PD-1 blockade with the PD-1 inhibitor dostarlimab-gxly induced complete tumor clearance and resolved the need for surgery in patients with locally advanced, mismatch repair–deficient (dMMR) cancers, according to preliminary results from a phase II trial presented at the 2025 American Association...
The addition of neoadjuvant and adjuvant pembrolizumab to standard-of-care therapy significantly improved event-free survival over the standard of care alone for patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer in the phase III KEYNOTE-689 trial, according to results presented at the American...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the humanized IgG1 monoclonal anti–PD-1 antibody penpulimab-kcqx with cisplatin or carboplatin and gemcitabine for the first-line treatment of adults with recurrent or metastatic nonkeratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The FDA also...
Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) investigators were informed on April 21 that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will terminate WHI Regional Center (RC) contracts at the end of the current fiscal year (September 2025). The WHI Clinical Coordinating Center (CCC) will continue...
In late January 2013, while playing with my young son, I noticed my left breast seemed slightly larger than my right breast. Although, at the time, I had no idea this type of swelling is a hallmark of inflammatory breast cancer, a rare and aggressive disease, I immediately made an appointment with...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the tyrosine kinase inhibitor cabozantinib (Cabometyx) for adult and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with previously treated, unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic, well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors...
Nicolas Girard, MD, a thoracic oncologist at the Institut Curie, Paris, presented the results of an interim analysis of the open-label phase II COCOON study, at the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2025.1 A readily available preventive regimen (the COCOON regimen) reduced moderate-to-severe...
A few weeks ago, a family member underwent a minor outpatient operative procedure. From a few weeks before the scheduled date of the procedure, multiple text messages and e-mails were forwarded to provide preparatory instructions for the procedure. The day before the procedure, another...
Updates from several clinical trials of the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor osimertinib across stages and settings of EGFR-mutated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were presented at the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2025. The updated results from the phase III LAURA trial were presented by ...
Ongoing efforts to rein in government spending have been described as a “chainsaw for bureaucracy.” It’s an apt metaphor for the haphazard budget cuts that many federal agencies are still experiencing. On February 7, 2025, the chainsaw made its way to facilities and administrative (F&A)...
In a single-center phase I/II study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Shah et al found that adaptive manufactured lentiviral anti-CD20/anti-CD19 (LV20.19) chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell treatment was highly active in relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma. Study Details In...
Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed the treatment landscape over the last decade for patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the agents can also stimulate uncontrolled immunity against normal tissues and organs, leading to a cascade of immune-related adverse...
In a pooled analysis of the phase II TRUST-I and TRUST-II trials reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Pérol et al found that the oral, potent, CNS-active, selective, next-generation ROS1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) taletrectinib was highly active in ROS1-positive advanced or metastatic ...
A new study showed that approximately 80% of patients with stage III melanoma who had detectable levels of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) before they started treatment to suppress their tumors went on to experience recurrence. Researchers also found that the disease returned more than four times...
In the French phase II PANACHE01-PRODIGE48 trial, researchers found that neoadjuvant chemotherapy with mFOLFIRINOX (modified leucovorin, fluorouracil, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin) was feasible and active in patients with resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Schwarz et al published these findings...
Percutaneous hepatic perfusion using a melphalan hepatic delivery system (melphalan/HDS) may be an effective treatment option in patients with unresectable uveal melanoma that has metastasized to the liver, according to a recent study published by Zager et al in the Annals of Surgical Oncology....
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved bevacizumab-nwgd (Jobevne), a biosimilar to bevacizumab (Avastin), for intravenous use. Bevacizumab-nwgd is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody and a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor that binds with VEGF and blocks...
In the API-CAT trial—results of which were reported in The New England Journal of Medicine—Mahé et al found that use of reduced-dose apixaban was noninferior to full-dose apixaban in preventing recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with active cancer. Study Details In the double-blind...
A whole-genome sequencing–based, error-corrected method for detecting cancer from blood samples could be more sensitive and accurate in monitoring disease status posttreatment among patients with cancer compared with prior methods, according to a recent study published by Cheng et al in Nature...
Patients with active cancer who developed venous thromboembolism (VTE) and were treated with anticoagulants for at least 6 months, followed by an additional 12 months of low-dose apixaban, experienced similar VTE recurrences and less bleeding as similar patients who received a full dose of the oral ...
In a Japanese trial (JCOG0905) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Hiraga et al found no disease-free survival benefit with the addition of a higher dose of ifosfamide to methotrexate, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (MAP) in patients with newly diagnosed high-grade osteosarcoma with poor...
In an analysis from the phase III MIRASOL trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Van Gorp et al found no significant difference in quality of life between patients receiving mirvetuximab soravtansine vs chemotherapy for folate receptor–alpha (FRα)-positive, platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. In...
In a U.S. population–based cohort study reported in JAMA Network Open, Bari et al identified patterns of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) use and survival outcomes among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer seen in routine clinical practice. The investigators stated: “…ICIs have been...
A novel cell therapy approach using cord blood–derived natural killer (NK) cells precomplexed with the CD30/CD16A bispecific antibody AFM13 may be safe and generate responses in patients with refractory CD30-positive lymphomas, according to a recent study published by Nieto et al in Nature...
Postmastectomy radiation therapy may be significantly shortened for many patients planning breast reconstruction, according to data from a large phase III trial (RT CHARM, Alliance A221505).1 Investigators reported that hypofractionated (short-course) radiation therapy was found to be noninferior...
