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Showing 19801 - 198502015–2016 ASCO President Julie M. Vose, MD, MBA, FASCO: Leading During a Year of Historic Changes
Julie M. Vose, MD, MBA, FASCO, began her term as the 2015–2016 President of ASCO at the 2015 Annual Meeting on June 1, 2015. Dr. Vose, a leading expert in the treatment of patients with lymphoma, is the current Neumann M. and Mildred E. Harris Professorial Chair and Chief of the Oncology/Hematology ...
Collective Wisdom: Patient-Centered Care and Research
In 1964, when the first seven physicians who founded ASCO met, I doubt they imagined what a successful Society they were forming. At that time, cancer treatments were just beginning to have some early successes with a few cytotoxic therapies, new radiation modalities, and improved surgical...
Blame
The following essay by Karen J. Krag, MD, is adapted from The Big Casino: America’s Best Cancer Doctors Share Their Most Powerful Stories, which was coedited by Stan Winokur, MD, and Vincent Coppola and published in May 2014. The book is available on Amazon.com and thebigcasino.org. It is easier ...
The Human Heart: Tales of Science and Mystery
BOOKMARK Title: The Man Who Touched His Own Heart: True Tales of Science, Surgery, and Mystery Author: Rob Dunn Publisher: Little, Brown and Company Publication date: February 3, 2015 Price: $27.00; hardcover, 384 pages No part of the human anatomy has been as mythologized, analogized, and...
An Oncologist’s Memoir
BOOKMARK Title: Megalies: A Memoir Author: Lodovico Balducci, MD Publisher: Resource Publications Publication date: February 28, 2014 Price: $33.00; hardcover, 304 pages Reading a good book produces various sensory responses; a skilled author exerts his or her narrative power on each page,...
Using Gene Analytics to Identify Patients at Risk for Treatment Toxicity
Genomic applications are now an accepted part of oncologic science and practice. Differences in gene expression have been used to understand and predict tumor behaviors and response to treatment. And now it seems likely that genomics may also play a pivotal role in guiding treatment preferences by...
St. Jude to Receive $12 Million in Grants From NIH
Investigators at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have received grants totaling more than $12 million from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Pharmacogenomics Research Network (PGRN) for a new Center for Precision Medicine in Leukemia and for the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation ...
Past President of ASCO Takes on New Role at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to Improve Patient Care and Public Health
In June, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (Memorial) in New York announced it had appointed Clifford A. Hudis, MD, FACP, Chief of Breast Medicine Service, to a newly created position of Vice President for Government Relations and Chief Advocacy Officer. In addition to his new role, Dr. Hudis ...
ODAC Discussion ‘Constructive’ About Necitumumab for Squamous NSCLC
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) favored the approval of necitumumab in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin for use in first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic squamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In...
Magnetic Resonance Imaging/Ultrasound Fusion: A Promising Technology for Image-Guided Prostate Biopsy
An elegant study by Siddiqui et al1—reviewed in this issue of The ASCO Post—offers compelling evidence for the diagnostic utility of “targeted” prostate biopsy using multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data fused with ultrasound images. The technique involves first performing a...
FDA Grants Orphan Drug Designation to Antitropomyosin Drug for Neuroblastoma
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug designation to Novogen Limited’s chemotherapy candidate drug Anisina for neuroblastoma. Anisina is a small molecule belonging to a family of compounds called antitropomyosins. It has been designed to inhibit Tpm3.1, a structural...
Study Shows Current Blood Cancer Drug Prices Are Not Justified
The costs associated with cancer drug prices have risen dramatically over the past 15 years, a trend concerning to many oncologists. In a new analysis, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center concluded the majority of existing treatments for hematologic cancers are...
The Value Proposition in Oncology: ASCO Session Weighs Points of View
The value proposition in health care is often represented with the following equation: Value = Outcomes/Cost. The simplicity of this equation, however, belies the complexity of its parts, which are the contributions of multiple stakeholders with unique perspectives. A session presented at the 2015...
