According to recent studies, the incidence of early-onset cancers—often defined as those diagnosed in individuals younger than age 50—is on the rise, and not just in the United States but globally as well. Research shows that between 1990 and 2019, the global incidence of early-onset cancer...
Two recent studies have offered new insights into the treatment of muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma following cystectomy, according to findings presented by Powles et al and Galsky et al at the European Association of Urology Congress 2024. The research could allow physicians to target...
Researchers have identified microbiota signatures that are associated with KRAS mutations in patients with colorectal cancer, according to a recent study published by Huang et al in Microbiology Spectrum. The findings suggest that gut microbes may serve as a noninvasive biomarker for subtypes of...
The American Cancer Society (ACS) has released Global Cancer Statistics 2022, an update of the organization’s report on global cancer facts and trends. According to the findings, an estimated 20 million cancer cases were newly diagnosed in 2022 and 9.7 million people died from the disease...
On April 1, danicopan (Voydeya) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as add-on therapy to ravulizumab-cwvz or eculizumab for the treatment of extravascular hemolysis (EVH) in adults with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). VOYDEYA is a first-in-class, oral, Factor D...
Of 58 million people worldwide living with hepatitis C virus (HCV), one-sixth of them are found in sub-Saharan Africa.1 Yet, in that region, direct access to diagnostic testing and treatment is limited to less than 5%. HCV carries significant downstream implications including cirrhosis (30%–46%), ...
Artificial intelligence (AI)—computational analytics with routine imaging via radiology or pathology—can advance precision medicine in breast cancer, specifically by predicting response to therapy and calculating prognosis, according to a pioneer in the field, Anant Madabhushi, PhD, of Emory...
A Medicare policy requiring shared decision-making between primary care physicians and patients regarding whether to proceed with lung cancer screening may require further examination, according to a recent study published by Kale et al in the Annals of Family Medicine. The findings indicated that...
Researchers examined whether the artificial intelligence (AI)-based chatbot ChatGPT can help provide answers to patients with cancer regarding radiation oncology treatment, according to a recent study published by Yalamanchili et al in JAMA Network Open. Background Over 60% (n = 500,000) of...
New findings authored by Joseph M. Unger, PhD, and colleagues in the Journal of Clinical Oncology using Commission on Cancer data showed that when all types of cancer research studies are considered, at least one in five people with cancer in the United States—or 21.9%—participate in some form of...
High levels of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) within the tumors of patients with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer may be associated with a lower risk of cancer recurrence and greater rate of survival, even without chemotherapy, according to a recent study published by Leon-Ferre et...
Microwave ablation may offer comparable progression-free survival rates and fewer complications in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma compared with surgical resection, according to a recent study published by Zhao et al in Radiology. Background Papillary thyroid carcinoma—the most common...
ASCO and Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, will recognize researchers, patient advocates, philanthropists, teachers, and global oncology leaders who have reshaped cancer care around the world with the Society’s highest honors at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting. The 2024 Special Award Recipients...
Investigators have found that combining a prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) density test may help diagnose clinically significant prostate cancer and avoid unnecessary biopsies, according to a recent systematic review and meta-analysis published...
There is much debate about the necessity of treating women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) with surgery or radiotherapy.1,2 It is disconcerting to many that patients with DCIS are treated in the same way as are women with early-stage invasive breast cancer. Many patients with DCIS have...
Researchers surveyed oncologists for their perspectives on how artificial intelligence (AI) may be responsibly integrated into some aspects of cancer care as well as how to protect patients from the hidden biases of AI, according to a recent study published by Hantel et al in JAMA Network Open....
Prolonged use of selected progestogen agents may be associated with an increased risk of developing intracranial meningioma, according to a recent study published by Roland et al in the BMJ. Background Progestogens are similar to the natural hormone progesterone, which are widely used in menopausal ...
Nearly 21,000 new cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are diagnosed each year in the United States, about 80% of which occur in individuals aged 60 years and older. The cancer has the highest mortality rate among the different types of leukemia, and, in 2024, it is predicted that about 11,220...
On March 1, 2024, amivantamab-vmjw (Rybrevant) was approved for use with carboplatin and pemetrexed for first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations, as detected by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved...
A genetic variant located on the IKZF1 gene may be responsible for disparities in the risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) among Hispanic and Latino children, according to a recent study published by de Smith et al in Cell Genomics. The findings offer insights into the causes of the disease...
The composition of the gut microbiome may reveal distinct signatures associated with race, ethnicity, and age of onset in patients with colorectal cancer, according to a recent study published by Hein et al in the Journal of Immunotherapy and Precision Oncology. The findings provide insights into...
Researchers have found that a specific subtype of Fusobacterium nucleatum may be capable of growing within colorectal cancer, driving cancer progression, and leading to poorer outcomes following colorectal cancer treatment, according to a recent study published by Zepeda-Rivera et al in Nature. The ...
Anne Knisely, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses study findings showing that patients with ovarian cancer who undergo second-look laparoscopy and are found to have measurable residual disease (MRD) as well as circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) after front-line therapy...
Statistically significant and clinically meaningful overall survival results from Part 1 and progression-free survival results from Part 2 of the RUBY/ENGOT-EN6/GOG3031/NSGO phase III trial in adult patients with primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer were presented in a late-breaking...
On March 22, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx (Elahere) for adult patients with folate receptor–alpha (FRα)-positive, platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer, who have received one to three prior systemic ...
Researchers have found that a low-dose radiotherapy boost in addition to whole-breast radiotherapy may prevent local recurrence in young patients with breast cancer, according to new findings presented by Bosma et al at the 2024 European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC) (Abstract 4LBA) and...
Extensive removal of the lymph nodes may be safely avoided in patients with breast cancer that has metastasized to the axillary nodes if treatment is tailored to their response to therapies such as chemotherapy prior to surgery, according to new findings presented by van Hemert et al at the 2024...
A combined positron-emission tomography–magnetic resonance imaging (PET-MRI) scanning technique could improve the treatment of some patients with early-stage breast cancer, according to new findings presented by Di Micco et al at the 2024 European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC) (Abstract 9) and...
About 8 years ago, I was just a few years into menopause when I noticed blood in my urine. It wasn’t accompanied by pain, frequent urination, or any other troubling symptoms, so initially I wasn’t too concerned. But when I started passing pieces of tissue, I became alarmed and made an appointment...
Guest Editor’s Note: Psychological distress is highly prevalent in cancer populations throughout the disease trajectory. Integrative modalities are being increasingly used for managing the associated symptoms. In this article, Joke Bradt, PhD, MT-BC, summarizes the latest joint guideline published ...
On February 16, 2024, lifileucel (Amtagvi), a tumor-derived autologous T-cell immunotherapy, was granted accelerated approval for adults with unresectable or metastatic melanoma previously treated with a PD-1–blocking antibody, and if BRAF V600 mutation–positive, a BRAF inhibitor with or without a...
Although more than 85% of childhood cancer survivors will achieve a 5-year survival,1 that does not tell the whole tale for these individuals who move into adulthood. They are at excess risk of late mortality, even 40 years out from a cancer diagnosis, from non–cancer-related causes,1 and related...
On January 19, 2024, erdafitinib (Balversa) was approved for patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma with susceptible FGFR3 genetic alterations, as determined by a U.S. Food & Drug Administration–approved companion diagnostic test, whose disease has progressed on or...
In Kathy Giusti’s empowering and deeply personal book Fatal to Fearless: 12 Steps to Beating Cancer in a Broken Medical System (HarperCollins, 2024), she details the shock of being diagnosed with multiple myeloma, in 1996, at the age of 37. Told she had 3 years to live, the book recounts how Ms....
In 1996, at the age of 37, Kathy Giusti was diagnosed with the incurable blood cancer multiple myeloma and told she had about 3 years to live. In the mid-1990s, effective therapies for this second most common blood cancer were nearly nonexistent. Standard of care for myeloma consisted of oral...
The findings from RATIONALE-315 were discussed at the ESMO (European Society for Medical Oncology) Virtual Plenary by Luis Paz-Ares, MD, PhD, Head of the Medical Oncology Service at the Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid. He noted that inhibitors of PD-1 and its ligand PD-L1, as...
In the phase III MORPHO trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Mark J. Levis, MD, PhD, and colleagues found that the FLT3 inhibitor gilteritinib showed activity as post–allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) maintenance among patients with FLT3-ITD–mutated acute myeloid...
The addition of atezolizumab to postsurgery chemotherapy may not benefit patients with triple-negative breast cancer, according to findings recently presented by McArthur et al at the 2024 European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC; Abstract 1LBA). Background Triple-negative breast cancer is often...
Taking part in an exercise program may improve pain, fatigue, and quality of life in patients with metastatic breast cancer, according to recent findings presented by Hiensch et al at the 2024 European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC; Abstract 1). Background “Although there’s been quite a lot of...
Investigators have found that second primary malignancies following chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy were reported in 4.3% of CAR T-cell therapy adverse event reports submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System, with T-cell malignancies...
A novel genetic test may predict how patients with triple-negative early-stage breast cancer will respond to immunotherapy, according to new findings presented by Wolf et al at the 2024 European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC) (Abstract 2LBA). The research may help patients who are unlikely to...
The combination of the small molecule inhibitor of VEGFR fruquintinib and the chemotherapy paclitaxel presents a potential new second-line treatment of patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, according to data presented during the ASCO Plenary Series: February...
ASCO has released a new guideline on the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer in resource-constrained settings, where maximal setting–recommended treatments are not available.1 The guideline, designed for clinicians, policymakers, and patients, provides stratified recommendations...
W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, took the helm as the 17th Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), on December 18, 2023. A renowned kidney cancer expert and influential leader in cancer research and patient care, Dr. Rathmell was selected by...
The optimal management of high-risk prostate cancer remains a topic of ongoing investigation. The quest for therapy that maximizes cancer control while minimizing toxicity is constant. Over the past decade, there has been mounting evidence that the addition of a brachytherapy boost to external-beam ...
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and lumbar puncture may not always be necessary for diagnosing and managing a serious neurologic complication associated with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, according to a new study published by Mauget et al in Blood Advances. Findings further...
In a news release issued by ASCO earlier this month, the society reported that The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) was calling on President Biden to continue to prioritize access to high-quality, equitable cancer care in his State of the Union address. Specifically, the cancer care...
Adjuvant use of the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab achieved a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in disease-free survival in patients with high-risk muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma vs observation after surgical resection, according to an interim analysis of the phase ...
“The practice of medicine is an art, not a trade….” —Sir William Osler Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) accounts for approximately 5% to 7% of all lymphomas; the median age of patients with MCL is between 60 and 70 years. This lymphoma is generally considered incurable. Median survival in retrospective...
With a 5-year overall survival of close to 90% in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), there have been large treatment shifts over the past decade in this disease, which now includes “more disciplines than it did before,” commented medical oncologist Danielle Shafer, DO, of Inova Schar Cancer...