The University of Arizona Health Sciences announced it has received a $3.3 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health to continue testing a novel imaging method for breast cancer detection that could provide an alternative to mammography. According...
In a recent issue of The New York Times, Barron Lerner discussed Betty Ford’s breast cancer diagnosis in 1974.1 He described the state of the art of breast cancer treatment at the time and how her diagnosis accelerated the uptake of screening across the country. But her cancer was not...
Researchers have identified genes that breast cancer cells may use to survive in the bloodstream after escaping the low-oxygen regions of a tumor, according to a novel study published by Godet et al in Nature Communications. Each of the genes may serve as a potential therapeutic target to prevent...
I’m 50, just a year older than my father was when he died of colorectal cancer. I was 14 when my dad died, so to me, cancer has always been synonymous with death. From a young age, my brothers and I had a goal: to make sure we packed in enough life before age 50. It never occurred to us that death ...
The alternative use of the monoclonal antibody cetuximab during the shortage of cisplatin in the treatment of head and neck cancer resulted in a 16% total cost increase, leading to a 144-fold increase in costs at the administrative level, impacting payer costs and patient cost-sharing amounts....
According to an ASCO-sponsored study of burnout and career satisfaction among U.S. oncologists, 44.7% of surveyed oncologists reported feeling symptoms of burnout. ASCO offers information, practical advice, and member perspectives on how to prevent and manage burnout and prioritize wellness in your ...
On May 16, 2024, tarlatamab-dlle (Imdelltra) was granted accelerated approval for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy.1 Tarlatamab is a bispecific delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3)-directed CD3 T-cell engager. Supporting Efficacy...
In a study reported in a research letter in JAMA Network Open, Bercow et al found reduced use of primary cytoreductive surgery (PCS) and increased use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by interval cytoreductive surgery (ICS) in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer during...
The annual Global Cardio-Oncology Summit (GCOS) was held September 22 to 24 in Minneapolis, with 430 health-care professionals attending from 20 countries. The Summit brings together health-care professionals from diverse disciplines including members of the International Cardio-Oncology...
The use of measurable (or minimal) residual disease (MRD) status to guide treatment in multiple myeloma has become a topic of intense interest. Phase III studies presented at the Plenary Session of the 2024 International Myeloma Society Annual Meeting moved MRD status ever closer to validation in...
Researchers have discovered a novel strategy to detect cancer cells with a liquid biopsy designed to be simpler, quicker, and more informational compared with current methods, according to a recent study published by Walker et al in Small. Background Current methods for detecting cancer cells may...
Quitting smoking within 6 months of receiving a cancer diagnosis could add an average of 2 years to a patient’s life, according to a recent study published by Cinciripini et al in JAMA Oncology. The findings demonstrated a broad survival benefit of using evidence-based smoking cessation to help...
An international team of oncology experts gathered in Accra, Ghana, for a series of meetings to update cancer treatment recommendations in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Harmonized Guidelines for Sub-Saharan Africa. Background The NCCN Harmonized Guidelines offer color-coded tiers ...
In a phase II trial (EWALL-INO) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Chevallier et al found that inotuzumab ozogamicin combined with low-dose chemotherapy was active in the first-line treatment of older patients with newly diagnosed CD22-positive Philadelphia chromosome–negative B-cell...
In a phase IIa study (DisTinGuish) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Klempner et al found that use of the DKK1-neutralizing antibody DKN-01 in combination with tislelizumab and chemotherapy showed activity in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal ...
In an analysis reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Roloff et al found that use of brexucabtagene autoleucel as standard therapy in adults with relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) was associated with a high rate of measurable residual disease (MRD)-negative...
Because colonoscopies and more established stool-based tests are more effective at detecting early cancers and precancerous polyps compared with emerging blood-based tests, their long-term impact is projected to be substantially greater than that of blood-based tests, according to a recent study...
The novel trophoblast cell-surface antigen 2 (TROP2)-directed antibody-drug conjugate datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd) vs docetaxel conferred a numerical improvement in overall survival in previously treated patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to the phase III,...
Aumolertinib, a third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has shown efficacy as maintenance therapy for patients with unresectable stage III non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring EGFR mutations, according to data presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer...
In interim analyses of a Chinese phase III trial (COMPASSION-16) reported in The Lancet, Wu et al found that the addition of cadonilimab, a bispecific antibody targeting PD-1 and CTLA-4, to platinum-based chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab significantly improved progression-free and overall...
In a phase I clinical trial (SURF301) investigating the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) oral inhibitor TYRA-300 in patients with advanced bladder cancer, the drug showed early antitumor activity and produced lower rates of significant adverse events compared with pan-FGFR inhibitors....
Researchers have demonstrated that anti–PD-L1 immunotherapy combined with mutation-directed targeted therapy may improve overall survival in patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, according to a recent study published by Cabanillas et al in JAMA Oncology. Background Anaplastic thyroid...
The ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group and Caris Life Sciences announced a new multiyear research collaboration that will begin with the interrogation of the TAILORx trial. Background Breast cancer remains the most common cancer type in the United States, with approximately 310,720 new cases per...
