Dr. Shulman is Deputy Director, Clinical Services, and Director of the Center for Global Cancer Medicine, Abramson Cancer Center; and Professor of Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. IN 2008, WHEN ALLEN LICHTER, MD, FASCO, then Chief Executive Officer of ASCO,...
FORMAL DISCUSSANT of the KEYNOTE-189 trial, Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD, Chief of Medical Oncology at Smilow Cancer Hospital, Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, heartily endorsed the new triplet combination of pembrolizumab, pemetrexed, and a platinum in advanced nonsquamous non– small cell lung cancer...
ADDING THE IMMUNE checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda) to standard chemotherapy with pemetrexed (Alimta) and a platinum as first-line therapy was superior to chemotherapy alone in the KEYNOTE-189 trial.1 Induction and maintenance therapies with the new triplet therapy improved overall...
In a study reported in Annals of Oncology, Andersen et al found that tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes isolated from metastatic melanoma lesions in patients with disease progression after checkpoint inhibitor therapy remain functional. Moreover, they concluded these tumor-infiltrating...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Degnim et al have developed a model for predicting breast cancer risk among women with atypical hyperplasia on breast biopsy. Study Details The risk model (AH-BC) was developed using retrospective cohorts of women aged 18 to 85 years with...
In a phase Ib trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Omuro et al found evidence of activity of carboxyamidotriazole orotate plus temozolomide in patients with recurrent anaplastic gliomas or glioblastoma and previously untreated glioblastoma. Carboxyamidotriazole orotate is an...
Parenting concerns contributed significantly to the psychological distress of mothers with late-stage cancer, according to a study by University of North Carolina (UNC) Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers published by Park et al in the journal Cancer. Cancer is the leading cause of...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently accepted a supplemental biologics license application (sBLA) and granted Priority Review for atezolizumab (Tecentriq) in combination with bevacizumab (Avastin), paclitaxel, and carboplatin for the first-line treatment of metastatic nonsquamous...
On May 7, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved daratumumab (Darzalex) in combination with bortezomib (Velcade), a proteasome inhibitor; melphalan, an alkylating agent; and prednisone—VMP—for the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who are...
Early, ongoing screening of lymphatic function and immediate patient-administered therapies as needed are highly effective in improving outcomes for women at high risk for breast cancer–related lymphedema (BCRL). These were the findings of a new study presented at the American Society of ...
Modern, multimodality lumpectomy treatment significantly reduces the incidence of breast cancer recurrence at the original tumor site compared to historical protocols, according to a new study presented at the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS) 19th Annual Meeting (Abstract...
Current restrictive genetic testing guidelines exclude many patients who harbor high-risk breast cancer mutations, according to two new studies presented at the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS) 19th Annual Meeting (Abstracts 402910, 404340). One study found that whether or not patients...
Women with breast cancer who underwent regular mammographic screening were diagnosed with earlier-stage disease and treated with significantly less aggressive therapies than those who delayed or never underwent screening, according to new research presented at the American Society of Breast...
A large population-based study by Soisson et al examining the long-term cardiovascular outcomes among survivors of endometrial cancer has found that women were at higher risk for a number of cardiovascular risks, including hypertension; diseases of the arteries, arterioles, and capillaries;...
In an article published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Stilgenbauer et al reported findings from the full population of the phase II trial that supported the 2016 approval of venetoclax (Venclexta) in the treatment of previously treated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with 17p deletion....
Researchers have found that women with advanced triple-negative breast cancer with a BRCA mutation were twice as likely to benefit from carboplatin as docetaxel—the current standard of care for these patients. These findings were published by Tutt et al in Nature Medicine. The trial is set...
On April 30, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted for priority review the biologics license application (BLA) for cemiplimab for the treatment of patients with metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma or patients with locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma who...
In a meta-analysis reported in The Lancet Oncology, Yamada et al found that patients with cystic fibrosis are at increased risk of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers vs the general population. Improved management of cystic fibrosis has led to increased life expectancy and increased incidence of...
In an Australian trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Sherman et al found that use of a structured online writing exercise (My Changed Body) was associated with reduced body image distress and improved body appreciation among breast cancer survivors. Study Details My Changed...
On April 30, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved dabrafenib (Tafinlar) in combination with trametinib (Mekinist) for the adjuvant treatment of patients with melanoma with BRAF V600E or V600K mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test, and lymph node involvement following...
The latest news from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about vaccination rates in the United States for human papillomavirus (HPV) is disappointing. It shows that in 2016, just 43.4% of adolescents (49.5% of females and 37.5% of males) were up-to-date with the recommended 3-dose HPV...
Updated results of a phase I/II study of durvalumab (Imfinzi) in locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma were reported by Thomas Powles, MD, of Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, and colleagues in JAMA Oncology. Data from the ongoing study supported the recent...
Desmoplastic melanoma is a rare subtype of melanoma that is commonly found on sun-exposed areas, such as the head and neck, and usually seen in older patients. Treatment is difficult, as these tumors are often resistant to chemotherapy and lack actionable mutations commonly found in other types of...
A study examining the patient’s perspective on breast radiotherapy found that 68% of the patients surveyed responded that they had little or no prior knowledge of radiotherapy at the time of breast cancer diagnosis, making that an excellent time for physicians and other health-care professionals to ...
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved dabrafenib (Tafinlar) and trametinib (Mekinist), administered together, for the treatment of unresectable, metastatic, BRAF V600E mutation–positive anaplastic thyroid cancer. Anaplastic thyroid cancer accounts for about 1% to 2% of all...
