In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Mukama et al identified risk-adapted screening starting ages for relatives of patients with breast cancer according to the number of affected first-degree and second-degree relatives and the age at diagnosis of affected relatives. Study Details The nationwide...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Dung T. Le, MD, and colleagues, the phase II KEYNOTE-164 trial demonstrated activity of pembrolizumab in previously treated metastatic microsatellite instability–high (MSI-H)/mismatch repair–deficient (dMMR) colorectal cancer. Findings from the...
A vast majority of patients with cancer receiving opioids for the management of pain will adhere to the opioids as prescribed and will have no major difficulties with dose reduction and even treatment discontinuation if the pain syndrome resolves. However, about 20% of patients with cancer are at...
In 2018, researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute launched a large, ambitious screening study called (PROMISE; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT03689595) to identify people with premalignant precursor conditions of multiple myeloma, to understand the molecular signs of progression to myeloma...
In a study reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Beaty et al found that the presence of a PIK3CA mutation was associated with poorer disease-free survival among patients receiving deintensified definitive chemoradiotherapy for human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal...
Older adults with blood cancers may benefit from a team-based, holistic evaluation before undergoing transplantation, according to a study published by Derman et al in Blood Advances. The study, which reported on a multidisciplinary clinic at the University of Chicago Medical Center, found that...
Researchers have identified a new genetic mutation that may cause a type of familial thyroid cancer. According to the researchers, DUOX2 is the first and only mutation associated with familial thyroid cancer to be identified in a gene that is primarily expressed in the thyroid gland. These findings ...
In a phase I/IIa study reported in JAMA Oncology, Lillian L. Siu, MD, FRCPC, FASCO, and colleagues found no evidence of activity of the glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor–related protein (GITR) agonist antibody BMS-986156 alone or in combination with nivolumab in patients...
In a Canadian phase II crossover trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Kim N. Chi, MD, and colleagues found that time to second prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression from start of treatment was longer with crossover from abiraterone acetate/prednisone to enzalutamide vs the reverse sequence...
Over the past few weeks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted reviews or designations to treatments for gastrointestinal cancers and lymphoma, and also provided authorizations for products designed to screen for malignancies and tumor mutational burden. Priority Review for Nivolumab...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Draaisma et al identified molecular changes at tumor recurrence vs the primary tumor profiles in patients receiving standard chemoradiotherapy with temozolomide for IDH wild-type glioblastoma multiforme. The findings may help inform precision ...
On November 25, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to voxelotor (Oxbryta) for adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with sickle cell disease. “[Voxelotor] is an inhibitor of deoxygenated sickle hemoglobin polymerization, which is the central...
More than one out of two patients with metastatic melanoma treated with the combination of nivolumab plus ipilimu-mab is still alive after 5 years, according to the longest follow-up of patients receiving this combination. In two additional studies, the immunotherapy duet also proved to be active...
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) has named three investigators as the recipients of this year’s Paul Marks Prize for Cancer Research. The award recognizes scientists for their accomplishments in the area of cancer research. The winners for 2019 are Nathanael S. Gray, PhD; Joshua...
William G. Kaelin, Jr, MD, Sidney Farber Professor of Medicine and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, admits that early in his research career, he and his late wife, Carolyn, would have fun...
Local therapy for stage IV breast cancer has not been proven to increase overall survival, yet there are some cases where local therapy could be considered outside a clinical trial. For patients with intact asymptomatic primary tumors, local therapy could be offered if distant disease is well...
IBM, the American Cancer Society (ACS), the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®), and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) recently announced a new alliance—Allied Against Cancer—to help improve access to high-quality cancer care and treatment in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Alliance...
The use of billed palliative care services among Medicare beneficiaries with hematologic malignancies has risen dramatically in recent years, but most encounters still occur within days of death, according to research presented at the 2019 Supportive Care in Oncology Symposium.1 The analysis of...
New exercise guidelines for patients with cancer can “improve physical and psychological outcomes from cancer diagnosis and for the balance of life,” concluded representatives from 17 organizations participating in the Second Roundtable on Exercise and Cancer Prevention and Control.1 Attention...
“There is clear evidence that patients are more likely to exercise if their oncologist tells them to do so,” reported representatives from 17 organizations participating in the Second Roundtable on Exercise and Cancer Prevention and Control. In an article published in CA: A Cancer Journal for...
Oncology massage therapy might be a helping hand for patients suffering from chronic chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, according to data presented at the 2019 Supportive Care in Oncology Symposium.1 The results of the pilot study supported the premise that patients who received massages...
The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) has selected Thomas Gajewski, MD, PhD, to receive the 2019 ESMO Award for Immuno-Oncology. The award is given in recognition of his groundbreaking work elucidating why some patients are resistant to immunotherapy and how to restore the anticancer...
The Stanford Medicine Department of Medicine is excited to welcome three faculty members to its Division of Oncology: Curtis Chong, MD, PhD; Fauzia Riaz, MD; and Shagufta Shaheen, MD. Each of these individuals brings an impressive record of academic pursuits focused on advancing care for and...
In late 2018, elotuzumab was approved for use in combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least two prior therapies, including lenalidomide and a proteasome inhibitor.1 Supporting Efficacy Data Approval was based ...
“This is currently the largest data set with information on retreatment,” said formal study discussant Marleen Kok, MD, of the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She noted there was a partial response in 11% and stable disease in 60%. “Upon initial treatment, partial...
