The use of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) did not significantly reduce positive margins after breast-conserving surgery, according to data presented during a press briefing at the 2023 American Society of Breast Surgeons Annual Meeting.1 Although MRI has been shown to detect...
In a new study reported by Farooq et al in Blood Advances, patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoma during pregnancy had a progression-free survival rate of 24% and an overall survival rate of 83%. Background Receiving a lymphoma diagnosis during pregnancy may be uncommon but can occur for...
Investigators have found that patients who had depression and/or anxiety prior to their diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) may have had shorter survival times than patients who didn’t have a mental health condition prior to their DLBCL diagnosis, according to a new study published...
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has launched a new set of large, precision medicine–based clinical trials—known as the ComboMATCH initiative—that will examine the efficacy of novel drug combinations targeting specific tumor mutations in adult and pediatric patients with cancer. The new...
In the phase II VIRO-15 trial reported in JAMA Oncology, Holloway et al found that virotherapy with the modified oncolytic vaccinia virus olvimulogene nanivacirepvec plus platinum-based chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab showed activity in patients with platinum-resistant or...
In a study reported in JAMA Network Open, Weinberg et al found that receipt of the bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine in patients with non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer was associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias—as well as a lower risk of mortality—compared...
When my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer 25 years ago, her medical team suggested we undergo genetic testing for the BRCA gene mutation. I knew that being a BRCA carrier put me at greater risk for breast and ovarian cancers, but I had no idea it also increased my risk for pancreatic cancer....
Tak W. Mak, PhD, FAACR, was recently announced as this year’s winner of the Pezcoller Foundation–American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) International Award for Extraordinary Achievement in Cancer Research. Dr. Mak is Senior Scientist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University...
On April 19, 2023, polatuzumab vedotin-piiq was approved for use with a rituximab product, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone (R-CHP) for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)–not otherwise specified or those with high-grade B-cell lymphoma who have an International...
Guest Editor’s Note: Despite its high prevalence, cancer pain remains undertreated. Racial disparities present further challenges to assessing and managing pain. Music therapy, a nonpharmacologic intervention, has been documented to be effective in controlling cancer pain. In this article, Kevin T. ...
In a study reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Ann H. Partridge, MD, MPH, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and colleagues found that temporary interruption of adjuvant endocrine therapy to attempt pregnancy was not associated with increased short-term risk of breast cancer events among ...
Abstract discussant, Loren Laine, MD, Digestive Disease Week Council Chair and Professor of Medicine, Digestive Diseases, at Yale School of Medicine, acknowledged the clear link between obesity and various types of cancer and noted it logically follows that weight loss may help to reduce this risk. ...
A new study presented at Digestive Disease Week 2023 has shown that just 4% of patients with obesity who underwent bariatric surgery developed obesity-associated cancer in a 10-year follow-up, compared with 8.9% among those who did not have a weight-loss procedure.1 These findings indicate that the ...
The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) continues to urge Congress to robustly fund the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) in Fiscal Year 2024. In testimony submitted to the Senate Committee on...
Cancer takes a significant psychological toll on affected individuals. Cancer survivors have a significantly elevated risk of developing a mental health disorder compared with the general population, yet their psychological symptoms are often underrecognized and undertreated. To help equip...
Devraj Basu, MD, PhD, FACS, of the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, an expert in human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal cancer, commented on this study: “This abstract shows lack of awareness of multiple types of HPV-associated cancer and a reduced awareness of...
Awareness of the link between the human papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV-associated cervical cancers has declined over time, and awareness of other HPV-associated cancers, such as oral, penile, and anal, remains low, according to a cross-sectional study of the U.S. population presented at the 2023...
Invited discussant of these two trials, Matteo Lambertini, MD, PhD, Associate Professor at the University of Genova–IRCCS Policlinico San Martino Hospital Genoa, Italy, emphasized the importance of longer follow-up periods for both these clinical trials and the need to wait for the additional...
Immunotherapy regimens involving the PD-L1 monoclonal antibody atezolizumab have demonstrated promising results in patients with early-stage, triple-negative breast cancer and HER2-positive breast cancer, according to a pair of studies presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)...
Rami Manochakian, MD, of Mayo Clinic Florida, offers his perspective on the new phase III findings on osimertinib, a third-generation, central nervous system EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, which demonstrated an unprecedented overall survival benefit for patients with EGFR-mutated, stage IB–IIIA...
Discussant of the Neotorch study abstract, Tina Cascone, MD, PhD, of the Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, commended the authors for completing the initial analysis of the phase III randomized Neotorch trial, which...
Findings from a phase III, randomized trial highlight the benefit derived from perioperative immunotherapy in patients with early-stage resectable non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to data presented during the ASCO Plenary Series: April 2023 Session.1 Interim analysis of the Neotorch...
The addition of pembrolizumab to chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab led to improved overall survival and progression-free survival in women with persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer in the final protocol-specified overall survival analysis of the KEYNOTE-826 trial presented at ...
Prior authorization of medical procedures, services, and medications has been a standard requirement of health-care providers for decades. Rising health-care costs, specifically the escalating prices of cancer drug therapies, have led to a new focus by payers, providers, and policymakers on prior...
In the phase II MAINTAIN trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Kevin Kalinsky, MD, MS, and colleagues found that a switch in endocrine therapy plus continued CDK4/6 inhibitor treatment with ribociclib was associated with improved progression-free survival in patients with hormone...
