A presentation by Tedeschi et al at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting outlined results of the phase III RESONATE TM-2 study of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) vs chlorambucil (Leukeran) in patients aged 65 years and older with treatment-naive chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small...
In a phase III study to be presented by Zelenetz et al at the 57th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting, idelalisib (Zydelig) plus bendamustine (Treanda) and rituximab (Rituxan), or BR, proved superior to BR alone in patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)...
In a study to be presented at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting by Stilgenbauer et al, monotherapy with the investigational agent venetoclax (ABT-199/GDC-0199) induced deep remissions—including complete remission and undetectable minimal residual...
In a nested case-control study in the Women’s Health Initiative Clinical Trial, reported in Journal of the National Cancer Institute by Murphy et al, endogenous estrogen levels were inversely associated with and sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG) levels were positively associated with...
In a Spanish phase III trial (GEICAM/2003-10) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Martín et al found that invasive disease–free survival was improved with adjuvant epirubicin/cyclophosphamide (EC) followed by docetaxel (EC-T) vs epirubicin/docetaxel followed by capecitabine...
Recent data indicated that the rates of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening and diagnosis of early-stage prostate cancer have decreased since a 2012 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) statement (released in October 2011) gave a grade D recommendation against PSA screening for all...
The results of the randomized Graall-R 2005 study presented by Maury et al at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting found a new use for rituximab (Rituxan) in acute leukemia (Abstract 1). CD20 is present in 30% to 50% of patients with B-cell precursor acute lymphocytic...
A study presented by Stone et al at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting described a phase III trial of the first targeted therapy for genetically defined subset of patients with acute myeloid leukemia and its improvement of their survival (Abstract 6). Acute myeloid...
Researchers at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry are partnering with a private company to develop computer simulations that can help personalize cancer care by predicting how a patient will respond to a drug treatment. Their findings were presented by Brogden et al at the 57th American...
A study presented by Landier et al at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting examined the common problem of children in remission from acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) not adhering to their maintenance drug regimens, thus putting them at risk of relapse (Abstract 82). ...
Two studies presented at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting examine the common problem of cancer-associated thrombosis. One looked to validate dosing guidelines for avoiding chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia, a common autoimmune response to therapy; the second compared ...
A study to be reported by Raetz et al at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting examined the potential of using real-time genetic analysis to personalize chemotherapy regimens for children with B-cell lymphocytic leukemia (Abstract 807). The study findings were presented at a...
Two new studies to be reported at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting highlighted new insights on genetic mutations in children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) that indicate a higher risk for debilitating chemotherapy-associated bone damage. The study findings were...
A study (Abstract LBA1) to be reported by Abbas Ali et al at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting demonstrated promising early outcomes of a first-in-human trial using a patient’s own genetically modified immune cells to eradicate multiple myeloma. The study...
A study (Abstract 99) to be reported today by Brudno et al at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting was the first clinical trial to use engineered donor immune cells to prevent progressive cancer after stem cell transplantation. The findings were presented at a...
In a phase III trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Rambaldi et al found that a myeloablative conditioning regimen of busulfan/fludarabine was associated with reduced nonrelapse mortality vs busulfan/cyclophosphamide in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) undergoing allogeneic...
Findings of a systematic review of the benefits and harms of breast cancer screening commissioned by the American Cancer Society (ACS) to inform its updated guideline on screening in average-risk women were reported in JAMA by Myers et al of the Duke Evidence Synthesis Group. Their findings were...
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) has released a list of five hematology-related tests and procedures to question based on recommendations from other medical societies taking part in the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation’s Choosing Wisely® campaign. This list...
Researchers at the University of Michigan have identified a potential new approach to fertility preservation for young cancer patients that addresses concerns about beginning cancer treatment immediately and the possibility of reintroducing cancer cells during the fertility-preservation process....
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Nudelman et al found that increased chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms at 1 month after completing treatment for breast cancer was associated with increased cerebral perfusion and increased gray matter density at 1 month....
In 1,048 prostate cancer patients previously treated with docetaxel, and 996 metastatic, castration-resistant patients, treatment with the androgen-lowering drug abiraterone acetate (Zytiga) led to longer overall disease control, even when a very high Gleason score indicated especially aggressive...
Ronald Go, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, discusses a study that used the National Cancer Data Base to determine the extent to which the number of non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients treated annually in a facility affects overall survival (Abstract 266).
Women with a certain type of lung nodule visible on lung cancer screening computed topography (CT) exams face a higher risk of lung cancer than men with similar nodules, according to a new study (SSA04-02) presented by Boiselle et al November 29 at the Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of...
Can any cancer cell form another tumor, or is it only select cancer stem cells that give rise to new cancer cells? The answer, a new study finds, is both. Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center looked at human ovarian cancer cells, and found that, for the most part,...
As reported by Tournigand et al in The Lancet Oncology, final analysis of the phase III GERCOR DREAM (OPTIMOX3) trial suggested a benefit of maintenance bevacizumab (Avastin)-erlotinib vs bevacizumab after bevacizumab-based induction therapy in patients with previously untreated metastatic...
