Options for second-line therapy of advanced/metastatic renal cell carcinoma are expanding. Updates from the CheckMate 025 and METEOR trials presented at the 2016 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium solidify the value of both nivolumab (Opdivo, an immune checkpoint inhibitor) and cabozantinib...
In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Acuna et al found a nearly threefold increased risk of cancer mortality in solid-organ transplant recipients compared with the general population in Ontario, Canada. Study Details The population-based cohort study included data from 11,061 patients who...
In a retrospective analysis reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Nead et al found that use of androgen-deprivation therapy in the treatment of prostate cancer was associated with an increased risk of subsequent Alzheimer’s disease. Study Details In the study, a text-processing...
During hysterectomies for noncancerous conditions, removing both fallopian tubes while keeping the ovaries may help protect against ovarian cancer and preserve hormonal levels, but few women receive this surgical option, according to a new study by Yale School of Medicine researchers. Published by ...
Oncology researchers have discovered that an abnormal fused gene that drives pediatric brain tumors poses a triple threat, operating simultaneously through three distinct biologic mechanisms—the first such example in cancer biology. The study was published by Bandopadhayay et al in Nature...
Despite improvements in survival for adolescents and young adults diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, the gains have not been shared uniformly across this patient population. A large population-based study by Keegan et al investigating the impact of race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, influence of...
Women who eat more high-fiber foods during adolescence and young adulthood—especially fruits and vegetables—may have significantly lower breast cancer risk than those who eat less dietary fiber when young, according to a new large-scale study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan...
Vice President Joe Biden's “moonshot” initiative to defeat cancer earned support for a tax increase to fund cancer research among half of respondents (50%) in a new national public opinion survey commissioned by Research!America. Thirty-eight percent disagree and an additional 12% are...
In the French phase III MAPS trial reported in The Lancet, Zalcman et al found that the addition of bevacizumab (Avastin) to standard cisplatin/pemetrexed (Alimta) treatment increased overall and progression-free survival in patients with newly diagnosed pleural mesothelioma. Vascular endothelial...
In a population-based study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Yabroff et al found that cancer and its treatment were associated with material financial hardship for 29% and psychological financial hardship for 32% of patients aged 18 to 64 years in the United States. Financial hardship...
Non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with common epidermal growth factor (EGFR) mutations and brain metastases showed improved progression-free survival and response from the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor afatinib (Gilotrif) compared to standard platinum doublet chemotherapy....
Care for mothers with terminal cancer could be improved to help resolve their psychological distress and to help surviving family members cope, a study by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers have found. Based on the study findings published by Park et al in the journal BMJ...
In an analysis of the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Henderson et al found that childhood survivors of sarcoma and leukemia with no history of chest radiotherapy were at an increased risk of breast cancer. Increased Risk The study included data from...
As reported in The Lancet by Liu et al, a study in UK women that attempted to adjust for the effect of health and lifestyle factors found that self-reported unhappiness was not associated with an increased risk of mortality from cancer or other conditions. Study Details The study involved data...
Ayalew Tefferi, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, on abstract 634, “Imetelstat, a Telomerase Inhibitor, Therapy for Myelofibrosis: A Pilot Study.”
Ayalew Tefferi, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, on abstract 403, “A Compendium of Cytogenetic Abnormalities in Myelofibrosis: Molecular and Phenotypic Correlates in 826 Patients;” abstract 406, “Integration of Mutations and Karyotype Towards a Genetics-Based Prognostic Scoring System (GPSS) for Primary...
Laurie Sehn, MD, of the BC Cancer Agency, on abstract 625, “Sustained Remission With the Combination Biologic Doublet of Lenalidomide Plus Rituximab as Initial Treatment for Mantle Cell Lymphoma: A Multicenter Phase II Study Report,” presented by Jia Ruan, MD, PhD.
Sagar Lonial, MD, of Winship Cancer Institute, offers his thoughts on abstract 302, “Final Results for the 1703 Phase Ib/II Study of Elotuzumab in Combination With Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone in Patients With Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma,” presented by Paul G. Richardson, MD; abstract...
Hagop Kantarjian, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, offers his thoughts on abstract 794, “Inotuzumab Ozogamicin in Combination With Low-Intensity Chemotherapy (Mini-Hyper-CVD) as Front-Line Therapy for Older Patients (≥ 60 years) With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia,” presented ...
Julie M. Vose, MD, MBA, FASCO, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, offers her thoughts on abstract 673, “The AETHERA Trial: Results of a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase III Study of Brentuximab Vedotin in the Treatment of Patients at Risk of Progression Following...
Hagop Kantarjian, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, offers his thoughts on abstract 797, “First Results of the Multicenter Total Therapy Gimema LAL 1509 Protocol for De Novo Adult Philadelphia Chromosome–Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Patients,” presented by Sabina...
Alan F. List, MD, of Moffitt Cancer Center and the University of South Florida, and James O. Armitage, MD, FACP, FRCP, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, discuss the biology and diagnostic criteria for myelodysplastic syndrome, as well as advances in the disease presented at the 56th ASH ...
James O. Armitage, MD, FACP, FRCP, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and Richard M. Stone, MD of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discuss three clinical trials: different doses of daunorubicin for AML; comparing azacitidine plus lenolidomide to vorinostat vs azacitidine monotherapy in...
Hope S. Rugo, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco, discusses abstract S6-04, “Fulvestrant 500 mg vs anastrozole as first-line treatment for advanced breast cancer: Overall survival from the phase II FIRST study,” presented by John F.R. Robertson, MD.
Matthew J. Ellis, MD, PhD, of the Baylor College of Medicine, offers a brief synopsis of his plenary lecture, "Genome-Directed Therapeutics for Endocrine Therapy–Resistant Estrogen Receptor–Positive Breast Cancer."
Lisa A. Carey, MD, of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses abstract S3-01, “The TNT trial: A randomized phase III trial of carboplatin compared with docetaxel for patients with metastatic or recurrent locally advanced triple negative or BRCA1/2 breast cancer."
Matthew J. Ellis, MD, PhD, of the Baylor College of Medicine discusses with Harold J. Burstein, MD, PhD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute genome-directed therapeutics for endocrine therapy-resistant estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.
Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, of Fox Chase Cancer Center, discusses cardiac toxicities in cancer survivors, a new topic for the NCCN Survivorship Guidelines this year, and the need for more research on this important side effect, including prevention and surveillance.
Samuel M. Silver, MD, PhD, of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Margaret A. Tempero, MD, of the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, discuss drugs developed for hematologic malignancies that have activity in pancreatic cancer, vaccines, neoadjuvant...
John C. Grecula, MD, of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, discusses the evolution of precision delivery of radiation for patients with small cell lung cancer and advances that include prophylactic cranial radiotherapy, ...
Andrew J. Armstrong, MD, ScM, of Duke Cancer Institute, discusses the recent practice-changing landmark studies that showed significant increases in survival for men with castration-resistant prostate cancer and led to updates in the NCCN Guidelines for this disease.
Anthony J. Olszanski, RPh, MD, of the Fox Chase Cancer Center, discusses the advances in immunotherapy generally and for melanoma in particular.
Although guidelines worldwide mandate fertility preservation for newly diagnosed patients within their reproductive window, most patients are still not referred or offered this option. Rebecca H. Johnson, MD, of Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, explains the steps that need to be taken when...
Peter G. Shields, MD, of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, discusses the new NCCN Guidelines for helping patients with cancer to stop smoking. Counseling is a critical part of these new recommendations.
Peter E. Clark, MD, of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center discusses the highlights of the 2015 NCCN Guidelines for bladder cancer in both non–muscle invasive and muscle-invasive disease.
Wui-Jin Koh, MD, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, discusses the program to adapt NCCN guidelines to regions of the world with different resource availability. The first guideline to be adapted in this way is for cervical cancer, which is prevalent...
Hans Gerdes, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses a new approach to the management of early-stage esophageal cancers with endoscopic resections.
Leora Horn, MD, MSc, of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, discusses the range of treatment options for people with lung cancer, including third generation inhibitors, and the key clinical trials studying alternatives for patients with acquired resistance.
Ingrid A. Mayer, MD, of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, discusses the evolution of endocrine therapy for metastatic breast cancer.
Andrew D. Zelenetz, MD, PhD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, talks about the revolution in lymphoma treatment, which started with rituximab and continues with obinutuzumab, ibrutinib, and others.
Melinda Telli, MD, of Stanford Cancer Institute, discusses the TNT trial for triple-negative breast cancer and the results reported at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
Gregory A. Otterson, MD, of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, discusses the evolution of lung cancer treatment from adjuvant chemotherapy to immunotherapy and the clinical trials underway.
John A. Thompson, MD, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, discusses the latest immunotherapeutics for advanced melanoma, including pembrolizumab, trametinib, nivolumab, and dabrafenib.
Daniel A. Vorobiof, MD, of the Sandton Oncology Centre, and Bernardo Leon Rapoport, MD, of The Medical Oncology Centre of Rosebank, discuss the first study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a single dose of intravenous fosaprepitant. The use of this NK1 inhibitor and another (rolapitant) in a...
James H. Doroshow, MD, of the National Cancer Institute, describes a new precision medicine initiative called the MATCH trial: Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice. In 2,400 NCI clinical trial sites, 3,000 patients will be screened and their tumors analyzed to determine whether they contain...
Thomas W. LeBlanc, MD, of Duke University Medical Center, and Eric Roeland, MD, FAAHPM, of the University of California, San Diego Moores Cancer Center, discuss the use of palliative and hospice care for patients with solid tumors vs hematologic cancers and clinicians’ attitudes (Abstracts e20554...
Celestia S. Higano, MD, of the University of Washington, and Nicholas David James, MD, PhD, of Warwick Medical School, discuss data showing improvements in survival from adding docetaxel in men starting long-term hormone therapy for the first time (Abstract 5001).
Robert W. Carlson, MD, of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, and Richard G. Margolese, MD, of McGill University, discuss the improvement in breast cancer–free interval with anastrozole vs tamoxifen in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ undergoing lumpectomy plus radiotherapy (Abstract...
James L. Mulshine, MD, of Rush University Medical Center, and David E. Gerber, MD, of The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, discuss the ALCHEMIST trial, an NCI initiative to address the role of molecular testing and targeted therapies for earlier-stage lung disease (Abstract TPS7583).
Anthony J. Olszanski, RPh, MD, of Fox Chase Cancer Center, and Jedd Wolchok, MD, PhD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discuss therapies for treatment-naive patients with advanced melanoma (Abstract LBA1).