Researchers may have uncovered how urothelial carcinoma originates and progresses, according to a novel study published by Nguyen et al in Nature. The findings provided insights into the biology of urothelial carcinoma and may point to new therapeutic strategies for this difficult-to-treat cancer...
The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) announced the election of 90 regular members and 10 international members during its annual meeting. Background Established originally as the Institute of Medicine in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, NAM addresses critical issues in health, science,...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Phillips et al found that carriers of BRCA1—but not BRCA2—germline mutations who used hormonal contraception were at increased risk for developing breast cancer. Study Details The investigators used pooled data from four prospective cohort...
Guest Editor’s Note: Advances in cancer treatments have led to an increase in survival rates, but the quality of life is often diminished during survivorship. Because modifiable personal behavior contributes to health-care outcomes, interventions that support healthy behaviors may improve health...
A 3-week moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy regimen has been found to be noninferior to the 5-week fractionation when irradiating nodal areas in patients with breast cancer, according to data presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2024.1 The 5-year results of...
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Provencio et al, analysis of a Spanish phase II trial (NADIM) showed good long-term outcomes with preoperative chemotherapy and perioperative nivolumab in patients with stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Study Details In the multicenter trial, 46...
The University of Arizona Health Sciences announced that it has received a $3.3 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health to continue testing a novel imaging method for breast cancer detection that could provide an alternative to the mammogram....
In the October 10, 2024, issue of The ASCO Post, we shared some unique insights from several recipients of the international development and education award (IDEA). As oncologists and cancer researchers from diverse low- and middle-income countries, their experiences at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting ...
In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that “no level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health.”1 The warning came decades after the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen, which is the highest risk group, and also includes...
On September 23, 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Seniors’ Access to Critical Medications Act of 2024 (H.R. 5526), which would make permanent a waiver put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic that allowed Medicare patients to receive medications dispensed by in-office pharmacies...
Listening to music may accelerate postsurgical recovery, according to recent findings presented by Raees et al at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2024. Background “When patients wake up after surgery, sometimes they feel really scared and don’t know where they are,”...
An examination of patient-level data from the phase III CheckMate 816 and CheckMate 77T trials supports the perioperative use of the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab plus chemotherapy, as compared with the neoadjuvant use of nivolumab plus chemotherapy without adjuvant therapy, in resectable non–small...
Two novel oral HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitors have demonstrated promising efficacy in patients with HER2-mutant non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), potentially transforming the treatment landscape for this rare but challenging subset of lung cancer cases. According to data presented at the...
Researchers have found that financial fallout can follow patients with cancer and their families as financial bankruptcy, lower credit scores, and other types of financial challenges in the years following a cancer diagnosis, according to two new studies presented by Gomez-Mayorga et al and...
Although improving cancer screening participation in the United States is central to the country’s national goals for reducing disability and death, currently, participation is lagging behind the Healthy People 2030 targets set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A study by the...
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) announced the introduction of two new risk calculators to inform physician-patient decision-making in thoracic surgery. Engineered using contemporary data from the STS General Thoracic Surgery Database, the interactive tools may provide surgeons with accurate, ...
Investigators have found that one-third of adult survivors of childhood cancers may experience a severe fear of cancer recurrence that impacts their daily lives, according to a recent study published by Pizzo et al in JAMA Network Open. Background Although the number of survivors of childhood...
On October 15, 2024, Novocure announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Optune Lua® for concurrent use with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors or docetaxel for the treatment of adults with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have experienced disease progression on or after...
Many patients with head and neck cancer may lack equal opportunity to access experimental treatments in clinical trials or receive treatments that were shown to be effective in similar patients, according to a recent study published by Zuckerman and Edwards in Head & Neck. Background Millions...
Consolidation therapy with the PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor durvalumab is set to become the new global standard of care for patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC), according to groundbreaking data presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2024.1...
Some cancer types may be slightly more prevalent among patients with multiple sclerosis compared with those without the condition, according to a recent study published by Pierret et al in Neurology. Background In multiple sclerosis, the body’s immune system attacks myelin, the fatty white...
Neoadjuvant therapy for patients with resectable stage III melanoma has recently emerged as a better approach than resection plus adjuvant therapy. At the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2024, updates of pivotal neoadjuvant studies demonstrated the long-standing benefit of...
Researchers have identified genetic risk factors that may contribute to prostate cancer in a diverse group of African men, according to a recent study published by Janivara et al in Nature Genetics. The findings could uncover new treatment options in this patient population. Background Certain...
For women with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer, KEYNOTE-522 changed the treatment paradigm several years ago. Support for neoadjuvant use of the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy, followed by adjuvant pembrolizumab, was bolstered by the positive overall survival analysis...
Canadian vaccination programs may switch to a one-dose, gender-neutral human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination approach to eliminate cervical cancer, according to a recent study published by Drolet et al in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Background HPV is known to cause cervical cancer...
A novel cell therapy targeting CD7 on leukemia cells may provide an effective treatment option for patients with refractory T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), according to a recent study published by Oh et al in Nature Medicine. The findings highlighted the effectiveness of a new chimeric...
The ASCO Annual Meeting brings together oncologists, researchers, and health-care professionals to share the latest advancements in cancer care. The 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting (ASCO24) was particularly momentous for those of who received the international development and education award (IDEA). As...