After decades of incremental progress in the treatment of multiple myeloma, survival has increased from 3 years in the late 1990s to between 8 and 10 years today.1 Could cure for a disease that kills more than 12,000 individuals each year in the United States2 finally be within reach? The long-term ...
The outlook for adequate funding for federal health agencies has become more dire. In July, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) announced it is reducing the number of grant applications it will award for the remaining 2 months of fiscal year 2025 (FY2025), from 9% down to 4%.1 The result is that...
Despite data from the latest edition of The Cancer Atlas showing that nearly half of cancer mortality worldwide is attributed to modifiable risk factors, cancer incidence and mortality rates continue to soar.1 Globally, approximately 19 million new cases of cancer, excluding nonmelanoma skin...
This past May, ASCO announced its collaboration with Google Cloud to launch the ASCO® Guidelines Assistant, a new interactive tool that allows clinicians to quickly access ASCO’s evidence-based clinical guidelines to facilitate critical clinical decision-making. Developed with Google Cloud’s Vertex ...
Investigators have developed and tested a hybrid reading strategy for screening mammography images with artificial intelligence (AI) that includes reads from radiologists and a stand-alone AI interpretation of mammograms with an uncertainty quantification. According to study findings published in...
“Neoadjuvant treatment with osimertinib, with or without chemotherapy, should be considered when planning treatment for patients with resectable, EGFR-mutated, stage II to IIIB non–small cell lung cancer [NSCLC],” according to Jamie E. Chaft, MD, FASCO, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and ...
Use of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT before undergoing salvage radiotherapy was associated with an improved overall survival and biochemical recurrence–free survival compared those who did not receive PSMA PET/CT scanning in male patients with biochemically recurrent prostate...
The main symptom that eventually led to my diagnosis of stage IV adenocarcinoma non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) started in the fall of 2009. I was just 17 and in my freshman year at college when I began experiencing a persistent cough. The coughing became so unrelenting over the next month, I...
Researchers have identified age-, sex-, and race-related disparities around treatment with hypomethylating agents for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes in the United States. The receipt of hypomethylating agents was found to favor younger, male, White patients, according to findings published ...
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), the global nonprofit in funding blood cancer research, patient support, and advocacy, is becoming Blood Cancer United on August 28, in advance of Blood Cancer Awareness Month in September. For more than 75 years, LLS has been committed to reaching and...
I’ve been blessed to have remained healthy for most of my life. In fact, I can’t remember ever spending a night in the hospital until I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, at age 86, in the summer of 2024. And even then, the symptoms that drove me to seek care in the emergency room of my local...
The risk of death does not appear to increase with the use of menopausal hormone therapy in women with early-onset, BRCA-mutated breast cancer who began hormone supplementation after diagnosis, based on preliminary data presented during the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting.1 “Management of early surgical...
In a proof-of-concept study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, researchers investigated whether artificial intelligence (AI) models such as ChatGPT-4 can be used to accurately extract and classify diagnostic data from radiologic imaging reports of pancreatic cysts. The...
About one in six tested chemotherapies in sub-Saharan Africa were found to have serious quality defects, according to the results of a study published in The Lancet Global Health. Researchers assessed the appearance, packaging, and labeling of each cancer medication and measured the quantity of...
In 2022, I had a computed tomography (CT) coronary calcium scan to see whether there were any signs of narrowing or blockage in my heart arteries. Heart disease runs in my family. My father died of a heart attack the year before, and I worried that I was at risk for the same fate. It was a complete ...
The Minnesota Society of Clinical Oncology (MSCO) is the recipient of the 2024 Jeffery C. Ward Affiliate Advocacy Award. The Association for Clinical Oncology presented the award during the State Affiliates’ Reception at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting. Presented annually, the Jeffery C. Ward...
Patients with previously untreated BRAF V600E–mutated metastatic colorectal cancer who receive the BRAF inhibitor encorafenib and the EGFR inhibitor cetuximab plus mFOLFOX6 (modified leucovorin, fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin) vs the current standard of care (chemotherapy ± bevacizumab) may live...
Internationally renowned for her decades-long pioneering research in pancreatic cancer, in 2024, Diane M. Simeone, MD, left her positions as the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Professor of Surgery and Pathology; Director, Pancreatic Cancer Center; and Associate Director of the Perlmutter Cancer Center...
I’ve been a physician for several decades, seeing patients and functioning as a medical teacher; clinical, translational, and bench researcher; and administrator. Adapting to medical practice in three nations and several U.S. states has been quite challenging at different times, but I really think...
Findings from a first-of-its-kind national survey are included in “The Health Insurance Maze: How Cancer Patients Get Lost in the Red Tape of Utilization Management,” a new report from CancerCare which details the impact that prior authorization requirement and coverage stoppages have on patients...
Stopping the widespread use of unnecessary, potentially harmful cancer screenings may take up to 13 years and potentially longer following the implementation of new guidelines, according to a recent study published by LeLaurin et al in BMJ Quality & Safety. Background The U.S. Preventive...
Experts and patients alike would agree that navigating the current fragmented U.S. health-care system is not an easy task. One component of that disconnection may center on the relationship between oncology and primary care. The benefits of collaboration between oncologists and primary care...
