The recent approval of mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx is a testament to the emerging benefit of antibody-drug conjugates in recurrent ovarian cancer. Other agents of this class are now eliciting excitement as they demonstrate high response rates in a population with unmet clinical needs, according...
Glenn J. Hanna, MD, Director, Center for Cancer Therapeutic Innovation (Early Drug Development Program), medical oncologist at the Center for Head & Neck Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, was interviewed for his...
My maternal grandmother, mother, and two of my mother’s sisters were all diagnosed with breast cancer when they were relatively young, so I figured one day, the disease would come for me. Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among Alaska Native women,1 and at a very early age, my...
Researchers have developed a novel artificial intelligence (AI) model that may accurately predict whether patients with cancer will respond to certain therapies, according to a recent study published by Sinha et al in Nature Cancer. The findings indicated that single-cell RNA sequencing data may be ...
On March 7, 2024, the Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor zanubrutinib (Brukinsa) was granted accelerated approval in combination with the monoclonal antibody obinutuzumab for patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy.1 Supporting Efficacy...
Researchers may have uncovered how the long-term daily use of aspirin may help prevent the development and progression of colorectal cancer, according to a recent study published by De Simoni et al in Cancer. Study Methods and Results In the recent study, the researchers collected the tissue...
Researchers have found that spatial tissue analysis may help predict early posttreatment relapse and illuminate new potential therapies in patients with high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma, according to a recent study published by Xu et al in Science Advances. Background Many patients with...
This is Part 1 of Treatment Options for Relapsed/Refractory Follicular Lymphoma: What Comes Next, a three-part video roundtable series. Scroll down to watch the other videos from this roundtable. In this video, Drs. Andrew M. Evens, L. Elizabeth Budde, and Carla Casulo discuss the second-line...
Deeper sedation with the anesthetic drug propofol may improve detection of serrated polyps in patients undergoing colonoscopy to screen for colorectal cancer, according to a recent study published by Quaye et al in Anesthesiology. Background Nearly all colorectal cancers start as polyps....
A novel single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) acquisition method using lead (Pb)-212–prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-based targeted alpha therapy may provide convenient detection of radiopharmaceutical biodistribution and could lead to improved practice ...
Investigators have found a higher rate of mortality among patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities diagnosed with breast cancer, colorectal cancer, or lung cancer, according to a recent study published by Hansford et al in the Canadian Journal of Public Health. Study Methods and...
William J. Gradishar, MD, of Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, details the fundamental shift in how clinicians now treat patients with endocrine-sensitive breast cancer, both advanced and early stage, by pairing antihormonal therapy with targeted treatment.
This is Part 3 of Later-Line Considerations in Relapsed/Refractory Renal Cell Carcinoma, a three-part video roundtable series. Scroll down to watch the other videos from this roundtable. In this video, Drs. Rana McKay, Bradley McGregor, and Sumanta K. Pal discuss the management of metastatic...
This is Part 2 of Later-Line Considerations in Relapsed/Refractory Renal Cell Carcinoma, a three-part video roundtable series. Scroll down to watch the other videos from this roundtable. In this video, Drs. Rana McKay, Bradley McGregor, and Sumanta K. Pal discuss the management of refractory...
This is Part 1 of Later-Line Considerations in Relapsed/Refractory Renal Cell Carcinoma, a three-part video roundtable series. Scroll down to watch the other videos from this roundtable. In this video, Drs. Rana McKay, Bradley McGregor, and Sumanta K. Pal discuss the management of metastatic...
Investigators have uncovered persistent inequities in breast cancer that may systematically leave many patients behind in spite of recent improvements in research, treatment, and survival, according to a recent report from The Lancet Breast Cancer Commission. These findings were published by Coles...
Success stories in research, advocacy, and education from low- and middle-income countries deserve international recognition to motivate the next generation of researchers and practitioners and enrich global oncology. I recently had the privilege to speak with Ouissam Al Jarroudi, MD, about her...
Glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 receptor agonists may not be associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer, according to a recent study published by Pasternak et al in the BMJ. Background GLP-1 receptor agonists are designed to reduce blood sugar levels and appetite. They have become...
Geriatric assessment has emerged as a pivotal tool in optimizing cancer care for older patients, aiming to mitigate treatment toxicity, enhance treatment adherence, and improve quality of life. The recommended areas for evaluation in a geriatric assessment focus on identifying health issues that...
Researchers may have uncovered the mechanisms behind the development of targeted therapy resistance in melanoma, according to a recent study published by Aya Moreno et al in Cell Reports. Background The global incidence of melanoma—the deadliest type of skin cancer—is rising, making novel...
Undergoing a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test every 5 years may be adequate for screening low-risk men for prostate cancer, according to recent findings presented by Albers et al at the European Association of Urology (EAU) Congress 2024 and simultaneously published in European Urology....
Use of culturally sensitive educational videos may boost knowledge and decrease uncertainty regarding prostate cancer and screening among Black individuals, according to new findings presented by Jones et al at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2024 (Abstract...
A study published by Brieghel et al in Blood Advances showed that among patients in Denmark who had slow-growing chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with no symptoms and a low risk for ever needing treatment, those who stopped seeing their doctors for specialized follow-up had fewer hospital visits, ...
Artificial intelligence (AI)—computational analytics with routine imaging via radiology or pathology—can advance precision medicine in breast cancer, specifically by predicting response to therapy and calculating prognosis, according to a pioneer in the field, Anant Madabhushi, PhD, of Emory...
A Medicare policy requiring shared decision-making between primary care physicians and patients regarding whether to proceed with lung cancer screening may require further examination, according to a recent study published by Kale et al in the Annals of Family Medicine. The findings indicated that...
