William G. Wierda, MD, PhD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the latest information on managing CLL and his optimism that a cure is in sight.
Andrew Zelenetz, MD, PhD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses two important lymphoma trials presented at ASCO and his views on whether their results are indeed practice-changing (Abstract 8504 and LBA8502).
Derek Raghavan, MD, PhD, of the Levine Cancer Institute, gives his insights into key genitourinary cancer clinical trials presented at the 2015 ASCO Annual Meeting and his thoughts on where the research is headed.
Anil D’Cruz, MD, of Tata Memorial Hospital, discusses results from his study that seem to resolve a 50-year-long debate on performing elective neck dissection at the time of primary surgery––a potentially practice-changing finding (Abstract LBA3).
Patrick Schöffski, MD, of the University Hospital Leuven, discusses a phase III study in which he and his colleagues found, for the first time in soft-tissue sarcomas, a significant overall survival benefit of a single agent compared to a standard treatment (Abstract LBA10502).
Ugo Pastorino, MD, of the Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori Foundation, discusses his study, which showed that stopping smoking before or during low-dose computed tomography screening reduced overall mortality by more than 25%, a benefit that is three- to fivefold greater than this type of screening...
James R. Jett, MD, of National Jewish Health, discusses his study of the early CDT-Lung biomarker. His hypothesis: When used in combination with low-dose CT in screening of a high-risk population, this biomarker would increase the detection of early-stage lung cancer (Abstract MINI 12.11).
Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD, of the Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale Cancer Center, discusses his findings of a phase III study comparing carboplatin/paclitaxel or carboplatin/paclitaxel/bevacizumab with or without concurrent cetuximab in advanced non–small cell lung cancer (Abstract PLEN04.01).
Eric Lim, MD, of the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust, discusses his findings on the nonspecific symptoms of never-smokers, which suggests that imaging could play a more important role in diagnosing these patients at an earlier stage.
As Chair of the ECC Local Organizing Committee, Christoph Zielinski, MD, of the Medical University Vienna - General Hospital, shares his thoughts on the important goals and presentations of the 2015 Congress.
Clifford A. Hudis, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, summarizes his educational lecture on obesity, inflammation, and cancer—an important topic in oncology.
Incoming ECCO President, Peter L. J. Naredi, MD, PhD, of the University of Gothenburg, discusses his upcoming year as the new ECCO President, his vision for the organization, and his views on cancer treatment today.
Shailender Bhatia, MD, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, discusses his paper on interleukin-12 DNA and regression of Merkel cell tumors (Abstract 504).
Anthony Zietman, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses his perspective on the study of bicalutamide during and after radiotherapy in patients following radical prostatectomy and a biochemical relapse (Abstract LBA5).
Nicholas D. James, BSc, MBBS, PhD, of the University of Warwick, gives his expert perspective on treatment advances in urothelial cancers.
Fred Saad, MD, of the University of Montreal, summarizes in French his session on the latest treatment developments in prostate cancer, including the role of chemotherapy in hormone-sensitive disease.
Fred Saad, MD, of the University of Montreal, summarizes his session on the latest treatment developments in prostate cancer, including the role of chemotherapy in hormone-sensitive disease. To see the French language version of this video, click here.
Bishoy M. Faltas, MD, of Weill Cornell Medical College, discusses his team’s work using whole exome sequencing, which may have important implications for selecting patients for immunotherapeutic approaches (Abstract 354).
ASCO applauds President Obama for his bold vision to launch a national effort on cancer, which he described during his State of the Union address on January 12, 2016. We also join him in recognizing Vice President Biden’s leadership in calling for a “moonshot” that will reduce the cancer-related...
A longitudinal case-controlled analysis of the probability of attaining normality after achieving 60: A perspective from the social sciences based on expert ethnographic insights.” So begins a long and charmingly erudite birthday card to internationally regarded biostatistician Norman Breslow, PhD, ...
Rakesh Jain, PhD, the A. Werk Cook Professor of Radiation Oncology (Tumor Biology) at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, and Mary-Claire King, PhD, Professor of Genome Sciences and Medicine (Medical Genetics) at the University of Washington, have been selected as recipients...
Through the Lens of Oncology History A Century of Progress The text and photographs on this page are excerpted from a four-volume series of books titled Oncology Tumors & Treatment: A Photographic History, by Stanley B. Burns, MD, FACS. The photos below are from the volume titled “The...
The ASCO Post is pleased to reproduce installments of the “Art of Oncology” as published previously in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO). These articles focus on the experience of suffering from cancer or of caring for people diagnosed with cancer, and they include narratives, topical essays,...
The American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS) has endorsed the “Psychosocial Standards of Care for Children With Cancer and Their Families,” which were published in a December 2015 special supplement of Pediatric Blood & Cancer. The scientific, evidence-based psychosocial standards define...
Medical oncologist and researcher Ravi Salgia, MD, PhD, has joined City of Hope as Professor and Chair in the Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research. He will play a key leadership role in the expansion of clinical programs at City of Hope’s Duarte campus and in its clinics...
Terence S. Dermody, MD, has been named the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Physician-in-Chief and Scientific Director at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). Dr. Dermody will officially...
Surveys conducted between 1950 and 1970 show that most physicians considered it inhumane to give patients with a poor cancer prognosis the bad news.1,2 Since then, it has been well established that open communication between physician and patient is an essential part of effective cancer care and...