ESMO’s Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale Brings Unbiased Perspective to Cancer Drugs’ Worth
An anticancer therapy may be hailed as a breakthrough in some corners, whereas its value may be hotly contested in others. In an effort to bring clear, unbiased perspective to new expensive therapies, the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) has created a valuable tool for oncologists,...
Glioblastoma: Novel Immunotherapy Approaches Generate Responses and Excitement
Checkpoint inhibitors were major attention grabbers at the 2015 ASCO Annual Meeting, but studies suggested there are other encouraging means of harnessing the immune system in the treatment of glioblastoma. EGFRvIII-Targeted Vaccine David A. Reardon, MD, Clinical Director of the Center for...
Is Proton-Beam Therapy Facing a Difficult Future?
Health-care experts are questioning whether proton-beam therapy is on the verge of an economic bubble—ie, a rapid surge in growth for the industry beyond its intrinsic value, inevitably leading to a drastic drop in earnings for proton centers when the “bubble bursts.” A proton-beam facility can...
Value: What Do We Mean, Who Should Decide?
Oscar Wilde famously defined a cynic as “a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.” I do not think that oncologists need to be as cynical as this, but it was very appropriate that a major theme of this year’s ASCO Annual Meeting was the concept of “value.” It is clear that...
Expert Point of View: Peter B. Bach, MD, MAPP, and Leonard Saltz, MD
Peter B. Bach, MD, MAPP, Director of the Center for Health Policy and Outcomes at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (Memorial), New York, discussed Dr. Schrag’s study at the ASCO Health Services Research and Quality of Care session. “Dr. Schrag’s analysis could have been ‘back of the...
Collaboration Between Surgeons and Medical Oncologists Improves Outcomes for Patients With Stage III Colon Cancer
Collaboration between surgeons and medical oncologists “is associated with lower mortality without increased cost among patients with stage III colon cancer,” according to a study by Tanvir Hussain, MD, MSc, and colleagues from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, and the...
Expect Questions About Increased Risk of Melanoma From Consuming Grapefruits and Orange Juice
Could too much citrus cause skin cancer?” was the lead-in of an NBC News item about a study linking consumption of grapefruits and oranges to an increased risk of melanoma.1 “Citrus consumption and skin cancer: How real is the link?” was the question posed by a headline in The Washington Post.2...
Public Urged Not to Overreact to Study Finding Link Between Citrus Fruits and Melanoma Risk
A study finding a link between citrus consumption and increased risk of melanoma1 may provide food for thought about the findings and implications as well as whet the appetite for more evidence, but according to several experts commenting on the study, it does not mean you should stop eating citrus ...
American University of Beirut Appoints Its 16th President, Fadlo R. Khuri, MD
The American University of Beirut (AUB) recently announced Fadlo R. Khuri, MD, as the 16th President of the University. Dr. Khuri is presently Professor and Chairman of the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, and holds the Roberto C. Goizueta...
ACCC Launches Immuno-Oncology Program for Community‐Based Cancer Care Providers
The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) has launched the Institute for Clinical Immuno-Oncology (ICLIO), a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed to facilitate the rapid adoption of immuno-oncology in the community cancer setting. To help with the rapid uptake of immuno-oncology at the...
Microangiopathic Hemolytic Anemia and Thrombocytopenia: Answers From Hematology Expert Review Questions
Question 1: What is the best first step in management of this patient? Correct Answer: C. Start plasma exchange. Expert Perspective Although distinguishing among thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, typical hemolytic uremic syndrome, and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (see Table 1 in the...
Microangiopathic Hemolytic Anemia and Thrombocytopenia: Questions
Hematology Expert Review is an occasional feature that includes a case report followed by questions, answers, and expert commentary. In the July 25 issue of The ASCO Post, part 1 of a case report was published and focused on diagnosis (see summary below). Here, in part 2, the management of this...
