Somatic mutations of DNA damage repair genes like ATM and BRCA1 or BRCA2 may result in poor disease prognosis and chemotherapy resistance. However, a study by Lee et al presented at ASCO Breakthrough: A Global Summit for Oncology Innovators (Abstract 130) investigated the possibility that these...
GUEST EDITOR Integrative Oncology is guest edited by Jun J. Mao, MD, MSCE, Laurance S. Rockefeller Chair in Integrative Medicine and Chief of Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York. The ASCO Post’s Integrative Oncology series is intended to facilitate the...
In a meta-analysis published by Deng et al in Cancer Medicine, researchers found parenchymal-sparing hepatectomy was associated with better perioperative outcomes vs extended hepatectomy for the treatment of colorectal cancer liver metastases, without compromising long-term oncologic outcomes. The...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Morano et al assessed prognostic/predictive role of tumor sidedness and presence of uncommon molecular alterations in anti-EGFR treatment primary resistance in patients with RAS/BRAF wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer. Study Details The...
A novel multivariate cancer risk score model demonstrated 60% sensitivity at 98.5% specificity. These findings demonstrate that a blood-based cancer screening assay with a novel risk score model may be a viable method for detecting cancer in asymptomatic individuals, especially in populations at...
The Prevent Cancer Foundation recently honored Andrew C. von Eschenbach, MD, with the James L. Mulshine, MD, Leadership Award for his work leading the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST), the first large-scale clinical trial for low-dose computed tomography (CT) lung cancer screening. The award...
Inspiration comes in many forms. For cancer researcher Ariel Hollinshead Hyun, PhD, known professionally as Dr. Hollinshead, it came at the age of 15, when she was captivated by Paul de Kruif’s book Microbe Hunters. She was fascinated by the lives of early bacteriologists detailed in the book and...
SUSAN G. KOMEN recently announced $26 million in funding for new research projects that focus on metastatic breast cancer, new treatments, and disparities in breast cancer outcomes. This year’s grant slate focuses on key areas that will help the organization achieve its bold goal to reduce the...
Let’s face it, men don’t go to the doctor as often as we should. At least that has been my experience. I felt compelled to finally make an appointment with my primary care physician after I began working as a research assistant at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai in 2014, as it felt...
Most Latinx people who are LGBTQI+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex) reported being reluctant to share their gender identity and/or sexual orientation with a health-care provider, and a majority have never received cancer information tailored for their community, according...
The ASCO Post is pleased to reproduce installments of the Art of Oncology as published previously in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. These articles focus on the experience of suffering from cancer or of caring for people diagnosed with cancer, and they include narratives, topical essays,...
EARLIER THIS YEAR, atezolizumab was granted accelerated approval in combination with nab-paclitaxel in the treatment of patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer whose tumors express programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1–stained tumor-infiltrating...
Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes nearly all cervical cancers and is attributed to some cancers of the vagina, vulva, penis, anus, and oropharynx. Although most HPV infections are asymptomatic and usually resolve within 1 to 2 years, persistent infections can lead to precancer and cancer. According ...
Early in 2019, trastuzumab-dttb was approved as a biosimilar to standard trastuzumab for treatment of HER2-expressing breast cancer in the adjuvant setting, metastatic breast cancer, and metastatic gastric cancer or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma in patients who have not received prior...
Findings from a large smoking cessation study in patients with cancer indicate comprehensive tobacco treatment is effective in helping individuals successfully quit and abstain from smoking. The prospective study, published by Paul Cinciripini, PhD, Chair of Behavioral Science at the MD Anderson...
Developed by Conquer Cancer, the Your Stories podcast series shares unscripted conversations among patients, doctors, and the family and friends who conquer cancer with them. The series also includes transcripts of conversations. In one such featured conversation, “Doctors’ Orders,” two seasoned...
The management of rectal cancer has evolved over the past decades, yielding several major practice changes that have substantially improved outcomes. However, rectal cancer treatment remains challenging and even with improved outcomes can result in life-altering morbidity. To shed light on the...
ASCO submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to a proposed rule regarding Secure Electronic Prior Authorization for Medicare Part D. Under the proposal, clinicians would be able to complete prior authorizations for Part D prescriptions online using a ...
New results from ASCO’s Targeted Agent and Profiling Utilization Registry (TAPUR) Study demonstrated that single-agent palbociclib has no meaningful clinical activity in patients with CDKN2A-mutated or -deleted advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma. The results, based on data...
The Kidney Cancer Association has announced the recipients of the Advanced Discovery Awards (ADAs) and Young Investigator Awards (YIAs). In April, the Kidney Cancer Association approved $1.3 million in new grant funding to advance early detection and new treatments of kidney cancer. Established...
ASCO’s Center for Research and Analytics (CENTRA) is now accepting research applications from ASCO members who wish to conduct member surveys for research purposes. All researchers who wish to conduct surveys of opted-in ASCO members must complete a Research Survey Pool application. The application ...
By simply reaching out to new colleagues, Verna Vanderpuye, MBChB, improved the way oncology is practiced across Africa. “It is difficult to find yourself in the [predicament] of low government support, lack of research culture, and inadequate infrastructure,” explained Dr. Vanderpuye, a senior...
The ASCO eLearning Multidisciplinary Molecular Tumor Boards (MMTBs) offer participants an opportunity to learn from experts and from each other on a variety of tumor-based topics. MMTB formats alternate between slide-based and discussion forum-based layouts. The discussion-based MMTBs are an...
The ASCO Research Community Forum (RCF) has created a new online community to provide a venue for physician investigators and research staff who are conducting and managing clinical trials to engage and network, share best practices, access resources, and learn more about the ASCO RCF and its...
