Researchers have found that patients with psychiatric or substance use disorders may have an increased risk of experiencing poorer outcomes such as early mortality following treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with venetoclax combination therapies compared with those without a recent history ...
An ASCO guideline has been developed to inform the use of systemic treatments for metastatic, well-differentiated gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs).1 The guideline helps fill a knowledge gap among community oncologists in particular, who typically do not see many of these rare ...
Syed Ali Abutalib, MD, is taking his talents to the recently affiliated Aurora Health Care, now part of Advocate Health, one of the largest integrated health systems in the United States. He accepted a new position at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee, where he is now Director of the...
A pair of studies evaluating the impact of the Oncology Care Model (OCM) has highlighted challenges in improving quality of the value-based payment model, according to data presented at the 2023 ASCO Quality Care Symposium. Both studies were conducted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...
Invited discussant of TROPION-Lung01, Sarat Chandarlapaty, MD, PhD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, was cautiously optimistic about this new treatment option. “Dato-DXd [datopotamab deruxtecan] has a benefit over standard-of-care docetaxel in the second-line setting. There...
Susan G. Komen presented its 2023 Breast Cancer Awards to four physician-scientists and one research advocate for their contributions to advancing breast cancer discoveries and improving patient outcomes. The five recipients were recognized at the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Awards event in San...
Investigators have found that estrogen levels measured through blood tests may be predictive of which individuals at high risk of breast cancer will benefit from aromatase inhibitors, according to a recent study presented by Cuzick et al at the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (Abstract...
For the treatment of advanced melanoma that is refractory to anti–PD-1 antibodies, there is no standard approach. The various options, with a look to the future, were discussed by Melinda L. Yushak, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Hematology and Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine, at...
Almost all postmenopausal patients aged 50 to 69 with stage I hormone receptor–positive breast cancer and low scores on a common genetic test who opted out of adjuvant radiotherapy were disease-free 5 years after surgery, according to results from the IDEA clinical trial presented at the 2023 San...
Patients with metastatic breast cancer who took part in a 9-month structured exercise program reported less fatigue and an improved quality of life compared to those who did not participate in the exercise program, according to results from the PREFERABLE-EFFECT trial presented at the 2023 San...
The unique public-private partnership that undergirded the Lung-MAP trial for almost a decade may serve as a model for future clinical research that is more rapid, innovative, and inclusive, according to a recent report published by Herbst et al in Clinical Cancer Research. Background The Lung-MAP...
Investigators have found that Black men diagnosed with more advanced stages of prostate cancer may be significantly less likely to be prescribed novel hormone therapy compared with men from other racial and ethnic groups, according to a recent study published by Martin et al in JAMA Network Open....
Invited discussant of TROPION-Lung01, Sarat Chandarlapaty, MD, PhD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, was cautiously optimistic about this new treatment option. “Dato-DXd [datopotamab deruxtecan] has a benefit over standard-of-care docetaxel in the second-line setting. There...
An artificial intelligence (AI) model may be capable of using routine chest x-ray images to identify nonsmokers who may be at high risk for lung cancer, according to new findings presented by Walia et al at the Radiological Society of North American (RSNA) 2023 Scientific Assembly and Annual...
A high proportion of patients with colorectal cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa may receive no treatment or inadequate treatment, regardless of the disease’s curability, according to a recent study published by Hämmerl et al in JNCCN–Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. The new findings ...
First-line treatment with osimertinib plus platinum-based chemotherapy achieved a statistically significant and clinically meaningful progression-free survival improvement compared with osimertinib alone in patients with advanced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated non–small cell lung...
A lot of my experience with cancer is hazy to me. I was taking narcotics for pain around the clock when I was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma in 2013, so there are some missing memories during those early days. I was 19 and a freshman in college when my symptoms started. I have always been active in ...
In this installment of The ASCO Post’s Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Dennis J. Slamon, MD, PhD, one of the principals in the discovery and development of trastuzumab—the first monoclonal antibody used against an oncogene that altered our entire approach...
Despite the lack of long-term follow-up, abstract discussant Lori J. Pierce, MD, FASTRO, FASCO, Professor of Radiation Oncology and Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, underscored the remarkable potential of short-course radiation to transform the...
Individuals who experience occupational exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation may have a high rate of nonmelanoma skin cancer incidence and mortality, according to a recent study published by Pega et al in Environment International. These findings highlighted the large and increasing burden...
Investigators may have uncovered an association between exposure to computed tomography (CT) radiation in young patients and an increased risk of hematologic malignancies, according to a recent study published by Bosch de Basea Gomez et al in Nature Medicine. These recent findings highlighted the...
Early findings from the phase II EDGE-Gastric trial indicate the potential for two novel agents to make a difference in advanced gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma, according to findings reported at the ASCO Plenary Series: November 2023 Session by Yelena Y. Janjigian, MD, Chief of the...
The management of ovarian cancer remains challenging within health-care systems worldwide. Recently, clinical and translational research on ovarian cancer has led to promising advances that have improved the survival outcomes of women diagnosed with this aggressive gynecologic cancer. These...
Remarkable progress has been made in the treatment of lung cancer in the past 10 to 15 years; it is therefore not surprising that lung cancer mortality in the United States is declining consistently, at the rate of 2% to 4% annually in recent years. Long-term survival is possible even for patients...
On June 29, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-to-3 decision, essentially overturned affirmative action in college admissions, which had allowed, since 1978, for colleges and universities to consider race as a factor in student admissions.1 The ruling will impact enrollment decisions at public...
