The results of routine blood tests could be used to speed up cancer diagnoses among patients with abdominal symptoms, according to a recent study published by Rafiq et al in PLOS Medicine. Background Most patients who report symptoms of abdominal pain or bloating to their physicians are referred...
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 ...
A novel artificial intelligence (AI) model may prove to be effective at predicting which patients with breast cancer are likely to develop chronic pain, according to a recent study published by Park et al in the Journal of Nursing Scholarship. The findings may help physicians to better understand...
On August 1, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved dostarlimab-gxly (Jemperli) with carboplatin and paclitaxel, followed by single-agent dostarlimab, for adults with primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer. Dostarlimab was previously approved in July 2023 with carboplatin...
A novel treatment regimen with the bispecific antibody glofitamab has demonstrated improvements in survival outcomes for patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), according to data presented at the European Hematology Association (EHA) 2024 Congress.1 The phase III ...
Certain patients with colorectal cancer that has metastasized to the liver may experience improved progression-free survival with liver transplantation compared with standard therapies, according to a recent study published by Byrne et al in JAMA Surgery. Background Colorectal cancer often...
Investigators have found that patients with a lower level of education and social media awareness may hold more fatalistic beliefs about cancer compared with those who are more skilled at finding information through social media, according to a recent study published by Stimpson et al in Cancer...
People who use e-cigarettes in conjunction with cigarette smoking are four times more likely to develop lung cancer than people who just smoke cigarettes, according to new study published by Harris et al the Journal of Oncology Research and Therapy. These findings were consistent across gender and...
The presence of a mutation in any one of three genes known to be involved in DNA damage repair may be associated with complete pathologic response to cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy, as measured by pathologic downstaging at the time of cystectomy in patients with muscle-invasive urothelial ...
On July 30, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj (Darzalex Faspro) in combination with bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (VRd) for induction and consolidation in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who are eligible for...
Investigators examined whether nonstatin cholesterol-lowering drugs may affect the risk of hepatic cancer, according to a recent study published by Zamani et al in Cancer. Background Hepatic cancer is the sixth most common cancer type across the world and the third leading cause of cancer-related...
Researchers may have uncovered why some patients with Merkel cell carcinoma do not respond to immune checkpoint blockade therapy, according to a recent study published by Reinstein et al in Cancer Discovery. Background Merkel cell carcinoma—a rare but highly aggressive type of skin cancer—is known...
Fecal microbiota transplants may improve the effectiveness of immunotherapy in patients with gastrointestinal cancers, according to a recent study published by Kim et al in Cell Host & Microbe. Background Although immune checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized cancer treatment, many patients...
Sara A. Hurvitz, MD, FACP, of Fred Hutch Cancer Center, discusses her presentation on new therapeutic strategies for HER2-positive metastatic disease including brain metastases. Dr. Hurvitz is Senior Vice President and Director, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, and Professor,...
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...
Treatment with de-escalated actinium (Ac)-225–prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-617 or a combination of lutetium (Lu)-177/Ac-225–PSMA-617 resulted in similar median overall survival and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response rates and better tolerance among patients with advanced-stage...
Patients with BRCA1- or BRCA2-mutated ovarian cancer may have a lower risk of developing breast cancer following treatment, according to a recent study published by Evans et al in Genetics in Medicine. Background Previous research has estimated that the risk of developing breast cancer by the age...
The advancement of retinoblastoma treatment over the past 15 years may have resulted in a higher likelihood of vision preservation without compromising survival, according to a recent study presented by Kocharian et al at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS) Annual Meeting 2024 and...
Agricultural pesticides may carry a similar risk as smoking for some types of cancers, according to a recent study published by Gerken et al in Frontiers in Cancer Control and Society. Background In modern agriculture practices, pesticides are essential to ensure high enough crop yields and food...
The publisher and editorial staff of The ASCO Post are happy to share an exciting announcement. While our company was formerly known as Harborside, powered by BroadcastMed, earlier this summer we announced a new name and platform for our business, Conexiant. Importantly, we continue our essential...
Iron Dad: A Cancer Survivor’s Story of Discovering Strength, Life, and Love Through Fatherhood by Paul Weigel is an inspiring and deeply moving memoir that transcends the traditional boundaries of parenthood and personal transformation. This story begins with a sense of discontent and a desire for...
A new update to the ASCO guideline on managing cancer-related fatigue recommends that health care providers urge their patients to exercise, as well as use cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based programs to help prevent and treat this prevalent symptom.1 It is estimated that between 30% ...
When health-care providers, including oncologists, fail to promptly diagnose a medical condition or communicate their diagnosis to their patients, it can have devastating consequences for those patients. In such cases, patients may seek legal recourse through medical malpractice lawsuits, creating...
A simple blood test that measures lymphocyte counts may predict whether patients with relapsed multiple myeloma are going to respond well to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell immunotherapy, according to research published by Saldarriaga et al in Blood Advances. The study found that patients...
