Invited study discussant of the DESTINY-Lung01 trial, Daniel Shao Weng Tan, BSc, MD, PhD, of the National Cancer Center, Singapore, commented: “The trial clearly showed that T-DXd [fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan--nxki] is active in HER2-mutated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The median...
Previously treated patients with HER2-positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) achieved encouraging response rates and duration of response to the antibody-drug conjugate fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (T-DXd) in the phase II DESTINY-Lung01 trial. These results were reported at the European...
The ASCO Post has published a wealth of practice-changing studies and news about other advances presented during the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2021. In addition to the biggest news from this international meeting, here are several summaries of interesting study findings...
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases occurred worldwide in 2020, resulting in almost 10 million deaths. The IARC projects a 50% rise in global cancer incidence and mortality by 2040. To help control this looming crisis,...
In the Clinic provides overviews of novel oncology agents, addressing indications, mechanisms of action, administration recommendations, safety profiles, and other essential information needed for the appropriate clinical use of these drugs. On October 13, 2021, pembrolizumab in combination with...
Newly identified genetic abnormalities in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), as well as therapies that can target some of those abnormalities, are now available as the landscape for treatment continues to evolve. During the 2021 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Annual Congress: Hematologic...
During its virtual Annual Meeting 2021 held on November 9 and 10, Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) urged all stakeholders in the cancer community to work together to optimize dosing in oncology drug development to maximize benefit for patients and reduce treatment toxicity, and to abandon the...
At a press conference at the 2021 ASTRO Annual Meeting, Steven J. Chmura, MD, PhD, Professor of Radiation Oncology and Scientific Director of the Cancer Clinical Trials Office, University of Chicago, commented on the CURB study results. “Most trials of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT)...
Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) lengthens progression-free survival for patients with advanced lung cancer who have oligoprogression (ie, tumors that have not been fully responsive to systemic chemotherapy or immunotherapy), according to an interim analysis of the CURB oligoprogression...
Young adults diagnosed with cancer may require different treatments than those received by older patients, according to a study that systematically compared the genomes of 14 different types of cancers affecting both younger and older adults. The results, published by Lee et al in Cell Reports,...
Invited discussant Elizabeth Nichols, MD, of the University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, commented on both the phase II TRIUMPH-T and the phase III MC1635 trials. “There are multiple techniques in use for accelerated partial breast irradiation. Optimal dose and fractionation are...
In the United States, the incidence-based mortality related to non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has decreased by approximately 3% each year since 2008 in men; during the same period, the mortality in women decreased by 2% to 4% annually.1 Although multiple factors are likely responsible for the...
When I was diagnosed with osteosarcoma of my left femur nearly 20 years ago, I remember telling my parents that I didn’t want to die. The diagnosis was terrifying because all the people I knew who had cancer had passed away, and I thought this cancer would kill me, too. That evening, my dad went...
Sophia C. Kamran, MD, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital, commented on the NRG Oncology GU003 study at a press conference where this abstract was discussed. Dr. Kamran was not involved in this trial. “This is a potentially practice-changing study in an area ...
Newly identified genetic abnormalities in AML have led to novel therapies that can target some of them, as the landscape for treatment continues to evolve. During the 2021 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Annual Congress: Hematologic Malignancies, Alice S. Mims MD, presented updates in...
A severely calorie-restricted, low-carbohydrate, low-protein, 5-day dietary regimen that mimics fasting was shown to be safe and feasible, and it resulted in a decrease of blood glucose and growth factor concentration, a reduction in peripheral blood immunosuppressive cells, and enhanced intratumor ...
In the phase I ASPEN-01 study reported in The Lancet Oncology, Nehal Lakhani, MD, and colleagues found evidence of activity of the CD47-blocking protein evorpacept in combination with pembrolizumab or trastuzumab for the treatment of advanced solid tumors. As stated by the investigators, “Both...
Although treating patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remains challenging, some newer therapies on the horizon offer promise, including bispecific antibodies, anti-CD47 antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy,...
The new 2021 State of Lung Cancer report reveals that the 5-year survival rate for lung cancer increased from 14.5% nationally to 23.7%, yet it remains significantly lower among communities of color. The American Lung Association’s fourth annual report also highlights how the toll of lung cancer...
Researchers have developed a new model that uses DNA and RNA sequencing data from hundreds of patients to identify specific genes and genetic alterations responsible for subtypes of multiple myeloma. They also identified potential targeted treatments based on the findings, which were reported by...
On November 19, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the emergency use authorizations (EUA) for both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines authorizing use of a single booster dose for all individuals aged 18 years and older after completion of primary vaccination with any ...
Shaji K. Kumar, MD, of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, discusses the evolving treatment paradigm for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma in which clinical trials are suggesting the addition of a fourth drug to induction treatment regimens and new drug classes are improving treatment for...
New research published by Geer et al in JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network has found that fewer than one-third of hospitals in the United States had immediate availability of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), a crucial blood cancer medication. ATRA is initiated early in the...
A digital symptom monitoring system in which patients undergoing cancer treatment could report symptoms through weekly at-home surveys resulted in better symptom control and physical function, as well as improved communication with their medical team, according to results from a study by Basch et...
Invited discussant of the phase III EPOCH trial, Thomas Gruenberger, MD, a surgical oncologist at the Clinic Favoriten, Health Network Vienna, noted that the trial’s “intention was fulfilled,” thus making it the “first positive phase III trial that prolonged both progression-free and hepatic...
In a Chinese single-institution cohort study reported in JAMA Surgery, Zhou et al found that the presence of somatic G12 KRAS variants was associated with poorer overall and disease-free survival in patients who had undergone curative resection of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Study Details The ...
The results of a study published by Lee et al in Cell Reports suggest that several genetic hallmarks may play key roles in identifying precise treatment options for young adult patients with cancer. The investigators, who systematically compared the genomes of 14 different types of cancers that...
In a new study published by Gounant et al in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, researchers from France showed that SARS–CoV-2 vaccines are safe and effective in patients with thoracic cancer, most of whom are immunized after two doses. A third shot given to 11% of patients with persistent low...
Although patients with multiple myeloma can respond to initial treatment, once a patient has had three or four different types of therapy, and the disease is deemed relapsed or refractory, treatment becomes more complicated. This is related to both clinical characteristics, as patients may develop...
A preclinical study published by Arnaud et al in Nature Biotechnology has demonstrated the utility and efficacy of a highly efficient method to generate large numbers of immune cells specifically engineered to recognize neoantigens and destroy the tumors that express them. Developed by a team of...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ropeginterferon alfa-2b-njft (Besremi) for the treatment of adults with polycythemia vera. The new agent is a monopegylated, long-acting interferon, which exhibits its cellular effects in polycythemia vera in the bone marrow. Ropeginterferon...
“Regarding Dr. Nguyen’s study, genomic classifiers are here. They are the future of our field for personalized prostate cancer therapy,” stated Sophia C. Kamran, MD, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital, speaking at a press conference where this abstract was...
The U.S. Multisociety Task Force on Colorectal Cancer—representing the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Gastroenterological Association, and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy—has updated its colorectal cancer screening recommendations, which were last published...
In a single-institution prospective cohort study (CANVAX Cohort Study) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Naranbhai and colleagues assessed the immunogenicity of SARS–CoV-2 vaccines in patients with cancer. They found that immunogenicity varied among vaccines and that both antibody...
Patients with solid tumors who are ineligible for clinical trials receive immune checkpoint inhibitors at greater rates than patients who are eligible, despite no survival benefit, according to a recent study by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The...
President Joseph Biden has nominated Robert M. Califf, MD, MACC, for the position of Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Dr. Califf is an internationally recognized expert in clinical trial research, health disparities, health-care quality, and cardiovascular medicine....
“MC1675 is an important and exciting trial,” stated invited discussant Farzan Siddiqui, MD, PhD, of the Henry Ford Cancer Institute, Detroit. “Congratulations to the authors and to Dr. Ma for his award.” “There is strong evidence to suggest that patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancers...
In a cross-sectional analysis reported in a research letter in JAMA Oncology, Chino et al found that a minority of National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers (NCI-CCs) were fully compliant with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) price transparency rules. Study ...
De-escalated adjuvant radiotherapy appears to be safe in patients with surgically resectable, human papillomavirus (HPV)--positive oropharyngeal cancers, particularly in patients without extranodal extension or pN2 disease by American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 8th edition. These findings...
Sophia C. Kamran, MD, a radiation oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at Harvard Medical School, who was not involved in the RTOG 0815 study, commented: “The results of RTOG 0815 demonstrate that in the setting of contemporary dose-escalated...
Both dose-escalated radiation therapy and short-course androgen-deprivation therapy have been shown to improve outcomes in intermediate-risk prostate cancer, but it is not clear whether giving both modalities upfront to newly diagnosed patients is of benefit. The phase III RTOG 0815 study presented ...
Patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma receiving first-line therapy with a checkpoint inhibitor combination of nivolumab plus ipilimumab experienced over twice as long treatment-free survival without toxicity compared with patients receiving the targeted therapy sunitinib, according to data...
Stress can have a significant negative effect on health, but our understanding of how stress impacts the development and progression of cancer is just beginning. A team from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has identified an important mechanism by which chronic stress weakens immunity and...
In a multicenter international retrospective cohort study reported in JAMA Oncology, Nebhan et al found that single-agent immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in patients with cancer aged ≥ 80 years appeared to be effective and generally well tolerated. As stated by the investigators, “Geriatric...
Patients with two out of the three most common types of advanced breast cancer now have an average survival time of at least 5 years, according to a panel of experts at the Advanced Breast Cancer Sixth International Consensus Conference (ABC6), which was held virtually this year. The Advanced...
ASCO has partnered with the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS) for a new initiative to improve COVID-19 vaccination rates among high-risk adults. The partnership is the result of a 5-year cooperative agreement the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded CMSS, a coalition ...
Oncology practices that participated in a quality improvement project that included ASCO’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) and ASCO Quality Training Program (QTP) were able to make improvements in the care provided to underserved populations in their communities, according to a recent...
On September 30, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury (“the Departments”), along with the Office of Personnel Management, released an interim final rule with comment period, entitled “Requirements Related to...
The AACR Cancer Progress Report 2021, published on October 13, celebrates the gains made in cancer research since President Richard Nixon signed the National Cancer Act into law on December 23, 1971, especially against such life-threatening cancers as metastatic melanoma and lung cancer.1 The...
About 10 years ago, on a flight to Detroit, while returning from the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, I had a conversation with Lori Pierce, MD, FASTRO, FASCO, radiation oncologist at the University of Michigan, who went on to become ASCO President for the 2020–2021 term. I recall inviting her...