In a Korean cohort study reported in JAMA Network Open, An et al found that men with prescriptions for 5α-reductase inhibitors prior to diagnosis of urothelial bladder cancer had better outcomes than those with no prior prescriptions. Study Details The study analyzed patient claims data from the...
The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) has called for global action to improve public health and prevent millions of deaths from cancer and other noncommunicable diseases by drastically reducing air pollution in light of World Environment Day on June 5, 2023. "Creating cleaner and...
Patients who continue smoking after a cancer diagnosis may have almost a twofold risk of experiencing a heart attack, stroke, or death as a result of cardiovascular disease compared with nonsmokers, according to a new study published by Lee et al in the European Heart Journal. Background According...
Results of a new survey from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) have shed light on the widespread impact of the current carboplatin and cisplatin shortages. In a separate statement, the NCCN called on the whole oncology community to work together on solutions. Background Carboplatin...
This has been a year of firsts and seconds for Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, FACS, FASCO. This past October, Dr. Bertagnolli became the 16th Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the first woman and the first clinical trials cooperative group chair to hold that position. Then, 2 months...
In a systematic review and meta-analysis reported in JAMA Oncology, Nowakowska et al found that use of second-generation antiandrogens for the treatment of prostate cancer was associated with increased risk of cognitive toxicity, fatigue, and falls in patients. Study Details The analysis included...
Mikkael A. Sekeres, MD, Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Hematology, Sylvester Cancer Center, University of Miami, said the COMMANDS trial delivered promising results for the treatment of lower-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). “Without question, the COMMANDS study met its...
In the global phase III COMMANDS trial of patients with low-risk transfusion-dependent myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), with or without ring sideroblasts, treatment with luspatercept essentially doubled the likelihood of achieving transfusion independence and an increase in hemoglobin level,...
Cathy Eng, MD, of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, and Thejus Jayakrishnan, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, discuss significant differences in the citrate cycle, a core pathway of cellular metabolism associated with colorectal cancer. Metabolomic differences impacted by...
Jennifer A. Woyach, MD, of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses results of a phase III study showing that progression-free survival with ibrutinib plus obinutuzumab plus venetoclax is not superior to ibrutinib plus obinutuzumab for treatment-naive older patients with...
Narjust Florez, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Ticiana Leal, MD, of Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, discuss the use of tumor treating fields therapy, in which electric fields disrupt processes critical for cancer cell viability. Already approved by the FDA to treat...
In a study reported in JACC: CardioOncology, Singh et al found that haptoglobin (HP) gene expression was associated with risk of anthracycline-related cardiomyopathy in childhood cancer survivors. Study Details In the study, messenger RNA sequencing was performed on total RNA from the peripheral...
In a study reported in JAMA Network Open, Samilia Obeng-Gyasi, MD, MPH, and colleagues found that allostatic load—defined as “a cumulative measure of physiologic damage secondary to cognitive-emotional responses and perceptions to socioenvironmental stressors (ie, low socioeconomic status)”—was...
In a single-institution study conducted in New Zealand reported in JAMA Surgery, Goh et al found that microdoses of incisional antibiotics may reduce the risk of surgical site infections during surgery for skin cancer, as well as reduce the risk of infections requiring postoperative systemic...
Black and Hispanic cancer survivors with subsequent primary malignancies may have a higher risk of mortality compared with White patients, according to new findings presented by Sung et al at the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 12093). The new research demonstrated that Black patients with...
Investigators have found that many U.S. cancer survivors with transportation barriers to care also reported struggling financially and experiencing additional barriers to timely care, according to new findings presented by Jiang et al at the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 6534). Study Methods...
ASCO has issued new clinical guidance for treating patients with gastrointestinal cancers amid a nationwide shortage of carboplatin and cisplatin. The two chemotherapy agents, in extremely short supply, are essential to treating an array of gastrointestinal cancers—such as esophageal cancer,...
Alicia K. Morgans, MD, MPH, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Karim Fizazi, MD, of Institut Gustave Roussy, University of Paris-Saclay, discuss findings from the TALAPRO-2 study, which showed that talazoparib plus enzalutamide improved radiographic progression–free survival over standard-of-care ...
Tycel J. Phillips, MD, of City of Hope National Medical Center, and Emanuele Zucca, MD, of the Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland and the International Extranodal Lymphoma Study Group, discuss findings from the largest prospective study of patients with primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma....
James Chih-Hsin Yang, MD, PhD, of the National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University Cancer Center, discusses the latest data from the phase III KEYNOTE-789 study, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed plus platinum chemotherapy (carboplatin or cisplatin) with or ...
Results from the largest prospective study of patients with primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) showed that radiation therapy may be omitted in patients who have a complete metabolic response after chemoimmunotherapy. The IELSG37 international study found that these patients may be spared...
Patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may be able to stop receiving immunotherapy at 2 years as long as their cancer hasn’t progressed, according to new findings presented by Sun et al at the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 9101) and simultaneously published in JAMA Oncology. ...
Investigators have found that race and ethnicity may affect the 21-gene recurrence score in patients with early-stage, estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer, according to new findings presented by Gill et al at the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 511). Background The 21-gene recurrence...
Researchers have found that exercise may be effective at strengthening the immune system in patients with multiple myeloma, providing them with a nonpharmaceutical method of managing the disease, according to new findings presented by Joseph et al at the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 8060)....
Patients with early relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma had significantly improved overall survival when treated with the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy axicabtagene ciloleucel when compared to the current standard-of-care chemoimmunotherapy, according to results of the...