Nearly 20% of Americans receive their health insurance coverage through Medicaid. However, unlike Medicare and other payers, Medicaid is not federally required to cover routine care costs, such as physician visits and laboratory studies, for clinical trials. Only 12 states require this coverage,...
GUEST EDITORS Dr. Abutalib is Associate Director, Hematology and Cellular Therapy Program and Director, Clinical Apheresis Program Cancer Treatment at Centers of America, Zion, Illinois; Associate Professor, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science; and Founder and Co-Editor of...
Endometrial cancer remains the most common gynecologic malignancy affecting women in the United States. There are over 60,000 new cases diagnosed and more than 12,000 deaths annually. Traditional management includes surgical staging, with optimal disease cytoreduction as able, and adjuvant...
As reviewed in this issue of The ASCO Post, Shanafelt and colleagues recently published the interim analysis of E1912, a U.S. Intergroup–led randomized phase III trial comparing ibrutinib/rituximab, followed by ibrutinib to disease progression vs 6 months of fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and...
A metabolic imbalance in some patients with cancer, following treatment with the checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab, may be associated with resistance to immunotherapy and shorter survival, according to scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, in collaborative work with the Broad Institute 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. On August 15, 2019, the oral TRK, ROS1, and ALK kinase...
The Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center recently announced that Lisa M. DeAngelis, MD, has been named Physician-in-Chief and Chief Medical Officer. An expert in brain cancer, Dr. DeAngelis previously served as Chair of the Department of Neurology and was Co-Founder of MSK’s Brain Tumor...
Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, has been appointed the new Chair of the Hematology/Medical Oncology Department at Cleveland Clinic. In this capacity, he will recruit and develop staff as well as guide the department’s focus on patient access and a multidisciplinary approach to care. Dr. Abraham currently...
I gave my first national presentation of my original clinical research on a topic that was to become a professional obsession: finding a cure for esophageal cancer. (Spoiler, I failed.) It was late May 1982. Writing about this now is undoubtedly predicated on my recent retirement, my desire to...
Longer-term follow-up of patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are treated with immunotherapy have appreciably extended survival at 5 years, suggesting that for some patients, this disease can be managed as a chronic condition. These findings are based on two presentations ...
Studies show that people suffering from serious mental illness are at increased risk for poor cancer outcomes and mortality due to inequities in their cancer care. Although psychiatric care at the time of diagnosis may improve care, current models for integrating psychiatric interventions and...
A study published by Freeman et al in JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network found that generally, providers with more experience treating multiple myeloma have better outcomes than those with more limited experience. Providers who saw the most cases were more likely to be...
In a phase III trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Hong et al found that adjuvant whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) was not associated with a significant benefit in distant intracranial control vs observation after local treatment of patients with one to three melanoma brain...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Dirksen et al, the R2Pulm trial showed no significant event-free or overall survival benefit with busulfan/melphalan high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell rescue (BuMel) vs standard chemotherapy with whole-lung irradiation in patients...
In a Norwegian study published by Lergenmuller et al in JAMA Dermatology, researchers found evidence of a dose-response association between lifetime indoor tanning and risk of development of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in women. The association was the same regardless of duration of use and...
In a Children’s Oncology Group study (COG ARET0332) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Chévez-Barrios et al found discrepancies between central and institutional identification of high-risk features of enucleated unilateral retinoblastoma, and that use of adjuvant chemotherapy based on...
As reported in JAMA Oncology by Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa, MD, and colleagues, the phase III Alliance/CALGB 80802 trial has shown no progression-free or overall survival benefit with the addition of doxorubicin to sorafenib in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. The study was stopped early...
End-of-Life Oncology is a new occasional column in The ASCO Post that will explore how to ensure the care received by terminally ill patients is in alignment with their end-of-life goals and wishes. In this inaugural installment, The ASCO Post talked with Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS,...
Recurrent high-grade glioblastoma has a poor prognosis, with a median overall survival of 6 to 9 months. Treatment is limited, partly because immunotherapy has not yet been shown to be effective in the immunosuppressive microenvironment of this tumor. A novel treatment approach involving...
As reported at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2019 (Abstract LBA13) and simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine by Ronald de Wit, MD, and colleagues, the phase III CARD trial has shown improved imaging-based progression-free survival and overall...
As reported in TheNew England Journal of Medicine by Seock‑Ah Im, MD, PhD, of Seoul National University College of Medicine, and colleagues, an interim analysis in the phase III MONALEESA-7 trial has shown an overall survival benefit with the addition of the cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) ...
In the past few weeks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued regulatory decisions in prostate cancer, urothelial cancer, myelofibrosis, breast cancer, pediatric brain cancer, leukemia, and skin cancer. Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Niraparib in Metastatic...
Selpercatinib (LOXO-292), a RET kinase inhibitor, demonstrated antitumor activity in the lungs and brain and durable responses with acceptable tolerability in patients with RET fusion–positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to an updated analysis of the LIBRETTO-001 registration...
A study by Creutzberg et al investigated the survival outcome of combined adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy vs radiotherapy alone in women with endometrial cancer with high-risk features. The researchers found that 5-year recurrence-free survival varied according to a patient’s specific...
In a phase III trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Kim et al found that the addition of 2 years of ovarian function suppression during ongoing tamoxifen treatment improved disease-free survival vs 5 years of tamoxifen alone in patients with estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer...
The term “sexual and gender minorities” encompasses people whose sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or reproductive development varies from traditional, societal, cultural, or physiologic norms1 and includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people. More than 3 ...