For advanced/metastatic melanoma patients with BRAF mutations, two pathway inhibitors are better than one, according to studies presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2014 Congress that demonstrated improved progression-free and overall survival for regimens combining a BRAF...
A record number of 19,859 attendees at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2014 Congress discussed changes to oncology that will soon have a positive impact on the care of patients around the world. “We are particularly pleased to see participants from 131 countries at the congress...
Andrés Poveda, MD, Fundación Instituto Valenciano de Oncologia, Valencia, Spain, who was not involved in the Cediranib in Recurrent Cervical Cancer (CIRCCa) trial, said that the study provides supportive evidence that adding an antiangiogenic drug is beneficial in recurrent cervical cancer. Dr....
Cediranib (a potent tyrosine kinase inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-1, -2, and -3) produced a modest improvement in progression-free survival and a robust improvement in response rates compared with placebo when added to chemotherapy in patients with recurrent...
Smoking took an $18.1 billion toll in California in 2009—$487 for each resident—and was responsible for more than one in seven deaths in the state, more than from AIDS, influenza, diabetes, or many other causes, according to the first comprehensive analysis in more than a decade on the financial...
BRCA mutations may occur in nearly one-third of breast cancer patients who would have been described as having triple-negative cancer except that their tumors express low levels of estrogen receptor, so the tumors are described as ER–low positive, according to researchers from The University of...
High-risk atypical benign breast lesions are upgraded to cancer in more than 15% of patients, but the routine excision of such lesions is probably unnecessary. At the 2014 Breast Cancer Symposium in San Francisco, researchers presented information that could guide the selection of patients who...
Women with atypical hyperplasia have an absolute risk of about 1% per year for developing breast cancer—a level of risk that has been underappreciated. Not enough is being done to protect these women, according to Lynn C. Hartmann, MD, Professor of Oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester,...
Progress has recently been swift in the development of new drugs to improve the response to hormone therapy in breast cancer, according to Hope S. Rugo, MD, Professor of Medicine and Director of Breast Oncology and Clinical Trials Education at the University of California, San Francisco, Helen...
Last fall, Richard R. Barakat, MD, FACS, the Ronald O. Perelman Chair in Gynecologic Surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, was named to the new position of Deputy Physician-in-Chief for the Memorial Sloan Kettering Regional Care Network and Cancer Alliance, a new initiative meant to...
Recent articles on developments and controversies in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia include the following features from The ASCO Post, which are also available at www.ascopost.com: “Recent FDA Approvals Foster Growing Treatment Armamentarium for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Rare ...
Recent discoveries in biology, therapy, and (most importantly) the interplay between these two have led to groundbreaking advances in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). These advances underline the impact of the “translational” approach to cancer management in general. Standard of Care...
In the final overall survival analysis of the phase III CLEOPATRA trial, HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients lived 15.7 months longer if they received pertuzumab (Perjeta) in addition to trastuzumab (Herceptin) and docetaxel, investigators reported at the European Society for Medical...
Dr. Watson states that my assertion that physicians gain profit from the administration of chemotherapy in private practice is “absurd.” Recent reports from the Oncology Circle practices [a data-sharing collaborative of best-in-class oncology practices from across the country] suggest that current...
I took exception to a number of the comments made by Rena Conti, PhD, in The ASCO Post (“Health-Care Reform Is Changing the Oncology Landscape,” October 15, 2014, page 1). I realize that The ASCO Post is not a peer-reviewed and indexed publication, but as an ASCO member, I also recognize that the...
The 2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded with one half to John O’Keefe, PhD, of University College London, and the second half jointly awarded to May-Britt Moser, PhD, and Edvard I. Moser, PhD, of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, for their...
For women with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer, combining two anti-HER2 agents with chemotherapy is the most effective treatment modality in the neoadjuvant setting, according to a meta-analysis published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The...
Monocyte-derived glioma-associated macrophages are the largest infiltrating immune cell population in glioblastomas and act to facilitate gliomagenesis. In a study reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Xu and colleagues assessed the effect of microRNA (miR)-142-3p on...
Responses to cytarabine-based therapy in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are often of short duration. Ribavirin has been used to inhibit the eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF4E) and has produced responses, including remissions, in AML, but relapse invariably occurs. As reported in Nature,...
Breast cancer mortality is primarily due to tumor recurrence. In a study reported in Cancer Discovery, Feng and colleagues found that the suppressor of cytokine signaling protein SPSB1 is spontaneously upregulated in mammary tumor recurrence and is both necessary and sufficient to promote tumor...
In a study reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Woditschka and colleagues identified a role for the DNA repair genes BARD1 and RAD51 and oxidative damage in brain metastases in breast cancer. The two genes were implicated in expression profiling of 23 matched resected brain...
In a study reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Demir and colleagues used novel three-dimensional migration and Schwann cell outgrowth assays to monitor the timing and specificity of Schwann cell migration and cancer invasion toward peripheral neurons through digital...
Obesity increases the risk of breast cancer death in postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer, although underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In studies reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Fuentes-Mattei and colleagues identified an association...
In a study reported in Nature, Goodarzi and colleagues attempted to identify post-transcriptional modulators of mRNA stability in breast cancer via whole-genome transcript stability measurements in poorly and highly metastatic isogenic human breast cancers. They identified a family of structural...
The 56.5-month overall survival for women with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer receiving first-line treatment with pertuzumab (Perjeta) in combination with trastuzumab (Herceptin) and docetaxel in the CLEOPATRA trial represents a 15.7-month survival advantage for those receiving pertuzumab...
"Impressive,” “outstanding,” and “unprecedented” are among the terms used to describe the 56.5-month overall survival for women with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer receiving first-line treatment with pertuzumab (Perjeta) in combination with trastuzumab (Herceptin) and docetaxel in the...
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), with the support of the NCCN Foundation, recently announced the availability of printed versions of the NCCN Guidelines for Patients for order on Amazon.com for the following cancer types: Breast (Stages 0–IV), Colon, and Pancreatic Cancers;...
In the Clinic provides overviews of novel oncology agents, addressing indications, mechanisms, administration recommendations, safety profiles, and other essential information needed for the appropriate clinical use of these drugs. On November 5, 2014, ramucirumab (Cyramza) was approved for use...
The following essay by Julie Vose, MD, MBA, FASCO, is adapted from The Big Casino: America’s Best Cancer Doctors Share Their Most Powerful Stories (May 2014), coedited by Stan Winokur, MD, and Vincent Coppola. The book is available on Amazon.com and thebigcasino.org. When I met Cindy, she was...
In December 2014, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute will open the doors of a new 1.1 million square foot, 21-floor freestanding cancer hospital—making Columbus, Ohio, home to the third largest cancer hospital in the United ...
NOVEMBER EORTC-NCI-AACR International Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer TherapeuticsNovember 18-21 • Barcelona, SpainFor more information: www.aacr.org ESMO Symposium on Immuno-OncologyNovember 21-22 • Geneva, Switzerland For more information: www.esmo.org/Conferences/Immuno-Oncology-2014...
BOOKMARK Title: Shrinkage: Manhood, Marriage, and the Tumor That Tried to Kill MeAuthor: Bryan BishopPublisher: Thomas Dunne BooksPublication date: April 29, 2014Price: $25.99; hardcover, 336 pages At 30 years old, Bryan Bishop was having the time of his life. Known to millions of radio fans as...
BOOKMARK Title: The Good Doctor: A Father, a Son, and the Evolution of Medical EthicsAuthor: Barron H. Lerner, MDPublisher: Beacon PressPublication date: May 13, 2014Price: $25.95; hardcover, 240 pages One morning in 1996, an infectious disease specialist was making rounds when he and his team...
Martine Extermann, MD, PhD, Senior Member of the Senior Adult Oncology and Health Outcomes & Behavior Programs at Moffitt Cancer Center, was the recipient of the 2014 Paul Calabresi Award. Named after the first president of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG), the award...
Richard C. Zellars, MD, from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has been named Professor and Chair of Radiation Oncology at the Indiana University School of Medicine, pending approval by the Indiana Univerity trustees. He will begin his new duties in January. A breast cancer...
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that involves inserting and manipulating filiform needles into specific points of the body to achieve a therapeutic effect. According to traditional Chinese medicine, disruptions in the flow of “vital energy” (qi) throughout the body are the...
This is an exciting time for cancer research. We are beginning to see breakthroughs for patients with advanced melanoma, leukemia, multiple myeloma, lung cancer, and many other forms of cancer. Even so, cancer is projected to increase by about 45% and to become the leading cause of death in America ...
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has announced the names of 70 new members and 10 foreign associates during its 44th Annual Meeting held in October. Election to the IOM is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated...
According to the Metastatic Breast Cancer Network (mbcn.org): An estimated 155,000 Americans are currently living with metastatic breast cancer, and approximately 40,000 people (39,620 women and 410 men) will die from the disease this year. Between 6% and 10% of new breast cancer cases are...
In October, the newly formed Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance (MBCA) released its report, Changing the Landscape for People Living With Metastatic Breast Cancer, which details some disturbing findings. Following a yearlong analysis of 224 clinical trials, 2,281 funded research projects in...
The information contained in this Clinical Trials Resource Guide includes actively recruiting clinical studies of people with colon or rectal cancer in the newly diagnosed and metastatic settings. The studies include phase I, Ib, II, observational, and interventional trials investigating new drug...
In a secondary analysis utilizing the graded prognostic assessment—an improved diagnosis-specific index—patients with one to three brain metastases had no survival advantage when treated with whole-brain radiation therapy and stereotactic radiosurgery, compared with whole-brain radiotherapy alone,...
Ronald McDonald House® New York announced that Tina Lundgren has been elected to serve as Chairman of its Board of Directors. Mrs. Lundgren will succeed Stanley B. Shopkorn, Managing Director of Hilltop Park Associates LLC, who has served as chairman since 2006. Mrs. Lundgren will serve a 3-year...
As part of the Lilly Oncology On Canvas Art Competition, Lilly Oncology and the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship created the Ellen Stovall Award in honor of Ellen Stovall, a tireless advocate for cancer survivors and former president and CEO of NCCS. The award recognizes those who use...
The 10th anniversary of the Lilly Oncology On Canvas Art Competition was celebrated with the presentation of awards and display of winning entries on October 23 in New York’s Grand Central Terminal. The competition, which is presented by Lilly Oncology and National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship ...
Personalized medicine is an established treatment concept for patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and molecular characterization of tumors is crucial for choice of (first-line) therapy. As of right now, we have U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs for two...
ASCO has endorsed the recently developed joint College of American Pathologists (CAP), International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), and Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) guideline on molecular testing for selection of patients with lung cancer for EGFR and ALK inhibitor...
Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD)—BUILD is a set of experimental training awards designed to learn how to attract students from diverse backgrounds into the biomedical research workforce and encourage them to become future contributors to the NIH-funded research enterprise. The...
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced the award of more than $30 million in fiscal year 2014 funds to develop new approaches that engage researchers, including those from backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical sciences, and prepare them to thrive in the NIH-funded workforce. These...
The outcome for adolescents and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is inferior to that in children, and the outcome for children with ALL who experience relapse is dismal. Therefore, new therapeutic options are urgently needed to improve survival rates for this high-risk ALL...