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Showing 9051 - 91002020 ASTRO Annual Meeting: High-Impact Research
This week, we’ll be featuring discussions of two late-breaking abstracts presented during the virtual 2020 American Society for Radiation Oncology, or ASTRO, Annual Meeting. The first focuses on the role of imaging in planning treatment with radiotherapy in patients with prostate cancer; the second ...
Effect of Angiotensin II Inhibition on Response to Immunotherapy
Researchers have found that a class of commonly used heart drugs may also improve patients’ responses to PD-L1 inhibitors, according to preliminary findings presented by Strauss et al at the 32th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics (Abstract 7). Angiotensin...
Gemcitabine and Daily Radiation for Patients With Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer
Bladder preservation with trimodality therapy may be a safe and effective alternative to cystectomy for selected patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, according to results from a phase II trial presented by Coen et al at the virtual 2020 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)...
Time at Home vs in Health-Care Institutions for Older Patients After Cancer Surgery
In a Canadian population-based cohort study reported in JAMA Surgery, Chesney et al found that older patients undergoing surgery for cancer were likely to spend a high number of days at home vs in health-care institutions in the years following surgery for cancer, suggesting favorable functional...
Effect of Early Trastuzumab Interruption on Recurrence-Free Survival in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
In a single-center analysis reported in a research letter in JAMA Oncology, Copeland-Halperin et al found that early trastuzumab interruption and interruption resulting in a cumulative trastuzumab dose ≤ 56 mg/kg were associated with significantly poorer recurrence-free survival in patients with...
New Maintenance Therapies in Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Aim to End Perpetual Chemotherapy
The advent of effective combination chemotherapies has changed the treatment landscape for metastatic pancreatic cancer, extending median survival and leading to durable responses in a subset of patients. However, perpetual chemotherapy is cumulatively toxic, leading to progressive bone marrow...
Expert Point of View: Jonathan Ledermann, MD
SOLO-1’s invited discussant, Jonathan Ledermann, MD, Professor of Medical Oncology at UCL Cancer Institute and University College London Hospitals, predicted that “an overall survival benefit will occur” with maintenance olaparib, based on the study’s long follow-up and encouraging results from key ...
SOLO-1 Trial: After 5 Years, Maintenance Olaparib Still Keeps Ovarian Cancer at Bay
The long-term results of the pivotal SOLO-1 trial have shown that maintenance olaparib more than doubles the 5-year disease-free survival time for patients who have newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer with BRCA mutations, according to an update presented at the European Society for Medical...
Pretreatment ctDNA May Help Predict Outcomes With First-Line—but Not Second-Line—Immunotherapy for Patients With Melanoma
A study by Marsavela et al published in Clinical Cancer Research evaluating the predictive value of pretreatment circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to inform therapeutic outcomes in patients with advanced-stage melanoma relative to type and line of treatment has found that baseline levels of ctDNA...
Sexual Health Often Overlooked in Cancer Survivorship Care
A new study points to a need for oncologists to ask their patients about sexual health after chemotherapy, radiation, and other cancer treatments. In a survey of nearly 400 cancer survivors, 87% said they experienced sexual side effects, but most also said their oncologist had not formally asked...
Geographic Access to Radiotherapy Facilities in the United States
The number of radiation therapy facilities in the United States has grown by 17% over the past 15 years, according to a new study presented by Maroongroge et al at the 2020 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting (Abstract 203). However, this growth has disproportionately...
Study Finds Further Efforts Needed for Inclusion of Underrepresented Populations in Radiotherapy Clinical Trials
A new study finds that the racial composition of clinical trials involving radiation therapy does not match that of the U.S. population. Examining trials from the past 23 years, researchers found that roughly 12% of trial participants were Black, which is less than the 13% population composition of ...
SBRT May Provide Superior Pain Relief From Spinal Metastases vs Conventional Radiotherapy
Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) was superior to conventional radiation therapy in reducing pain from spinal metastases in a phase II/III study reported by Arjun Sahgal, MD, and colleagues at the 2020 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting (Abstract LBA 2). More...
