Ivosidenib, an inhibitor of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1), improved overall survival by almost 3 months in previously treated patients with advanced IDH1-mutated cholangiocarcinoma, compared with placebo, researchers of the global phase III ClarIDHy trial reported at the 2021 Gastrointestinal...
Molecular profiling allows clinicians to identify the molecular and genetic signatures that help to deliver treatments that are highly specific to a tumor. This tool has made possible a number of advances in the past year that are improving care for patients with gastrointestinal cancers. In...
As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Richard S. Finn, MD, of Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues, the phase III IMbrave150 trial has shown that anti–PD-L1 plus anti-VEGF therapy with...
Excluding skin cancer, colorectal cancer is the third most prevalent and lethal cancer among both men and women in the United States.1 Although the risk of developing colorectal cancer increases with age—more than 90% of cases occur in people aged 50 or older2—recent research shows that the...
The past year has witnessed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a number of novel drugs and new indications for treating patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. A summary of these approvals is provided herein. Nivolumab plus ipilimumab: On March 10, 2020, the FDA granted...
“In line with the emergence of targeted therapies, molecular biomarker testing in metastatic colorectal cancer has evolved over the past decade,” noted Jeanne Tie, MD, MBChB, FRACP, who acknowledged there is confusion about the best ways to use molecular testing in the clinic. Dr. Tie, who is...
The invited discussant for the RAPIDO and PRODIGE 23 trials, Christopher Leigh Hallemeier, MD, Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, noted the standard approach to locally advanced rectal cancer has been, for the past 2 decades, a long course of chemoradiotherapy ...
More than 1 in 10 patients with lung cancer do not know what type of tumor they have, according to data from a 17-country study carried out by the Global Lung Cancer Coalition (GLCC) presented by Beattie et al at the European Lung Cancer Virtual Congress 2021 (Abstract 209P_PR). Nearly one in five...
In the treatment of resectable, locally advanced rectal cancer, researchers are trying to identify the most effective chemotherapy regimens, the best radiotherapy approaches, and the optimal sequence of these modalities. Two phase III trials presented during the ASCO20 Virtual Scientific Program...
DESTINY-CRC01 study discussant, Michael S. Lee, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, called the findings “most promising” for the subsequent anti-HER2 treatment of HER2-positive metastatic colorectal cancer. The...
Having recently gained approval in metastatic breast cancer, fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (T-DXd) is now proving its worth in metastatic colorectal cancer, according to results of the phase II DESTINY-CRC01 study in patients with HER2-positive disease.1 T-DXd is an antibody-drug conjugate...
At the 2021 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, the KEYNOTE-177 investigators updated their previously reported findings by showing further data relating to subsequent lines of therapy after disease progression. Their conclusion was that patients who received pembrolizumab initially still achieved...
In an updated analysis of the pivotal phase III KEYNOTE-177 trial of pembrolizu-mab for microsatellite instability–high (MSI-H) metastatic colorectal cancer, the benefit of first-line pembrolizumab continued beyond disease progression on the subsequent line of treatment, despite a high crossover to ...
The treatment of colorectal cancer has always been something of an art—but never more so than during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the spring of 2020, The ASCO Post asked three experts in this malignancy to share their concerns and their approaches to achieving good patient outcomes while minimizing...
Treatment with the KRAS G12C inhibitor adagrasib showed clinical activity in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring a KRAS G12C mutation, confirming its role as a therapeutic target. Results from the KRYSTAL-1 trial were reported at the European Lung Cancer Virtual...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted two breakthrough device designations covering new intended uses of the Signatera molecular residual disease (MRD) test. These new designations will support the development of Signatera through phase III clinical trials as a companion diagnostic to ...
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) announced that its board of directors has voted to elect the University of California (UC) Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center as its newest member institution. UC Davis joins 30 other leading academic cancer centers from across the United States...
Andreas Obermair, MD, of the University of Queensland and Queensland Centre for Gynaecological Cancer Research, discusses data on a hormonal IUD used to treat women with the precursor lesion endometrial hyperplasia with atypia (EHA) and those with stage I endometrial adenocarcinoma (EAC). At 6...
Amir A. Jazaeri, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses data on the safety and efficacy of adoptive cell transfer using autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (LN-145) to treat patients with recurrent, metastatic, or persistent cervical carcinoma whose tumors have...
Eric Pujade-Lauraine, MD, PhD, of Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu, discusses results from the PAOLA-1ENGOT-ov25 trial on the use of homologous recombination–repair mutation gene panels and whether they can predict the efficacy of olaparib plus bevacizumab in first-line maintenance therapy for patients with...
Brittany A. Davidson, MD, of Duke University, discusses the development and validation of the GO-POP model (Gynecologic Oncology Predictor of Postoperative opioid use), an individualized patient-centered predictive tool designed to help avoid overprescribing pain medications (ID# 10253).
Dana M. Roque, MD, of the University of Maryland Medical Center, discusses phase II results showing that weekly ixabepilone plus biweekly bevacizumab may improve overall response rate as well as progression-free and overall survival for women with platinum-resistant or -refractory ovarian,...
Laura Chambers, DO, of the Cleveland Clinic, discusses data showing that combining paclitaxel and cisplatin vs cisplatin alone with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy at interval debulking surgery improved progression-free survival. There was no difference in postoperative complications,...
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has compiled a selection of resources for radiation oncology professionals. The resources were developed by clinical teams and based on the best available information at the time they were posted. Physicians and their patients must make the...
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) recently announced the establishment of The Tow Center for Developmental Oncology (TCDO). The new institution will bring together the unique expertise of researchers and physicians from across MSK and empower them to pursue translational research...
Emory University President Gregory L. Fenves, PhD, recently announced the appointment of biomedical scientist Ravi Bellamkonda, PhD, as the university’s next Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, effective July 1, 2021. Dr. Bellamkonda returns to Emory after serving as Dean of...
The Pezcoller Foundation–American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) International Award for Extraordinary Achievement in Cancer Research will be presented to Hans Clevers, MD, PhD, FAACR, at the virtual AACR Annual Meeting 2021, to be held April 10–15 and May 17–21. Dr. Clevers, who is...
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), and National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) recently presented new ideas for overcoming inequality in oncology. The recommendations—developed by a group of 17 national experts, representing...
Cancer ranks as a leading cause of death in every country in the world, and, for the first time, female breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer, overtaking lung cancer, according to a collaborative report from the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the International Agency for Research...
The American Cancer Society recently launched the Diversity in Cancer Research program, a permanent umbrella that will support the American Cancer Society’s effort to foster a more diverse scientific workforce community. This has been made possible through an endowment contribution from Elizabeth...
The Prevent Cancer Foundation has announced funding for nine scientists who are researching cancer prevention and early detection. Each scientist is being awarded $100,000 for 2 years. Areas of focus include the pancreas, esophagus, liver, lungs, skin, prostate, colon-rectum, and blood/bone ...
United in their commitment to eliminate human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancer, the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) and the Foundation for Women’s Cancer (FWC) recently endorsed a series of vaccine recommendations. HPV vaccines are among the most effective vaccines available worldwide,...
A science-focused organization dedicated to ending gastric cancer, the Sara Schottenstein Foundation recently announced its launch and its new website, http://www.saraschottensteinfoundation.org. Founded by Jeff Schottenstein, MBA, a wealth management professional in San Francisco, the Sara...
Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) and University of Utah (U of U) Health announced the appointment of Sachin Apte, MD, MS, MBA, as Chief Clinical Officer of HCI and Physician-in-Chief of the cancer hospital. “Dr. Apte will lead HCI’s clinical efforts at a time when we are poised to dramatically...
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) have named James K. Aikins, Jr, MD, FACOG, FACS, Chief of Gynecologic Oncology at Rutgers Cancer Institute and Chief of Gynecologic Oncology Services at RWJUH. He will also serve as Program Director for the...
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has announced the appointment of Patrick Delaney as incoming Executive Director for the NCCN Foundation. Mr. Delaney has previously held leadership roles with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, American Red Cross, and American Cancer Society. ...
Cancer researcher Alan Tackett, PhD, has been named Deputy Director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute (Cancer Institute) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). Dr. Tackett, who is noted for his research in cancer biomarker discovery, is Professor in the UAMS...
Roswell Park comprehensive Cancer Center and the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation announced a $3.3 million program to address the cancer burden in rural areas and Native Nations across New York State, with an emphasis on the Western New York region. The grant from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation ...
International cancer cell therapy pioneer Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine and Director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies at Penn Medicine Abramson Cancer Center, has...
Following feedback from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a pre–new drug application meeting, Odonate Therapeutics has concluded that the clinical data package for tesetaxel, an oral taxane tested in patients with metastatic breast cancer, is unlikely to support FDA approval....
The results of a large cohort study suggest that a proportion of patients with cutaneous melanoma could potentially avoid sentinel node biopsy, according to data presented by Moncrieff et al at the Society of Surgical Oncology 2021 International Conference on Surgical Cancer Care (Abstract 59)....
Most people with cancer who are infected with COVID-19 produce antibodies at a rate comparable to the rest of the population—but their ability to do so depends on the type of malignancy and the treatments they’ve received, according to a new study published by Thakkar et al in Nature Cancer. The...
Although cancers of the gallbladder or bile ducts are rare, their rates of occurrence are increasing. A recent study published by Ouyang et al in the journal Cancer provided details on the burden of gallbladder and biliary tract cancer across 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2017....
Shaji K. Kumar, MD, of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, discusses the latest data on treating patients with multiple myeloma, including standard-of-care induction before stem cell transplant; the role of quadruplet induction; long-term results with the combination of daratumumab, lenalidomide, and...
Updated findings from a cohort of patients with cancer infected with COVID-19 included in the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19) were published by Petros Grivas, MD, PhD, and colleagues in Annals of Oncology. Authors identified factors associated with a more severe viral infection among...
Patients whose procedures for gastrointestinal malignancies were performed by a surgical team at a hospital ranked as one of America’s “best” by U.S. News & World Report were nearly two and half times more likely to survive the operation than those who had the same procedure done at a nonranked ...
On March 22, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in combination with platinum and fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy for patients with metastatic or locally advanced esophageal or gastroesophageal junction (tumors with epicenter 1–5 cm above the...
Gabrielle A. Zecha, PA-C, MHA, of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, and Aaron Begue, MS, RN, NP-C, OCN, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discuss how advanced practice providers are recruited and trained, ways to retain these valuable health-care...
Susan M. Swetter, MD, of Stanford Cancer Institute, discusses molecular prognostic tests for cutaneous melanoma, which may improve staging accuracy, reduce unnecessary sentinel lymph node biopsies, and inform decisions on surveillance imaging and/or adjuvant therapy.
Supriya Chopra, MD, of Tata Memorial Centre, discusses a final analysis of the phase III PARCER trial, which showed that image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy is superior to conventional radiotherapy in reducing bowel toxicity in women with cervical cancer. Acute diarrhea was also reduced,...