In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Rees-Punia et al found that the risk of frailty-related bone fractures among older cancer survivors was significantly greater vs that among older adults without a history of cancer. Study Details The longitudinal cohort study used data from 92,431 older adults...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Jelinek et al provided evidence that a threshold of ≥ 2% circulating tumor plasma cells (CTCs) defines the presence of plasma cell leukemia (PCL)-like multiple myeloma. As stated by the investigators, “Primary PCL is the most aggressive...
New research examining whether patients with ovarian cancer were receiving care concordant with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) found clear disparities based on patients’ race, ability to pay, and access to specialists and...
New findings revealed that overall cancer mortality among American Indian and Alaska Native patients was 18% higher than among White patients despite similar cancer incidence, according to a new study published by Kratzer et al in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. The findings included the first ...
Researchers identified a subset of patients who had early-stage melanoma with almost no melanoma-related deaths, potentially representing cases contributing to overdiagnosis, according to a new study published by Eguchi et al in Cancer. The findings may help clinicians determine which patients have ...
In a retrospective cohort study reported in JAMA Oncology, Green et al found that only 1% to 2% of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged ≥ 65 years with cancer were enrolled in interventional cancer clinical trials. Study Details The study assessed clinical trial participation among patients...
On November 14, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx (Elahere) for adult patients with folate receptor alpha (FRα)-positive, platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer, who have received...
In a pooled analysis reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Gallois et al found that early discontinuation of adjuvant oxaliplatin/fluoropyrimidine regimens—consisting of FOLFOX (infusional fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin) or CAPOX (capecitabine and oxaliplatin)—was associated...
New data from an ongoing phase II trial evaluating first-line intratumoral administration of sotigalimab, a CD40 agonist antibody, in combination with systemic pembrolizumab, an anti–PD-1 antibody, in metastatic melanoma was presented by Bentebibel et al at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer...
In a cost-effective analysis reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Wong et al found that only the mammography component of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) breast cancer screening guidelines for chest-irradiated Hodgkin lymphoma survivors was cost-effective; magnetic resonance imaging...
In a Dutch study reported in JAMA Oncology, van Not et al found that management of grade ≥ 3 immune-related adverse events with steroids alone vs steroids plus second-line immunosuppressants was associated with better survival outcomes among patients receiving first-line combination ipilimumab and...
As reported in a letter published in The New England Journal of Medicine by Papke et al, data from a prospective biopsy screening program at a large gastrointestinal pathology group indicate that approximately 3% of rectal adenocarcinomas are mismatch repair (MMR)-deficient. Study Background As...
In a single-institution analysis reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Benjamin L. Lampson, MD, and colleagues found a higher prevalence of rare germline ATM variants in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) vs other lymphoid and myeloid disorders. They also determined that patients with CLL...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Gilberto de Castro, Jr, MD, PhD, and colleagues, 5-year follow-up of the KEYNOTE-042 trial showed a maintained overall survival benefit with first-line pembrolizumab vs chemotherapy in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a PD-L1...
Immune checkpoint inhibitors are safe and effective for people living with HIV who have metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to data presented by El Zarif et al at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 2022 Annual Meeting (Abstract 437). Findings from the first matched...
Researchers have identified potential therapies to treat patients with multiple myeloma whose cancer has relapsed following chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, according to a novel study published by Van Oekelen et al in Blood. CAR T-cell therapy has been a revolutionary treatment for...
Researchers may have discovered the underlying cause of sex differences in immune checkpoint inhibitor–associated myocarditis after immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment, according to a novel study published by Zhang et al in Science Translational Medicine. Their findings pointed to possible...
In a single-institution study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Jacola et al found that survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who received central nervous system (CNS)-directed therapy excluding cranial irradiation had poorer outcomes in numerous neurocognitive...
As reported in The Lancet by Brennan et al, the European phase III EURO EWING 2012 trial found improved event-free survival with a standard U.S. chemotherapy regimen vs a standard European regimen in newly diagnosed patients with Ewing sarcoma. As stated by the investigators, “Internationally, a...
On November 10, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved tremelimumab (Imjudo) in combination with durvalumab (Imfinzi) and platinum-based chemotherapy for adult patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with no EGFR mutations or ALK genomic tumor aberrations. ...
On November 10, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the CD30-directed antibody-drug conjugate brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) in combination with doxorubicin, vincristine, etoposide, prednisone, and cyclophosphamide for pediatric patients aged 2 years and older with previously...
There I was, crying once again all the way from the hospital’s parking lot to my apartment, into the shower, and while trying to fall asleep. This had become the norm during my internal medicine residency. For years, I tried hard every day to be someone else to fit in. It started with off-hand...
Robin Kate Kelley, MD, Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, was invited to discuss the results of LEAP-002.1 She said the main takeaway is that lenvatinib monotherapy is active as a preferred first-line agent for fit patients who have contraindications to...
The highly anticipated final analysis of the phase III LEAP-002 trial failed to meet expectations, as first-line treatment with lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab did not significantly improve outcomes in unresectable advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Both progression-free survival and overall survival ...
The ASCO Post asked for comment from Glenn J. Hanna, MD, Director of the Center for Salivary and Rare Head and Neck Cancers, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Hanna said it is important to put the findings of KEYNOTE-4121 into context...
Pembrolizumab plus chemoradiation failed to demonstrate a statistically significant improvement in event-free survival vs chemoradiation alone in patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, but favorable numerical trends were demonstrated, according to results of the phase ...
Cedars-Sinai Cancer Medical Center recently announced the appointment of Yuan Yuan, MD, PhD, a breast medical oncologist and physician scientist who specializes in triple-negative breast cancer and breast cancer immunotherapy, as Director of Breast Oncology. Finding Cutting-Edge Therapies...
Eytan M. Stein, MD, will assume the role of Chief of the Leukemia Service in the Division of Hematologic Malignancies at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), New York. Dr. Stein joined MSK as a medical oncology/hematology fellow in 2010, became a faculty member in 2013, and was appointed...
After nearly a year-long search, the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) has announced its new Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI), and Professional Integrity: Don S. Dizon, MD, who is currently Chair of the organization’s Digital Engagement Committee. Dr. Dizon is Director of the Pelvic...
HUTCHMED (China) Limited recently announced that the global phase III FRESCO-2 trial evaluating the investigational use of the anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) tyrosine kinase inhibitor fruquintinib met its primary endpoint of overall survival in patients with advanced, refractory...
The invited discussant of the post hoc analysis of TROPiCS-02 was Shom Goel, MBBS, PhD, Laboratory Group Leader at the University of Melbourne and a consultant oncologist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Australia. Dr. Goel noted there remains much to learn about the HER2-low subset of...
A new resource-stratified ASCO guideline update provides new evidence-based recommendations for the secondary prevention of cervical cancer in various resource settings.1 In the updated guideline, the screening recommendations cover basic, limited, enhanced, and maximal resource settings. Since...
In a post hoc analysis of the phase III TROPiCS-02 trial, sacituzumab govitecan-hziy improved efficacy outcomes in HER2-negative immunohistochemistry (IHC) subgroups.1 Results were consistent with those of the intent-to-treat population of hormone receptor–positive/HER2-negative advanced breast...
A new study, published recently in JCO Oncology Practice, found that oncologists have different perspectives on how to select starting doses for patients with metastatic cancer.1 The study shared findings from a 2021 international survey of 367 medical oncologists who treat patients with metastatic ...
After 4 years, a limited course of five cycles of tremelimumab added to durvalumab plus chemotherapy extended overall survival in patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) compared with chemotherapy alone, according to an updated exploratory analysis of the phase III POSEIDON...
An updated ASCO guideline recommends lutetium-177–labeled PSMA-617 (LuPSMA), a targeted radioligand therapy, for patients with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have been treated with one prior line of androgen receptor pathway...
As reported in The Lancet by Manali Kamdar, MD, of the University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, and colleagues, an interim analysis of the phase III TRANSFORM trial has shown significantly improved event-free survival with second-line lisocabtagene maraleucel vs standard-of-care salvage...
Ignacio Melero, MD, PhD, Professor of Immunology and Co-Director of the Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy at the Clinica Universidad de Navarra in Spain, was the invited discussant of the M14TIL study. He noted that a 50% relative reduction in the risk of disease progression is impressive...
For the first time in a multicenter randomized trial, T-cell therapy has been shown to improve outcomes in a solid tumor. In the phase III M14TIL trial, first-line or second-line treatment with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) led to a 50% reduction in disease progression or death from advanced ...
Jasmin A. Tiro, PhD, MPH, has joined the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center as the new Associate Director of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences. Dr. Tiro was formerly Professor of Population and Data Sciences at Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at The...
The MONARCH 3 study’s invited discussant, Meritxell Bellet Ezquerra, MD, PhD, a senior researcher at the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology in Barcelona, commented: “The second interim analysis for overall survival in MONARCH 31 indicates a positive trend, which was also observed for the subgroup...
Abstract discussant Anand Devaraj, MD, PhD, Professor in Thoracic Radiology at Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, and Professor of Thoracic Radiology at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, highlighted the increased risk of second primary tumors among current...
Overall survival results from two trials of abemaciclib in advanced breast cancer were reported at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2022. Both MONARCH 3 and monarcHER previously met their primary endpoints of progression-free survival. The current results for overall...
Erica Huelsmann, MD, a gynecologic oncology fellow at Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, has been awarded a 2022 Conquer Cancer Merit Award by Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation. The award, given at the 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting, supports researchers with projects that span many areas of...
I don’t know why I am so susceptible to developing lung cancer. Since 2014, I have been diagnosed with both non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer, each occurring in my right lung. I have also been diagnosed with precancerous colon polyps, which necessitated invasive surgery. ...
With out-of-pocket costs of cancer care exceeding $21 billion in 2019, financial toxicity among patients and their families in the United States has become too prevalent to ignore. In fact, more than 50% of working-age survivors now report at least one material, psychological, or behavioral domain...
The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine “works astonishingly well. It really prevents the kind of infections that cause cancer,” commented Ruanne Barnabas, MBChB, MSc, DPhil, MD, PhD, in an interview with The ASCO Post. “Other viral infections are difficult to protect against, or there might be...
The results of ECHELON-1 were presented by David J. Straus, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, at the 2022 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Annual Congress: Hematologic Malignancies. Dr. Straus said: “It is a great honor and privilege to present updated results...
To achieve its goal of eliminating cervical cancer, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on all countries “to reach and maintain an incidence rate of below 4 per 100,000 women.” Doing so would depend on the following: A total of 90% of girls being fully vaccinated against human...
The treatment paradigm for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) continues to evolve in the first-line setting and beyond, with the availability of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors, the BCL2 inhibitor venetoclax, and novel combinations of these agents with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies....