The incidence of colorectal cancer has risen significantly among younger U.S. patients over the past 2 decades, according to new findings presented by Mohamed et al at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2024 (Abstract Mo1149) and simultaneously published in Gastroenterology. Background “Colorectal cancer ...
A simple oral rinse may lead to early detection of gastric cancer, according to new findings presented by Perati et al at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2024 (Abstract 949) and simultaneously published in Gastroenterology. Background Gastric cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality...
Standard-of-care treatment comprising venetoclax plus hypomethylating agents was found to be safe and effective in some patients aged 80 years and older with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to a recent study published by Madarang et al in Blood Neoplasia. Background Older adult patients...
Cancer is not an unfamiliar disease to me. My mother died of cancer when I was 12. My oldest sister died of breast cancer, an aunt died of cancer (I don’t know which type), and my older brother is a prostate cancer survivor. So, when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in October 2021, the news...
On October 31, 2023, pembrolizumab (Keytruda) was approved for use with gemcitabine/cisplatin in first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic biliary tract cancer.1 Supporting Efficacy Data Approval was based on the double-blind KEYNOTE-966 trial...
As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Thomas Powles, MD, Barts Cancer Institute Biomedical Research Centre, Queen Mary University of London, and colleagues, the phase III EV-302 trial has shown that the combination of the antibody–drug conjugate enfortumab vedotin-ejfv, which is...
In two studies reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, investigators found that a cell-free DNA (cfDNA) blood-based test (ECLIPSE study)1 and a next-generation multitarget stool DNA test (BLUE-C study)2 both showed high sensitivity for colorectal cancer and high specificity for advanced...
In an analysis of data from the PORTEC-1, -2, and -3 trials reported in The Lancet Oncology, Wakkerman et al found that older age was associated with more aggressive tumor features and poorer outcomes in patients with endometrial cancer. Study Details The analysis included data from 1,801...
The novel investigational positron-emission tomography (PET) imaging agent gallium (Ga)-68–DPI-4452 may offer rapid and accurate visualization of lesions in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma, according to a recent study published by Hofman et al in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. The...
Exposure to certain chemicals while on the job may increase the risk of prostate cancer among firefighters, according to a recent study published by Quaid et al in Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis. Background Prostate cancer has the highest incidence of any cancer type among U.S. male...
ASCO’s new policy statement highlights the need for formalized efforts to address health-related social needs and outlines ways to address social determinants of health (SDOH) in cancer care. Social determinants are defined as conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age, which...
Olivier Elemento, PhD, Director of the Englander Institute for Precision Medicine (EIPM) at Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, recently announced that Bishoy M. Faltas, MD, has been named Chief Research Officer of EIPM effective immediately. EIPM is a large multidisciplinary institute that uses...
In updated findings from the phase III KEYNOTE-756 trial, the addition of pembrolizumab to chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting improved the rates of pathologic complete response for patients with high-risk estrogen receptor–positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, regardless of their age or...
New research findings have highlighted the importance of personalized treatment approaches with the monoclonal antibody durvalumab based on mismatch repair (MMR) status in newly diagnosed patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, according to data presented during the Society of...
Treatment with the first-in-class PD-1/CTLA-4 bispecific antibody cadonilimab plus XELOX (capecitabine, oxaliplatin) chemotherapy demonstrated a survival advantage for patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma as first-line treatment, regardless of PD-L1...
According to Google Chief Executive Officer Sunder Pichai, artificial intelligence (AI) is “the most profound technology humanity is working on—more profound than fire or electricity or anything that we’ve done in the past.” The impact of AI on health care and especially cancer care will not be...
A recent survey by ASCO measuring postpandemic burnout among oncologists in the United States shows that professional satisfaction and work-life balance have significantly deteriorated over the past decade, with 59% of respondents reporting one or more symptoms of burnout, compared with 34% in...
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Howard A. Burris III, MD, FACP, FASCO, and colleagues, a patient-reported outcome (PRO) analysis from the phase III TOPAZ-1 trial showed no “detrimental effect” with the addition of durvalumab to gemcitabine/cisplatin in patients with advanced biliary tract...
In a retrospective cohort study reported in JAMA Oncology, Montagna et al found that patients with breast cancer with nodal downstaging after neoadjuvant chemotherapy had a low rate of axillary recurrence, with no difference observed for staging with targeted axillary dissection vs sentinel lymph...
Investigators have examined the historical evolution of Community Outreach and Engagement initiatives at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and NCI-designated cancer centers and provided recommendations to guide future efforts, according to a recent study published by Pohl et al in CA: A Cancer...
Saruparib, a first-in-class PARP1-selective inhibitor, was reported to have favorable safety and anticancer activity in heavily pretreated patients with breast cancer harboring homologous recombination–repair (HRR) mutations, according to the results of the phase I/II PETRA study presented at the...
Researchers have identified novel biomarkers in renal cell carcinoma subtypes, according to a new study published by Li et al in Cell Reports Medicine. The findings may help identify therapeutic targets in non–clear cell renal cell carcinomas. Background Renal cell carcinoma is a diverse cancer...
In patients with ovarian cancer, second-look surgery may find a role again. The evaluation of measurable residual disease (MRD) using second-look laparoscopy identified more women who had detectable MRD after front-line treatment than did circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), according to a study...
Researchers have shown that adjuvant radiation therapy rather than salvage radiation therapy may improve the function of artificial urinary sphincters for stress urinary incontinence in patients who have undergone surgery for prostate cancer, according to new findings presented by Gaines et al at...
Adding the phosphatidylserine-targeting antibody bavituximab to the immunotherapy agent pembrolizumab may improve response rates without compromising safety in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, according to a recent study published by Hsieh et al in Nature Communications. The findings...
In a U.S. retrospective cohort study (SPOTLIGHT) reported in JAMA Network Open, Mooradian et al found that a substantial proportion of patients with unresectable stage III non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) did not receive consolidation durvalumab after chemoradiotherapy—but those who did had...
In a research letter published by Andres et al in JACC: CardioOncology, staff from Royal Brompton Hospital, Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London described their experience over 10 years in the UK’s first cardio-oncology service. Study Details The study involved data from the initial ...
Recent research has provided valuable insights into the long-term outcomes of patients with pathogenic BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations who undergo breast-conserving therapy, according to a study presented at the 2024 Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) Annual Meeting.1 The observational study found that...
Testing for measurable residual disease (MRD) prior to bone marrow transplant may be effective and practical in patients in remission after receiving treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to a recent study published by Dillon et al in JAMA Oncology. Study Methods and Results In the...
In a Chinese study reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Hu et al found that sequential CD7 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) without graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis was effective in patients with...
In a single-center phase II trial reported in JAMA Network Open, Schaverien et al found that a strategy of premastectomy radiotherapy and immediate breast reconstruction was feasible in patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer. Study Details A total of 49 patients with cT0–T3, N0–N3b breast...
Altering or increasing the dosages of smoking cessation regimens may help patients quit smoking, according to a recent study published by Cinciripini et al in JAMA. The findings indicated that the smoking cessation drug varenicline may be more effective than combined nicotine replacement therapy...
Investigators uncovered that community oncology practices emerged as the preferred sites of service for cancer treatment compared with hospitals and academic centers, according to a recent case study. The findings may challenge the common perception of hospitals and academic centers as preferable...
In an update of a Norwegian trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Ekanger et al found that long term, salvage reirradiation for locally recurrent prostate cancer was feasible and associated with good outcomes. Study Details The study included 38 patients with locally recurrent disease ...
Listening to mindfulness audio recordings may effectively alleviate the side effects of radiation therapy in men with prostate cancer, according to a recent study published by Victorson et al in Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health. Background Men with prostate cancer who receive...
The American Cancer Society (ACS) has detailed disparities in the mortality rates for preventable cancer types among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander patients in a new Cancer Facts & Figures report published by Wagle et al. Background In this report, the Asian...
In a study reported in JACC: CardioOncology, Upshaw et al found that preexisting heart failure was associated with an increased risk of lymphoma and cardiovascular mortality among patients aged ≥ 65 years who were newly diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. The study used linked Surveillance,...
The rates of breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screenings in Federally Qualified Health Centers may be substantially lower compared with overall screening rates in the United States, according to a recent study published by Amboree et al in JAMA Internal Medicine. Background The U.S....
Investigators uncovered critical issues related to health equity and aging that may have broad implications for cancer trials among breast cancer survivors receiving aspirin, according to a recent study published by Mandelblatt et al in JAMA. Study Methods and Results In the recent study, the...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety communication,1 which was updated2 on March 22, 2023, informing the public that there have been reports of squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and various lymphomas of the breast in the capsule or scar of breast implants. These lymphomas are ...
Kelly K. Hunt, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the benefits to patients with neoadjuvant therapy in advanced, inoperable breast cancer, for whom this treatment works best, and novel approaches currently under investigation.
Today, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) published a final recommendation statement on screening for breast cancer. The USPSTF now recommends that all women get screened for breast cancer every other year starting at age 40 and continuing through age 74 (B grade recommendation). More ...
In a systematic review and meta-analysis reported in JAMA Network Open, Banna et al found that neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy was associated with improved event-free survival and pathologic complete response compared with neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone in patients with early-stage non–small cell...
On April 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted traditional approval to tisotumab vedotin-tftv (Tivdak) for patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer whose disease progressed on or after chemotherapy. Tisotumab vedotin-tftv previously received accelerated approval for...
The addition of a component of the ketogenic diet—a preketone dietary supplement—to immunotherapy showed efficacy in potentially treating prostate cancer in a laboratory setting, according to a recent study published by Murphy et al in Cancer Research. Background Although immune checkpoint blockade ...
The rate of survival following autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation may have increased among all racial and ethnic groups, but disparities may still exist among some patient groups, according to a recent study published by Khera et al in Blood Advances. Background Autologous ...
Research shows that the average cost of medical care and drugs can top $42,000 in the first year following a cancer diagnosis, with the cost of some treatments, including chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies, exceeding $1 million. For many cancer survivors, these costs can have a lingering...
The American Urological Association (AUA), in partnership with ASCO and the Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO), has issued a 2024 clinical practice guideline amendment for the diagnosis and treatment of nonmetastatic muscle-invasive bladder cancer. The updated guidelines were published by...
Investigators have uncovered persistent racial and social disparities that may impede access to autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation for some patients with multiple myeloma, according to a recent study published by Esteghamat et al in Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma & Leukemia. Background...
As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Toni K. Choueiri, MD, FASCO, and colleagues, the third prespecified interim analysis of overall survival in the phase III KEYNOTE-564 trial has shown a significant benefit with adjuvant pembrolizumab vs placebo in patients with clear cell renal...