SBRT for Multiple Lung Metastases: How Many Treatment Sessions Are Optimal?
Delivering stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT, also called stereotactic ablative radiotherapy) in either one or four treatment sessions led to similar outcomes in patients with up to three lung metastases in the randomized SAFRON II trial. The study, reported by Shankar Siva, PhD, and...
Next-Generation BRAF Inhibitor Shows Activity in Phase I/II Trial
A new drug designed to treat cancers in patients with an altered BRAF gene showed activity and had a favorable safety profile in an early-phase trial. These findings were presented by Janku et al at the 32nd EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics (Abstract LBA-05)....
USPSTF Issues Draft Recommendation on Screening for Colorectal Cancer
On October 27, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) posted a draft recommendation statement on screening for colorectal cancer. For the first time, the Task Force is recommending that screening start at age 45. This is a B recommendation, meaning the USPSTF recommends the service; that...
Neha Vapiwala, MD, on Prostate Cancer: Imaging and the Decision to Treat With Radiation
Neha Vapiwala, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania, who served as a discussant for LBA1, summarizes her review of this study of patients with prostate cancer who had biochemical recurrence in the post-prostatectomy setting, who were candidates for salvage radiotherapy, and who received either...
FDA Approves Companion Diagnostic for Three Targeted Therapies for Advanced Ovarian, Breast, and Non–Small Cell Lung Cancers
On October 27, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the FoundationOne Liquid CDx test for three new companion diagnostic indications to help match patients who may benefit from treatment with specific FDA-approved targeted therapies. The new indications are for alpelisib (Piqray) in ...
Stereotactic Radiosurgery May Delay Cognitive Deterioration vs WBRT in Patients With Numerous Brain Metastases
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) may represent a new standard of care for patients with four or more brain metastases, replacing whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) in this setting, according to a phase III study presented at the virtual 2020 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual...
Fluciclovine PET Imaging vs Conventional Imaging in Prostate Cancer
The addition of the radiotracer fluciclovine to positron-emission tomography (PET) imaging for treatment planning led to superior failure-free survival compared with conventional imaging in men with prostate cancer who had undergone radical prostatectomy and were experiencing biologic recurrence of ...
Targeted Inhibitor of Mutant KRAS Gene Shows Activity in Early Trial
Adagrasib (MRTX849), a novel agent that targets a mutated form of the KRAS gene—the most commonly altered oncogene in human cancers, and one long considered “undruggable”—caused tumor shrinkage in most patients in a clinical trial, with manageable side effects, researchers reported at the 32nd...
Survey Shows Many Patients With Cancer Willing to Take Part in Clinical Trials Despite Coronavirus
Patient Power, a patient-driven cancer news organization, reported that a majority of patients with cancer still want to participate in clinical trials despite the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent survey of 1,485 patients. The Patient Power COVID-19 Cancer Trial Survey, the second Patient...
SHP2 Inhibition May Counter Resistance Mechanisms in Lung Cancer
Recent preclinical research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and BridgeBio Pharma, an affiliate of Navire Pharma, found that the novel SHP2 inhibitor IACS-13909 may be able to overcome therapeutic resistance mechanisms in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The data, which...
Becoming Acquainted With Cancer
Editor’s Note: The ASCO Post learned of the death of Patrick Beauregard due to colorectal cancer on September 6, 2020. Just weeks after my wedding in late summer of 2017, I had a sudden bout of abdominal pain so severe that it sent me to the emergency room. I was just 29 years old and in great...
Remembering Patrick H. Beauregard: ‘Selfless in His Efforts to Raise Awareness’ of Colorectal Cancer in Young Adults
The editors of The ASCO Post are sad to report the death of Patrick H. Beauregard on September 6, 2020. The cause was colorectal cancer. Diagnosed with stage IV disease in 2017 at the age of 29, Mr. Beauregard dedicated the last 3 years of his life to raising awareness of colorectal cancer in...
Joan H. Marks, Pioneer in Genetic Counseling, Dies at 91
Joan H. (Rosen) Marks, a pioneer in genetic counseling, died on September 14, 2020. She was 91. Ms. Marks received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, in 2019, in recognition of her contributions and leadership to the College and to society, the ...
Continued Benefit of First-Line Nivolumab vs Dacarbazine in Advanced BRAF Wild-Type Melanoma
The 5-year outcomes of the CheckMate 066 trial, reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Caroline Robert, MD, PhD, of Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France,and colleagues, show continued benefit of first-line nivolumab vs dacarbazine in advanced BRAF wild-type melanoma and support evidence that ...
Your Stories: ‘The Family Business’
International business leader Riccardo Braglia has experienced great losses due to cancer. In “The Family Business,” he shares with ASCO Chief Executive Officer Clifford A. Hudis, MD, FACP, FASCO, how the perspective he gained inspires what he gives to help patients everywhere. “My grandmother, my ...
Expect Questions About Increased Cancer Mortality Risk Among Patients Diagnosed With DCIS
A large cohort study1 finding that the risk of dying of breast cancer was increased threefold after a DCIS diagnosis may cause patients diagnosed with DCIS to ask what they can do to reduce that risk. Currently, there is little that most patients can do. “The lifetime risk of death following DCIS...
Breaking Social Barriers to Conquer Cancer
Kala Visvanathan, MD, MHS, is working to prevent cancer in every patient. With the help of donor-supported grants, including a Career Development Award from Conquer Cancer®, the ASCO Foundation, Dr. Visvanathan researches cancer prevention and strategies to prevent cancer recurrence. “To be...
Focus on Preventing Invasive Recurrence in Women With DCIS Does Not Sufficiently Address Breast Cancer Mortality
A study published recently by Giannakeas et al looked at the risk of death from breast cancer for women diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).1 The investigators anticipated that treatment would eliminate the risk of invasive ipsilateral recurrence and prevent subsequent mortality from...
Personal Testimonial: CAR-modified T Cells in Adults
Twelve adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) have been treated with CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia by Carl June, MD, Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, and colleagues. These were all end-stage...
Preliminary Progress with Genetically Engineered T Cells in Treating Childhood ALL
Two small phase I studies at separate centers demonstrated encouraging results in the treatment of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) using reinfused autologous genetically engineered T cells. Results of both studies were presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for ...
Bloodletting by a Phleam
The text and photograph here are excerpted from a four-volume series of books titled Oncology: Tumors & Treatment, A Photographic History, The Anesthesia Era 1845–1875 by Stanley B. Burns, MD, FACS, and Elizabeth A. Burns. Photograph courtesy of Stanley B. Burns, MD, and The Burns Archive. For ...
The Secret History of Cancer Chemotherapy
“The summons came in the middle of the night. He was awake at the first harsh jangle of the telephone…. Always a light sleeper, Lieutenant Colonel Stewart Francis Alexander attributed the trait to his father, an old-fashioned family practitioner whose response to every late-night distress call was...
A Gritty Journey Into a Rare Cancer and Back
Over the past decade, a prolific number of cancer memoirs have been published, and some have been award-winning bestsellers. When entering a crowded genre, it is best to have something that sets your story apart. Judith Dwyer Fugate did just that with a memoir about a rare tumor that has rarely if...
UCLA Researchers’ Efforts in Melanoma Receive $13M Boost From NIH
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers have received a $13 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to find new ways to overcome melanoma resistance to some of the most promising targeted therapies and immunotherapies. There have been significant advancements in...
The Gut, Our Choices, and Gynecologic Cancers: Investigating an Unlikely Trio
Disturbance of the gut microbial metabolism is thought to be the root cause of human diseases. Bacteria, viruses, and fungi affect their human hosts in numerous ways. There is evidence to support the theory that microbes, through their genetic makeup, gene products, and metabolites, play a role in...
Expert Point of View: Bartosz Chmielowski, MD, PhD
The invited discussant of LEAP-004, Bartosz Chmielowski, MD, PhD, Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California Los Angeles Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, commented: “The response rate of 21% was quite impressive for this patient population. Patients previously treated with an...
Advanced Melanoma: Lenvatinib Plus Pembrolizumab After Disease Progression on Anti–PD-1 Therapy
Checkpoint inhibitors can be lifesaving for many patients with advanced melanoma, but those who experience disease progression currently have few treatment options. The combination of a tyrosine kinase inhibitor and an anti–PD-1 agent may offer some hope in this setting, according to a study of...
Pay-for-Performance Program to Reimburse Oncology Practices for Prescribing Evidence-Based Cancer Drugs
A pay-for-performance program that offers enhanced reimbursement to oncology practices for prescribing high-quality, evidence-based cancer drugs increased use of these drugs without significantly changing total spending on care, Penn Medicine researchers reported in a study published in the Journal ...
Expert Point of View: Salah-Eddin Al-Batran, MD
Salah-Eddin Al-Batran, MD, Director of the Institute of Clinical Cancer Research and Director of GI Oncology at Krankenhaus Nordwest-University Cancer Center, Frankfurt, Germany, commented on KEYNOTE-590 at a press briefing. Dr. Al-Batran noted that the prognosis for advanced esophageal cancer is...
Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center Wins Federal Grant to Accelerate Ovarian Cancer Research
Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC) has been awarded a $12 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to bring promising ovarian cancer research from the laboratory to clinical practice. The highly competitive Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant will help...
Panel With Diverse Perspectives Explores Strategies to Reduce Costs for Cancer Care
“Imagine that it’s 5 years from now, and we are in a situation where the cost of cancer care has flattened, and costs are even going down,” said Clifford Goodman, PhD, a Senior Vice President at the Lewin Group, turning to a panel of oncology and policy experts at his side. “What policies got us...
Susan G. Komen to Present 2020 Brinker Awards for Scientific Distinction
Susan G. Komen is recognizing two widely respected and innovative breast cancer researchers—Donald McDonnell, PhD, and Laura Esserman, MD, MBA—as this year’s recipients of their highest scientific honor, the Brinker Awards. Established by Komen in 1992, the awards recognize advances in the...
Lesley Solomon, MBA, of Dana-Farber, Receives Extraordinary Women Advancing Healthcare Award
Lesley Solomon, MBA, Senior Vice President for Innovation and Chief Innovation Officer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has received the 2020 Extraordinary Women Advancing Healthcare Award from The Commonwealth Institute, a nonprofit organization devoted to advancing women in leadership positions....
ASTRO Calls for Changes to Benefits Manager Policy That Disrupts Patient/Physician Decision-Making for Cancer Radiotherapy
Radiation oncologists have expressed serious concerns about a new private insurance coverage policy that could undermine patient-centered care for two of the most common cancers in the United States. Leaders of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) urge eviCore, a radiation oncology...
Dana-Farber Announces Center for Salivary and Rare Head and Neck Cancers
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has launched the Center for Salivary and Rare Head and Neck Cancers to treat patients with rare and occasionally aggressive cancers arising from the head and neck. The Center is among the first in the country specifically dedicated to the care and therapeutic research...
How Telemedicine Is Impacting Oncology Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The expansion of telemedicine has been one of the most important developments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we discuss some of the legal and ethical dimensions of expanding telemedicine services in oncology practices. As Royce et al discussed in a recent JAMA Oncology article, Congress...
Surgical and Radiation Oncology in Elderly Patients With Cancer
As one might expect, the focus on older patients developed in surgical and radiation oncology at the same time as in medical oncology. As we have done in our overview of medical oncology, we may recognize a prehistory, past history, and present history in surgical and radiation geriatric oncology....