Real-world outcomes often fall short of those achieved in clinical trials, but this is apparently not so for patients receiving chemoradiotherapy plus consolidation with durvalumab in unresectable stage III non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The robust results achieved in the phase III PACIFIC...
On October 25, 2023, ASCO announced the launch of its new flagship quality program ASCO Certified™, with the goal of ensuring that every patient with cancer has access to high-quality, patient-centered, coordinated cancer care.1 The program, which officially launched on October 27, 2023, to...
Currently most use of artificial intelligence (AI) in cancer care has been limited to diagnostics, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approving nearly 700 medical devices that utilize AI and/or machine learning, the majority of which are used in the fields of radiology and pathology....
Diagnosing early-stage lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening may improve 20-year survival rates, according to a recent study published by Henschke et al in Radiology. The new findings demonstrated the significance of routine early screenings to detect tumors when they are...
Researchers have developed and trained a new machine learning model to calculate percent necrosis in patients with osteosarcoma, according to a novel study published by LiBrizzi et al in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research. Background A postchemotherapy percent necrosis calculation often helps...
Researchers have found that a DNA repair–facilitating mechanism may be responsible for a tumor’s treatment resistance and could be treated with a combination of chemotherapies, according to a recent study published by Marullo et al in Cancer Research. The mechanism involves the shuttling of...
Researchers have found that presenting older patients with personalized information regarding the benefits and harms of colorectal cancer screenings may reduce unnecessary screenings, according to a recent study published by Saini et al in JAMA Internal Medicine. Background Colorectal cancer...
On November 2, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data from the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) on tobacco product use among U.S. youth. The findings—which were collected between March and June 2023 and were...
Researchers have developed a highly sensitive blood test capable of early detection by identifying a key protein produced by cancer cells, according to a novel study published by Taylor et al in Cancer Discovery. Background Many tumors become deadly by remaining asymptomatic until they’re too...
Researchers have reported that soy expansion and the subsequent increase of pesticide use in Brazil’s Cerrado and Amazon biomes may correlate with an increased risk of mortality among pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The study was published by Skidmore et al in...
Investigators have discovered that cancer survivors in the United States may be increasingly utilizing crowdfunding campaigns like GoFundMe to help cover the costs of medical and other basic household expenses, according to new findings presented by Zheng et al and Yu et al at the 2023 ASCO Quality ...
Abstract discussant Rohann J.M. Correa, MD, PhD, a radiation oncologist at London Health Sciences Centre and Assistant Professor at Western University, Canada, shared his insights on this landmark clinical trial for the treatment of kidney cancers. “FASTRACK II represents an important milestone,...
Although surgery remains the standard of care for primary renal cell carcinoma, a novel, noninvasive approach has yielded positive results that could pave the way for future treatment strategies, according to data presented at the 2023 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual...
Discussant of the PACE-B abstract, Neha Vapiwala, MD, FASTRO, acknowledged the impressive efforts of PACE investigators to elucidate the various treatment options for patients with localized prostate cancer—a challenging task because of the frequent absence of clear evidence. Dr. Vapiwala is...
Two new studies—presented by Drumheller et al and Vento et al at the 2023 ASCO Quality Care Symposium—utilized data from ASCO’s CancerLinQ® database (Abstracts 418 and 532). One study revealed deficiencies in biomarker testing and tracking in electronic health records, and the other analyzed...
The TROP-2–directed antibody-drug conjugate datopotamab deruxtecan may significantly improve progression-free survival in patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), especially in patients with non–squamous cell tumors, according to new findings simultaneously published by Ahn et...
On October 25, 2023, ASCO announced the launch of its new flagship quality program ASCO Certified™, with the goal of ensuring that every patient with cancer has access to high-quality, patient-centered, coordinated cancer care.1 The program, which officially launched on October 27, 2023, to...
Researchers have found that a text message–based program in combination with routine laboratory testing could safely accelerate patients to treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors, eliminate the need for in-person assessments with their physicians, and save them about 1.5 hours in total wait...
Yoga-based supportive care may help alleviate the negative side effects of radiation treatment, decrease the use of feeding tube placements, and reduce emergency department visits in patients with head and neck cancer, especially when family caregivers participate, according to new findings...
Participation in virtual mind-body fitness classes may be effective at reducing hospitalizations, urgent care visits, and the length of hospital stays among patients with cancer by about 50%, according to new findings presented by Mao et al at the 2023 ASCO Quality Care Symposium (Abstract 473)....
It is widely acknowledged that patients with cancer living in rural areas of the United States face limited access to medical and oncology providers, often have to travel long distances to receive care, and experience obstacles in clinical trial participation—all of which affect quality of care and ...
Early-phase trials demonstrate the potential for TROP-2–directed antibody-drug conjugates to enhance the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without actionable genomic alterations, several investigators reported at the International...
Gender diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in medicine has long been acknowledged as more than “the right thing to do,” with clear evidence of benefits in innovation, collaboration, and workplace culture.1 Yet the data continue to showcase challenges in achieving these goals despite women...
On September 14, 2023, the Breakthrough Prize Foundation announced the winners of the 2024 awards, honoring an esteemed group of the world’s researchers for their impactful scientific discoveries, including a subset responsible for substantial progress in the understanding and treatment of major...
In this installment of The ASCO Post’s Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Elisabete Weiderpass, MD, MSc, PhD, a Brazilian cancer researcher who is a naturalized Swedish and Finnish citizen. She is an expert in cancer epidemiology and cancer prevention. In...