As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by W. Robert Lee, MD, MS, and colleagues, a 12-year analysis of the phase III NRG Oncology RTOG 0415 trial has shown continued noninferiority in terms of disease-free survival with hypofractionated radiotherapy vs conventionally fractionated...
In a UK trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Stone et al found that the stimulant methylphenidate did not significantly improve fatigue vs placebo in patients with advanced cancers receiving palliative care. Study Details In the double-blind multicenter study, 159 patients with...
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Fürstenau et al, 4-year follow-up of the phase III GAIA/CLL13 trial showed improved progression-free survival with venetoclax/obinutuzumab and venetoclax/obinutuzumab/ibrutinib vs both chemoimmunotherapy and venetoclax/rituximab in the first-line treatment of...
An ASCO guideline update offers new recommendations on systemic treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), based on promising findings from several recent randomized controlled trials as well as the approval of new first- and second-line immunotherapy combinations.1 “This guideline...
Despite urgings from my primary care physician to get a colonoscopy screening after I turned 50, I resisted. As a health-care provider, and someone who is tuned into changes in my body, I thought I would instinctively know if I had a serious illness. I was wrong. Even after finally relenting to at...
When Jamie H. Von Roenn, MD, FASCO, graduated from high school in 1970 and enrolled at the University of Illinois in Champaign, she was determined to seek a career in special education, because she wanted to “help people through difficult situations.” Although Dr. Von Roenn ultimately decided to...
Facing mortality can be a paralyzing experience for some people, but for others, it may ignite a passion to accelerate life. One such person is Kathy Giusti, cofounder of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), where she served as Chief Executive Officer and President for nearly 20 years....
Several years ago, a visit to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, so fascinated and inspired Mace L. Rothenberg, MD, FASCO, about the history of flight, he wondered why there was not a similar museum showcasing the past and present achievements in science and medicine. The result...
On April 22, 2024, the interleukin-15 receptor agonist nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln was approved for use with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) for adults with BCG-unresponsive non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer with carcinoma in situ with or without papillary tumors.1 Supporting Efficacy Data...
The highly anticipated ENGOT-en9/LEAP-001 trial in endometrial cancer has missed both its primary endpoints. At the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) 2024 Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer, the study investigators reported no significant benefit in progression-free survival or overall survival...
On February 15, 2024, tepotinib (Tepmetko)-—a kinase inhibitor directed against MET, including variants with exon 14 skipping—was granted regular approval for patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) exon 14–skipping ...
Results of the phase III NADINA trial support a new standard of care for the treatment of resectable macroscopic stage III melanoma. Treatment with preoperative ipilimumab plus nivolumab followed by total lymph node dissection, with adjuvant therapy guided by depth of response, led to a highly...
“Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), once a rare entity, now comprises 20% to 30% of newly diagnosed breast cancers detected on mammography and is appreciated to be a widely heterogeneous disease,” said E. Shelley Hwang, MD, MPH, the Mary and Deryl Hart Distinguished Professor at Duke University, who ...
Osimertinib significantly improved progression-free survival compared with placebo in patients with unresectable stage III EGFR-mutated non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) following definitive chemoradiotherapy. These findings of the phase III LAURA trial suggest that osimertinib may become a new...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Zanwar et al developed a prognostic model for overall survival in patients with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia based on age, albumin level, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level. Study Details In the study, data from 889 consecutive treatment-naive...
On June 6, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved imetelstat (Rytelo), an oligonucleotide telomerase inhibitor, for adults with low- to intermediate-1 risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with transfusion-dependent anemia requiring four or more red blood cell units over 8 weeks...
The PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab may offer benefit in patients with soft-tissue sarcoma, according to recent findings presented by Mowery et al at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 11504). Background Soft-tissue sarcoma is a rare type of cancer affecting muscles, fat, and other connective...
Researchers have examined whether adding chemoradiation to adjuvant systemic therapy may improve survival outcomes in patients with resected periampullary pancreatic adenocarcinoma, according to recent findings presented by Abrams et al at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 4005). Study Methods ...
Researchers have found that about 6% of patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and KRAS, EGFR, or ALK gene mutations may also have HER2 alterations, according to recent findings presented by Dahake et al at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 8534). Background Lung adenocarcinoma is...
In a component of the phase III RADICALS-HD trial reported in The Lancet, Chris C. Parker, MD, and colleagues found that metastasis-free survival was not significantly improved with 6 months of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) vs no ADT together with adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with...
In an analysis from the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort Study (SJLIFE) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Hammoud et al found that survivors of childhood cancer had a greater risk of major adverse cardiovascular events vs matched community controls, and that an increasing burden of nonmajor events increased ...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Sangro et al, patient-reported outcome (PRO) analysis in the phase III HIMALAYA trial showed that tremelimumab/durvalumab and durvalumab produced better outcomes than sorafenib in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The trial ...
Intensity-modulated proton therapy may achieve similar clinical outcomes and offer significant benefits compared with traditional intensity-modulated radiation therapy in patients with oropharyngeal cancer, according to preliminary data from a multi-institutional phase III trial presented by Frank...
The risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer may be increased in some women who experience early menopause, according to new findings presented by Welt et al at the Endocrine Society’s Annual Meeting & Exposition 2024. Primary ovarian insufficiency is a condition that occurs when a woman’s...
Researchers examined whether the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab given neoadjuvantly may improve outcomes in certain patients with stage II or III mismatch repair–deficient/microsatellite instability–high colorectal cancer. Interim findings from the phase II NEOPRISM-CRC clinical trial were presented...
In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Canavan et al found no differences in overall survival between oncology practices that were more vs less likely to provide chemotherapy within the last 2 weeks of life to patients with very advanced solid tumors. As stated by the investigators, “ASCO and the...
As reported in JAMA by Wendy Y. Chen, MD, MPH, and colleagues, interim analysis of the phase III Alliance A011502 trial has shown no invasive disease–free survival benefit with adjuvant aspirin vs placebo in patients with high-risk nonmetastatic breast cancer. The trial was suspended early due to...
The National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) announced that the blue-ribbon selection committee, composed of world-renowned research leaders and visionaries, has awarded the 2024 Szent-Györgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research to Dennis J. Slamon, MD, PhD, of UCLA Health, for his...
Researchers have shown the effectiveness of more scalable ways of delivering palliative care in patients with advanced lung cancer, according to new findings published by Temel et al in JAMA and simultaneously presented at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 12000). Background More intensive...
High blood insulin levels may contribute to worse outcomes in Black women with triple-negative breast cancer compared with White women with the disease, according to new findings presented by Engel et al at the Endocrine Society’s Annual Meeting & Exposition 2024. Background Triple-negative...
In a phase II study reported in JAMA Oncology, Saba et al found that the addition of nivolumab to intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) reirradiation improved progression-free survival in patients with recurrent or second primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. ...
In a component of the phase III RADICALS-HD trial reported in The Lancet, Parker et al found that metastasis-free survival was improved with the addition of 24 months vs 6 months of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) to adjuvant radiotherapy in prostate cancer. A second component of the trial, not...
Nearly 20% of breast cancer survivors may experience weight gain of more than 10%, according to recent findings presented by Hurtado Andrade et al at the Endocrine Society’s Annual Meeting & Exposition 2024. The research may illuminate a number of factors potentially contributing to excessive...
A novel ultrasensitive liquid biopsy may be predictive of breast cancer recurrence up to years prior to relapse in high-risk patients with early breast cancer, according to recent findings presented by Garcia-Murillas et al at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 1010). Background Circulating...
A novel “armored” type of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy called huCART19-IL18 may prove to be effective in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma who do not respond to standard CAR T-cell therapy, according to recent findings from a phase I clinical trial presented by Svoboda et al at...
In a Korean study reported in JAMA Network Open, Song et al identified risk factors for interval breast cancer vs screen-detected breast cancer and described mortality outcomes for women in the two categories. Study Details The retrospective cohort study used data from the Korean National Health...
Telemedicine visits for cancer care are not only more convenient and possibly easier to schedule than in-person appointments—they may also be better for the planet. These findings were presented by Andrew Hantel, MD, and colleagues at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 1522) and simultaneously...
New findings suggest that docetaxel may be considered the preferred treatment over paclitaxel for Black patients with early-stage breast cancer. While the EAZ171 trial focused specifically on Black people, the results highlight the need to personalize therapy to minimize toxicity. Importantly, this ...
Pierfranco Conte, MD, of the University of Padua, discusses phase III findings from the A-BRAVE trial, which was designed to evaluate the efficacy of avelumab, an anti–PD-L1 antibody, as adjuvant treatment for patients with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer who are at high risk (LBA500).
Sherene Loi, MD, PhD, of Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, discusses a circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis from a cohort of patients with early-stage breast cancer who were enrolled in the monarchE trial. This large cohort was studied to look at the usefulness of a personalized tumor-informed assay ...
The first-in-class ubiquitin-specific peptidase 1 (USP1) inhibitor RO7623066 showed a positive safety profile as a single agent and signs of early antitumor activity in patients with advanced solid tumors, according to preliminary data from a new first-in-human phase I trial presented by Yap et al...
The antibody-drug conjugate M9140 exhibited activity in pretreated patients with advanced colorectal cancer, according to preliminary data from a phase I study presented by Kopetz et al at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 3000). Background M9140 is one of the first antibody-drug conjugates...
Joshua D. Brody, MD, of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, discusses results from the EPCORE NHL-2 study, which was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of epcoritamab-bysp plus rituximab and lenalidomide in the first-line setting for patients with follicular lymphoma and to...
Neoadjuvant immunotherapy given for stage III melanoma—followed by adjuvant therapy only if there is not a deep response to treatment—may produce better outcomes for patients than the current standard of care, which is adjuvant immunotherapy alone. These results from the NADINA trial were presented ...
Some people with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer may safely avoid having their lymph nodes removed during surgery without it impacting their survival outcomes, helping to reduce the risk of postoperative complications. This research was presented by Classe et al at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting...
Osimertinib improved progression-free survival in patients with unresectable stage III EGFR-mutated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has been treated with chemoradiotherapy—and may be a new standard of care for this population, according to research presented by Suresh Ramalingam, MD, FACP,...
Results from an interim analysis of the phase III ADRIATIC study demonstrated that consolidation therapy after chemoradiotherapy with durvalumab extends survival in patients with limited-stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) compared to the current standard-of-care treatment of chemoradiotherapy...
Fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (T-DXd) delayed cancer growth in patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-low or -ultralow metastatic breast cancer that progressed following endocrine therapy, according to findings from the phase III DESTINY-Breast06 trial. The research was presented by...
New research reinforces the telehealth delivery of palliative care as an effective alternative to in-person visits for patients with advanced lung cancer, providing comparable quality-of-life benefits. This research was presented by Joseph Greer, PhD, and colleagues at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting...
For patients with locally advanced esophageal adenocarcinoma that can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy administered before and after surgery improved survival compared to chemoradiotherapy before surgery. The research was presented by Hoeppner et al at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract...