In a phase Ia/Ib study (Beamion LUNG-1) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Heymach et al evaluated the safety profile and activity of zongertinib in patients with HER2-altered solid tumors. Zongertinib is a novel HER2-selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that spares EGFR, thereby...
Two doses of a simple tuberculosis (TB) vaccination after surgery helps the immune system fight cancer cells and may improve patient outcomes among those with non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer, according to a pilot study of 40 patients. Initial results from the RUTIVAC-1 Trial were presented by...
As a Native American and former president of the Seneca Nation of Indians, I am keenly aware of the disparities in cancer care we face in accessing screening and treatment, which results in worse survival rates compared with those of racial and ethnic populations.1 Native American and Alaska Native ...
Janet L. Abrahm, MD, FACP, FAAHPM, FASCO, has spent more than half of her oncology career as a palliative care physician. After receiving her medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), in 1973, Dr. Abrahm completed her internship and residency at Massachusetts General...
The risk of death from cardiovascular causes may be higher among patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer compared with the general population, according to new findings presented by Ayaz et al at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Annual Scientific Session 2025. Background Cardiovascular...
Neoadjuvant therapy that combines chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and the investigational PD-1 inhibitor sintilimab led to a significantly higher pathologic complete response rate in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, according to data presented at the 2025 ASCO...
Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has evolved from an experimental biomarker to an increasingly actionable tool, informing treatment decisions throughout colorectal cancer care. Whether guiding adjuvant therapy intensification or de-escalation, refining organ-preservation strategies in rectal cancer,...
The phase III DUO-E study evaluated the addition of the monoclonal antibody durvalumab to chemotherapy, and the benefit of maintenance durvalumab, with and without the PARP inhibitor olaparib, in advanced endometrial cancer. As reported this past year,1 the inclusion of durvalumab reduced the risk...
Investigators may have uncovered associations between the reported number of sunburns and sociodemographic characteristics as well as the prevalence of protective skin behaviors adopted by U.S. adults, according to a recent study published by Etzel et al in the American Journal of Lifestyle...
Definitive radiation therapy offers a high degree of locoregional control in large, locally advanced basal cell carcinomas (BCC), according to results from a recent multi-institutional research study published by Su et al in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology · Biology · Physics. One...
With right-sizing treatment an aim of many treatment approaches in breast cancer today, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), as well as its overtreatment, has become a potential target of change. Which patients, however, might safely forgo the current recommendations and be safely followed with active...
Erectile dysfunction could be improved through regular exercise in men with prostate cancer, according to a recent study published by Galvão et al in JAMA Network Open. Background Sexual dysfunction is a critical adverse effect of prostate cancer treatment and a major survivorship issue among...
The 2025 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium once again delivered a slate of high-impact studies spanning esophageal, gastric, hepatocellular, pancreatic, biliary tract, and colorectal malignancies. Experts in the field offered fresh perspectives on evolving standards of care, and investigators ...
The ADAURA trial findings showed a significant benefit in disease-free survival with the EGFR inhibitor osimertinib, compared to placebo, making it the recommended standard of adjuvant treatment in patients with EGFR-mutated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for up to 3 years after surgery. In a...
Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) does not improve survival outcomes for patients with mantle cell lymphoma who achieve a deep first complete remission with undetectable measurable residual disease (MRD) after induction therapy, according to data presented during the 2024 American Society ...
Taking more daily steps and engaging in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity may both be associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease–related mortality among postmenopausal women with a history of cancer, according to preliminary findings presented by Hyde et al at the American Heart...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Petrylak et al, the phase III KEYNOTE-921 trial showed no benefit in outcomes with the addition of pembrolizumab to docetaxel in patients with previously treated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Study Details In the global...
The use of a circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) liquid biopsy to guide colorectal cancer treatment in the adjuvant setting may not compromise outcomes despite allowing many patients to avoid chemotherapy, according to a recent study published by Tie et al in Nature Medicine. Background A liquid biopsy...
In a Children’s Oncology Group (COG) study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Berko et al identified the spectrum and clinical significance of clonal and subclonal pathogenic alterations in high-risk neuroblastoma. Study Details The study involved use of a focused high-risk neuroblastoma ...
Catharine Young, PhD, has spent the past decade of her career focused on cancer policy and advocacy. A native of Johannesburg, South Africa, Dr. Young served as Senior Director of Science Policy at the Biden Cancer Initiative, which began in 2017 by then former Vice President Joe Biden. There she...
A 5-year study on men that had primary partial-gland cryoablation shows that the procedure averted cancer recurrence in most patients while preserving urinary and sexual function. Led by researchers at New York University Grossman School of Medicine, the study tracked the patient outcomes after...
Updated consensus recommendations from the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer (MSTFCRC) address optimizing the quality of bowel preparation for colonoscopy. The document, published today by Jacobson et al, presents clinical strategies to improve bowel preparation as they apply...
Based on results from the phase II SKIPPirr trial, the addition of 8 mg of dexamethasone to standard infusion-related reaction prophylaxis appeared to reduce the incidence of such events by approximately threefold in patients with EGFR-mutated advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Matteo Lambertini, MD, and colleagues identified clinical characteristics of breast cancer in young women carrying germline pathogenic variants in BRCA1 vs BRCA2 and examined the effect of prediagnostic BRCA testing on outcomes. Study...
In a retrospective study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Hansen et al found that standard-of-care ciltacabtagene autoleucel was associated with better efficacy outcomes and increased risk of some toxicities vs standard-of-care idecabtagene vicleucel in patients with relapsed or...
It’s a fast-paced world, no two ways about it. People move on from one event to another. We have to move on either for our own sake or the sake of someone near and dear. In the medical field, patients come and go, surgeries are performed, treatments are given, and everybody moves on. Being kind to...
Breast-conserving therapy may be associated with improved sexual well-being compared with mastectomy followed by breast reconstruction in patients with breast cancer, according to a recent study published by Stern et al in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Background Many patients with breast...
Among the high-quality abstract presentations at the 2024 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), a few always stand out as particularly meritorious. Each year, The ASCO Post asks our Deputy Editor, breast cancer specialist Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, to give us his picks. Dr. Abraham is Chairman...
Investigators have found that nearly 50% of patients with advanced cancer may receive potentially aggressive treatment at the expense of supportive care, despite considerable efforts to improve the quality of end-of-life care in the United States, according to a recent study published by Kwon et al ...
ASCO issued the following statement on February 21, 2025: "Cancer research is the core of ASCO’s mission and cancer cannot be conquered without continued robust federal investment for biomedical research through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI)....
This is Part 2 of Evolving Treatment Landscape of Indolent Lymphoma, a three-part video roundtable series. Scroll down to watch the other videos from this roundtable. In this video, Drs. Laurie Sehn, Gilles Salles, and Sonali Smith discuss the third-line treatment of relapsed/refractory...
Investigators may have uncovered racial and ethnic disparities in the receipt of same-day diagnostic services and biopsies following abnormal mammogram findings in spite of the similar availability of diagnostic technologies, according to a recent study published by Lawson et al in Radiology....
Ceasing or pausing a combination of the immune checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab and the oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) axitinib after 2 years may be safe among patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who achieved a positive response to this treatment, according to updated analysis of a...
Although there’s no history of breast cancer in my family, when I was 10, my pediatrician introduced me to breast self-exams, so I would become familiar with my breasts and learn to spot any unusual changes as I got older. I remember her telling me this was an especially important exercise to do...
Although national guidelines, including ASCO’s palliative care guideline,1 call for the early integration of palliative and oncology care for patients with advanced cancer, only 36% of those with a very poor prognosis and 18% of those with a poor prognosis receive palliative care services.2 The...
In a single-institution phase I trial reported in JAMA Oncology, Ramalingam et al found that intratumoral injection of pembrolizumab and mRNA-2752 (a combination of interleukin [IL]-23, IL-36γ, and OX40L mRNAs) was active in patients with high-risk ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Study Details Ten ...
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. This year, it’s expected that more than 53,000 individuals will die of the disease.1 Although screening for colorectal cancer through colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy is effective in detecting the...
The Lung Cancer Master Protocol (Lung-MAP) is an innovative clinical trial designed to efficiently address the unmet needs of patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) following front-line therapy. This pioneering effort was the first biomarker-driven umbrella master protocol...
In JCO Oncology Advances, Schenkel et al published the results of an ASCO survey measuring professional well-being, satisfaction, and the effect of both on career plans among oncologists in the United States. The analysis revealed a higher rate of burnout compared with that observed a decade ago....
The recently approved menin inhibitor revumenib is poised to improve the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), specifically for disease with a KMT2A rearrangement. Promising results for other novel menin inhibitors now in development—with their unique safety and activity profiles—suggest the...
As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Geyer et al, interim analysis of overall survival in the phase III KATHERINE trial showed a significant benefit of ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) vs trastuzumab in patients with residual invasive HER2-positive breast cancer after neoadjuvant...
Patients with stage III or IV clear cell renal cell carcinoma may have achieved a successful anticancer immune response following initiation of a novel personalized cancer vaccine, according to a recent study published by Braun et al in Nature. Background The standard treatment for stage III or IV...
On January 21, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved treosulfan (Grafapex), an alkylating agent, with fludarabine as a preparative regimen for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in adult and pediatric patients 1 year of age and older with acute myeloid leukemia ...
High-risk patients with clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance have very similar characteristics and outcomes as patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), which can be informative with regard to prognosis, management, and clinical trial eligibility, said Zhuoer (Zoey) Xie, MD, ...
In a phase Ib study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Wilky et al found that the combination of botensilimab (Fc-enhanced anti–CTLA-4 antibody) and balstilimab (anti–PD-1 antibody) yielded activity in patients with relapsed or refractory metastatic sarcomas. Study Details In the trial,...
Although artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted radiotherapy may help physicians make more informed decisions when treating patients with cancer, there may be challenges in how physicians work with the technology, according to a recent study published by Niraula et al in Nature Communications. Study ...
Researchers have provided novel insights into the effects of radiation on the immune cells surrounding breast cancer tumors, according to a recent study published by Yoneyama et al in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics. The findings revealed that the relationship...
In a retrospective cohort study reported in JAMA Oncology, Stoop et al found that use of adjuvant modified leucovorin, fluorouracil, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin (mFOLFIRINOX) and other multiagent chemotherapy regimens improved overall survival vs no adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with localized...
In an interim analysis of a phase III noninferiority trial (COLLISION) reported in The Lancet Oncology, van der Lei et al found that thermal ablation was noninferior to surgical resection in terms of overall survival in patients with small resectable colorectal liver metastases. Study Details In...
In a phase Ib-II study (MORPHEUS-Liver) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Finn et al found that the addition of tiragolumab, an anti-TIGIT monoclonal antibody, to atezolizumab/bevacizumab improved objective response rate in patients with unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic hepatocellular...