Among patients newly diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who were treated with two targeted agents and whose duration of treatment was determined by high-sensitivity testing for residual cancer cells in the blood, 97.2% were free of cancer progression and 2% had died at 3 years. By...
Researchers identified a 75% higher rate of mortality among patients treated for multiple myeloma in real-world hospital settings compared with rates reported in clinical trials involving common therapies. The new findings were presented by Visram et al at the 2023 American Society of Hematology...
Although significant progress has been made to reduce the gap in health outcomes of minority or underserved patients, meaningful steps forward still need to be made to improve health disparities. Countless studies have shown, in general, that affluent White individuals have better health outcomes...
ASCO discussant Elizabeth Smyth, MD, a consultant medical oncologist at Oxford University Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust in the United Kingdom, commented on the EDGE-Gastric trial. This regimen, which evaluated dual checkpoint blockade with next-generation agents, aims to...
In this installment of The ASCO Post’s Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Nina Shah, MD, Global Head of Multiple Myeloma Clinical Development and Strategy, Hematology, Oncology Research and Development at AstraZeneca. She is a hematologist who specializes in...
The integration of immunotherapy with traditional chemoradiotherapy has significantly increased pathologic complete response rates in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to data presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2023 World Conference on...
For the treatment of advanced melanoma that is refractory to anti–PD-1 antibodies, there is no standard approach. The various options, with a look to the future, were discussed by Melinda L. Yushak, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Hematology and Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine, at...
Widely anticipated findings from the MARIPOSA1 and MARIPOSA-22 trials were presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2023, showing potentially improved outcomes with regimens incorporating the bispecific antibody amivantamab-vmjw for patients with advanced non–small...
Investigators have uncovered that North Carolina’s urban counties may have higher overall incidences of breast cancer than its rural counties, especially at early stages at diagnosis, according to a recent study published by Gearhart-Serna et al in Scientific Reports. These findings may serve as a...
The integration of immunotherapy with traditional chemoradiotherapy has significantly increased pathologic complete response rates in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to data presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2023 World Conference on...
Guest Editor’s Note: The Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) held its 20th international conference in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The conference focused on the theme “Integrative Oncology as Standard of Care: The Time Is Now.” The mood was festive, and the weather cooperated with warm temperatures, ...
A lot of my experience with cancer is hazy to me. I was taking narcotics for pain around the clock when I was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma in 2013, so there are some missing memories during those early days. I was 19 and a freshman in college when my symptoms started. I have always been active in ...
In this installment of The ASCO Post’s Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Dennis J. Slamon, MD, PhD, one of the principals in the discovery and development of trastuzumab—the first monoclonal antibody used against an oncogene that altered our entire approach...
For many years, researchers around the world have been exploring the connections between cancer treatments and the heart—better known as cardio-oncology. However, many oncologists may be less familiar with this emerging field and what they might need to know in terms of heart health to keep their...
Greater understanding of biological disease factors in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has led to more effective and personalized treatment options. At the 2023 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Annual Congress: Hematologic Malignancies,1 Rebecca Olin, MD, MSCE, of UCSF Helen Diller Family...
An ASCO Rapid Recommendation Update advises oncologists to avoid the use of triple combination therapy for the management of metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC).1 The new guidance, which updates recommendations from the original 2022 guideline, reflects findings from a phase III,...
Since all myelomas are not the same, treatment should be personalized and targeted to the different biological subgroups, said the CANOVA trial’s invited discussant Faith E. Davies, MD, Professor of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York. For this approach, she said, three things are...
In the global randomized phase III CANOVA study, venetoclax plus dexamethasone (VenDex) demonstrated numerically longer progression-free survival compared with pomalidomide and dexamethasone (PomDex) in patients with t(11;14)-positive relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, though the difference...
Despite the lack of long-term follow-up, abstract discussant Lori J. Pierce, MD, FASTRO, FASCO, Professor of Radiation Oncology and Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, underscored the remarkable potential of short-course radiation to transform the...
Abstract discussant Beth Beadle, MD, PhD, Professor and Director of Head and Neck Radiation Oncology at Stanford University, underscored the significance of the HYPNO trial in advancing global cancer care, especially in underprivileged settings. “This trial could lead to a crucial change in...
Commenting on the AEGEAN study at the 2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer were the abstract’s invited discussant Solange Peters, MD, PhD, Professor and Chair of Medical Oncology and the Thoracic Malignancies Program at Lausanne University Hospital in Switzerland, and Upal Basu Roy, PhD, MPH,...
In the global randomized open-label phase III innovaTV 301/ENGOT-cx12/GOG-3057 trial, treatment with the antibody-drug conjugate tisotumab vedotin-tftv resulted in a statistically significant 30% reduction in the risk of death in patients previously treated for recurrent or metastatic cervical...
Invited discussant of the DUO-E trial, Domenica Lorusso, MD, PhD, commented: “Looking at the data, it’s clear to me that we are entering a new era of clinical research” in endometrial cancer. Patient populations are becoming molecularly refined, which will pave the way for more highly personalized ...
Researchers have compiled a comprehensive list of genetic variants that may be associated with the risk of developing prostate cancer, according to a recent study published by Wang et al in Nature Genetics. The new findings included major increases in representation among patients from racial and...
Bone scans may overstage prostate cancer at initial staging compared with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron-emission tomography (PET), according to a recent study published by Hope et al in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Background PSMA PET is known to be more accurate than...
