In this video, Drs. Justin F. Gainor, Ibiayi Dagogo-Jack, and Jyoti D. Patel discuss current treatment options for ALK fusion–positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Dr. Gainor presents the case of a 31-year-old patient with minimal tobacco exposure who was diagnosed with metastatic NSCLC....
On August 23, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine has been known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, and will now be marketed as Comirnaty, for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals aged 16 years and older. The vaccine also...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Cutter et al, an analysis from the UK NCRI RAPID trial of positron-emission tomography (PET)-directed therapy in patients with early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma indicated that the use of involved-field radiotherapy in PET-negative patients who had...
Outcomes in adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are almost rivaling those in pediatric ALL, thanks to the benefits achieved by incorporating blinatumomab and inotuzumab into chemotherapy regimens. New ways of administering the chemotherapy component are also increasing tolerability and...
Levorphanol was associated with improved pain and symptom control in patients with advanced cancer, according to data from an early phase I trial, reported by Akhila Reddy, MD, at the 2021 Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer/International Society of Oral Oncology (MASCC/ISOO)...
In an international, multicenter study, researchers evaluated the impact of prior and concurrent antibiotic exposure in a cohort of patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with first-line chemoimmunotherapy combinations. In contrast to what has been reported in patients...
In a study published by Magnum et al in JAMA Oncology, researchers reported on how two separate DNA changes appear to predict aggressive childhood leukemias when they occur in combination. The team evaluated tumor characteristics of more than 1,300 pediatric patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic ...
Eric Deutsch, MD, PhD, Professor and Chair of Radiation Oncology at Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France, commended the speakers for conducting trials whose results he found “very interesting.” The Averectal trial involved a short course of radiation with modified FOLFOX-6 (oxaliplatin, fluorouracil...
In the treatment of newly diagnosed locally advanced rectal cancer, two phase II studies evaluating the addition of the PD-L1 inhibitor avelumab to chemoradiotherapy showed promising rates of pathologic complete response, major pathologic response, and tumor downstaging. The study investigators...
Prediction models based on clinical characteristics and imaging findings may help reduce the false-positive rate in women with dense breasts who undergo supplemental breast cancer screening with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), according to a study published by den Dekker et al in the journal...
Consuming higher amounts of vitamin D—mainly from dietary sources—may help protect against developing young-onset colorectal cancer or precancerous colon polyps, according to the first study to show such an association. These findings were published by Kim et al in the journal Gastroenterology. The ...
In recent years, the gut microbiome has garnered considerable attention as a scientific field, with far-reaching potential for clinical good. The trillions of microorganisms that inhabit the digestive tract form an incredibly complex community, which participates in countless interactions with its...
Too many “exhausted” T cells left in the wake of aggressive chemotherapy regimens for patients with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) make it more challenging for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy to do its job. Now, a new study from researchers at the Perelman School of...
A large retrospective study has found that early-onset colorectal cancers are clinically and genomically indistinguishable from average-onset colorectal cancers. In addition, the study found that more aggressive treatment based solely on the patient’s age at diagnosis is neither necessary nor...
Researchers have determined how a highly aggressive type of breast cancer may evade treatment with the compound sacituzumab govitecan-hziy, according to findings published by Coates et al in Cancer Discovery. Their results could help improve therapy and ultimately prolong survival for patients with ...
In a small study of 16 patients with angiosarcoma published by Michael Wagner, MD, and colleagues in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, 4 patients experienced a partial or complete response to treatment with a combination of the immunotherapies ipilimumab and nivolumab, and another 2 patients ...
Stephen M. Ansell, MD, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic, and Bruce D. Cheson, MD, of the Lymphoma Research Foundation, engage in a lively debate about CAR T-cell therapy, how it fits in with immunotherapy and nonchemotherapy approaches, and how to decide which treatment is right for which patient,...
In a study reported in The Lancet Oncology, Scott et al found that application of the genomic-adjusted radiation dose (GARD) model to cohorts of patients with different types of cancer showed a significant association of GARD with benefit of radiotherapy. As stated by the investigators, “We...
S. Vincent Rajkumar, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, talks about how, in light of the fact that multiple myeloma has been turned into a chronic disease for many people, what it means to “cure” patients; the difference between curable and cured in multiple myeloma; and key studies he is involved in that...
Regular muscle-strengthening exercises associated with aerobic activities can reduce cancer mortality, according to a systematic review of epidemiologic studies published by Nascimento et al in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. Workouts with activities like...
Peihua Lu, MD, of Lu Daopei Hospital, discusses the state of research in China on CAR T-cell therapy, placing it in the context of the global development pipeline and the progress being made.
A recent study examined patient-reported outcomes and risk-management behaviors of women choosing to receive or decline their breast cancer polygenic risk scores (PRS). The findings were published by Tatiane Yanes, PhD, and colleagues in Genetics in Medicine. The research aimed to look at how the...
Adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients with cancer have not seen the same improvements in survival over the years as their pediatric and older adult counterparts. Some evidence has suggested that this may in part be a result of low AYA participation in clinical trials, limiting advances in...
A multicenter cohort study found that incomplete polyp removal—polyp removal where neoplastic tissue is found in any of the marginal biopsies—is a likely contributor to neoplasia recurrence and interval colorectal cancer. The results highlight the critical importance of polyp resection technique in ...
Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, is pleased to announce Shlomit Strulov Shachar, MD, of Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, is the recipient of the 2021 Conquer Cancer–Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) Career Development Award. Dr. Shachar’s proposed study, entitled “Identifying Molecular...