“I could not have written this book when I was 30 years old. It is not because of any great discoveries I have made or research papers I have published since. It is because of the experience the intervening decades have given me as I cared for thousands of cancer patients and accompanied many to...
American patients are suffering from an obesity crisis, where it is estimated that 300,000 deaths per year are due to obesity.1 The obesity trend is predicted to worsen, where it is projected that 85% of U.S. adults will be overweight or obese by 2030.2 Consequently, obesity-related illnesses are...
Richard T. Lee, MD, Associate Professor at Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, discussed the abstract by Galloway et al at the 2019 Supportive Care in Oncology Symposium. He remarked that starting a new palliative care consultation can sometimes feel...
Pain may be one of the most common symptoms experienced by patients with cancer, but researchers are still unpacking its mysteries, with some surprising results. According to data presented at the 2019 Supportive Care in Oncology Symposium,1 greater social support may help mitigate pain in patients ...
Cancer survivors are at an increased risk of osteoporotic fractures due to the accelerated loss of bone mineral density as a result of their treatment. Bone loss from cancer therapy is faster and more severe than bone less from aging; rates of bone loss are up to sevenfold higher when they occur...
This year’s meeting of the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit: Cancer and Universal Health Coverage, held on October 15–17 in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, brought together more than 350 global health leaders, including ministers of health, first ladies, and industry leaders, from 82 countries to discuss how...
Arndt Vogel, MD, of Hannover Medical School in Germany, who served as discussant of the two studies of immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma, said the findings point to a promising future in the treatment of this malignancy. He commented that the responses observed with nivolumab in CheckMate...
Question 1 Which of the following statements about nodular lymphocyte-predominant HL is correct? Correct answer: A. Nodular lymphocyte-predominant HL can transform into large B-cell lymphoma. Expert Perspective Nodular lymphocyte-predominant HL is a B-cell neoplasm characterized by a nodular or...
In the first-line treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, checkpoint inhibitors led to favorable outcomes in studies reported at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2019—though one study was technically negative. The current first-line standard of care for unresectable ...
Immune-related colitis is the second most common toxicity associated with checkpoint inhibitors, affecting up to 40% of patients. The ASCO Post interviewed Yinghong Wang, MD, PhD, Director of Medication-Induced Colitis and Enteritis, Director of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation, and Associate...
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN®) Oncology Research Program (ORP) has announced plans to support a phase II randomized trial for lung cancer patients. The study is titled, “TH-138: Phase II randomized trial of carboplatin + pemetrexed + bevacizumab, with or without atezolizumab in...
“The majority of breast cancers are hormone receptor–positive, and treatments that target the estrogen receptors are very effective, but they also cause havoc in many tissues that are dependent on estrogen for normal functioning. As a result, breast cancer survivors suffer from ongoing symptoms and ...
The term “relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma” is often used to describe advanced myeloma that has progressed through primary or salvage therapy. The International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) defined the term in 2011 as disease that is “nonresponsive while on salvage therapy or progresses...
ASCO has updated a guideline on pharmacologic interventions for breast cancer risk reduction in postmenopausal women at increased risk of developing breast cancer.1 The original clinical practice recommendations for breast cancer risk reduction were published in 1999 and updated in 2002, 2009, and...
“There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something tomorrow.” –Orison Swett Marden I was informed that my patient, a 58-year-old man recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and his wife were becoming impatient waiting for me in the exam...
Question 1 Which of the following statements about cytokine-release syndrome and neurotoxicity after tisagenlecleucel infusion is correct? Correct answer: B. The median time to onset of cytokine-release syndrome is 3 days. Expert Perspective Following tisagenlecleucel infusion, cytokine-release...
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” —Marie Curie The ASCO Post is pleased to present Hematology ...
OCE Insights is an occasional department developed for The ASCO Post by members of the Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In this installment, Jennifer J. Gao, MD, Acting Associate Director of Education in the OCE, and Richard Pazdur, MD, Director of ...
In the Clinic provides overviews of novel oncology agents, addressing indications, mechanisms of action, administration recommendations, safety profiles, and other essential information needed for the appropriate clinical use of these drugs. Late in 2018, the Hedgehog pathway inhibitor glasdegib...
Formal discussant of the CheckMate 227 trial, Sanjay Popat, FRCP, PhD, of the Royal Marsden Hospital, London, had some reservations about endorsing nivolumab/ipilimumab as a new standard of care, mainly related to toxicity. “The landscape of treating advanced non–small cell lung cancer has changed ...
A blood test could soon become a monitoring tool for the early detection of uveal melanoma. Stark et al discovered markers in the blood that can differentiate between a benign mole and a melanoma, while also determining whether the cancer has metastasized, according to findings they published in...
In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Penson et al developed a machine learning algorithmic classifier that may be successful in identifying tumor type and origin based on DNA-sequence data obtained at point of care. The study used machine learning to construct and train an algorithmic classifier...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Osorio et al found that responses to programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor therapy tended to be consistent across metastases and occur simultaneously in metastatic lesions of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and mismatch...
According to findings from a phase II trial, the combination of nivolumab and bevacizumab has shown activity in relapsed ovarian cancer—we discuss those findings reported in JAMA Oncology. Next, we’ll move on to a session from CHEST 2019 which outlined palliation techniques that may be of use to...
A phase Ib study evaluating the safety and long-term benefit of combination treatment with the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib plus the MEK1 inhibitor cobimetinib in patients with advanced BRAF V600E–mutated melanoma has found that nearly 40% of the patients experienced extended survival of 4 to 5 years ...