In a U.S./Canadian phase IIb trial (PREVENT-HF) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Armenian et al found that the beta-blocker carvedilol did not significantly improve cardiac function—measured as standardized left ventricular wall thickness–dimension ratio Z score (LVWT/Dz)—vs placebo in survivors of ...
In January 2021, two of us wrote in these pages about our field’s pressing need to pivot away from identifying and deploying the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) when it comes to targeted oncology therapies.1 We argued that, instead, one should be looking for the “optimal dose”—the dose that best...
In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Trad et al found that individuals with cancer in the United States who were switched from low- to high-deductible employer-sponsored health plans had higher out-of-pocket costs but no reduction in the number of oncologist visits; these patients, however, had...
Researchers may have uncovered a novel strategy to identify which patients may experience poorer outcomes from chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy prior to treatment, according to a recent study published by Faramand et al in Blood Cancer Discovery. The findings indicate opportunities to ...
We have been taught that early cancer detection and treatment save lives. The way to cure cancer is to find it early and treat it aggressively. The public has subscribed to this approach in our struggle to “eradicate cancer.” In certain disease types, there is merit to this philosophy. The ability...
An increase in annual cardiorespiratory fitness may be linked to a lower risk of developing prostate cancer, according to a recent study published by Bolam et al in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Background There are relatively few known risk factors for prostate cancer. Although research...
In a U.S. single-center radiation dose-expansion study reported in JAMA Oncology, Wu et al found that chemoradiation with adaptively increased stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) boost doses was safe and effective in patients with locally advanced, unresectable non–small cell lung cancer...
The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) has provided a new set of recommendations to eliminate inequities in cancer care in light of World Cancer Day on February 4, according to the new World Cancer Day 2024 Equity Report. Background Since its establishment in 2000, World Cancer Day has...
In patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy, a more intensified regimen of abiraterone acetate/prednisone plus apalutamide improved outcomes and did not lead to decrements in specific domains of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) vs treatment with...
The incidence and mortality of cervical cancer may be rising in patients residing in low-income areas of the United States, according to a recent study published by Amboree et al in the International Journal of Cancer. Study Methods and Results In the recent study, investigators used the...
In a comparison of real-world outcomes for two common first-line regimens for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1), treatment with the IDH1-targeted agent ivosidenib plus a hypomethylating agent was associated with better outcomes than venetoclax plus a...
A recent study, published by Wang et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, conducted as part of the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort (SJLIFE), may provide new insights into how diet may affect aging in adult survivors of childhood cancer. This study, involving 3,322 participants aged 18 to 65, found that ...
Unintentional weight loss may be associated with an increased risk of receiving a cancer diagnosis within the next year, according to a recent study published by Wang et al in JAMA. Background Patients with advanced cancer often experience weight loss. However, weight loss is often not thought to...
Invited discussant Laura Huppert, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco, Comprehensive Cancer Center, focused her remarks on the need for biomarkers for selection of immunotherapy as part of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. “Hormone...
Pembrolizumab added to neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by adjuvant pembrolizumab plus endocrine therapy improved pathologic complete responses in patients with early-stage, high-risk, estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, according to updated results of the phase III...
Paul J. Hampel, MD, a hematologist/oncologist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, underscored the complexity of this arm of the adaptive FLAIR trial, which compared measurable residual disease (MRD)-directed ibrutinib plus venetoclax with standard, fixed-duration, FCR (fludarabine,...
In a systematic review and meta-analysis reported in JACC: CardioOncology, Fujisaki et al found no significant differences among direct oral anticoagulant agents (DOACs) in the prevention of recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) associated with active cancer, whereas significant differences in...
In this installment of The ASCO Post ’s Living a Full Life series, guest editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Naoto T. Ueno, MD, PhD, FACP, Director of the University of Hawaii Cancer Center. Along with his duties leading the cancer center, Dr. Ueno leads translational breast cancer research...
In an Indian single-center phase III trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Bajpai et al found that low-dose olanzapine was noninferior to standard-dose olanzapine plus triple antiemetic therapy in terms of antiemetic efficacy and reduced daytime somnolence in patients with solid tumors receiving...
The Prevent Cancer Foundation has honored Matthijs Oudkerk, PhD, MD, MSc, with the prestigious James L. Mulshine, MD, International Leadership Award. Dr. Oudkerk is Professor of Radiology at the University of Groningen and Chief Scientific Officer of the Institute for Diagnostic Accuracy in the...
Investigators may have uncovered some of the factors associated with the selection of active surveillance over surgery or radiation therapy in patients with low-risk prostate cancer, according to a recent study published by Xu et al in Cancer. Background Guidelines for low-risk prostate cancer that ...
Although computed tomography (CT) screening has emerged as an essential tool for the early detection of lung diseases, there is still a broad range of potential improvements to be made. According to recent research, understanding the patterns of onset for earlier prediction of disease may be...
A novel chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) natural killer (NK)-cell therapy may be effective at treating patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies, according to a novel study published by Marin et al in Nature Medicine. Study Methods and Results In the new phase I/II trial, researchers...
The role of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), or liquid biopsy, as a predictive tool to guide and monitor cancer treatment remains unclear, after the first prospective randomized phase II trial evaluating clearance of ctDNA in patients with stage II colon cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy did not ...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Brad S. Kahl, MD, and colleagues, long-term follow-up of the phase III Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group RESORT study (E4402) showed that rituximab maintenance did not improve overall survival vs rituximab retreatment in rituximab induction...
The addition of inavolisib to first-line treatment with palbociclib plus fulvestrant more than doubled progression-free survival in patients with recurrent PIK3CA-mutated, hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer, according to a late-breaking primary analysis of the phase III ...
As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Alexander Drilon, MD, and colleagues, the phase I/II TRIDENT-1 trial showed the activity of the next-generation ROS1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor repotrectinib in patients with ROS1 fusion–positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with no...
In an Indian single-institution study reported in JCO Global Oncology, Patel et al found that use of lower-than-recommended doses of immune checkpoint inhibitors showed activity across various tumor types. As stated by the investigators: “The cost of immune checkpoint inhibitors limits their...
Reshma Jagsi, MD, DPhil, of Emory University Winship Cancer Institute, discusses the IDEA trial of endocrine therapy without radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery for postmenopausal patients between the ages of 50 and 69 with stage I breast cancer. The regimen demonstrated a low risk of...
Seema Khan, MD, of Northwestern University and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the 5-year clinical outcomes of ECOG-ACRIN 4112, a prospective trial that supports the omission of radiotherapy after surgery in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ who have a low DCIS score ...
In a retrospective analysis reported in JAMA Oncology, Bolze et al identified a group of women at low risk for breast cancer based on genetic analysis. The findings may support altering cancer screening in this low-risk group. As stated by the investigators, “Genetic information is not being used...
In a long-term analysis from the LYMA trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Sarkozy et al found that rituximab maintenance following autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) continued to be of benefit vs observation in the first-line treatment of younger patients with mantle cell...
Although pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have seen a dramatic improvement in long-term survival rates over the past 40 years, from approximately 10% to over 95%, adults aged 29 and older have not experienced the same treatment benefits, with survival rates still below...
In an analysis reported in JAMA Oncology, Kerekes et al found that initiation of immunotherapy at the end of life has increased over time in U.S. patients with metastatic cancers. Study Details The retrospective cohort study used data from the National Cancer Database on patients with stage IV...
Researchers discovered that the blood vessel–relaxing agent carvedilol may be safe and effective at reducing the risk of heart failure in childhood cancer survivors, according to a recent study published by Armenian et al in The Lancet Oncology. These findings indicate carvedilol may improve...
Researchers have evaluated the efficacy of atezolizumab in combination with carboplatin in patients with triple-negative breast cancer, according to a recent study published by Lehmann et al in JAMA Oncology. The new findings may help researchers better understand biomarkers of immunotherapy...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Timmins et al, a pooled analysis of 19 international cohorts showed that high vs low self-reported leisure-time physical activity was associated with a reduced risk of premenopausal breast cancer. Study Details The study used individual-level data ...
A recent study showed that the HER2-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor lapatinib was associated with improved overall survival in patients with initially HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer and HER2-positive circulating tumor cells (CTCs). These findings were published by Fehm et al in Clinical...
Robotic surgery may offer significant benefits over laparoscopic procedures in patients with colorectal cancer undergoing colectomies, according to a recent study published by Farah et al in the World Journal of Surgical Oncology. These findings suggest that a majority of patients receiving robotic ...
In the phase II CURB trial reported in The Lancet, Chiaojung Jillian Tsai, MD, PhD, and colleagues found that the addition of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) to standard-of-care systemic therapy was associated with improved progression-free survival in the total study population of patients...
Abstract discussant Noemí Reguart, MD, PhD, an oncologist at the Hospital Clinic Barcelona, underscored the “impressive” progression-free and overall survival results of the phase III ETER701 trial, which have “never been achieved before in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.” According to...
In a retrospective cohort study of 160 patients with cancer who were suspected of having immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-induced myocarditis, published in JACC: CardioOncology, Osnat Itzhaki Ben Zadok, MD, MSc, and colleagues found that severe ICI-induced myocarditis seemed to be linked to...
Invited discussant of the phase I trial of the claudin 18.2-specific antibody-drug conjugate CMG901 in advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer was Elizabeth Smyth, MD, of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She said CMG901 demonstrated “encouraging results,” but more...
On October 16 and 17, 2023, the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) welcomed more than 350 attendees from over 75 countries to its World Cancer Leaders’ Summit in Long Beach, California, to discuss some of the most challenging issues facing patients with cancer worldwide. The theme of...
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Michael S. Hofman, MBBS, and colleagues, overall survival results from the Australian phase II TheraP trial showed no difference with lutetium-177–labeled PSMA-617 (LuPSMA) vs cabazitaxel in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and...
Investigators have found that implementing the updated World Health Organization (WHO) screening guidelines may effectively reduce the cervical cancer mortality rate in patients residing in low- and middle-income countries, according to two recent studies published by Simms et al and Hall et al in...
Investigators have uncovered concerningly large gaps in evidence regarding the true benefits of opioids for pain relief in patients with cancer, according to a novel study published by Shaheed et al in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. The new findings could challenge the commonly held view that ...
A program aimed at improving access to high-quality cancer care has significantly increased adherence to cancer treatment among minority and low-income communities, according to data presented at the 2023 ASCO Quality Care Symposium.1 The introduction of the ALCANCE-PLUS program in Monterey County, ...
The data developed over the past few years have overwhelmingly favored geriatric assessment as part of the routine care for older patients with cancer. It has become the standard of care. ASCO has recently published a Practical Geriatric Assessment to aid in the implementation of this vital...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Reshma Jagsi, MD, DPhil, and colleagues, a 5-year analysis of the IDEA trial showed a very low rate of recurrence with the omission of radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery in patients at low clinical and genomic risk for disease ...