in men with locally advanced prostate cancer, according to an updated analysis of the Scandinavian Prostate...
Enzalutamide Improves Survival in Chemotherapy-Naive Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Enzalutamide (Xtandi) improved survival by 29% in men with chemotherapy-naive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and reduced the risk of radiographic progression by 81%, according to complete results of the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multinational, phase III PREVAIL...
Adjuvant Bisphosphonates Improve Breast Cancer Survival, Reduce Bone Recurrence in Postmenopausal Women With Early Disease
Adjuvant use of bisphosphonates reduced the risk of bone recurrence by 34% and the risk of breast cancer death by 17% in postmenopausal women with early breast cancer in a large meta-analysis conducted by the Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group (EBCTCG). The potentially...
Anastrozole Reduces Primary Breast Cancer Incidence by More Than 50% in High-Risk Postmenopausal Women
Five years of treatment with anastrozole reduced the risk of primary breast cancer by 53% in postmenopausal women at high risk for developing the disease, according to an analysis of the IBIS II trial. Anastrozole reduced the risk of estrogen receptor–positive invasive cancers by 58%. The...
Less Is More: Postoperative Radiation May Be Avoided in Older Women With Estrogen Receptor–Rich Tumors
Among older women with hormone receptor–positive breast cancer, it is reasonable to omit whole-breast radiation therapy after breast-conserving surgery and neoadjuvant hormone therapy if the patient’s tumors have high levels of estrogen receptor expression, but radiation should remain...
Addition of Bevacizumab Fails to Improve Invasive Disease-Free Survival vs Adjuvant Chemotherapy/Trastuzumab Alone in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
Bevacizumab (Avastin) failed to extend invasive disease–free survival when added to trastuzumab (Herceptin)-directed adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer in the phase III BETH trial. Although not specifically designed to answer this question, BETH also...
Choosing Wisely® Initiative Improves Quality and Cost of Care
Five commonly used hematology tests, treatments, and procedures are not always necessary, according to the Choosing Wisely® initiative of the ABIM (American Board of Internal Medicine) Foundation. The American Society of Hematology (ASH) Choosing Wisely list of these five tests was...
Continuous Lenalidomide/Low-Dose Dexamethasone Improves Survival vs Standard Treatment in Older Patients With Newly Diagnosed Myeloma
First-line treatment of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma using continuous treatment with the doublet of lenalidomide (Revlimid) and low-dose dexamethasone was superior to standard triplet treatment with melphalan, prednisone, and thalidomide (Thalomid) for 72 weeks, according to initial results of...
Novel Agents IPI-145 and ABT-199 Show Encouraging Results in Phase I CLL Studies
Two novel agents—the small-molecule PI3K inhibitor IPI-145 and the Bcl-2 inhibitor ABT-199—show promising activity in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to two phase I studies presented at the 55th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition (Abstracts...
Obinutuzumab/Chlorambucil Superior to Rituximab/Chlorambucil as First-Line Treatment for Older CLL Patients With Comorbidities
Obinutuzumab (Gazyva) plus chlorambucil (Leukeran) was superior to rituximab (Rituximab) plus chlorambucil as first-line therapy in older chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients with comorbidities, with an acceptable safety profile, according to final results of the phase III CLL11 trial....
Reduced-Intensity Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Spares Cognition
The intensity of transplant-related chemotherapy and radiation has effects on cognition, according to a study presented at the 55th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition (Abstract 913). Full-intensity hematopoietic stem cell transplant was associated with cognitive...
Successful Chimeric Antigen Receptor–Expressing T-Cell Treatment Reported in Advanced Lymphomas
Development of autologous genetically engineered anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-expressing T cells holds promise in the treatment of hematologic malignancies. CAR T cells are being studied in adult and pediatric acute lymphocytic leukemias and in chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and...
Novel Agents Produce Encouraging Trends in Gastric Cancer
Several novel agents targeting the HER2, C-MET, and VEGF receptors have achieved encouraging results in gastric cancer, which is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Charles Fuchs, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, reviewed these new approaches in a presentation at the...
Novel Oral Agent Extends Survival in Relapsed/Refractory Colorectal Cancer, Phase II Study Shows
Hopes are high that TAS-102, a novel oral nucleoside agent, will turn out to be an advance in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer, said Howard Hochster, MD, of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Program at Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, Connecticut, speaking at the Chemotherapy Foundation...
Vemurafenib Produces Rapid Responses in Hairy Cell Leukemia
Preliminary results of an ongoing clinical trial suggest that the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib (Zelboraf)—indicated for the treatment of metastatic melanoma with BRAF V600E mutation—may have an important role in the treatment of hairy cell leukemia. The cornerstone of therapy for this...
ECC 2013: French Study Finds Routine PSA Screening Does More Harm Than Good
There is no consensus on the value of routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening. Weighing in on this issue, investigators presented a study at the European Cancer Congress 2013 in Amsterdam (Abstract 1481) suggesting that population-based PSA screening does more harm than good. The...
ECC 2013: Strong Showing for Ado-Trastuzumab Emtansine in Heavily Pretreated Advanced HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
Results of the phase III TH3RESA trial show that the antibody-conjugate ado-trastuzumab (Kadcyla, previously known as T-DM1) extends progression-free survival in women with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer that progressed on two or more previous HER2-directed therapies including trastuzumab...
ECC 2013: Novel Anti-PD-L1 Antibody Achieves Durable Responses in Phase I Study of Patients With Metastatic NSCLC, Smokers Included
For the first time, an immunotherapy shows promise in smokers with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The engineered monoclonal antibody MPDL3280A achieved encouraging and durable responses in a phase I study in metastatic NSCLC in smokers and nonsmokers, and with squamous and adenocarcinoma ...