On June 29, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-to-3 decision, essentially overturned affirmative action in college admissions, which had allowed, since 1978, for colleges and universities to consider race as a factor in student admissions.1 The ruling will impact enrollment decisions at public...
I’ve been contending with health issues since I was 12, when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. As I began my early 30s, I was feeling the healthiest of my life. I was working out 5 days a week and attributed sudden weight loss and fatigue to weight training and high-intensity Zumba classes....
Diagnosing early-stage lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening may improve 20-year survival rates, according to a recent study published by Henschke et al in Radiology. The new findings demonstrated the significance of routine early screenings to detect tumors when they are...
Researchers have found that a DNA repair–facilitating mechanism may be responsible for a tumor’s treatment resistance and could be treated with a combination of chemotherapies, according to a recent study published by Marullo et al in Cancer Research. The mechanism involves the shuttling of...
Researchers have found that presenting older patients with personalized information regarding the benefits and harms of colorectal cancer screenings may reduce unnecessary screenings, according to a recent study published by Saini et al in JAMA Internal Medicine. Background Colorectal cancer...
Abstract discussant Rohann J.M. Correa, MD, PhD, a radiation oncologist at London Health Sciences Centre and Assistant Professor at Western University, Canada, shared his insights on this landmark clinical trial for the treatment of kidney cancers. “FASTRACK II represents an important milestone,...
A perioperative regimen of neoadjuvant nivolumab plus chemotherapy followed by surgery and adjuvant nivolumab achieved a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in event-free survival compared with neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus placebo followed by surgery and adjuvant...
It is widely acknowledged that patients with cancer living in rural areas of the United States face limited access to medical and oncology providers, often have to travel long distances to receive care, and experience obstacles in clinical trial participation—all of which affect quality of care and ...
Helena Linardou, MD, PhD, Director of the 4th Department of Oncology and the Comprehensive Clinical Trials Center, Metropolitan Hospital, Athens, was invited as the discussant of the studies on antibody-drug conjugates at the 2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer. Preliminary Data Dr. Linardou...
Gender diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in medicine has long been acknowledged as more than “the right thing to do,” with clear evidence of benefits in innovation, collaboration, and workplace culture.1 Yet the data continue to showcase challenges in achieving these goals despite women...
I have been fascinated with death since I was 3 years old. I remember going to my great-grandfather’s funeral and asking my mother where my great-grandfather was. She said he is in heaven. I asked her if I were going to heaven, too, and she said, “Yes, but not for a long time.” Today, I don’t...
In this installment of The ASCO Post’s Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Elisabete Weiderpass, MD, MSc, PhD, a Brazilian cancer researcher who is a naturalized Swedish and Finnish citizen. She is an expert in cancer epidemiology and cancer prevention. In...
Researchers have developed a novel artificial intelligence (AI)-based Cancer Survival Calculator for estimating long-term survival in patients with newly diagnosed cancer, according to new findings presented by Janczewski et al at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2023....
Researchers have discovered that it may be possible to detect and treat dormant tumor cells in breast cancer survivors, according to new findings presented by DeMichele et al at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2023 (Abstract 244MO). The results may have offered a...
Data from the phase III PSMAfore trial were presented during a Presidential Symposium at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2023 (Abstract LBA13). Results showed that the trial of lutetium Lu-177 vipivotide tetraxetan met its primary endpoint, with a clinically meaningful and ...
Researchers have discovered that patients with longer prostatic urethras may have an increased risk of experiencing moderate and chronic urinary side effects after receiving radiation for prostate cancer, according to a recent study published by Lee et al in Academic Radiology. The new findings...
The past year has been an exciting time for breast oncologists and patients with all stages of breast cancer, with new agents approved and long-term results from pivotal trials showing improved survival for patients with metastatic disease. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights in early-stage ...
The MONARCH 3 study’s invited discussant, Meritxell Bellet Ezquerra, MD, PhD, a senior researcher at the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology in Barcelona, commented: “The second interim analysis for overall survival in MONARCH 31 indicates a positive trend, which was also observed for the subgroup...
In an analysis of the SOFT trial, the Breast Cancer Index accurately identified premenopausal women with hormone receptor–positive early breast cancer who may benefit from ovarian function suppression in addition to adjuvant endocrine therapy. The findings were reported by Ruth O’Regan, MD, Chair...
The antibody-drug conjugate fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (T-DXd) proved to be superior to the antibody-drug conjugate ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1), significantly improving progression-free survival and overall survival, in women with unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer as ...
A meta-analysis of randomized trials has revealed a benefit to ovarian ablation or suppression in preventing breast cancer recurrence in premenopausal women with estrogen receptor–positive tumors.1 The findings, based on almost 15,000 women in studies spanning several decades, were presented at the ...
Intensive local-regional tumor debulking in addition to standard palliative chemotherapy may not impact the overall quality of life of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, according to a novel study published by Bakkerus et al in JNCCN–Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network....
The September 2023 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Virtual Plenary presentation of the NATALEE health-related quality-of-life (QOL) findings was discussed by Michail Ignatiadis, MD, PhD, and Stephen R.D. Johnston, MD, PhD. Dr. Ignatiadis is Director of the Breast Medical Oncology...
Nonmelanoma skin cancer may be causing a greater number of global deaths than melanoma, according to findings presented by Salah et al at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venerology Congress 2023. Investigators also suggested that nonmelanoma skin cancer may be underreported and that the...
On October 9, HistoSonics, the manufacturer of the Edison System and novel histotripsy therapy platforms, announced the marketing authorization of its platform via the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) De Novo Classification Request process, a rigorous premarket review pathway for medical...