Studies show that an estimated 67% of women aged 40 and older undergo screening mammography every 1 to 2 years. Over the course of 10 screening mammograms, the estimated cumulative probability of at least one false-positive result is 61% for women screened annually and 42% for women screened...
An increasing number of men diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer are opting for active surveillance rather than aggressive treatment to avoid the debilitating potential side effects of surgery and radiation, such as erectile and urinary dysfunction. However, a new study by University of...
Breast density may not be a strong independent factor for breast cancer risk, according to a new study presented (BR267-SD-THA1) by Katavic et al December 2, 2015, at the Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago. Prior research has shown an association between...
In a phase III trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Gay et al found that progression-free survival was shorter with lenalidomide (Revlimid) plus chemotherapy vs high-dose melphalan plus autologous stem cell transplantation in transplant-eligible patients with multiple myeloma, with no significant ...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Cai et al found intratumoral genetic heterogeneity of ALK rearrangement and coexisting ALK rearrangement and EGFR mutation in lung adenocarcinomas. Study Details The study involved evaluation for ALK fusions and EGFR mutations in 629...
Comprehensive molecular characterization of primary papillary renal cell carcinoma, reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network, showed that type 1 and 2 papillary renal cell carcinomas were distinct types of disease based on differences in genetic...
As reported by Scarisbrick et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, a Cutaneous Lymphoma International Consortium study in a large population of patients with advanced-stage mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome has identified independent prognostic factors for overall survival that can be ...
Low-income women in Medicaid expansion states in the United States are more likely to have a breast screening performed than those in nonexpansion states, according to a study (HP207-SD-MOA2) by Fazeli Dehkordy et al presented November 30, 2015, at the Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval for elotuzumab (Empliciti) in combination with two other therapies to treat patients with multiple myeloma who have received one to three prior medications. “We are continuing to learn about the ways the immune system interacts...
In a German phase II trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Röllig et al found that the addition of sorafenib (Nexavar) to standard therapy improved event-free survival but increased toxicity vs placebo in patients aged ≤ 60 years with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Study...
Additional breast cancers found with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are sometimes larger and potentially more aggressive than those found on mammography, according to a study published by Iacconi et al in Radiology. Researchers said that in some cases, MRI findings of additional cancers not seen...
University of Southern California (USC) researchers have developed a mathematical model to forecast metastatic breast cancer survival rates using techniques usually reserved for weather prediction, financial forecasting, and surfing the Web. For decades, medical schools have taught doctors that...
In a study reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Gunter and colleagues found that increased levels of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) were associated with increased risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women not using hormone therapy. No associations of...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor nivolumab (Opdivo) as a single agent for the treatment of patients with BRAF V600 wild-type unresectable or metastatic melanoma. Clinical Trial Results The approval is based on data...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved necitumumab (Portrazza) in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin for first-line treatment of patients with metastatic squamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Necitumumab is not indicated for treatment of nonsquamous NSCLC....
In a study reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Gentles et al identified a nine-gene molecular prognostic index that improved the overall survival prognostic power of clinical factors in patients with stage I non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Study Details In the...
In a meta-analysis reported in JAMA Oncology, Magnan et al found that intermittent androgen-deprivation therapy was noninferior to continuous androgen-deprivation therapy with respect to overall survival in patients with prostate cancer. Study Details A literature review identified 22 articles...
A coalition formed by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to increase colorectal cancer screening rates in New York resulted in a 40% increase in screening rates over 4 years. The program may serve as a foundation for other communities to boost cancer screening rates,...
A study that tracked tens of thousands of middle-aged and older men for more than 20 years has found that vigorous exercise and other healthy lifestyle habits may cut their chances of developing a lethal type of prostate cancer by up to 68%. While most prostate cancers are clinically indolent, a...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved nivolumab (Opdivo) to treat patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who have received a prior antiangiogenic therapy. Nivolumab is a monoclonal antibody that binds to the PD-1 receptor and blocks its interaction with PD-L1 and PD-L2,...
In a phase II study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Catenacci et al found no benefit of adding vismodegib (Erivedge) to gemcitabine in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Sonic hedgehog (SHH), an activating ligand of the smoothened receptor (SMO) inhibited by vismodegib, has...
In a study reported in Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Rosenberg et al predicted that the number of new invasive plus in situ breast cancers will increase from approximately 283,000 in 2011 to 441,000 in 2030. Modeling suggests that the proportion of estrogen receptor–negative cases ...
Minimally invasive gynecologic surgeries have advantages for patients, including shorter hospital stays, quicker recoveries, and less pain. However, power morcellation, a technique that cuts the uterus or fibroid into small pieces in order to extract them from the abdomen through a small incision,...
A new, injectable “biogel” is effective in delivering anticancer agents directly into cancerous tumors and killing them, according to a study published by Monette et al in Biomaterials. The technology was developed by researchers at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre...
In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Miglioretti et al found that diagnosis of breast cancer after biennial vs annual mammography screening was associated with a higher risk of less favorable tumor prognostic characteristics among premenopausal women. They also noted a nonsignificantly higher risk ...