Researchers have uncovered differences in the genomic makeup of metastatic prostate cancer cells among U.S. veterans that may be associated with race and ethnicity. These findings will be presented by Valle et al at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 5017). The research could translate into...
A novel treatment strategy using cyclophosphamide-based graft-vs-host disease prophylaxis may enable more patients with high-risk hematologic malignancies to receive stem cell transplantation from mismatched unrelated donors. These findings were presented by Al Malki et al at the 2024 ASCO Annual...
Deputy Editor of The ASCO Post, Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, recently spoke with gynecologic cancer expert Sharmila K. Makhija, MD, MBA, about her journey to her current position as Founding Dean and Chief Executive Officer of the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, Bentonville, Arkansas. Raised by...
Genitourinary cancer expert Toni K. Choueiri, MD, FASCO, was born in 1975 in Beirut, Lebanon, the year a devastating civil war erupted, lasted for 15 years, and cost the lives of some 150,000 individuals and also led to the exodus of almost 1 million people from Lebanon. “People with the financial...
Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, was born and reared in Kerala, a tropical state in southwestern India. Situated on the Malabar Coast, Kerala was named as one of the ten paradises of the world by National Geographic Traveler. “Along with its natural beauty, Kerala is a true melting pot. Over centuries,...
ASCO President for the 2024–2025 term, Robin Zon, MD, FACP, FASCO, was born and reared in Cheektowaga, a town in the western part of New York. “Cheektowaga is the Native American name for ‘land of the crabapple tree.’ Western New York was first settled by one of seven tribes belonging to the...
Lymphoma expert Jane N. Winter, MD, grew up on the south shore of Long Island in New York. “My dad sold cars in my great uncle’s dealership after a failed foray into business after World War II. My mom graduated high school at 16 to go to work to help support her family. When my younger brother...
Leukemia expert Eunice S. Wang, MD, is the daughter of first-generation immigrants, whose work ethos inspired in her a world without boundaries. “My parents were born in China during the communist era, and they immigrated to Taiwan when the communists took over in the 1940s and then subsequently...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) recently announced a new initiative called “Project 5 in 5.” Project 5 in 5 is a crowdsourcing initiative to ultimately identify five clinically relevant questions that can be answered through use of pragmatic...
ASCO President-Elect Eric J. Small, MD, FASCO, developed much of his multicultural world view during his childhood in Mexico City. “My parents were expatriates who moved to Mexico in the 1950s and settled there. I was born in Mexico City and grew up bilingually. I went to an English-Spanish...
Beginning in 2012, The ASCO Post introduced Narratives in Oncology, a special commemorative issue profiling several of the many leaders in the oncology community. Over the past dozen years, many in the oncology community have been profiled in this special issue. A complete list of individuals...
On May 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to the RET inhibitor selpercatinib (Retevmo) for pediatric patients aged 2 years and older with the following: Advanced or metastatic medullary thyroid cancer with a RET mutation, as detected by an FDA-approved...
Tattoos may be a risk factor in the development of lymphoma, according to a recent study published by Nielsen et al in eClinicalMedicine. Background A majority of individuals receive their first tattoos at a young age, exposing them to tattoo ink for a larger portion of their lives. The long-term...
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) outlined recommendations on best practices for treating patients with symptomatic bone metastases and strategies to improve their quality of life, according to updated clinical guidelines published by Alcorn et al in Practical Radiation Oncology....
Investigators found that fragmented care may be more prevalent among patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma who receive single-modality neoadjuvant therapy compared with those who receive total neoadjuvant therapy, according to findings presented by Taylor et al during Digestive Disease Week (DDW) ...
Sessions of moderate-to-vigorous exercise may improve the efficacy of antibody therapies, such as rituximab, used to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to a recent study published by Collier-Bain et al in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. The findings may demonstrate the potential of...
A ground breaking staging system for de novo metastatic breast cancer has been validated in an international cohort, perhaps paving the way for more personalized care and improved outcomes for patients diagnosed with this challenging disease. The staging system, developed by surgical oncologist...
Investigators have found that patient characteristics such as age and race may influence false-positive results from artificial intelligence (AI)-interpreted screening mammograms, according to a recent study published by Nguyen et al in Radiology. Background Although preliminary data suggested that ...
The Immune-Related Adverse Events (irAE) Consortium has launched ASPIRE and STORIES with the aim of uniting clinicians, researchers, and patients to advance clinical care and advocacy. As the indications for immune checkpoint inhibitors in oncology have rapidly expanded over the past decade, the...
ASCO has issued new evidence-based updates to two living guidelines on the treatment of stage IV NSCLC with and without driver alterations.1,2 Updated Recommendations: Stage IV NSCLC With Driver Alterations The most “extensive work” in the updates occurred in the guideline on stage IV NSCLC with...
“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” — John D. Rockefeller The ASCO Post is pleased to present Hematology Expert Review, an ongoing feature that quizzes readers on issues in hematology. In this installment, Syed Ali Abutalib, MD, and L. Jeffrey Medeiros, MD, explore the ...
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN®) has announced the election of Matt Kalaycio, MD, FACP, as Chair of the Board of Directors, with Christopher H. Lieu, MD, elected as Vice-Chair, succeeding Dr. Kalaycio in the position he has held since 2022. “The exemplary leadership from our Board...
The profound progress in cancer care since President Richard Nixon signed the National Cancer Act of 1971 into law is evidenced by the soaring number of cancer survivors since the law went into effect. In the 1970s, there were 3 million cancer survivors1; today, there are more than 18 million, and...
Serving as ASCO’s 60th President over the past year has been an honor and a privilege, said Lynn M. Schuchter, MD, FASCO, who will end her Presidential term during ASCO’s Annual Meeting, being held from May 31 to June 4, 2024, in Chicago, and welcome incoming President Robin Zon, MD, FACP, FASCO,...
An ASCO volunteer for nearly 30 years, Robin T. Zon, MD, FACP, FASCO, is humbled and honored to be elected ASCO’s 61st President, effective during the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting, May 31 to June 4, 2024, in Chicago and online. Dr. Zon began her 4-year term in June 2023 as President-Elect and will...
On behalf of 2024 International Development and Education Award (IDEA) awardees, we received the decision of our acceptance in this outstanding training program offering mentorship and educational opportunities for early-career oncologists and cancer researchers with great interest. This will...
Guest Editor’s Note: Children with cancer and their caregivers face physical and psychosocial challenges during and after treatment. Dance/movement therapy has been used to improve well-being, promote healthy coping, and mitigate the impact of illness, but limited knowledge exists regarding its...
A novel artificial intelligence (AI)-based virtual patient navigator, MyEleanor, improved colonoscopy uptake among U.S. patients who were previously nonadherent to prior colonoscopy appointments. These findings will be presented by Moadel et al at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 100)....
Perthera, an industry leader in precision oncology decision support, recently announced that Derek Raghavan, MD, PhD, FACP, FRACP, FASCO, joined Perthera as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Raghavan is founding President of the Levine Cancer Institute and former Chair and Director of the Cleveland...
Children’s Cancer Cause, a national advocacy group in pioneering research and innovation for pediatric cancer, announced it is accepting applications for the Survivorship Champion’s Prize. This award is presented to a group, program, or institution that has demonstrated significant advancements in...
In 2002, the federally funded Women’s Health Initiative—a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial investigating the effects of menopausal hormone therapy in healthy menopausal women—was abruptly halted when it was determined that taking estrogen and progestin hormones after menopause...
Diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer place significant stress on survivors, their partners, and their relationships. A recent study from researchers at the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University (IU)’s Schools of Nursing, Science, and Medicine is one of the first to examine the impact of...
The field of oncology is experiencing a revolution driven by artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Artificial intelligence tools are already being used in medical imaging analysis, treatment planning, and even patient counseling. These advancements hold immense promise for earlier cancer...
On April 30, 2024, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) published a final recommendation statement on screening for breast cancer.1 The USPSTF now recommends that all women undergo screening for breast cancer every other year starting at age 40 and continuing through age 74. More...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, since the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was introduced in the United States in 2006, HPV infections that cause most HPV-related cancers and genital warts have decreased by 88% among teenage girls and 81% among young adult women. Now, ...
Research examining fertility preservation and pregnancy attempts among young women following a breast cancer diagnosis has been hampered by short-term follow-up and a lack of prospective assessment of pregnancy attempts. A new long-term study investigating fertility outcomes among young women who...
On May 16, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the final withdrawal of the approval of infigratinib (Truseltiq) for previously treated patients with unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma with a fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) fusion or other...
Adjuvant therapy may be underutilized in patients with clinical T2N0 rectal adenocarcinoma, according to new findings presented by Kripalani et al at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2024 (Abstract 439). Background Patients with clinical T2N0 rectal adenocarcinoma have disease that has spread past the...
The female partners of patients with prostate cancer may experience quality-of-life issues that impact their sexual well-being, according to a recent study published by Loeb et al in European Urology Oncology. Background Prostate cancer—one of the most common cancer types in U.S. men—and its...
Gallbladder cancer rates have been stable or declining for most Americans over the past two decades, but cases have steadily risen among Black Americans, with growing numbers of cases not being diagnosed until later disease stages, according to a study presented at Digestive Disease Week 2024...
Researchers have discovered that the presence of a benign nail condition known as onychopapilloma may lead to the diagnosis of BAP1 tumor predisposition syndrome, according to a recent study presented by Lebensohn et al at the Society for Investigative Dermatology 2024 Annual Meeting and...
Treatment with metformin may be associated with a lower risk of developing myeloproliferative neoplasms over time, according to a recent study published by Kristensen et al in Blood Advances. Background Myeloproliferative neoplasms are a group of diseases that develop over long periods of time and...
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® published its first set of Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) in 1996, covering eight tumor types. Currently, guidelines are available for more than 60 tumor types, subtypes, and related topics. The NCCN’s 29th Annual Conference...
Systemic therapy may offer no significant improvement in overall survival in patients with advanced solid tumors, according to a recent study published by Canavan et al in JAMA Oncology. Study Methods and Results In the recent study, the investigators analyzed the de-identified data of over 78,000...
Bariatric surgery may be associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer in female patients with obesity, especially those with hyperinsulinemia at the time of surgery, according to a recent study published by Kristensson et al in JAMA Surgery. Bariatric surgery is known to be one of the most...
On May 16, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to tarlatamab-dlle (Imdelltra), a bispecific T-cell engager immunotherapy targeting delta-like ligand 3 and CD3, for patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with disease progression on or after...
Researchers have found that allogeneic stem cell transplantation from a haploidentical relative may significantly increase the rate of success in Hispanic patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), according to a recent study published by Ashouri et al in Leukemia Research. Background In...
Investigators have uncovered that a higher adiposity in childhood may lead to less dense tissue formation and decrease the risk of breast cancer, according to a recent study published by Vabistsevits et al in Nature Communications. Background As a result of the rising incidence of breast cancer,...
In the fall of 2023, Justin Baker, MD, took on the role of Chief of the Division of Quality of Life and Pediatric Palliative Care and Director of the Quality of Life for All Program, Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, Stanford, California. He formerly worked at St. Jude Children’s Research...
Daniel M. Geynisman, MD, has been announced as the new Editor-in-Chief for JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Dr. Geynisman is Associate Professor in the Department of Hematology/Medical Oncology and Chief of the Division of Genitourinary Medical Oncology at Fox Chase...