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Showing 5601 - 5650How QOPI® Is Improving Oncology Care
Launched in 2002 as a pilot program to promote excellence in oncology care, the origins of ASCO’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) date as far back as 1997, when the Institute of Medicine (IOM) created a National Cancer Policy Board to assess the state of cancer care in the United...
TAPUR: ASCO’s First Clinical Trial Addresses Critical Gaps in Understanding of and Access to Targeted Therapies
ASCO is preparing to expand the boundaries of precision medicine with the launch of its first clinical trial. At a press briefing during the 2015 ASCO Annual Meeting, the Society formally announced its plans for the Targeted Agent and Profiling Utilization Registry (TAPUR) study. At a time when...
The State of Progress in Hematologic Malignancies
The number of targeted therapies approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the treatment of a variety of cancers, especially hematologic malignancies, continues to rise. In 2014 alone, 4 of the 10 new agents directed at discrete molecular targets approved by the FDA were for blood...
ASH Announces Stephen S. Chung, MD, as Inaugural Jake Wetchler Foundation ASH Scholar for Pediatric Innovation Recipient
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) recently announced that Stephen S. Chung, MD, will receive the inaugural Jake Wetchler Foundation ASH Scholar Award for Pediatric Innovation for his research on the mechanisms of bone marrow failure syndromes. This work could ultimately lead to an improved...
Actionable Targets Identified in Brain Metastases
New research shows that paired primary tumor and brain metastases share a common ancestor, but as the metastases develop in the brain, they exhibit novel genetic alterations that can activate a number of signaling pathways. More than half of the mutations represent potential therapeutic targets....
Lenvatinib in Refractory Thyroid Cancer: Survival Benefit or Not?
In the original phase III SELECT trial, no overall survival benefit was observed for lenvatinib (Lenvima) vs placebo in progressive radioactive iodine–refractory differentiated thyroid cancer. Overall survival was a secondary endpoint in that trial. However, in an updated analysis of SELECT, which...
Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke Receives $7 Million Outstanding Investigator Award
The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke has received nearly $7 million in funding under the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Outstanding Investigator Award program for work on two novel immunotherapy approaches to treat brain tumors. The award recognizes the work of principal...
Genomic Test Identifies Patients With Prostate Cancer in Need of Intensified Salvage Therapy
Prostate cancer has been slow to catch up with breast cancer in terms of using biomarkers, but a new study represents progress in this regard. A genomic classifier called Decipher® provides important information that can be used to make treatment decisions for men with prostate cancer and a rising...
Changing the Outlook for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Small-molecule inhibitors, especially ibrutinib (Imbruvica) and idelalisib (Zydelig), have greatly changed the outlook for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. William G. Wierda, MD, PhD, Professor and Center Medical Director in the Department of Leukemia at The University of Texas MD...
Genomics Now Driving Treatment of Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia
The treatment of Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia has been greatly impacted by an understanding of its genomics, according to Steven P. Treon, MD, PhD, of Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center and Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston. Dr. Treon brought listeners up to date on ...
Neratinib Improves Disease-Free Survival in Early-Stage HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
Patients with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer who received neratinib as extended adjuvant therapy demonstrated improved invasive disease–free survival, with an absolute benefit of 2.3% at 2 years.1 However, these results of the ExteNET trial, previously presented at the 2015 ASCO Annual...
Nationally Regarded Oncology Nurse Practitioner, Mary Pazdur, RN, MSN, Remembered by Friends and Colleagues
Oncology nurse practitioner Mary Pazdur, RN, MSN, spent her professional life bettering the clinical care and outcomes of cancer patients, culminating in her career at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), in the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, working with patients on cancer vaccine...
Cancer Survival Improves in Europe, With Wide Regional Variations
EUROCARE-5, the latest in a series of comprehensive reports on the state of cancer survival in Europe, shows an improvement in 5-year survival from 1998 to 2007, with large variations among regions of Europe, according to a presentation at the European Cancer Congress.1 Furthermore, although 5-year ...
Foot Care in Oncology: The Cancer Patient From Ankle to Toe
There is as yet no clinical or research focus on foot complications that result from cancer therapies. Foot conditions, however, are common and have a considerable negative impact on patients’ ambulation, quality of life, and consistent dosing of antineoplastic agents.1-4 There are currently no...
Cancer Care in Low-Resource Areas: Some Improvements Over the Years, but Serious Problems Remain
Low- and middle-income countries bear a larger share of the global cancer burden than does the developed world,” said Greta Massetti, PhD, Associate Director for Science, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Cancer Prevention and Control and Co-Chair of the National Cancer...
Cancer Researchers and Clinicians Elected as 2015 AAAS Fellows
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Council elected 347 fellows for 2015, in recognition of their contributions to innovation, education, and scientific leadership. The tradition of electing AAAS fellows began in 1874 to recognize members for their scientifically or...
Nodal Irradiation in Node-Positive Breast Cancer: It Is Not Time to Change Practice
Management of the regional nodes in breast cancer has evolved from the era of the extended radical mastectomy to exclusion of axillary dissection in appropriately selected patients. Throughout this evolution, studies of nodal irradiation have been shown to improve locoregional control, usually...
Regional Nodal Irradiation in Early Breast Cancer Yields Significant Disease-Free Survival Benefit in Two Trials
Two phase III trials recently reported in The New England Journal of Medicine indicated that the addition of regional nodal irradiation was associated with no or marginal overall survival benefit but significantly improved disease-free survival in patients with early-stage breast cancer.1,2 NCIC...
Evidence-Based Practice Needed in End-of-Life Care
Evidence-based oncology practice is a systematic approach to problem solving for cancer care providers, characterized by the use of the best evidence currently available for clinical decision-making. Over the past several decades, the oncology community, led by its major organizations such as ASCO...
Closing the Racial Survival Disparity Gap in Breast Cancer: Models for Change From Chicago, New York, and Beyond
It has long been said that white women of European ancestry are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, but African American women are more likely to die of it. This statement has introduced multiple articles on the topic of the racial survival disparity in breast cancer, including our own...
Trabectedin in Liposarcoma/Leiomyosarcoma: The Drug Is Approved, Now the Real Drug Development Begins!
Led by George Demetri, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, expert medical oncology investigators from leading academic sarcoma centers and Janssen Pharmaceuticals employees performed a phase III trial in order to provide evidence for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of...
Molecularly Targeted Therapy Brings New Hope to Patients With Relapsed/Refractory Hairy Cell Leukemia
The treatment of hairy cell leukemia is one of the great success stories in hematologic malignancies, with patients now having a survival that is only slightly inferior to an age-matched normal population. Purine analogs, such as cladribine, are the mainstay of first-line therapy, with...
Ovarian Cancer: Current Treatment and Patient Management
Tough initial treatment decisions have “long-lasting ramifications and affect the entire treatment paradigm” for women with ovarian cancer, according to Bradley J. Monk, MD, FACS, FACOG, of the University of Arizona Cancer Center, Phoenix. In a true collaborative presentation at the Annual JADPRO...
Cancer Care Through Nonpharmacologic Symptom Management
Nonpharmacologic approaches to managing pain have a fairly robust base of science and research supporting their use but are not as widely accepted and understood as drug therapy in the realm of cancer care. In a breakout session at the 2015 Palliative Care in Oncology Symposium in Boston, experts...
Anamorelin Improves Cachexia Symptoms in Patients With Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
The investigational agent anamorelin significantly increased lean body mass, body weight, total body mass, and fat mass in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and cachexia, according to Jennifer S. Temel, MD, who presented the results of two phase III studies at the 2015...
November Yields Record Number of FDA Approvals for New Oncology Drugs and Drug Indications
In 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved 9 new drugs and biologics in the treatment of cancer and added 10 notable new indications or formulations to existing drug labels, marking a year of significant progress in improving the quality of cancer care in the United States. So...
Perceptions of End-of-Life Care Differ Sharply Between African Americans and White Americans
Studies demonstrate that patients with advanced cancer who are not actively engaged in planning their end-of-life care often receive overly aggressive, physically taxing, costly and unnecessary treatment toward life’s end. Recent findings indicate that African Americans appear to be more apt to...
SIOG Annual Conference Explores Global Perspectives on Geriatric Oncology and Supportive Care
The 15th Annual Conference of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) took place in Prague, Czech Republic, over 3 days (November 12–14, 2015). At the heart of the meeting were presentations on supportive care, comprehensive geriatric assessment and treatment—so that we fully...
2015 NCI Outstanding Investigator Award Recipients
The first class of National Cancer Institute (NCI) Outstanding Investigator Award recipients showcases the cutting edge of oncologic research and the 43 investigators behind it. NCI’s Outstanding Investigator Award supports accomplished leaders in cancer research, who are providing significant...
A: Primary Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma of the Central Nervous System
Question 1: Based on the rationale for the current “standard of care” for primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the CNS, what is the optimal induction therapy? Correct Answer: C. A high-dose methotrexate–based regimen. Expert Perspective Untreated primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the CNS ...
Selected Abstracts From 2015 ASH Annual Meeting
Here are several abstracts selected from the proceedings of this year’s American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, highlighting therapeutics in acute leukemias and myelodysplastic syndromes. For full details of these study abstracts, visit...
Charles S. Abrams, MD, Named President of ASH
Charles S. Abrams, MD, the Francis C. Wood Professor of Medicine, Pathology, and Laboratory Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine and Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania and Director of the Blood Center for Patient Care & Discovery at Penn and The Children’s Hospital ...
ASCO Endorsement of ACCP Guideline on Treating SCLC: Moving Forward to Better Outcomes in Oncology
In the current climate of rising health-care costs, particularly in the field of oncology, clinical guidelines provide a crucial tool to guide practitioners in evidence-based care and to improve the quality and consistency of care.1 The ASCO review and endorsement of the American College of Chest...
Ductal Carcinoma in Situ and Relevant Endpoints for Omission of Standard Treatments: Are We There Yet?
The optimal management strategy for ductal carcinoma in situ has become increasingly controversial with respect to potential overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Much of the controversy for ductal carcinoma in situ stems from its exceptional breast cancer–specific survival, which approaches close to...
Minimally Invasive Surgery for Rectal Cancer: An Evolving Issue
Over 10 years ago, we welcomed a new approach to cancer surgery when the 2004 COST trial demonstrated the benefits of laparoscopic compared with open surgery for colon cancer. This randomized trial of 872 patients showed improved perioperative recovery with laparoscopic colectomy without...
Optimizing the Treatment of HIV-Associated Lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection generally can be treated the same as lymphoma in non–HIV-infected patients, with a few caveats, according to Lawrence D. Kaplan, MD, of the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center of the University of...
Jonathan S. Lewin, MD, Joins Emory University
Emory University announced that Jonathan S. Lewin, MD, has been appointed Executive Vice President for Health Affairs. Dr. Lewin also will serve as Executive Director for Emory’s Woodruff Health Sciences Center, President and CEO of Emory Healthcare and Chair of the Board of Directors of Emory...
Promising Upfront Combination in Older Patients With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Frontline treatment with the antibody-drug conjugate inotuzumab ozogamicin plus deintensified chemotherapy is a promising option for older patients with Philadelphia chromosome–negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Phase II results suggest that this combination has the ability to improve...
Midostaurin: A New Standard of Care in Acute Myeloid Leukemia?
Upfront treatment with midostaurin added to standard chemotherapy improved survival compared with placebo plus chemotherapy in high-risk patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) characterized by FLT3 mutations. No new drugs have been approved for AML since 1990, and midostaurin is the first...
Patients With Incomplete Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Benefit From Capecitabine
Treatment with capecitabine increased disease-free and overall survival in breast cancer patients with residual disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, according to a study reported by researchers from Japan and Korea at the 2015 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.1 “It has been unclear whether...
A Shot to End Cancer: HPV Vaccination
As health-care providers, we have an obligation and a responsibility not only to care for our patients, but also to educate them—and the general public—about their cancer risk and ways to reduce or prevent it. We are living in the golden era of cancer prevention and treatment, made possible by...
Impressive Results With Daratumumab Plus Lenalidomide/Dexamethasone in Multiple Myeloma
The anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody daratumumab (Darzalex) took center stage among multiple myeloma studies presented at the 57th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition. In relapsed/refractory patients, daratumumab plus lenalidomide (Revlimid)/dexamethasone yielded an 81%...
DNA Repair Enzyme Identified as a Potential Brain Cancer Drug Target
Rapidly dividing cells rely on an enzyme called Dicer to help them repair the DNA damage that occurs as they make mistakes in copying their genetic material over and over for new cells. Researchers have built on the discovery of Dicer’s role in fixing DNA damage to uncover a new potential...
Study Finds Cardiovascular Disease Is Prevalent and Often Asymptomatic in Childhood Cancer Survivors
Although historically the leading cause of death among survivors of childhood cancer has been cancer recurrence, adverse late effects of cancer therapy have become the leading cause of death 30 years after diagnosis, and those deaths are frequently attributed to premature cardiovascular disease,...
Adding Ibrutinib to Bendamustine/Rituximab May Increase Progression-Free Survival in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia or Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma
In the phase III HELIOS trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Chanan-Khan et al found that the addition of the Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor ibrutinib (Imbruvica) to bendamustine (Treanda)/rituximab (Rituxan) increased progression-free survival in patients with chronic lymphocytic ...
Andrew Seidman, MD, and Hope Rugo, MD, on Advanced Breast Cancer: KEYNOTE-028 Study Results
Andrew Seidman, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Hope S. Rugo, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco, discuss preliminary efficacy and safety findings of pembrolizumab in patients with PD-L1–positive, estrogen receptor-positive/HER2-negative disease. (Abstract S5-07)
Andrew Seidman, MD, and Hope Rugo, MD, on Reducing Alopecia: FDA Approves New Device
Andrew Seidman, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Hope S. Rugo, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco, discuss the recent approval of a cooling cap to reduce hair loss during chemotherapy.
Andrew Seidman, MD, and Hope Rugo, MD: Less is More: Scaling Back Breast Cancer Treatment
Andrew Seidman, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Hope S. Rugo, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco, discuss findings on de-escalating systemic therapy for breast cancer (Abstract ES6-3).
Lisa Carey, MD, and Kathy Albain, MD, on Results of the SWOG-8814 Trial
Lisa A. Carey, MD, of the University of North Carolina, and Kathy S. Albain, MD, of Loyola University Medical Center, discuss molecular predictors of outcome on adjuvant CAF plus tamoxifen, vs tamoxifen in postmenopausal patients with estrogen receptor–positive, node-positive breast cancer...
S. Vincent Rajkumar, MD, on Multiple Myeloma: Newly Approved Drugs
S. Vincent Rajkumar, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, summarizes a special FDA-sponsored session on the three myeloma drugs that were approved this November––daratumumab, ixazomib, and elotozumab––and their current and future roles in treating the disease.
