“Inequities are a major obstacle in delivering safe, timely, respectful, and affordable cancer care globally,” commented moderator John Varallo, MD, MPH, FACOG, of the Global Surgery Foundation, at the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) World Cancer Congress (WCC) 2024 in Geneva.1...
The addition of the PD-L1 inhibitor durvalumab to standard neoadjuvant gemcitabine/cisplatin chemotherapy has demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in survival compared with neoadjuvant chemotherapy in cisplatin-eligible patients with muscle-invasive bladder...
On September 23, 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Seniors’ Access to Critical Medications Act of 2024 (H.R. 5526), which would make permanent a waiver put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic that allowed Medicare patients to receive medications dispensed by in-office pharmacies...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Pavlakis et al, the phase III INTEGRATE IIa study showed improved overall survival with regorafenib plus best supportive care vs placebo vs best supportive care in patients with refractory advanced gastric/esophagogastric junction cancer. Study...
In a study reported in a research letter in JAMA Network Open, Rezaei et al found that risk of melanoma and other nonkeratinocyte skin cancers was elevated in patients who had received radioactive iodine treatment for thyroid cancer. Study Details The study involved data from 17 Surveillance,...
A recent study suggests that for people older than age 65 who have cancer, physical activity may be key to reducing the chances of a dangerous fall. People with lung cancer, colorectal cancer, or prostate cancer, in particular, had a lower risk of falling when they talked with their doctor...
The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), along with 46 state oncology societies, sent a letter to U.S. House and Senate leadership urging Congress to pass the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 8702/S. 4532), which would streamline prior authorization practices within Medicare...
Initial analysis from the PEACE-3 trial suggests that the addition of radium-223 dichloride to enzalutamide could offer a promising new first-line treatment option for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, according to data presented by lead study author, Silke Gillessen,...
The American Cancer Society (ACS) recently released Breast Cancer Statistics, 2024, the organization’s biennial update on breast cancer occurrence and trends in the United States. The new report finds breast cancer mortality rates overall have dropped by 44% since 1989, averting approximately...
As reported in The Lancet by Morris et al, the phase III PSMAfore trial has shown improved progression-free survival with lutetium-177–labeled PSMA-617 (LuPSMA) vs change in androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI) in taxane-naive patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer...
As reported in The Lancet by Choueiri et al, the phase III TiNivo-2 trial has shown that immune checkpoint inhibitor rechallenge with nivolumab plus tivozanib did not improve progression-free survival vs tivozanib alone in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma following immune checkpoint...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Barata et al, the final overall survival results of the phase II SWOG 1500 trial indicated no significant benefit with cabozantinib vs sunitinib in patients with advanced papillary renal cell carcinoma. Study Details In the open-label multicenter...
A preliminary report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) revealed that, in 2020, 5.5 million men worldwide died from cancer, leading to 1.41 million new paternal orphans. The average age of the children at paternal death was 12 years old. The study by Guida et al is being...
A study by Hutchinson et al quantifying the socioeconomic burden of ovarian cancer in 11 countries, including the United States, estimates that nearly $70 billion in socioeconomic losses may be attributable to ovarian cancer. Moreover, health expenditures to cover treatment in the first 2 years...
Positive results from the phase III NIAGARA trial showed perioperative treatment with the PD-L1 blocker durvalumab in combination with neoadjuvant chemotherapy demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in the primary endpoint of event-free survival and the key...
As reported in Journal of Clinical Oncology by Dahl et al, a phase II trial (NRG Oncology/RTOG 0926) has shown good outcomes with bladder-preserving trimodality the�rapy for recurrent high-grade T1 bladder cancer among patients in whom bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy failed. Study Details In the...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Yang et al, the phase III KEYNOTE-789 trial has shown no significant improvement in progression-free or overall survival with the addition of pembrolizumab to pemetrexed/platinum in EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-resistant, EGFR-mutant...
Imagine walking into a fancy restaurant only to find a menu consisting mostly of kids’ dishes. It would make no sense. Just 25% of restaurant diners are younger than age 12, and they rarely write Yelp reviews. But when it comes to cancer treatment, this is not very far from what we do. The median...
As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Choueiri and colleagues, the phase III LITESPARK-005 trial has shown improved progression-free survival with the hypoxia-inducible factor–2α inhibitor belzutifan vs everolimus in previously treated patients with advanced clear-cell renal cell...
Women with breast cancer during pregnancy may have a good prognosis and a low risk of adverse obstetric and perinatal outcomes, according to three recent studies published by Lundberg et al in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, Gkekos et al in ESMO Open, and Lundberg et al in Acta...
In a French phase II study (RTEP7–IFCT-1402) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Vera et al found that adaptive radiotherapy based on fluorine F-18–labeled fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)–positron-emission tomography (PET) residual uptake appeared to improve local disease control compared with standard...
Despite advances in targeted therapies for hematologic malignancies, drug resistance and persistent side effects continue to challenge clinicians and limit patient outcomes, underscoring the urgent need for novel therapeutic approaches. At the 2024 Pan Pacific Lymphoma Conference, Marc S. Hoffmann, ...
New modeling data have been released that describe the projected impact of the first and only multitarget stool DNA test (marketed as Cologuard) on patients, health-care professionals, and the U.S. health-care system since its U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval 10 years ago. About the ...
Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of primary liver cancer, accounting for about 80% of all primary liver cancers in the United States, and is currently the sixth most common cancer and the fourth most common cause of cancer-related deaths. Although immunotherapy is now a mainstay for ...
Investigators have found that adults with learning disabilities may be more likely to die from cancer compared with those in the general population, according to a recent study published by Ward et al in BMJ Open. Background Many cancers are considered either preventable or treatable. However,...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the PD-L1 inhibitor durvalumab (Imfinzi) with platinum-containing chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment followed by single-agent durvalumab as adjuvant treatment after surgery for adults with resectable (tumors ≥ 4 cm and/or node positive)...
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Kanwal Raghav, MD, and colleagues, the phase II DESTINY-CRC02 trial has identified the preferred dosage of single-agent fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (T-DXd) in patients with HER2-positive advanced colorectal cancer. Study Details In the international study, ...
In the phase II INSIGHT 2 trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Yi-Long Wu, MD, and colleagues found that the combination of tepotinib plus osimertinib showed clinically meaningful activity in patients with advanced or metastatic EGFR-mutated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with MET...
On August 2, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to afamitresgene autoleucel (Tecelra), a melanoma-associated antigen A4 (MAGE-A4)-directed genetically modified autologous T-cell immunotherapy, for adults with unresectable or metastatic synovial sarcoma who have ...
On July 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Guardant Health’s Shield blood test for colorectal cancer screening in adults aged 45 years and older who are at average risk for the disease. It is the first blood test to be approved by the FDA as a primary screening option for...
The results of a contemporary U.S. population–based cohort study published by Giannakeas et al in JAMA Oncology revealed that patients with unilateral breast cancer had an increased risk of breast cancer–related death after developing contralateral disease. Although the findings also showed a...
Experts from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), American Statistical Association (ASA), and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have outlined considerations for clinical trial designs to enhance the collection and analysis of overall survival data in the context of modern-day...
DNA/RNA material contained in circulating extracellular vesicles secreted into the blood stream by tumor cells may capture cancer genomics and transcriptomic evolution in patients with metastatic prostate cancer, according to a recent study published by Casanova et al in Cancer Cell. Background...
In a Chinese phase I trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Ma et al found that BL-B01D1—a first-in-class EGFR-HER3 bispecific antibody-drug conjugate—was active in previously treated patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors. Study Details In the multicenter trial, 195 patients...
Hormone-modulating therapy used to treat patients with breast cancer may be associated with a 7% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias later in life, according to a recent study published by Cai et al in JAMA Network Open. Background About 67% of patients with breast...
In a single-center study reported in JAMA Network Open, Kerollos Nashat Wanis, MD, PhD, and colleagues found that women with breast cancer and a pathogenic BRCA1/2 variant who underwent breast-conserving therapy had a 71% rate of 10-year bilateral mastectomy–free survival. Study Details The study...
Chronic graft-vs-host disease, an immune-mediated disorder that follows allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT), is characterized by debilitating tissue injury with inflammatory and fibrotic pathology leading to significant morbidity and mortality. Historically, the treatment of...
In a German-Austrian phase II trial (RIST-rNB-2011) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Corbacioglu et al found that the combination of dasatinib plus rapamycin and irinotecan plus temozolomide (RIST) improved progression-free survival vs irinotecan/temozolomide alone in patients with high-risk...
Results from the ECOG-ACRIN EAZ171 trial—reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Schneider et al—showed that germline predictors of taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy were not associated with an increased risk of taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy in Black women with early-stage breast...
In a phase I trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Omid Hamid, MD, and colleagues found that the combination of the human lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3)-targeting monoclonal antibody fianlimab plus the PD-1–targeting monoclonal antibody cemiplimab-rwlc was active in patients...
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Gupta et al, the phase III Children’s Oncology Group ARST1431 trial showed no event-free survival benefit with the addition of temsirolimus to chemotherapy in previously untreated children, adolescents, or young adults with intermediate-risk rhabdomyosarcoma....
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Allaf et al, a planned interim analysis of the phase III PROSPER ECOG-ACRIN EA8143 trial showed no recurrence-free survival benefit with perioperative nivolumab vs observation in patients undergoing nephrectomy for high-risk renal cell carcinoma. Study ...
Investigators have uncovered the potential benefit of undergoing alcohol rehabilitation and maintaining abstinence in patients with alcohol dependence at risk of developing alcohol-associated cancers, according to a recent study published by Schwarzinger et al in The Lancet Public Health. The...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Javier Cortés, MD, PhD, and colleagues, the phase III AMEERA-5 trial of first-line treatment with the selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) amcenestrant plus palbociclib vs letrozole plus palbociclib in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive,...
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) published new results from its latest survey on cancer drug shortages in the United States. This follows data published 1 year ago and 6 months ago illustrating how up to 93% of centers surveyed were experiencing shortages of the crucial...
Recent phase III findings support the antibody-drug conjugate belantamab mafodotin-blmf as a treatment option for patients with multiple myeloma in early relapse. Belantamab mafodotin is an antibody-drug conjugate targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) expressed on multiple myeloma cells,...
Early palliative care can be integrated into the course of treatment for patients with advanced lung cancer via delivery by telehealth with outcomes similar to when palliative care is delivered via in-person visits, according to results of the REACH PC trial presented by Joseph Greer, PhD, of...
Consolidation therapy with the PD-L1 antibody durvalumab after chemoradiotherapy extended survival in patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) compared with standard-of-care chemoradiotherapy alone, according to the first planned interim analysis of the phase III ADRIATIC trial...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Nizar M. Tannir, MD, FACP, and colleagues, the phase III PIVOT-09 trial has shown no objective response or overall survival benefit with bempegaldesleukin plus nivolumab vs tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment with sunitinib or cabozantinib in ...
Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is a rare and aggressive hematologic malignancy affecting young children predominately under the age of 4. The disease is caused by mutations that increase RAS signaling output. While about 50% of patients with JMML are cured after undergoing hematopoietic...