Researchers examined whether the artificial intelligence (AI)-based chatbot ChatGPT can help provide answers to patients with cancer regarding radiation oncology treatment, according to a recent study published by Yalamanchili et al in JAMA Network Open. Background Over 60% (n = 500,000) of...
New findings authored by Joseph M. Unger, PhD, and colleagues in the Journal of Clinical Oncology using Commission on Cancer data showed that when all types of cancer research studies are considered, at least one in five people with cancer in the United States—or 21.9%—participate in some form of...
Investigators have found that combining a prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) density test may help diagnose clinically significant prostate cancer and avoid unnecessary biopsies, according to a recent systematic review and meta-analysis published...
There is much debate about the necessity of treating women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) with surgery or radiotherapy.1,2 It is disconcerting to many that patients with DCIS are treated in the same way as are women with early-stage invasive breast cancer. Many patients with DCIS have...
Researchers surveyed oncologists for their perspectives on how artificial intelligence (AI) may be responsibly integrated into some aspects of cancer care as well as how to protect patients from the hidden biases of AI, according to a recent study published by Hantel et al in JAMA Network Open....
Hospitals accredited by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC) may demonstrate lower mortality and complication rates in patients undergoing proctectomy compared with nonaccredited hospitals, according to a recent study published by Harbaugh...
On March 6, 2024, inotuzumab ozogamicin (Besponsa) was approved for pediatric patients aged 1 year or older with relapsed or refractory CD22-positive B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia.1 Supporting Efficacy Data Approval was based on findings in the ITCC-059 trial (ClinicalTrials.gov...
On March 1, 2024, amivantamab-vmjw (Rybrevant) was approved for use with carboplatin and pemetrexed for first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations, as detected by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved...
On December 13, 2023, eflornithine (Iwilfin), an ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor, was approved for adult and pediatric patients with high-risk neuroblastoma with at least a partial response to prior multiagent, multimodality therapy including anti-GD2 immunotherapy. This represents the first U.S. ...
On December 14, 2023, the hypoxia-inducible factor inhibitor belzutifan (Welireg) was approved for patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma with disease progression on previous treatment with a PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitor and a vascular endothelial...
On January 12, 2024, pembrolizumab (Keytruda) was approved for use with chemoradiotherapy for treatment of patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2014 stage III–IVA cervical cancer.1 Supporting Efficacy Data Approval was based on findings in the double-blind...
A genetic variant located on the IKZF1 gene may be responsible for disparities in the risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) among Hispanic and Latino children, according to a recent study published by de Smith et al in Cell Genomics. The findings offer insights into the causes of the disease...
Researchers have found that a specific subtype of Fusobacterium nucleatum may be capable of growing within colorectal cancer, driving cancer progression, and leading to poorer outcomes following colorectal cancer treatment, according to a recent study published by Zepeda-Rivera et al in Nature. The ...
Statistically significant and clinically meaningful overall survival results from Part 1 and progression-free survival results from Part 2 of the RUBY/ENGOT-EN6/GOG3031/NSGO phase III trial in adult patients with primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer were presented in a late-breaking...
On October 13, 2023, nivolumab was approved for adjuvant treatment of completely resected stage IIB/C melanoma in patients aged 12 years and older.1 Supporting Efficacy Data Approval was based on findings in the double-blind CheckMate 76K trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04099251), in which...
On February 16, 2024, lifileucel (Amtagvi), a tumor-derived autologous T-cell immunotherapy, was granted accelerated approval for adults with unresectable or metastatic melanoma previously treated with a PD-1–blocking antibody, and if BRAF V600 mutation–positive, a BRAF inhibitor with or without a...
Although more than 85% of childhood cancer survivors will achieve a 5-year survival,1 that does not tell the whole tale for these individuals who move into adulthood. They are at excess risk of late mortality, even 40 years out from a cancer diagnosis, from non–cancer-related causes,1 and related...
On December 15, 2023, enfortumab vedotin-ejfv (Padcev) in combination with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) was approved for patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer.1,2 Supporting Efficacy Data Approval was based on findings in the open-label EV-302 trial (ClinicalTrials.gov...
On January 19, 2024, erdafitinib (Balversa) was approved for patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma with susceptible FGFR3 genetic alterations, as determined by a U.S. Food & Drug Administration–approved companion diagnostic test, whose disease has progressed on or...
In Kathy Giusti’s empowering and deeply personal book Fatal to Fearless: 12 Steps to Beating Cancer in a Broken Medical System (HarperCollins, 2024), she details the shock of being diagnosed with multiple myeloma, in 1996, at the age of 37. Told she had 3 years to live, the book recounts how Ms....
In 1996, at the age of 37, Kathy Giusti was diagnosed with the incurable blood cancer multiple myeloma and told she had about 3 years to live. In the mid-1990s, effective therapies for this second most common blood cancer were nearly nonexistent. Standard of care for myeloma consisted of oral...
The findings from RATIONALE-315 were discussed at the ESMO (European Society for Medical Oncology) Virtual Plenary by Luis Paz-Ares, MD, PhD, Head of the Medical Oncology Service at the Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid. He noted that inhibitors of PD-1 and its ligand PD-L1, as...
A novel genetic test may predict how patients with triple-negative early-stage breast cancer will respond to immunotherapy, according to new findings presented by Wolf et al at the 2024 European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC) (Abstract 2LBA). The research may help patients who are unlikely to...
The addition of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab to chemotherapy prior to and following surgery may lead to improved outcomes in patients with breast cancer regardless of their age or menopausal status, according to new findings presented by Cardoso et al at the 2024 European Breast Cancer...
W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, took the helm as the 17th Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), on December 18, 2023. A renowned kidney cancer expert and influential leader in cancer research and patient care, Dr. Rathmell was selected by...