Growing awareness of the benefits of palliative care in patients with cancer has prompted ASCO to update its recommendations for clinicians, patients, caregivers, and health-care organizations on integrating palliative care in oncology.1 The updated guideline reinforces prior recommendations in the ...
Researchers have shown that participating in an exercise program may improve pain, fatigue, and the quality of life in patients with metastatic breast cancer, according to a recent study published by Hiensch et al in Nature Medicine. Background “Although there’s substantial evidence for the...
At the 2024 Debates and Didactics in Hematology and Oncology Conference, sponsored by Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute, cardiologist-by-training Anant Mandawat, MD, FACC, briefly reviewed how the emerging field of cardio-oncology is blazing a path toward “bigger and bolder cancer care” and offered...
A subgroup analysis of data from the LIBRETTO-431 trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04194944) showed that the selective RET inhibitor selpercatinib safely improved progression-free survival compared to chemotherapy plus pembrolizumab in East Asian patients diagnosed with RET fusion–positive...
New modeling data have been released that describe the projected impact of the first and only multitarget stool DNA test (marketed as Cologuard) on patients, health-care professionals, and the U.S. health-care system since its U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval 10 years ago. About the ...
Endometrial cancer is most frequently diagnosed among women aged 55 to 65, with a median age at diagnosis of 64 years.1 In epidemiologic studies, women diagnosed with endometrial cancer at an older age are more likely to have high-grade disease, aggressive histology, deep myometrial invasion, lower ...
A prospective-retrospective translational study reported in JAMA Oncology by Ruth M. O’Regan, MD, and colleagues confirmed the prognostic value of the Breast Cancer Index (BCI) in a Suppression of Ovarian Function Trial (SOFT) trial–derived population of premenopausal women with early-stage,...
The risk of developing mental health issues may be higher among patients who have rare cancers compared with those who have common cancers, according to a recent study published by Low et al in eClinicalMedicine. Background Rare cancers—those affecting fewer than 6 out of 100,000 individuals per...
In a systemic analysis of global literature reported in The Lancet, Wei et al estimated the proportion of invasive cervical cancer cases caused by specific human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes. Study Details A literature search through February 2024 was performed to identify studies reporting HPV...
Is the optimal first-line treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) monotherapy with a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor or some combination regimen? This clinical question was explored by two speakers at the 2024 Pan Pacific Lymphoma Conference, sponsored by the University of...
Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of primary liver cancer, accounting for about 80% of all primary liver cancers in the United States, and is currently the sixth most common cancer and the fourth most common cause of cancer-related deaths. Although immunotherapy is now a mainstay for ...
Investigators have found that adults with learning disabilities may be more likely to die from cancer compared with those in the general population, according to a recent study published by Ward et al in BMJ Open. Background Many cancers are considered either preventable or treatable. However,...
Researchers have examined whether a mouthwash-based test could detect biomarkers to help physicians predict disease recurrence in patients with head and neck cancer, according to a recent study published by Franzmann et al in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery. Background Head and neck...
Researchers have found that diet-derived molecules known as metabolites may be the main drivers of early-onset colorectal cancer risk, especially those associated with red and processed meat, according to a recent study published by Jayakrishnan et al in npj Precision Oncology. Background Despite...
“Symptom-triggered testing”—prompted by symptoms such as pain, abdominal bloating/swelling, and feeling full soon after starting to eat—detected early-stage aggressive ovarian cancer in one of four individuals affected, according to an analysis from the ROCkeTS trial published by Kwong et al in the ...
Researchers have reported novel genetic alterations and molecular classifiers of tumor variants in patients with colorectal cancer, according to a recent study published by Nunes et al in Nature. Background “Since 2018, Uppsala University and BGI [Genomics] have carried out in-depth cooperation on...
More than 2 years ago, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden reignited the Cancer Moonshot with the goals of reducing the cancer death rate in the United States by at least half (preventing more than 4 million cancer deaths) by 2047 and improving the experience of people who are touched by...
With the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has become a chronic disease for most patients. Furthermore, we now know that some patients can successfully stop treatment and remain in remission. “Stopping tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy is something we get a...
In an analysis from the phase III CheckMate 238 trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Jeffrey Weber, MD, PhD, and colleagues found that progression-free and overall survival were improved with subsequent systemic therapy following late vs early recurrence with adjuvant nivolumab in...
Women whose fallopian tubes are removed during sterilization via laparoscopy may have only marginally more surgical complications compared with those whose tubes are cut during tubal occlusion, according to a recent study published by Strandell et al in The Lancet Regional Health–Europe. The...
Immune checkpoint inhibitors, including atezolizumab, have been evaluated in several phase II trials for neoadjuvant therapy in resectable lung cancer, both with and without chemotherapy, such as the LCMC3 trial and CheckMate 816. Ongoing studies, including the IMpower030 trial, are further...
In an article in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, corresponding author Benjamin J. Solomon, MBBS, BS, PhD, of Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, and colleagues provided a long-term analysis of 5-year outcomes from the phase III CROWN trial.1 Median progression-free survival had not been...
The risk of developing breast cancer may be increased among some women who undergo menopause prior to age 46, according to a recent study published by Allen-Brady et al in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Background Early menopause occurs in women aged 40 to 45 years. Primary ...
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, accounting for the highest mortality rates among both men and women. Most lung cancers—between 80% and 85%—are non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and between 1% and 2% of patients are diagnosed with RET-altered NSCLC. The results...
Georgina V. Long, MD, PhD, of the Melanoma Institute Australia and the University of Sydney, and colleagues reported the final follow-up analysis of the phase III COMBI-AD trial at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 9500) and published their findings in The New England Journal of Medicine.1...
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Detecting this disease in its early stages significantly improves survival rates, making low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening an essential component in the fight against lung cancer. Recent studies, particularly from...
The results of routine blood tests could be used to speed up cancer diagnoses among patients with abdominal symptoms, according to a recent study published by Rafiq et al in PLOS Medicine. Background Most patients who report symptoms of abdominal pain or bloating to their physicians are referred...
A novel artificial intelligence (AI) model may prove to be effective at predicting which patients with breast cancer are likely to develop chronic pain, according to a recent study published by Park et al in the Journal of Nursing Scholarship. The findings may help physicians to better understand...
Most patients with extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) are overtreated, according to Emanuele Zucca, MD, of the Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland and Institute of Oncology Research in Bellinzona and the Università della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano. “Aggressive therapy is not needed in...
Even though cancer rates continue to fall in older populations, the disease is becoming ever more common among younger age groups. A recent analysis of data from 13 cancer registries in the United States published by Rosenberg et al in JAMA Network Open found that those born between 1965 and 1980...
People who use e-cigarettes in conjunction with cigarette smoking are four times more likely to develop lung cancer than people who just smoke cigarettes, according to new study published by Harris et al the Journal of Oncology Research and Therapy. These findings were consistent across gender and...
The global oncology and public health communities are mourning the death of Lynette Ann Denny, MD, PhD, a world-renowned gynecologic oncologist and a leading researcher in the prevention of cervical cancer in low-resource settings. Dr. Denny died on June 9, 2024, in Cape Town, South Africa, of...
In an analysis from the NRG Oncology/NSABP B-42 trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Priya Rastogi, MD, and colleagues found that the 70-gene MammaPrint assay findings did not predict the distant recurrence benefit of extended letrozole therapy vs placebo in patients with...
On July 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Guardant Health’s Shield blood test for colorectal cancer screening in adults aged 45 years and older who are at average risk for the disease. It is the first blood test to be approved by the FDA as a primary screening option for...
Patients with BRCA1- or BRCA2-mutated ovarian cancer may have a lower risk of developing breast cancer following treatment, according to a recent study published by Evans et al in Genetics in Medicine. Background Previous research has estimated that the risk of developing breast cancer by the age...
Guest Editor’s Note: Chemotherapy and its side effects can lead to decreased physical activity and poor diet quality, resulting in unfavorable changes in physical functioning and quality of life. However, adopting healthy behaviors during cancer treatments can be challenging because of physical,...
Iron Dad: A Cancer Survivor’s Story of Discovering Strength, Life, and Love Through Fatherhood by Paul Weigel is an inspiring and deeply moving memoir that transcends the traditional boundaries of parenthood and personal transformation. This story begins with a sense of discontent and a desire for...
A new update to the ASCO guideline on managing cancer-related fatigue recommends that health care providers urge their patients to exercise, as well as use cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based programs to help prevent and treat this prevalent symptom.1 It is estimated that between 30% ...
The international meeting in Madrid of the newly formed Alliance for Global Implementation of Lung and Cardiac Early Disease Detection and Treatment (AGILE) was held in May 2024. This diverse forum included health-care professionals, public health leaders, industry representatives, and patient...
In newly diagnosed, transplant-ineligible patients with multiple myeloma, treatment with the anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody isatuximab plus bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (VRd) led to a 40% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death and “deep and sustained responses,” almost...
In a study reported in NEJM Evidence, Joseph A. Sparano, MD, and colleagues found that a risk score integrating the 21-gene recurrence score (RS) with clinicopathologic factors—the RSClin tool—performed well in predicting risk of late distant recurrence in patients with breast cancer. Study...
Joseph A. Sparano, MD, FACP, of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, discusses his presentation on premenopausal patients with hormone receptor–positive early breast cancer. Dr. Sparano is the Ezra M. Greenspan, MD, Professor in Clinical Cancer Therapeutics, Chief of the Division of Hematology...
Experts from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), American Statistical Association (ASA), and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have outlined considerations for clinical trial designs to enhance the collection and analysis of overall survival data in the context of modern-day...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Matikas et al, the prespecified end-of-study analysis of the European phase III PANTHER trial showed significant improvements in outcomes with tailored dose-dense vs standard adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with high-risk early breast cancer. As...
DNA/RNA material contained in circulating extracellular vesicles secreted into the blood stream by tumor cells may capture cancer genomics and transcriptomic evolution in patients with metastatic prostate cancer, according to a recent study published by Casanova et al in Cancer Cell. Background...
Researchers have introduced the first screening and treatment recommendations to prevent anal cancer in patients with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), according to new guidelines based on the results of a 2022 study published by Palefsky et al in The New England Journal of Medicine....
In a U.S. study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Steven J. Katz, MD, MPH, and colleagues found that many women with early breast cancer and indications for genetic testing do not undergo said testing. Study Details The study involved data from 1,412 women aged 20 to 79 years...
Researchers have found that many eligible breast cancer survivors may not be receiving genetic counseling and testing, according to a recent study published by Katz et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Background A growing proportion of cancer treatment and survivorship care relies on...
Some patients with a genetic predisposition for cancer may not qualify for genetic screenings under the current guidelines, according to a recent study published by Samadder et al in JCO Precision Oncology. Researchers are investigating how to advance personalized medicine and tailor prevention and ...
Research has consistently shown that Native American and Alaska Native individuals are among the most underserved minority populations in the United States and are disproportionately affected by cancer. The results from a 50-year report by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium’s Alaska Native...