A phase III study has found that a 3-year structured exercise program initiated soon after completion of adjuvant chemotherapy improves disease-free and overall survival, as well as patient-reported physical functioning and health-related fitness, in patients with stage III and high-risk stage II...
At just 5 years old, Charu Aggarwal, MD, MPH, FASCO, already knew that she wanted to be a physician when she grew up, although she can’t explain where the idea came from. She just knows the desire to help others was ingrained in her from a very early age. Growing up in New Delhi, India, where...
With the currently available BCR::ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors, chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has transformed from an invariably fatal disorder (10-year overall survival < 10%) to an indolent one, associated with a near-normal life expectancy on optimal tyrosine kinase inhibitor...
An evaluation by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) colorectal cancer screening practices for inmates and their clinical follow-up for positive screenings found several serious operational and managerial deficiencies...
Several recent studies have shown the value of cancer screening in reducing the number of deaths from the disease. One study using computer modeling to estimate the number of cancer-related deaths that could be averted by increasing the use of U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)...
For more than 25 years, my goal as a community oncologist has been to ensure that all patients have access to the highest-quality cancer care. This is the future I stood for when I became ASCO’s 61st President and what I know our more than 50,000 members stand for. And I believe we will get there...
Despite a 30-year history as an ASCO volunteer, for Eric J. Small, MD, FASCO, this past year as President-Elect has opened new perspectives on the organization he will soon lead as ASCO’s 62nd President, effective during the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting, May 30–June 3, 2025, in Chicago. After serving...
Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has emerged as a promising biomarker in colorectal cancer, offering dynamic insight into disease burden and recurrence risk. However, questions remain about its clinical utility and optimal application, as well as its equitable access across practice settings. At the...
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) released its first set of Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) in 1996, covering eight tumor types. Today, guidelines are available for more than 60 tumor types, subtypes, and related topics. During the NCCN’s 30th Annual...
Teal Health announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of the Teal Wand™, an at-home vaginal sample self-collection device for cervical cancer screening in the United States. The Teal Wand is a prescription device that will soon be available at getteal.com for individuals aged ...
The first sign that something was terribly wrong was in 2015, when I began to feel so fatigued that it was difficult to get out of bed even after 8 to 10 hours of sleep. I’ve been full of energy my whole life and couldn’t understand why I was so tired all the time. Then I began to experience...
Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are less likely to receive potentially life-saving cancer treatment if they reside in communities with lower income levels and educational attainment, according to a recent study published by Islam et al in Cancer. Study Methods and Results...
The Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute established a Financial Toxicity Tumor Board in 2019. The board is the first known institutional-level intervention of its kind and functions like a traditional disease-focused multidisciplinary tumor board—with a singular focus on financial distress. Now,...
A 20-year initiative that offered flexible options for colorectal cancer screening at a major integrated health system doubled colorectal cancer screening rates, cut cancer incidence by a third, halved deaths, and brought racial differences in outcomes to nearly zero, according to a study that will ...
In late January 2013, while playing with my young son, I noticed my left breast seemed slightly larger than my right breast. Although, at the time, I had no idea this type of swelling is a hallmark of inflammatory breast cancer, a rare and aggressive disease, I immediately made an appointment with...
A few weeks ago, a family member underwent a minor outpatient operative procedure. From a few weeks before the scheduled date of the procedure, multiple text messages and e-mails were forwarded to provide preparatory instructions for the procedure. The day before the procedure, another...
Researchers have uncovered that eating walnuts may improve systemic inflammation and reduce the risk for colorectal cancer, according to a recent study published by Moussa et al in Cancer Prevention Research. Background Ellagitannins—plant-derived polyphenol compounds found in walnuts—have been...
Almost 60% of all deaths from pediatric cancers occur in regions of armed conflict, according to the results of a study published in The Lancet Oncology. Investigators from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Duke University, and other institutions sought to reveal the relationship between...
Many patients who are eligible for lung cancer screening do not receive it, but do receive preventative screenings for other cancer types, according to the results of a new study published by Potter et al in JAMA. Background Although lung cancer screening is recommended for certain individuals...
Chemotherapy followed by local excision may be effective in patients with node-negative low rectal adenocarcinoma, according to new findings presented by Buettner et al at the 2025 Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) Annual Meeting. Background The current standard of care among most patients with...
Waiting more than 42 days postdiagnosis to undergo surgery could increase the risk of cancer-related mortality among patients with certain breast cancer subtypes, according to a recent study published by Salewon et al in Breast Cancer Research. Background Hormone receptor–positive and HER2-negative ...
Biopsies guided by high-resolution ultrasound may be as effective as those using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosing prostate cancer, an international clinical trial has shown. The technology, called micro-ultrasound, is cheaper and easier to use than MRI. It could significantly speed up ...
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...
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...
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...
Nearly 20% of patients participating in middle-stage cancer drug trials may receive treatments that eventually receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, according to a recent study published by Ouimet et al in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The findings may have...
Offering genetic testing to patients with multiple myeloma may help physicians to determine which patients have the most aggressive types of the disease and how to target their malignancy more effectively, according to a recent study published by Kaiser et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology....