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...
A common type of diabetes drug known as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors could help patients with cancer achieve greater long-term recovery, according to a novel study published by Bhalraam et al in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. Background Many patients with cancer ...
Researchers have uncovered several biomarkers that may predict how patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer will respond to the novel combination of ipatasertib and abiraterone, according to a recent study published by Bono et al in European Urology. Background Prostate cancer...
In a systematic review and meta-analysis reported in The Oncologist, Leite da Silva et al found plasma circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) kinetics to be predictive of survival outcomes in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were undergoing targeted therapy and immune checkpoint ...
Plasma proteins may be capable of distinguishing gallbladder cancer from cholecystitis, which could reduce unnecessary procedures and improve treatment options in patients with suspected gallbladder cancer, according to a recent study published by Nouairia et al in JHEP Reports. Gallbladder cancer...
A large proportion of individuals may be unaware of the risk of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and cancer among men, according to a recent consumer survey commissioned by The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center–Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research...
In a pooled analysis reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Shi et al found that a clinical trial endpoint of complete response with minimal residual disease (also known as measurable residual disease) at the 10-5 threshold (MRD-CR) at 9 or 12 months could be used to support accelerated...
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...
Investigators may have uncovered how radiotherapy affects survival in patients with glioblastoma multiforme and low-grade glioma, according to a recent study published by Veviorskiy et al in Aging. The findings highlighted key biological differences between these cancer types. Background...
Skin cancers and lymphoma may be more prevalent among individuals with tattoos compared with those without tattoos, according to a recent study published by Clemmensen et al in BMC Public Health. Prior research has shown that tattoo ink does not just remain at the site of injection—instead, when...
Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD, announced in a statement his retirement as Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), effective February 28, 2025. Dr. Collins is the longest-serving presidentially appointed NIH Director, having served three U.S. presidents over more than 12 years—Barack...
Researchers have developed and validated a novel prediction model that may be capable of estimating the risk of colorectal cancer and advanced precancerous polyps in patients younger than 45 years, according to a recent study published by Wehbe et al in Digestive Diseases and Sciences. Background...
An innovative combination of treatment strategies involving myeloid cell leukemia (MCL)-1 inhibitors and a kinase inhibitor targeting the SRC oncogene could be effective at triggering cell death in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells, according to a recent study published by Hu et al in Signal...
Investigators have found that the risk of colorectal cancer may vary among steatotic liver disease subgroups and could be higher in patients with alcoholic liver disease, according to a recent study published by Kimura et al in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Background Lifestyle-related...
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...
Researchers may have uncovered insights into the role of bacteria in the development of gastric cancer, according to a novel study published by Giddings et al in Helicobacter. The findings could pave the way for a more effective precancer treatment option. Background Gastric cancer is the fourth...
A new clinical guideline from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) provides guidance on the use of radiation therapy to treat adult patients with primary squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal and anal margin. The guideline, ASTRO’s first for anal cancer, is published in...
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...
Physical activity may help colorectal cancer survivors achieve long-term survival rates comparable to those of individuals in the general population, according to a recent study published by Brown et al in Cancer. Background Patients with colorectal cancer often face higher rates of premature...
Although the cancer mortality rate among Black patients in the United States has dropped over the past 30 years, this patient population may continue to experience a disproportionately elevated cancer burden compared with other patient populations, according to a recent study published by Saka et...
Age discrimination, often referred to as ageism, is an increasingly pressing issue within society. Although it can impact individuals across all age groups, older adults are particularly vulnerable. According to the U.S. Census Bureau projections, by 2040, individuals aged 65 and older will...
Digital technology may help to safely reduce the amount of time some patients with cancer spend receiving care—also referred to as “time toxicity”—according to a recent study published by Bange et al in NEJM Catalyst. Background Patients with cancer often spend a large amount of time on activities...
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....
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...
I’ve learned a lot about medicine over the years, but one thing I wasn’t taught was how to guide someone through the existential weight of dying. My education centered on diagnosing, curing, or at least managing disease—not on the delicate art of helping people and their loved ones cope with what...
Long-term yogurt intake may protect against the development of colorectal cancer through changes in the gut microbiome, according to a recent study published by Ugai et al in Gut Microbes. Background Yogurt—which contains live strains of bacteria—is thought to protect against many types of...
A novel blood test may aid physicians in the earlier detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and potentially improve survival rates for the disease, according to a recent study published by Montoya et al in Science Translational Medicine. Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is the...
Studies show that about one-quarter of advanced prostate cancers have alterations in DNA damage response genes involved directly or indirectly in homologous recombination repair (HRR) gene alterations, including BRCA1/BRCA2 genes, which can sensitize them to treatment with PARP inhibitors. Final...
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...
ZUMA-2 is a single-arm, multicenter, open-label phase II study that investigated leukapheresed adults with mantle cell lymphoma whose disease was refractory to or had relapsed after up to five prior lines of therapy, including anthracycline or bendamustine-containing chemotherapy; anti-CD20...
The World Health Organization (WHO) and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have begun distributing critical cancer drugs to pediatric patients in two of six pilot countries through the new Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines. Background Every year, about 400,000 children...
ASCO has updated its guidelines on the role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients newly diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer, underscoring key considerations in selecting patients for treatment and where to go from there.1 Since ASCO’s previous guidelines were published in 2016, there has been ...
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...
Kidney transplantation using donor organs carrying the Epstein-Barr virus may increase the risk of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder among recipients who have never been exposed to the virus, according to a recent study published by Potluri et al in the Annals of Internal Medicine....
Short-course, higher-dose vaginal brachytherapy for endometrial cancer may demonstrate comparable efficacy to more frequent, lower-dose sessions, according to a recent study published by Suneja et al in JCO Oncology Advances. Background Endometrial cancer is the most common cancer type of the...
Each year in the United States, approximately 90,000 adolescents and young adults (AYAs), defined as those between the ages of 15 and 39, are diagnosed with cancer, and about 9,300 die of the disease.1 Worldwide, the number of new cases of cancer in this age population tops 1,300,200—an increase of ...
On February 11, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved mirdametinib (Gomekli), a kinase inhibitor, for adult and pediatric patients aged 2 years and older with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) who have symptomatic plexiform neurofibromas (PN) not amenable to complete resection. ReNeu Trial...
An immunotherapy combination for advanced, highly mutated colorectal cancer has significantly delayed disease progression vs single-agent therapy, according to data presented at the 2025 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.1 The phase III CheckMate 8HW trial compared the PD-1 inhibitor...
Globally, prostate cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer and the fifth-leading cause of cancer-related death among men—and the leading cause of cancer-related death in Central America and sub-Saharan Africa. Four years ago, British researchers launched the “Man Van” pilot mobile...
Experiencing pain may increase the risk that cancer survivors will use cigarettes and cannabis, according to a recent study published by Powers et al in Cancer. Background Pain and the use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, alcohol, and cannabis commonly occur together in the general population. Cancer...
Investigators may have uncovered notable pharmacokinetic differences between male and female patients in at least 14 anticancer drugs, according to a recent study published by Delahousse et al in ESMO Open. Background Many cancer drugs have a narrow therapeutic window. As a result, slight...
A record-breaking number of abstracts were submitted for the 2024 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition, and nearly 8,000 were accepted. The ASCO Post strives to provide in-depth coverage of those with the greatest impact. Here, we offer snapshots of others of...
Investigators have found that although fewer patients may be diagnosed with and dying from cancer in Appalachia, cancer incidence and mortality rates remain substantially higher compared with elsewhere in the United States, according to a recent study published by Burus et al in the Journal of the...
A novel artificial intelligence (AI) tool uncovered an effective treatment for a patient with idiopathic multicentric Castleman’s disease, according to a recent study published by Mumau et al in The New England Journal of Medicine. Background Idiopathic multicentric Castleman’s disease is a rare...
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...
Researchers have found that inhibiting the S6K2 gene could be an effective strategy for managing treatment-resistant melanoma, according to a recent study published by Lipchick et al in Science Translational Medicine. Background Cases of melanoma—the deadliest type of skin cancer—are currently...
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, ...
Researchers have found no evidence that chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy caused secondary cancers in the modified T cells, according to a recent study published by Jadlowsky et al in Nature Medicine. Background CAR T-cell therapy is a personalized type of immunotherapy that employs...