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Showing 3951 - 4000Research Highlights From the 2016 Palliative Care in Oncology Symposium
More than 650 attendees gathered in San Francisco on September 9 and 10 for the 2016 Palliative Care in Oncology Symposium, focusing on the theme of “Patient-Centered Care Across the Cancer Continuum.” Research presented during the Symposium demonstrated how integrating palliative care into cancer...
New Leadership Elected to American Society of Hematology
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) recently announced the election of four new members to its Executive Committee for terms beginning after the 2016 ASH Annual Meeting, December 3–6, in San Diego. Roy L. Silverstein, MD, will serve a 1-year term as Vice President followed by successive...
Cautious Optimism About Olaratumab in Soft-Tissue Sarcoma
The current plethora of drugs in development for oncology is leading to the testing of novel agents in common as well as rare diseases. Targeted therapies have been a focus of great interest in soft-tissue sarcomas, with testing of a variety of oral tyrosine kinase inhibitors leading to the...
Studies Confirm Ceritinib’s Benefit in ALK-Positive Patients
For patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring the ALK gene rearrangement, ceritinib (Zykadia) provided longer progression-free survival than chemotherapy in patients previously treated with chemotherapy and crizotinib (Xalkori), but gastrointestinal toxicity was...
Vaccine Therapy in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: Past, Present, and Future
As reviewed in this issue of The ASCO Post, Brian Rini, MD, and colleagues recently reported results from the phase III IMPRINT trial,1 which randomized HLA-A*02–positive patients with treatment-naive metastatic clear cell variant renal cell carcinoma, in favorable- and intermediate- risk...
Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in High-Risk Soft-Tissue Sarcoma: A New Standard?
For the first time, a randomized trial has provided good evidence to support the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for treatment of high-risk soft-tissue sarcoma of the extremities or trunk wall.1 But the findings of the study were surprising, because neoadjuvant chemotherapy with one-size-fits-all...
Optimizing Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in Myelofibrosis
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the only potentially curative treatment for myelofibrosis. The ASCO Post asked an expert in this field, Ayalew Tefferi, MD, how and when he uses stem cell transplant in myelofibrosis, which is a topic he outlined in greater detail in the...
Recent Progress and Concepts in Pancreatic Cancer
November is National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, the impetus for this article. Pancreatic cancer is a huge health challenge. It's the eighth most common cancer in the United States and the fourth most common cause of cancer deaths but is expected to become the second most common cause of...
Pembrolizumab as First-Line Therapy in Metastatic NSCLC: Practice-Changing Implications of KEYNOTE-024 Trial
We are in the midst of a paradigm shift in lung cancer. In the past 2 years, the anti–programmed cell death protein 1 (anti–PD-1) inhibitors nivolumab (Opdivo) and pembrolizumab (Keytruda) were found to improve overall survival in the second-line setting compared with docetaxel for patients with...
Update on Neoplastic Hematology: Review of Recent Clinical Trials
Here is a brief look at the study findings and clinical implications of several recent and important clinical trials in neoplastic hematology. Attention is focused on myelodysplastic syndromes, multiple myeloma, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Myelodysplastic Syndromes Clinical Trial:...
ASCO’s TAPUR Study Has More Than 100 Participants Receiving Treatment Drugs and 25 New Clinical Trial Sites
More than 100 participants are now enrolled on study drug in ASCO’s Targeted Agent and Profiling Utilization Registry (TAPUR) Study. The trial launched in March 2016 at 37 sites, and in November, it welcomed its newest participating clinical sites: Cancer Treatment Centers of America,...
‘Exceptional Response’ to First-Line Vismodegib Reported in Patient With Unresectable/Multifocal Adult Medulloblastoma
In a case report in Cancer Biology & Therapy, Lou et al described an exceptional response to first-line treatment with the hedgehog inhibitor vismodegib (Erivedge) in a 51-year-old patient with a history of basal cell carcinoma who was diagnosed with an unresectable/multifocal form of adult...
Factors in Clonal Evolution of Chemotherapy-Resistant Urothelial Carcinoma Identified
Faltas et al identified factors in the clonal evolution of chemotherapy-resistant urothelial carcinoma, according to a study reported in Nature Genetics. Findings included wide intrapatient mutational heterogeneity and enrichment for clonal mutations involving L1 cell–adhesion molecule...
NCCN Challenges Medical Community to ‘Just Bag It’ to Eradicate Deadly Medical Error
As part of its mission to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of cancer care so that patients can live better lives, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) has announced the launch of Just Bag It: The NCCN Campaign for Safe Vincristine...
FDA Approves Nivolumab for the Treatment of Recurrent/Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck
On November 10, 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved nivolumab (Opdivo) for the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck with disease progression on or after a platinum-based therapy. Approval was based on data from an...
Study Suggests Benefit of Adjuvant Radiation Therapy but Not Chemotherapy in Some Patients With Merkel Cell Carcinoma
In an analysis of National Cancer Data Base data reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Shailender Bhatia, MD, of the University of Washington/Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and colleagues found that adjuvant radiotherapy was associated with a survival benefit in...
ASH Honors Thalia Papayannopoulou, MD, With Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hematology
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) will recognize Thalia Papayannopoulou, MD, of the University of Washington, Seattle, with the 2016 Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hematology. Dr. Papayannopoulou will be honored for her innovative contributions to cutting-edge areas of ...
David Scadden, MD, to Present the 2016 ASH E. Donnall Thomas Lecture
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) will honor David Scadden, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, with the 2016 E. Donnall Thomas Lecture and Prize for his work on the bone marrow hematopoietic microenvironment. This lectureship and prize is named after the late...
Lower Risk of All-Cause Mortality in Multiple Myeloma Reported With Treatment at Higher-Volume Facilities
In an analysis of data from the National Cancer Database reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Go et al found a lower risk of all-cause mortality among patients with multiple myeloma treated at higher-volume facilities. Study Details The study included patients diagnosed with multiple...
Suresh S. Ramalingam, MD, Honored With Goizueta Chair for Cancer Research at Winship Cancer Institute
Suresh S. Ramalingam, MD, Deputy Director of Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and Assistant Dean for Cancer Research in the Emory School of Medicine, was honored with the Roberto C. Goizueta Distinguished Chair for Cancer Research. The endowment was established to support a key leader...
Fox Chase Cancer Center Designated as a National Pancreas Foundation Center
Fox Chase Cancer Center has been designated as a National Pancreas Foundation Center by the National Pancreas Foundation (NPF), a nonprofit organization that provides hope for those suffering from pancreatic cancer and other pancreas-related diseases. Fox Chase is the only institution in the...
Development and Validation of a Quality Assurance Score for Robot-Assisted Radical Cystectomy
What are the factors that add up to the best outcomes for patients who have surgery to treat cancer? Looking for a better way to measure quality of care and share best practices in surgical oncology, a team from Roswell Park Cancer Institute developed a quality assessment tool and validated it in a ...
Diagnosing and Managing Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy is a common side effect of cancer treatment—the incidence is reported to be as high as 70% in the first month of chemotherapy1—and can cause significant disability in patients. The extent of the neurotoxicity incurred by patients varies depending on the...
Cardio-oncology in the Geriatric Patient
As cancer therapies improve and the population as a whole increases, there are rising numbers of elderly patients with cancer. More than half of patients newly diagnosed with cancer are aged 65 years or older.1 In January 2012, it was estimated that more than 8 million cancer survivors were over...
Charles S. Fuchs, MD, MPH, to Lead Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital
Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven and Yale Cancer Center (YCC) have announced that Charles S. Fuchs, MD, MPH, will become the new Director and Physician-in-Chief at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven, effective January 1, 2017. Dr. Fuchs will be taking the reins of the Smilow Cancer...
Is Observation Without Surgery a Viable Strategy for Managing Ductal Carcinoma in Situ?
In a spirited debate, abounding with citations of clinical trials and other evidence, but not without humor and mutual respect, E. Shelley Hwang, MD, MPH, and Armando E. Giuliano, MD, reviewed the data and their clinical experience managing ductal carcinoma in situ and reached opposite...
Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancers Report Long-Term Health Issues
Although progress in treatment and supportive care for children with cancer has resulted in improved survival of these patients, some survivors experience ongoing medical conditions from their cancer or its treatment, including poor general health, poor mental health, functional impairment,...
Scientists Are Boosting Immune Responses in Pancreatic Tumors
The successes observed with various immune oncologic treatment approaches have largely bypassed pancreatic cancer, but this may be about to change, based on emerging insights into how and why these tumors evade attacks by T cells. At the 2nd International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference, two...
Pembrolizumab, but Not Nivolumab, Improves Outcomes in Front-Line Setting for PD-L1–Positive Advanced NSCLC
Checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized the treatment of advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but evidence of their benefit was restricted to the second-line setting. However, early-phase trials with both pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and nivolumab (Opdivo) demonstrated favorable results in...
Researchers Reveal Genomic Landscape of Core-Binding Factor Acute Myeloid Leukemia
An international team of researchers from the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital–Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project has completed a detailed map of the genomic landscape for core-binding factor acute myeloid leukemia (CBF-AML). The work reveals differences in the...
Distress Screening in Oncology Leads to Better Doctor-Patient Relationships and Improved Outcomes
As many as 60% of patients with cancer report distress following a cancer diagnosis, and this stress can have a significant impact on patients’ well-being, resulting in psychosocial problems, physical side effects, and dissatisfaction with their health care. To examine the impact of distress ...
Pembrolizumab Plus Chemotherapy Improves Outcomes Over Chemotherapy Alone in Advanced NSCLC
Combining immunotherapy with a standard chemotherapy doublet appears to be an attractive option for the front-line treatment of advanced nonsquamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to the results of a phase II study presented at the 2016 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)...
Expert Point of View: Axel Bex, MD, PhD
The formal discussant of this trial, Axel Bex, MD, PhD, of The Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam, was cautious in interpreting these results to be practice-changing. “I congratulate the investigators for the first-ever positive trial for adjuvant treatment of renal cell carcinoma,” he...
Phase III Study of Sunitinib Is First to Show Benefit in Adjuvant Setting for Treatment of Renal Cell Carcinoma
Sunitinib (Sutent) improved disease-free survival by more than 1 year when used as adjuvant treatment for high-risk locoregional renal cell carcinoma following nephrectomy, but with the cost of toxicity. S-TRAC is the first phase III trial showing a benefit for adjuvant therapy in renal cell...
Cabozantinib Improves Progression-Free Survival and Response Rates vs Sunitinib in First-Line Treatment of Metastatic Kidney Cancer
Cabozantinib (Cabometyx) improved progression-free survival and response rates in patients with untreated metastatic renal cell carcinoma compared with the standard of care, sunitinib (Sutent), according to the results of a phase II multicenter randomized trial called CABOSUN reported at the 2016...
New Data Suggest Changes Needed to Guidelines for Determining Prognosis in Patients With Thyroid Cancer
A study from the Duke Cancer Institute (DCI) has found a lack of statistical evidence to support the current practice of treating thyroid cancer patients under age 45 differently from those 45 and older. The study, published recently by Adam et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology,...
ASCO Launches COME HOME Initiative to Give Oncology Practices Concrete Path Toward Alternative Payment System
On November 2, ASCO and Innovative Oncology Business Solutions, Inc, (IOBS) announced a new collaboration, ASCO COME HOME, an oncology medical home program designed to transition community oncology practices from volume-based to value-based care by structuring reimbursement around the full...
Study Shows International Trends in Anal Cancer Incidence Rates
A new American Cancer Society study finds that incidence of anal cancer has been increasing in women or in both men and women in 13 of 18 countries studied, particularly in the Americas, Northern/Western Europe, and Australia. The authors say population-based preventive measures, including human...
Poorer Outcomes Reported After ASCT in Double-Hit and Double-Expressor Relapsed and Refractory Lymphomas
Patients with double-hit and double-expressor relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphomas have poorer outcomes after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), according to the findings of a retrospective analysis reported by Herrera et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Double-hit...
Genetic Testing May Be Beneficial in Identifying Patients With Breast Cancer at High Risk for Venous Thromboembolism
Venous thromboembolism is a serious—and sometimes fatal—complication of cancer and chemotherapy treatment. Since breast cancer is one of the most common cancers, it accounts for a large number of cancer-related cases of venous thromboembolism. Routine thromboprophylaxis, however, is not ...
Potential Link Between Androgen-Deprivation Therapy for Prostate Cancer and Risk for Dementia
In a single-center analysis reported in JAMA Oncology, Nead et al found that the use of androgen-deprivation therapy for prostate cancer was associated with an increased risk for dementia. The study involved electronic medical record data from the Stanford University Health System from 1994 to...
Sexual Pain Experienced by Women After Cancer Is Common and May Be Ignored
Painful sex in women after cancer treatment is relatively common, often treatable, and needs to be addressed by medical providers, a University of California (UC), Davis, oncologist and researcher suggests. Vanessa Kennedy, MD, a gynecologic oncologist at UC Davis Health System, said that with...
Proportion of Cancer Deaths From Smoking Varies Across States and Is Highest in the South
Although smoking prevalence in the U.S. has declined by more than half since 1965, nearly 40 million adults still smoke cigarettes, resulting in about 167,133 cancer deaths in 2014, according to a study by the American Cancer Society. The study investigated cancer deaths among adults 35 and older...
Prolonged Length of Stays, Readmissions, and Discharge to Care Facilities Among Postoperative Patients With Advanced Cancer
Patients with disseminated advanced cancer who undergo surgery are far more likely to endure long hospital stays and readmissions, referrals to extended care facilities, and death, University of California (UC) Davis researchers have found. Their study, published by Bateni et al in PLOS One,...
Presence of Oral Bacterium in Esophageal Cancer Samples Associated With Shorter Patient Survival
Among Japanese patients with esophageal cancer, those whose cancer tested positive for DNA from the bacterium Fusobacterium nucleatum had shorter cancer-specific survival compared with those whose cancer had no DNA from the bacterium, according to study results published by Yamamura et al in...
24-Gene Predictor of Response to Postoperative Radiotherapy in Prostate Cancer
In a matched retrospective analysis reported in The Lancet Oncology, Zhao et al identified and validated a 24-gene predictor of response to postoperative radiotherapy in prostate cancer. The analysis involved data from patients from five published U.S. studies (cohort, case-cohort, and...
Proton Pump Inhibitors Seem to Reduce the Efficacy of Capecitabine in Advanced Gastroesophageal Cancer
In a secondary analysis of a clinical trial reported in JAMA Oncology, Chu et al found that use of proton pump inhibitors (gastric acid suppressants) reduced the effectiveness of oral capecitabine in patients with advanced gastroesophageal cancer. The study involved analysis of the effect of...
CDC Recommends Only Two HPV Shots for Younger Adolescents
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recommended that 11- to 12-year-olds receive 2 doses of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine at least 6 months apart rather than the previously recommended 3 doses to protect against cancers caused by HPV infections. Teens and young adults who ...
KEYNOTE-045 Studying Pembrolizumab in Advanced Bladder Cancer Meets Primary Endpoint and Stops Early
Merck announced October 21, 2016, that the phase III KEYNOTE-045 trial investigating the use of pembrolizumab (Keytruda), the company’s anti–PD-1 (programmed cell death protein 1) therapy in patients with previously treated advanced urothelial cancer, met the primary endpoint of overall ...
CancerLinQ™ Platform Hits Milestone of Having More Than 1 Million Patient Records in System
CancerLinQ LLC, a wholly-owned nonprofit of ASCO, announced on October 20, 2016, that more than 1 million patient records are now in the CancerLinQ™ platform. In addition, 70 practices have signed agreements to participate in CancerLinQ, representing more than 1,500 oncologists. “We...