Nearly 85% of patients surveyed 6 or more months after completing radiotherapy as part of their treatment for breast cancer reported the side effects were not as bad as they had feared or expected. Approximately 92% of the 269 patients treated with breast conservation and 81% of the 58 patients...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Kenneth C. Anderson, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and colleagues, ASCO has issued a clinical practice guideline update on the role of bone-modifying agents in multiple myeloma.1 The update was performed by an expert panel systematic...
The ASCO Post is pleased to reproduce installments of the “Art of Oncology” as published previously in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. These articles focus on the experience of suffering from cancer or of caring for people diagnosed with cancer, and they include narratives, topical essays,...
Virginia G. Kaklamani, MD, Professor of Hematology/Oncology at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio and leader of the center’s breast cancer program, was born and reared in Athens, Greece. “I spent my formative years in Athens, where I attended school. My father is a physician and my mom’s a...
Despite steady declines in death rates in recent years, lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in wealthy countries. In a study published by Andreano et al in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, Yale researchers collaborated with investigators in Europe to examine lung cancer care and ...
A study by Mofidi et al in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene has estimated the total and per-case costs of newly diagnosed nonmelanoma skin cancers in Canada in 2011 caused by workplace sun exposure. Using a range of secondary sources, including official government records and...
In an Israeli case-cohort study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Hamood et al found that hormone therapy in breast cancer survivors was associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes. The study involved a cohort of 2,246 women from the Leumit health-care fund diagnosed with...
The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation announced that, as part of its $15M Immunotherapy Initiative, it has awarded $7 million to fund three research programs led by myeloma researchers. The Immunotherapy Initiative, through the formation of highly collaborative, multidisciplinary Immune Networks ...
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Schäfer et al, little difference in quality of life was observed over long-term follow-up between women receiving accelerated partial-breast irradiation (APBI) with interstitial brachytherapy vs whole-breast irradiation (WBI) after breast-conserving...
The ASCO Post’s Integrative Oncology series is intended to facilitate the availability of evidence-based information on integrative and complementary therapies commonly used by patients with cancer. In this installment, Jun J. Mao, MD, MSCE, and Jyothirmai Gubili, MS, focus attention on chamomile ...
Agnieszka Witkiewicz, MD, has been appointed Director of the Center for Personalized Medicine at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is also Chief of Research and Biobanking in the Department of Pathology. Before coming to the cancer center, she worked at the University of Arizona as...
Primo Nery Lara, Jr, MD, has been named Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated University of California (UC) Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. He will lead a team of more than 300 scientists, with an estimated $90 million in annual research funding, and a clinical enterprise...
Linda D. Bosserman, MD, FACP, FASCO, has been named Editor-in-Chief of ASCO’s Journal of Oncology Practice (JOP). She is a recognized leader in cancer care delivery with an understanding of the issues impacting all types of oncology practices. Dr. Bosserman will oversee the development of each...
Overwhelming evidence shows that patient decision aids, such as educational booklets, videos, or Web-based tools that take into account patients’ values and personal preferences, hold enormous promise for improving the informed consent process. Patient decision aids both reduce unwanted medical...
On December 20, 2017, nivolumab (Opdivo) was granted regular approval for adjuvant treatment of patients with melanoma with lymph node involvement or metastatic disease who have undergone complete resection.1,2 Nivolumab was previously approved for the treatment of patients with unresectable or...
In 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) convened an advisory committee that recognized metastasis-free survival as a clinically relevant endpoint for nonmetastatic prostate cancer due to shorter trial readout times and acknowledgment that a substantial delay in the transition to a...
In rapid succession, the SPARTAN study results were presented at the 2018 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, the data were published in The New England Journal of Medicine,1 and the drug apalutamide -(Erleada) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for men with previously...
GUEST EDITOR Addressing the evolving needs of cancer survivors at various stages of their illness and care, Palliative Care in Oncology is guest edited by Jamie H. Von Roenn, MD. Dr. Von Roenn is ASCO’s Vice President of Education, Science, and Professional Development. Research shows that...
On December 22, 2017, the product label for nilotinib (Tasigna) was updated to include information on nilotinib discontinuation, postdiscontinuation monitoring, and guidance for treatment reinitiation in patients with Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who have...
The treatment paradigm for metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma continues to evolve at a rapid pace. We have recently approved agents that target the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) pathway in the front-line setting—such as the tyrosine kinase inhibitor cabozantinib...
In a dose-finding, dose-expansion phase Ib trial (JAVELIN Renal 100) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Toni K. Choueiri, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and colleagues determined the maximum tolerated dose of the immune checkpoint inhibitor avelumab (Bavencio)...
The Melanoma Research Alliance has announced funding for research grants totaling more than $11 million. The awards will fund researchers at 23 institutions across the United States, Australia, and Belgium to conduct research to advance the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of melanoma. This...
In a phase Ib trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Wrangle et al found evidence of activity of the combination of nivolumab (Opdivo) and the interleukin (IL)-15 superagonist ALT-803 in patients with previously treated advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). ALT-803 targets the shared...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Dowsett et al have developed a clinicopathologic tool for predicting risk of late distant recurrence in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer treated with 5 years of endocrine therapy. Study Details In the study, a prognostic score for...
On May 2, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted orphan drug designation to the cancer vaccine BN-Brachyury for the treatment of chordoma. Chordoma is a rare type of cancer that develops along the spine, with presentation occurring at one of three main sites: sacrum, mobile spine, or...