The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) has named Raymond N. DuBois, MD, PhD, as the next Dean of the College of Medicine. Dr. DuBois will assume his new role effective March 1, 2016, with an academic appointment as Professor in the College of Medicine while also holding an appointment in...
Dramatic advances have been made in using genetically engineered chimeric antigen receptor–modified T cells (CAR-T) with anti-CD19 specificity to treat highly refractory hematologic malignancies. The highest complete remission rates have been achieved in patients with relapsed or refractory acute...
Commenting on the AALL03N1 study, press conference moderator Mark Crowther, MD, of McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, said: “This study is extremely important. We have many presentations on new and novel therapies that are expensive, complex, and revolutionary. But if patients don’t...
Robert Hromas, MD, of the University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, who moderated a press briefing, commented that the finding of benefit with rituximab “resolves a long-standing controversy” with this cancer. “These results are exciting for those of us who treat leukemia,” he...
Two investigative groups have reported interesting observations about genomic alterations in the tumors of young patients with lung cancer. Notably, ALK rearrangement was the most common driver mutation found, in studies reported at the 16th World Conference on Lung Cancer.1,2 “To our knowledge,...
In an interview with The ASCO Post, 2016 President-Elect of ASCO Daniel Hayes, MD, explained his interest in what he labeled “very exciting technology.” “Most of the DNA in plasma is normal, coming from white cells. Within that, there’s a small amount of tumor DNA. I have been told that you either...
A plasma-based cell-free DNA test identified mutations in the estrogen receptor 1 gene (ESR1) in 30% of patients from the BOLERO-2 trial of everolimus (Afinitor) plus exemestane, and these mutations were correlated with survival. The results, which support the use of plasma as a source of...
Researchers from Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have published a study showing that African American pediatric patients with Hodgkin lymphoma have inferior overall survival compared with their white and Hispanic peers. The study, published ...
At NYU Langone Medical Center and its Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, researchers have discovered an inherited genetic marker that might provide clinicians with a personalized tool to gauge an individual’s survival and determine which patients require closer monitoring in the years...
A protein that is constantly expressed by cancer cells and quiescent in healthy cells appears to be a solid target for reducing cancer's ability to spread, scientists reported. The WASF3 protein enables cancer cell invasion, and by interrupting its relationship with another protein, CYFIP1, which...
In a landmark study, investigators from Europe proposed a new and simple method to assess the risk of malignancy of women with an adnexal mass. The method identified between 89% and 99% of patients with ovarian cancer using the results of ultrasound examination, which can be obtained in referral...
ASCO announced today that the Journal of Oncology Practice (JOP) will be printed on a monthly basis and offer new resources to supply oncology professionals with cutting-edge information on cancer care delivery. Doubling its content, the expanded journal also features clinical information from a...
Many breast cancer–focused meetings and conferences are held each year, but the Breast Cancer Symposium, which takes place this year in San Francisco, September 8–11, is one of the few that takes an interdisciplinary approach to delivering practical, how-to clinical information for attendees from...
Results from the Women’s Health Initiative1 showing a decreased incidence of breast cancer among postmenopausal hysterectomized women who took estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) may seem paradoxical, but “comply exactly” with laboratory research, according to V. Craig Jordan, OBE, PhD, DSc,...
Each year in the United States, approximately 70,000 people between the ages of 15 and 40 are diagnosed with cancer. And while getting a cancer diagnosis at any age can be devastating, for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) grappling with sexuality, body image, peer pressure, dating, marriage,...
On January 17, 1961, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in his farewell address to the nation, coined the term “the military-industrial complex.” His purpose was to warn of the inefficiencies that could result from such a relationship, which would imperil the strength of our military and the safety of ...
Cardiac toxicity related to chemotherapy is not a new topic but it is an increasingly important one, as concerns are no longer limited to the anthracyclines. Targeted agents unfortunately “target” the cardiovascular system as well, especially bevacizumab (Avastin), trastuzumab (Herceptin) when...
The ASCO Humanitarian Award honors an oncologist who personifies ASCO’s mission and values by going above and beyond the call of duty in providing outstanding patient care through innovative means or exceptional service and leadership in voluntary, uncompensated endeavors in the United States or...
For Nora Janjan, MD, MPSA, MBA, the practice of oncology is rooted in purpose, empathy, and trust. “You walk into the hospital and you know exactly why you’re there,” she says. “You are there to help patients and their loved ones through probably the most difficult experience that they will ever...
Many of Osler’s precepts and teachings are as applicable today as they were a century ago. Their universality and timeless relevance are guideposts. Some of his frequently cited aphorisms include: “In the physician or surgeon no quality takes rank with imperturbability.” “Care more particularly ...
William Osler (1849–1919) is one of the most revered physicians in the history of medicine. He was an outstanding clinician who emphasized bedside teaching, hard work, medical history, and lifelong learning.1 As Professor of Medicine at four institutions in three countries, he exerted a profound...
Should oncologists in community practices subspecialize? What would that mean for them and for their patients? These are some of the issues tackled in a Journal of Oncology Practice (JOP) Strategies for Career Success article entitled “Subspecialization in Community Oncology: Option or Necessity?”...
Since 1989, Stephen Cannistra, MD, has been working to make the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) the most credible, authoritative resource for disseminating significant clinical oncology research while acting as a reviewer, Consultant Editor, Associate Editor, Editorial Board Member, and as of...