Proton beam therapy and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) were found to offer equivalent quality-of-life outcomes for patients with localized prostate cancer, according to data from the PARTIQoL trial. This phase III trial showed no measurable differences between the two approaches in...
An increasing proportion of the U.S. public may be aware of the link between consuming alcohol and the elevated risk of later developing cancer, according to a recent survey conducted by the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC). Background On January 3, 2025, Vivek...
Two recent studies have elucidated the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on colorectal cancer screenings and diagnostic colonoscopies in Central Indiana. The findings—reported by Kumar et al in PLOS One and Richter et al in Preventive Medicine Reports—contribute to the compendium of knowledge on...
In a French phase II trial (iNDUCT-GETUG V08) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Houédé et al found evidence of activity of neoadjuvant durvalumab plus chemotherapy in patients with high-risk, upper tract urothelial carcinoma. Study Details In this multicenter open-label trial, 45...
The outcomes from the phase III ENGOT-OV43/GOG-3036/KEYLYNK-001 trial in advanced BRCA-nonmutated ovarian cancer indicate a statistically significant and clinically meaningful benefit for the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab and chemotherapy, followed by pembrolizumab plus maintenance with the PARP...
Current standard chemoradiation therapy remains the most effective treatment for selected patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal cancer, based on the results of the NRG-HN005 trial. Researchers have halted this large, randomized phase II/III trial after patients in the...
In an Israeli retrospective cohort study reported as a research letter in JAMA Network Open, Armon et al found that presymptomatic awareness of BRCA1/BRCA2 pathogenic variant carrier status was associated with better outcomes in several measures in women with ovarian cancer. Study Details The...
On March 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the PD-L1 inhibitor durvalumab (Imfinzi) with gemcitabine and cisplatin as neoadjuvant treatment, followed by single-agent durvalumab as adjuvant treatment following radical cystectomy, for adults with muscle-invasive bladder ...
In a health-related quality-of-life (QOL) analysis reported in The Lancet Oncology, Powles et al found that belzutifan had better QOL on patient-reported outcomes vs everolimus in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma in the phase III LITESPARK-005 trial. Study Details Belzutifan is approved...
In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Agusti et al found that the addition of chemotherapy to adjuvant radiotherapy was not associated with improved overall survival in patients with intermediate-risk cervical cancer. Study Details The study involved National Cancer Database data on patients with a ...
Guest Editor’s Note: Several epidemiologic studies have shown an inverse association between healthy dietary patterns and the risk of chronic diseases including cancer. Patients are often interested in exploring different dietary interventions throughout the cancer continuum. However, concrete...
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the tyrosine kinase inhibitor cabozantinib (Cabometyx) for adult and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with previously treated, unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic, well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors...
A new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes may be linked to a subsequent increased risk of developing some obesity-related cancers, according to new findings presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) 2025. Background Previous research has uncovered associations between type 2 diabetes and a...
Updated findings from the second planned interim analysis of the phase III ENGOT-cx11/GOG-3047/KEYNOTE-A18 study solidify the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy, followed by pembrolizumab maintenance, as the upfront standard of care for high-risk, locally advanced...
Waist circumference may be a more effective risk marker for the development of obesity-related cancers than body mass index (BMI) in male but not female patients, according to new findings presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) 2025. Background Body size and excess...
In a phase Ia/Ib study (Beamion LUNG-1) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Heymach et al evaluated the safety profile and activity of zongertinib in patients with HER2-altered solid tumors. Zongertinib is a novel HER2-selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that spares EGFR, thereby...
Biopsies guided by high-resolution ultrasound may be as effective as those using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosing prostate cancer, an international clinical trial has shown. The technology, called micro-ultrasound, is cheaper and easier to use than MRI. It could significantly speed up ...
Two doses of a simple tuberculosis (TB) vaccination after surgery helps the immune system fight cancer cells and may improve patient outcomes among those with non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer, according to a pilot study of 40 patients. Initial results from the RUTIVAC-1 Trial were presented by...
Today’s oncologists are blessed with an abundance of therapies for HER2-positive early breast cancer, but this comes with the challenge of selecting among them. At the 2025 Miami Breast Cancer Conference, Sara A. Hurvitz, MD, FACP, offered insight on common clinical scenarios. Dr. Hurvitz is...
Physician burnout has increased significantly in the past decade, and organizational strategies are vital to improve physician well-being, according to new research from ASCO. This compilation includes reports on the state of professional well-being among oncologists in 2023, burnout trends among...
“Care more particularly for the individual patient than for the special features of the disease.” —Sir William Osler Chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) is the most common leukemia in the Western hemisphere. The majority of patients who require treatment are older than ...
In the phase III JCOG1411/FLORA trial of patients with untreated advanced-stage, very low–tumor burden follicular lymphoma, rituximab induction delayed disease progression to high–tumor burden follicular lymphoma and delayed the initiation of cytotoxic chemotherapy, according to Japanese...
The addition of tafasitamab, a CD19 monoclonal antibody, to the commonly used lenalidomide and rituximab backbone significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma, according to data presented during the 2024 American Society of Hematology...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) in combination with lenalidomide and a rituximab product for adults with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL)—including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified, DLBCL arising ...
Adding intraperitoneal (IP) paclitaxel to standard intravenous (IV) paclitaxel plus S-1 (oral fluoropyrimidine derivative) significantly extended overall survival for patients with gastric cancer peritoneal metastases, according to data presented at the 2025 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers...