Researchers have found that patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) should continue to receive Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors while being vaccinated against COVID-19 infections, according to a recent study published by Cook et al in The Lancet Haematology. Background CLL is the...
On April 8, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab (Opdivo) with the CTLA-4 inhibitor ipilimumab (Yervoy) for adult and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with unresectable or metastatic microsatellite instability–high (MSI-H) or mismatch...
In a Japanese trial (JCOG0905) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Hiraga et al found no disease-free survival benefit with the addition of a higher dose of ifosfamide to methotrexate, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (MAP) in patients with newly diagnosed high-grade osteosarcoma with poor...
In an analysis from the phase III MIRASOL trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Van Gorp et al found no significant difference in quality of life between patients receiving mirvetuximab soravtansine vs chemotherapy for folate receptor–alpha (FRα)-positive, platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. In...
A novel cell therapy approach using cord blood–derived natural killer (NK) cells precomplexed with the CD30/CD16A bispecific antibody AFM13 may be safe and generate responses in patients with refractory CD30-positive lymphomas, according to a recent study published by Nieto et al in Nature...
Postmastectomy radiation therapy may be significantly shortened for many patients planning breast reconstruction, according to data from a large phase III trial (RT CHARM, Alliance A221505).1 Investigators reported that hypofractionated (short-course) radiation therapy was found to be noninferior...
In a single-center study reported in JAMA Network Open, Alsavaf et al attempted to identify patient characteristics and treatment outcomes of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the United States, a nonendemic region of the disease. Study Details The retrospective cohort study included patients with...
An increasing proportion of the U.S. public may be aware of the link between consuming alcohol and the elevated risk of later developing cancer, according to a recent survey conducted by the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC). Background On January 3, 2025, Vivek...
In a French phase II trial (iNDUCT-GETUG V08) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Houédé et al found evidence of activity of neoadjuvant durvalumab plus chemotherapy in patients with high-risk, upper tract urothelial carcinoma. Study Details In this multicenter open-label trial, 45...
The outcomes from the phase III ENGOT-OV43/GOG-3036/KEYLYNK-001 trial in advanced BRCA-nonmutated ovarian cancer indicate a statistically significant and clinically meaningful benefit for the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab and chemotherapy, followed by pembrolizumab plus maintenance with the PARP...
In a UK prospective longitudinal cohort study (SUMMIT) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Bhamani et al found that large-scale, low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening for lung cancer is effective and “can be delivered efficiently” in a diverse high-risk population. As stated by the...
On March 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the PD-L1 inhibitor durvalumab (Imfinzi) with gemcitabine and cisplatin as neoadjuvant treatment, followed by single-agent durvalumab as adjuvant treatment following radical cystectomy, for adults with muscle-invasive bladder ...
In a Scottish study (TEMPO) reported in The Lancet, Robb et al found that a behavioral intervention adding a deadline for fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) return in the invitation letter to FIT colorectal cancer screening resulted in superior uptake of testing. Study Details In the trial, 40,000...
Guest Editor’s Note: Several epidemiologic studies have shown an inverse association between healthy dietary patterns and the risk of chronic diseases including cancer. Patients are often interested in exploring different dietary interventions throughout the cancer continuum. However, concrete...
In a systematic review and meta-analysis reported in JAMA Network Open, Yajima et al found that both pembrolizumab plus enfortumab vedotin-ejfv and enfortumab vedotin alone were active in the first-line setting and later lines of therapy, respectively, in metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Study...
Updated findings from the second planned interim analysis of the phase III ENGOT-cx11/GOG-3047/KEYNOTE-A18 study solidify the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy, followed by pembrolizumab maintenance, as the upfront standard of care for high-risk, locally advanced...
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...
This is Part 3 of PI3K Inhibition Strategies for HR-Positive/HER2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer, a three-part video roundtable series. Scroll down to watch the other videos from this roundtable. In this video, Drs. Adam Brufsky, Heather McArthur, and Seth Wander discuss the treatment of...
This is Part 1 of PI3K Inhibition Strategies for HR-Positive/HER2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer, a three-part video roundtable series. Scroll down to watch the other videos from this roundtable. In this video, Drs. Adam Brufsky, Heather McArthur, and Seth Wander discuss the first-line...
A simple urine test could accurately detect clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) recurrence at an early stage, potentially sparing patients from undergoing invasive scans and enabling quicker access to treatment, according to new findings presented by Dabestani et al at the European Association of ...
Today’s oncologists are blessed with an abundance of therapies for HER2-positive early breast cancer, but this comes with the challenge of selecting among them. At the 2025 Miami Breast Cancer Conference, Sara A. Hurvitz, MD, FACP, offered insight on common clinical scenarios. Dr. Hurvitz is...
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...
“Care more particularly for the individual patient than for the special features of the disease.” —Sir William Osler Chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) is the most common leukemia in the Western hemisphere. The majority of patients who require treatment are older than ...
In the phase III JCOG1411/FLORA trial of patients with untreated advanced-stage, very low–tumor burden follicular lymphoma, rituximab induction delayed disease progression to high–tumor burden follicular lymphoma and delayed the initiation of cytotoxic chemotherapy, according to Japanese...
This is Part 3 of EGFR-Mutant NSCLC: Treatment Considerations for Early-Stage Disease, a three-part video roundtable series. Scroll down to watch the other videos from this roundtable. In this video, Drs. Stephen Liu, Tina Cascone, and Susan Scott discuss the treatment of unresectable...
The dire warnings about the lethal consequences of unchecked antimicrobial resistance are getting louder and becoming more urgent. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has called antimicrobial resistance “one of the most important health security threats of our time,” with at least 2.8...
Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) can offer patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) improved survival while minimizing or avoiding late toxicities associated with the standard of care of radiation with cisplatin chemotherapy, according to a recent ASCO guideline.1 “We show in a...
Prostate carcinoma is the most common type of cancer among men in the United States, accounting for more than 299,000 estimated new cases and approximately 35,000 new deaths in 2024.1 A new ASCO guideline based on findings from a systematic review indicates that in metastatic cases of prostate...
The addition of tafasitamab, a CD19 monoclonal antibody, to the commonly used lenalidomide and rituximab backbone significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma, according to data presented during the 2024 American Society of Hematology...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Adi Diab, MD, and colleagues, the phase III ILLUMINATE trial showed adding the Toll-like receptor-9 agonist tilsotolimod to ipilimumab in patients with advanced refractory melanoma produced no benefit. Study Details Four hundred and eighty-one...
Regular physical activity prior to a cancer diagnosis may be linked to a lower risk of disease progression and mortality, according to a recent study conducted by Professor Jon S. Patricios, MBBCh, of the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, and colleagues and published in the...
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...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) in combination with lenalidomide and a rituximab product for adults with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL)—including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified, DLBCL arising ...
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,...
Adding intraperitoneal (IP) paclitaxel to standard intravenous (IV) paclitaxel plus S-1 (oral fluoropyrimidine derivative) significantly extended overall survival for patients with gastric cancer peritoneal metastases, according to data presented at the 2025 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers...
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...
In an interim analysis of a Chinese phase III trial (HARMONi) reported in The Lancet, Xiong et al found that ivonescimab—a bispecific antibody against PD-1 and VEGF—significantly improved progression-free survival vs pembrolizumab in the first-line setting for patients with advanced PD-L1–positive...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted traditional approval to the PD-L1 inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda) with trastuzumab, fluoropyrimidine-, and platinum-containing chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of adults with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic...
In a paper published in JAMA Oncology, Tilki et al reported that the current standard monitoring of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) following radical prostatectomy—1.5 to 2 months—is too short to accurately identify recurrence and inform treatment decisions. Rather, PSA levels should be measured...
In the phase II Neo-N trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Zdenkowski et al found no apparent advantage of lead-in nivolumab in neoadjuvant therapy comprised of nivolumab/carboplatin/paclitaxel for patients with early triple-negative breast cancer. Study Details In the investigator-initiated,...
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...
This is Part 3 of Evolving Paradigms in the Treatment of HR-Positive/HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer, a three-part video roundtable series. Scroll down to watch the other videos from this roundtable. In this video, Drs. Sara Tolaney, Ian Krop, and Mark Pegram discuss second-line therapy...
This is Part 1 of Evolving Paradigms in the Treatment of HR-Positive/HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer, a three-part video roundtable series. Scroll down to watch the other videos from this roundtable. In this video, Drs. Sara Tolaney, Ian Krop, and Mark Pegram discuss the treatment of de...
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 U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) youth e-cigarette prevention campaign, known as The Real Cost, may have successfully reduced e-cigarette use among youth, according to a recent study published by MacMonegle et al in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Background The Real Cost...
Results from the phase III NRG Oncology GOG-0263 trial—which tested the addition of cisplatin-based chemotherapy to adjuvant radiotherapy following radical hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy for patients with early-stage, intermediate-risk cervical carcinoma—indicated that the addition of...
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...
A novel treatment approach may improve outcomes in patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer, according to new findings presented by Choi et al at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) 2025 Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer. Recurrent cervical cancer remains a significant challenge,...
In a Japanese phase II trial (MARBLE) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Shukuya et al found that atezolizumab plus carboplatin/paclitaxel showed promising results in patients with recurrent or metastatic thymic carcinoma. Study Details In the multicenter trial, 48 patients enrolled between June 2022 ...