Be a Voice in The Campaign to Conquer Cancer
We’ll provide the resources—you provide the voice. The Campaign to Conquer Cancer is raising $150 million to support a world free from the fear of cancer. Our potential to raise money increases with every new person who learns about our work. We need the most trusted leaders in the oncology...
Strengthening the Doctor-Patient Relationship: An Interview With Lidia Schapira, MD, FASCO
Earlier this summer, Lidia Schapira, MD, FASCO, a medical oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, was named Editor-in-Chief of Cancer.Net, ASCO’s patient information website. Prior to taking on this role, Dr....
Conquer Cancer Foundation Donor Spotlight: Ludwig Cancer Research
Among the Conquer Cancer Foundation’s newest supporters, Ludwig Cancer Research is an international community of distinguished scientists dedicated to preventing and controlling cancer. Its emphasis on collaboration and long-term support has fostered its role as a leader in immunotherapy and other...
Physician Fee Schedule: A Closer Look
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the 2016 Physician Fee Schedule on July 15. Among other changes, CMS proposes new codes and payment levels for Advance Care Planning; requests comments for future implementation of the Medicare...
New Symposium Brings Together Oncologists and Primary Care Providers to Advance Survivorship Care and Research
With two-thirds of Americans now living at least 5 years after a cancer diagnosis, there are currently 14.5 million cancer survivors living in the United States. By 2024, that number is expected to increase by nearly 25%.1 Although the growing number of survivors is a welcome sign of progress, this ...
Sonidegib in Basal Cell Carcinoma
In the Clinic provides overviews of novel oncology agents, addressing indications, mechanisms, administration recommendations, safety profiles, and other essential information needed for the appropriate clinical use of these drugs. On July 24, 2015, sonidegib (Odomzo) was approved for treatment...
Johnson & Johnson Creates Independent Bioethics Panel to Evaluate Compassionate Drug Use Requests
In May 2015, Johnson & Johnson announced its partnership with New York University (NYU) School of Medicine in New York to create a first-of-its kind independent bioethics panel to review requests made to the company for compassionate use of an investigational drug and determine how the company...
15th Annual Conference of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG)
Join the best minds in Geriatric Oncology during the 15th SIOG Annual Conference taking place in Prague, Czech Republic, on November 12–14, 2015. The 3-day scientific program of SIOG 2015 will have the theme: “Geriatric Oncology and Supportive Care: A Global Approach to Advance the Science.” ...
Geriatric Oncology: A Geriatrician’s Perspective
“The management of older individuals, including older cancer patients, involves a wisdom developed over a lifetime, thanks to time-consuming listening and painstaking collection and interpretation of clinical details.” —Lodovico Balducci, MD It is not simple to be a geriatrician in a world of...
Clinical Trials Actively Recruiting Patients With Genitourinary Cancers
The information contained in this Clinical Trials Resource Guide includes actively recruiting clinical studies for patients with genitourinary cancers—prostate, bladder, uterine, and testicular. The trials are investigating genetic biomarkers of cancer; proton beam therapy; allogeneic bone marrow...
Penn’s Basser Center for BRCA Names David Livingston, MD, Winner of 2015 Annual Basser Global Prize
The Basser Center for BRCA at Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center has announced the recipient of its third annual Basser Global Prize: molecular cancer expert David Livingston, MD, Emil Frei Professor of Genetics and Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Deputy Director of the Dana-Farber/Harvard...
Improved Understanding of Glioma Tumor Biology
The management of patients with lower-grade gliomas is evolving. As evidenced by two recent publications in The New England Journal of Medicine,1,2 reviewed in this issue of The ASCO Post, there has been a substantial increase in our knowledge of the molecular characteristics of these neoplasms....
