Results of a phase III trial, reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Piccart-Gebhart et al, showed a modest and statistically nonsignificant increase in disease-free survival with concurrent adjuvant lapatinib (Tykerb) and trastuzumab (Herceptin) vs trastuzumab alone in patients with...
In the LEAN (Lifestyle, Exercise, and Nutrition) study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Harrigan et al found that telephone and in-person weight loss counseling was effective in reducing weight and C-reactive protein level in overweight or obese women treated for breast cancer. In the ...
As reported in The Lancet by Herbst et al, the phase II/III KEYNOTE-010 trial showed that pembrolizumab (Keytruda) significantly improved overall survival vs docetaxel in patients with previously treated programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)–positive advanced non–small cell lung cancer...
In a study reported in a research letter in JAMA, Robbins et al found evidence that the Affordable Care Act Dependent Coverage Expansion (ACA-DCE) has resulted in increased diagnosis of cervical cancer at an early stage and increased use of fertility-sparing treatments in women aged 21 to 25 years. ...
A phase III, open-label, randomized trial found that adding gemcitabine to concurrent cisplatin chemoradiotherapy and using gemcitabine as adjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin improved survival outcomes in women with locally advanced cervical cancer. Toxicity was increased compared to standard...
Subcutaneous administration of bortezomib (Velcade) was comparably efficacious to intravenous administration in a phase III trial in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma, but the SC route “seemed to have an improved systemic safety profile compared with intravenous delivery,’’ investigators...
Centocor Ortho Biotech Products, LP, announced that it has voluntarily withdrawn the New Drug Application (NDA) for trabectedin (Yondelis) for the treatment of women with recurrent ovarian cancer. The withdrawal is based on the FDA’s recommendation that an additional phase III study be conducted to ...
Cabozantinib (XL184), an oral inhibitor of MET kinase and the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR2), produced high rates of disease control in several solid tumor types and controlled bone metastases in many patients, according to a phase II study presented at the 2011 ASCO Annual...
The first identification of potential genetic biomarkers for taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy was reported at the 2011 ASCO Annual Meeting by researchers from Indiana University in Indianapolis.1 The presence of two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), or common genetic variations, residing...
Although the Institute of Medicine recommends the implementation of treatment summaries and survivorship care plans as a mechanism to improve ongoing clinical and coordination of oncology care and to address the immediate post-treatment and long-term effects of cancer therapy, empirical evidence...
Formal discussant of the trial, Robert Glynne-Jones, MD, Mount Vernon Centre for Cancer Treatment, London, said: “It is arduous to perform rectal cancer trials. That is one of reason we are interested in short endpoints.” Regarding the first study, he said that historically, compliance has been...
Two separate trials presented during an oral session at the 2011 ASCO Annual Meeting suggest that capecitabine (Xeloda) can replace fluorouracil (5-FU) as part of chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer. Patients randomly assigned to either treatment had comparable outcomes but with less toxicity from...
Philip W. Kantoff, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, emphasized that this was essentially a negative study. “There is no evidence that VEGFR-targeted agents provide a survival benefit for men with advanced prostate cancer,” he indicated. “With shrinking resources and a rapidly improving...
According to M. Dror Michaelson, MD, PhD, second-line therapy with sunitinib (Sutent) and prednisone improves progression-free survival but not overall survival in men with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer previously treated with docetaxel-based chemotherapy. Dr. Michaelson, of the...
The findings from a phase I study of crizotinib in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were presented in a Plenary Session at the 2010 ASCO Annual Meeting—an unusual event, since such early-phase data are not generally the topic of plenary sessions. The study showed that a majority of mostly...
Cardiac toxicity related to chemotherapy is not a new topic but it is an increasingly important one, as concerns are no longer limited to the anthracyclines. Targeted agents unfortunately “target” the cardiovascular system as well, especially bevacizumab (Avastin), trastuzumab (Herceptin) when...
At the ASCO Plenary Session where the HR-NBL1/SIOPEN trial was presented, formal discussant Julie R. Park, MD, of the University of Washington, Seattle, said, “Large randomized trials have previously shown that myeloablative therapy improves outcomes in high-risk neuroblastoma, and it is now...
Myeloablative therapy with a busulfan (Busulfex, Myleran)/melphalan combination (BuMel) was superior to a regimen of carboplatin/etoposide/melphalan (CEM) in pediatric patients with high-risk neuroblastoma, according to results of the large, phase III HR-NBL1/SIOPEN trial presented at the 2011 ASCO ...
At the opening press briefing and throughout ASCO’s 47th Annual Meeting, presenters marked the 40th anniversary of the National Cancer Act by highlighting the significant progress made in cancer treatment over the past 4 decades, the major challenges ahead, and new research models to find better...
The 11th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma was held June 15–18 in Lugano, Switzerland. More than 3,000 hematologists, clinical oncologists, pathologists, and researchers attended the meeting, which was first convened in 1981. Topics of discussion included lymphoma staging in the new...
As reported in the March 15 issue of The ASCO Post, a phase III trial of the novel agent iniparib failed to demonstrate a significant improvement in survival for women with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. The “top-line” results were communicated in the spring via press releases from...
A phase III trial presented at the ASCO 2011 Plenary Session could change the duration of adjuvant therapy for some patients with resected gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). When imatinib treatment was extended to 3 years, compared with the standard 1 year, patients with high-risk GIST were...
Novel treatments for metastatic melanoma dominated the buzz at the 2011 ASCO Annual Meeting and across the major news outlets, with reports that two agents with entirely different mechanisms of action could extend survival. The studies’ inclusion in the ASCO Plenary Session attested to the...
The multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor sunitinib (Sutent) is established as first-line therapy in metastatic clear cell renal cancer. Data supporting use of cytoreductive nephrectomy in metastatic clear cell renal cancer come from the pre–targeted therapy era, when less-effective immune...
The 11th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma was held June 15–18 in Lugano, Switzerland. Topics of discussion included lymphoma staging in the new millennium, lymphoma and its microenvironment, and lymphoma cure vs control. The ASCO Post summarized several key presentations in the July...
Since 1989, Stephen Cannistra, MD, has been working to make the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) the most credible, authoritative resource for disseminating significant clinical oncology research while acting as a reviewer, Consultant Editor, Associate Editor, Editorial Board Member, and as of...
The National Cancer Institute recognized Cheryl Saenz, MD, and Linda R. Duska, MD, among others, late last year with a Cancer Clinical Investigator Team Leadership Award. The 2-year award includes $50,000 in funding for cancer research programs at NCI-designated cancer centers. The ASCO Post...
Ross Levine, MD, of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, was the discussant of the COMFORT-I and COMFORT-II trials.1 He explained that 70% to 90% of patients with myelofibrosis have JAK2 mutations, which appear to be endemic. “This is a driver mutation, although not the only mutation...
A new approach to treating myelofibrosis appears to be paying off, according to several studies presented at the 2011 ASCO Annual Meeting. Treatment with a novel JAK inhibitor called ruxolitinib demonstrated significant and sustained improvement in splenomegaly and overall quality of life,...
Maintenance therapy with either pemetrexed (Alimta) or gefitinib (Iressa) achieved modest improvements in progression-free survival in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The magnitude of improved progression-free survival was 1.3 months and 2.2 months, respectively, in the...
Among the newer approaches to treatment of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are heat-shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitors, toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) agonists, and vascular-disrupting agents. So far, none appears to be a “home run,” but Hsp90 inhibition may be the most promising of the three...
A randomized comparative effectiveness phase III trial demonstrated significantly superior efficacy for the tyrosine kinase inhibitor axitinib compared to sorafenib (Nexavar) in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). These data suggest that axitinib may become a new standard of care for ...
The outcome of treatment of older adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains unsatisfactory, although certainly not a totally futile exercise. Patients satisfying the entry criteria for cooperative group clinical trials can be expected to have complete remission rates of 50% to 55%, with...
The Child-Pugh score, a prognostic measure used in patients with chronic liver disease, is determined by five clinical measures, including total bilirubin level; serum albumin level; prothrombin time expressed by international normalized ratio (INR), presence of ascites (none, mild, severe); and...
Men with prostate cancer who receive intermittent courses of androgen-suppressing therapy can live as long as those who are treated with continuous therapy, according to results of a recently concluded study. Until now, standard treatment has consisted of continuous therapy, but this is expected to ...
Bevacizumab (Avastin) administered with chemotherapy and continued after chemotherapy improves outcomes in ovarian cancer, according to two multicenter, randomized, double-blind phase III investigations presented at the 2011 ASCO Annual Meeting. The first study, ICON7, incorporated bevacizumab as...
Three randomized controlled trials presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) suggested that treating multiple myeloma with lenalidomide (Revlimid) increased the risk of second primary malignancies; of particular concern is transformation to acute myeloid...
Long-term results from a phase III trial show that neoadjuvant chemotherapy with CMV (cisplatin, methotrexate, and vinblastine) improves the outcome for patients with muscle-invasive urothelial cancer of the bladder treated by cystectomy and/or radiotherapy. “Three cycles of CMV before cystectomy...
A genetic variation in the chemokine-like receptor 1 (CMKLR1) gene was statistically significantly associated with poor overall survival in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were treated with platinum-based chemotherapy with or without radiation. The variation was identified by a ...
Five years after treatment for favorable-risk prostate cancer, men who either chose or were randomly assigned to receive brachytherapy reported quality-of-life advantages in urinary and sexual domains and in patient satisfaction compared to men who received radical prostatectomy, according to a...
For renal cell carcinoma patients at high risk of relapse following nephrectomy, adjuvant therapy with the combination of interleukin-2 (Proleukin), interferon alfa, and fluorouracil (5-FU) provides no survival benefit over observation alone, according to a phase III trial conducted by the European ...
The 14th World Conference on Lung Cancer hosted more than 7,000 attendees in Amsterdam recently, with the theme “Better Care through Personalized Medical Approaches.” The following are brief summaries of key data presented at the conference, with perspective provided by Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD, of...
I’ve been in alcohol and drug recovery for 20 years, and my wife of nearly 50 years, Arlene, and I have been through a lot together during that time. So 2 years ago, when my doctor told us that I had stage III prostate cancer and a Gleason score of 8, we both looked at him and asked if we could...
Comorbidities can be as important as stage in predicting survival among older women with breast cancer, according to a study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. While previous studies have combined comorbidities into a summary measure or comorbidity index, the current study assessed...
The proportion of patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer who received radioactive iodine following total thyroidectomy increased significantly since 1990, and there is wide variation in the use of adjuvant radioactive iodine, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical...
Degarelix (Firmagon) is effective and well tolerated beyond 3 years in patients with advanced prostate cancer, according to a recent study published in The Journal of Urology.1 The new study (CS21A) extends the conclusions of the pivotal phase III study (CS21) in which the risk of prostate-specific ...
Women who have already undergone mastectomy and chemotherapy may question why additional breast cancer treatment is needed. Benjamin D. Smith, MD, of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston said that he frequently has patients referred to him who initially express their preference to avoid radiation...
Over the past couple of decades, unregulated nonstandard oncology approaches have gained growing popularity among cancer patients. The relatively new field of integrative oncology was established to promote a more holistic and multidisciplinary approach to cancer care and to encourage scientific...
Oncologists may successfully manage their patients with cancer by following treatment guidelines, but they come up short when it comes to prescribing simple measures to enhance their patients’ health, according to Ann Partridge, MD, MPH, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, who spoke on the...
Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly conducting drug development research outside of the United States, Western Europe, and Japan. Attracted to the perceived lower costs, easier patient recruitment, and market potential, drug developers are now conducting more phase III clinical trials in...