Two hallmark toxicities of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy may be rare after 2 weeks following infusion in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), supporting a shorter, more flexible toxicity monitoring period., according to a recent study published by Ahmed et al in...
Eliminating racial disparities in colorectal cancer testing may reduce the rate of colorectal cancer incidence and mortality among Black patients in the United States, according to a recent study published by Alagoz et al in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Background Although both the ...
Kristin Rojas, MD, FACS, of the University of Miami, shares key points from her discussion on improving sexual health during breast cancer treatment. Dr. Rojas is an Associate Professor of Surgery in the DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, Division of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine at ...
Joseph A. Sparano, MD, FACP, of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, discusses his presentation on premenopausal patients with hormone receptor–positive early breast cancer. Dr. Sparano is the Ezra M. Greenspan, MD, Professor in Clinical Cancer Therapeutics, Chief of the Division of Hematology...
Blocking the tyrosine kinase KDR could lead to cell death caused by the degradation of the TAX viral protein, thereby treating diseases associated with human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), according to a recent study published by Mohanty et al in Nature Communications. Background HTLV-1 is...
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...
Paolo Tarantino, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, shares key points from his discussion on the current and future landscape of antibody-drug conjugates. Dr. Tarantino is an Advanced Research Fellow in the Breast Oncology Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and...
Aditya Bardia, MD, MPH, FASCO, of UCLA Health/Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, shares key points from his discussion on novel therapies targeting the estrogen receptor. Dr. Bardia is Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Director of Translational Research...
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...
Researchers have introduced the first screening and treatment recommendations to prevent anal cancer in patients with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), according to new guidelines based on the results of a 2022 study published by Palefsky et al in The New England Journal of Medicine....
Those living in disadvantaged neighborhoods have significantly higher activity of stress-related genes, new research suggests, which in turn may contribute to higher rates of aggressive prostate cancer in African American men. These findings were published by Boyle et al in JAMA Network Open....
Researchers have found that many eligible breast cancer survivors may not be receiving genetic counseling and testing, according to a recent study published by Katz et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Background A growing proportion of cancer treatment and survivorship care relies on...
Some patients with a genetic predisposition for cancer may not qualify for genetic screenings under the current guidelines, according to a recent study published by Samadder et al in JCO Precision Oncology. Researchers are investigating how to advance personalized medicine and tailor prevention and ...
Research has consistently shown that Native American and Alaska Native individuals are among the most underserved minority populations in the United States and are disproportionately affected by cancer. The results from a 50-year report by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium’s Alaska Native...
Heather McArthur, MD, MPH, talks about immunotherapy for high-risk, early-stage breast cancer. Dr. McArthur is Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Director of the Breast Cancer Program at Simmons Cancer Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Houston. She...
Aditya Bardia, MD, MPH, FASCO, of UCLA Health/Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, shares key points from his discussion on the current and future landscape of antibody-drug conjugates. Dr. Bardia is Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Director of Translational...
Gender-affirming testosterone therapy may have a potential protective benefit in transmasculine patients at risk of breast cancer, according to a recent study published by Heng et al in Breast Cancer Research. Background To treat their gender dysphoria, some transmasculine patients undergo...
Investigators have demonstrated that the socioeconomic status of cell donors may impact the health outcomes of patients with hematologic malignancies who undergo hematopoietic cell transplantation, according to a recent study published by Turcotte et al in PNAS. Study Methods and Results In the...
The members of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) recently elected five new officers to ASTRO’s Board of Directors: Neha Vapiwala, MD, FACR, FASTRO, FASCO, President-Elect Jean Wright, MD, FASTRO, Clinical Affairs and Quality Council Vice Chair Andrea Ng, MD, MPH, FASTRO,...
Researchers have developed new imaging guidelines, representing a major shift in the management of patients with head and neck cancers, according to a study published by Henson et al in The Lancet Oncology. The guidelines may lay the foundation for these patients to be treated with tailored...
Researchers have developed a novel prompt, embedded in electronic health records, to flag older patients with early-stage breast cancer who may be at risk of unnecessary sentinel lymph node biopsy, according to a recent study published by Carleton et al in JAMA Surgery. Background “In breast...
In patients with triple-negative early breast cancer deemed to be at high risk for recurrence, 1 year of adjuvant avelumab did not significantly improve disease-free survival but did significantly improve overall survival and risk of distant disease–free survival events. The results from the...
Female patients may become pregnant and give birth to healthy children despite treatment-related fertility challenges following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT), according to a recent study published by Sockel et al in Blood. The findings highlighted the need for increased...
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...
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening aims to identify patients who may harbor potentially lethal prostate cancer, and those with high PSA results often require more extensive—and expensive—diagnostic testing to establish a diagnosis. New research reveals that the out-of-pocket costs for such...
A new survey conducted in the United Kingdom found two-thirds of the public say they are very or somewhat worried about being told they have cancer—a higher percentage than for any other medical condition, including dementia and having a heart attack—according to polling released today. The...