ASCO and the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) have published standards for the oncology medical home (OMH), a comprehensive system of care delivery that supports coordinated, efficient, accessible, and evidence-based care.1 The standards serve as a roadmap for practice...
ASCO and the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) recently announced that 75 research sites applied and have been invited to participate in a pilot project testing a research site self-assessment tool and an implicit bias training program focused on increasing racial and ethnic diversity...
The ASCO Post is pleased to continue this occasional special focus on the worldwide cancer burden. In this issue, we feature a close look at the cancer incidence and mortality rates in Bahrain. The aim of this special feature is to highlight the global cancer burden for various countries of the...
On June 30, 2021, asparaginase erwinia chrysanthemi (recombinant)-rywn was approved as a component of a multiagent chemotherapeutic regimen for treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and lymphoblastic lymphoma in adult and pediatric patients 1 month or older who have developed...
A middle-aged patient was referred to our clinic with a mass in his liver. It had been detected the preceding year, and the patient underwent a battery of investigations with scans and biopsies to reach a diagnosis of metastatic lesion of the liver. After appropriate consultations with oncologists, ...
Data from KEYNOTE-048 showed that the combination of the checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab with platinum-containing therapy improved overall survival vs cetuximab plus chemotherapy in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).1 The findings provided hope...
In the storied English fable “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” a child enters a home and tastes three bowls of porridge. She prefers a bowl that is not too cold and not too hot but one that has just the right temperature. This “Goldilocks principle” of “just the right amount” can be applied to the...
The tyrosine kinase inhibitor cabozantinib appears to be an effective new option for treatment-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer, according to the phase III COSMIC-311 trial, which was stopped early for efficacy.1 COSMIC-311 is the first randomized placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the...
“Naratuximab emtansine plus rituximab appears to be an effective and well tolerated combination in a heavily pretreated population. The results of the study are very promising,” said Leslie Popplewell, MD, Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell...
The combination of the CD37-targeting antibody-drug conjugate naratuximab emtansine and rituximab yielded deep and long-lasting responses in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), in a phase II trial presented during the 2021 European Hematology Association...
The ASCO Post invited Jacqueline C. Barrientos, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine, CLL Research and Treatment Program, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Lake Success, New York, to comment on the ALPINE findings presented at the European Hematology Association (EHA) Virtual...
The RATIONALE 302 trial1 was discussed by Kei Muro, MD, PhD, of Aichi Cancer Center Hospital in Nagoya, Japan, who found the results promising. However, Dr. Muro questioned the role of PD-1/L1 inhibitors as second-line therapy for advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. RATIONALE 302 is the...
In the phase III RATIONALE 302 trial, the novel anti–PD-1 antibody tislelizumab, being developed in China, improved overall survival vs chemotherapy as second-line therapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, according to Jaffer Ajani, MD, of The University of Houston MD Anderson Cancer Center,...
The invited discussant of APACT,1 Thomas Seufferlein, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine at the University of Ulm in Germany, said the updated overall survival data “suggest an improved outcome with nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine vs gemcitabine alone…. The combination improves long-term survival and...
The 5-year outcomes in the APACT trial uphold the overall survival benefit with nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine in the adjuvant treatment of patients with resected pancreatic cancer, according to Margaret A. Tempero, MD, Director of the University of California San Francisco Pancreas Center, who...
The 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting was presented totally virtually again due to the persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, the meeting held widespread interest, and we were able to attend an event with important changes for the practice of oncology. Compared with 2020, fewer “next-generation ...
A study published by Wang et al in the journal Carcinogenesis has identified new factors accompanying previous findings that frequent consumption of peanuts by patients with cancer could increase the risk of metastasis. Relationship Examined The results show that peanut agglutinin—a...
A small phase II study of the topical histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor remetinostat in patients with basal cell carcinoma found that the therapy was well tolerated and demonstrated clinical efficacy with no systemic side effects. The findings suggest that HDAC inhibitors are likely an effective ...
A record number of radiation oncologists met with Congressional leaders and staff in July as part of the largest American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Advocacy Day in the Society’s history, according to a news release from ASTRO. The physicians urged Congressional leaders to intervene in...
I first noticed blood in my stool when I was in the 8th grade. My mom and I did an Internet search and were relieved to find that the cause was most likely nothing more serious than hemorrhoids, so I put the problem out of my mind. I played volleyball and had an active social life, and the...
The American Medical Association (AMA) and the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at the Morehouse School of Medicine recently announced the selection of 12 physicians as the inaugural group of fellows for the Medical Justice in Advocacy Fellowship. This new collaborative initiative is intended to ...
The 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting was presented totally virtually again due to the persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, the meeting held widespread interest, and we were able to attend an event with important changes for the practice of oncology. Compared with 2020, fewer...
The Rutgers School of Public Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey have welcomed nationally recognized biostatistician Hao Liu, PhD. Dr. Liu will serve as Professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at Rutgers School of Public Health, Director of the Biostatistics...
Pelin Cinar, MD, MS, was born and reared in Istanbul, Turkey. “My father ran a small furniture business, and my mother was a homemaker. However, I had a distant cousin who was an obstetrician-gynecologist, but he did house calls and treated any number of health issues in the community. Early on, I ...
Triple-negative breast cancer is a particularly devastating subtype of breast cancer, as it is often diagnosed in young women and is associated with an exceptionally poor prognosis. The “triple-negative” designation indicates that the three key features driving most breast cancers (estrogen...