New Molecular Classifications of Gliomas Established
Two studies reported in The New England Journal of Medicine identified new molecular classifications of glioma that capture biologic and prognostic differences. The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network identified three prognostically significant subtypes of lower-grade glioma that were identified...
The Conundrum of Estrogen-Receptor Signaling in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
BOLERO-1—reviewed in this issue of The ASCO Post—is the next installment in a series of randomized trials evaluating the addition of everolimus (Afinitor) to standard therapy in metastatic breast cancer.1 The initial evaluation of everolimus in the HER2-positive metastatic setting looked extremely...
Calculating the Value of Cancer Drugs
For nearly a decade, Peter B. Bach, MD, MAPP, Director of the Center for Health Policy and Outcomes at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, has been a leading voice in sounding the alarm over the escalating cost of cancer drugs and in seeking a solution to the problem. In 2012, Dr....
Carfilzomib in Combination With Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone in Relapsed Multiple Myeloma
In the Clinic provides overviews of novel oncology agents, addressing indications, mechanisms, administration recommendations, safety profiles, and other essential information needed for the appropriate clinical use of these drugs. On July 24, 2015, carfilzomib (Kyprolis) was approved for use in...
Learning to Refine the Use of Regorafenib to Best Advantage in Advanced Colorectal Cancer
In patients with advanced colorectal cancer who have been heavily treated with a sequence of chemotherapy regimens and/or targeted therapies, the goals of treatment on or off a clinical trial are readily definable. These patients and their managing teams are striving to extend the length of lives,...
FDA Approves Sonidegib for Locally Advanced Basal Cell Carcinoma
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved sonidegib (Odomzo) for the treatment of patients with locally advanced basal cell carcinoma that has recurred following surgery or radiation therapy or those who are not candidates for surgery or radiation therapy. The approval was based on...
Managing Cancer Pain at the End of Life
Cancer-related pain does not exist in a vacuum. To effectively treat it, clinicians should understand the contributing factors. Proper assessment and management of cancer pain at the end of life can significantly alleviate patient suffering, according to Eduardo Bruera, MD, FAAHPM, Department Chair ...
Dispelling the Myths Associated With Osteonecrosis of the Jaw
Osteonecrosis of the jaw associated with cancer treatment is frequently misunderstood, according to Cesar Augusto Migliorati, DDS, MS, PhD, who delivered an update on its proper recognition and management at the 2015 Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer/International Society of...
Short Course of Radiotherapy May Be Adequate for Elderly and Frail Patients With Glioblastoma Multiforme
No difference in overall survival or progression-free survival was observed between elderly and/or frail patients undergoing short and standard courses of radiotherapy for glioblastoma multiforme, according to data presented by Elena Fidarova, MD, at the 2015 Multinational Association of Supportive ...
Dactinomycin Formulation Gets Orphan Drug Designation
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug designation to NanoSmart Pharmaceuticals’ novel formulation of dactinomycin for the treatment of Ewing sarcoma, a rare type of childhood bone cancer. The designation was granted on the basis of a plausible hypothesis that the novel ...
FDA Approves Carfilzomib Combination for Patients With Relapsed Multiple Myeloma
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved carfilzomib (Kyprolis) in combination with lenalidomide (Revlimid) and dexamethasone for the treatment of patients with relapsed multiple myeloma who have received one to three prior lines of therapy. In the United States, there are nearly...
Gefitinib in EGFR-Mutant Metastatic NSCLC
In the Clinic provides overviews of novel oncology agents, addressing indications, mechanisms, administration recommendations, safety profiles, and other essential information needed for the appropriate clinical use of these drugs. On July 13, 2015, gefitinib (Iressa) was approved for first-line ...
Immunotherapy Makes Inroads in Small Cell Lung Cancer
Early data on immunotherapy for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) have been encouraging. SCLC may catch up to non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), where immunotherapy is now standard of care, if these early data are borne out in phase III trials. Phase Ib and II studies of immunotherapy in SCLC were...
