On April 16, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a draft guidance, “Investigational in Vitro Diagnostics in Oncology Trials: Streamlined Submission Process for Study Risk Determination,” to describe for sponsors of certain oncology trials an optional streamlined...
Calcium channel blockers (CCBs)—specifically the short-acting form of CCBs, which are prescribed to treat high blood pressure—were associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer in postmenopausal women, according to a study presented at the American Assocation for Cancer...
Treatment combining the IDO1 inhibitor epacadostat and the programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor durvalumab (Imfinzi) was found to be safe in patients with advanced solid tumors, with safety data similar to treatment with durvalumab alone, according to data presented from the ongoing...
A combination of CMP-001, an intratumoral Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonist, and pembrolizumab (Keytruda) was well tolerated and had clinical activity in patients with metastatic melanoma resistant to programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) checkpoint inhibition, according to preliminary data...
Initial findings from the Circulating Cell-Free Genome Atlas (CCGA) study showed that prototype sequencing assays tested in this analysis may facilitate the development of a highly specific blood test for early cancer detection, according to data presented at the American Association for Cancer...
In 2011 the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) group published its publicly funded study of three annual screening chest computed tomography (CT) scans among heavy smokers aged 55 to 74.1 The results remain the first and only screening study for any cancer demonstrating a...
Advancing therapeutics and augmenting curability in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) have been very challenging. Although many novel approaches have offered promise and continue to be developed, we have not yet identified a clearly superior approach to R-CHOP (rituximab [Rituxan],...
On April 16, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approvals to nivolumab (Opdivo) and ipilimumab (Yervoy) in combination for the treatment of intermediate- or poor-risk previously untreated advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). CheckMate 214 The approvals were based on...
FT819—an off-the-shelf, T-cell receptor–less CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell product that could potentially be made more accessible to patients with cancer than conventional CAR T-cell therapies—showed positive results in preclinical specificity, functionality, and...
BLU-667, a next-generation inhibitor that selectively targets the oncogenic receptor tyrosine kinase RET, was well tolerated and had broad clinical benefit in patients with advanced cancer that had progressed on previous therapies, including multikinase inhibitor therapy. Proof-of-concept data from ...
Among patients with inoperable, advanced, or metastatic ALK-positive inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor, 50% were confirmed to have partial or complete tumor shrinkage after treatment with the ALK-targeted anticancer therapeutic agent crizotinib (Xalkori), according to data from the phase II EORTC...
Children with nonchromosomal birth defects—such as congenital heart disease—had a significantly higher risk of developing childhood cancer than children who did not have birth defects, according to a study presented at the 2018 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual...
The longer patients with a positive screening result wait for diagnostic testing, the worse their cancer outcomes may become, according to a literature review of breast, cervical, colorectal, and lung studies published by Doubeni et al in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians led by researchers at...
On April 6, an external data monitoring committee commented on results from the phase III ECHO-301/KEYNOTE-252 trial of the investigational IDO1 inhibitor epacadostat plus pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. The committee determined that the study did not...
On April 9, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted for filing with Priority Review a new drug application (NDA) for the oral agent duvelisib, a first-in-class, dual inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-delta and PI3K-gamma. The NDA is seeking full approval for duvelisib in...
On April 11, Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has lifted the clinical hold on studies of BPX-501 in the U.S. The decision follows consultation with the FDA and agreement on amendments to the study protocols including guidance on monitoring...
Investing in the continuity of care for lung cancer patients can bring tremendous benefits in terms of patient satisfaction and quality of life. In Quebec, this investment has taken the form of a dedicated role on the medical team: The Pivot Nurse in Oncology (PNO). A study presented by Kassouf et...
Erlotinib (Tarceva) or high-dose erlotinib provides benefit in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who develop leptomeningeal metastasis during or after treatment with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Findings supporting second-line...
Alectinib provides longer symptom improvement than crizotinib in <em>ALK</em>-positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to results from the ALEX trial presented by Pérol et al at the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) in Geneva, Switzerland (Abstract...
Further evidence that immunotherapy provides long-term survival benefit for patients with lung cancer was presented by Mazières et al at the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) in Geneva, Switzerland (Abstract 136PD_PR). Researchers presented the 3-year survival results of the randomized...
The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) welcomes the latest reports from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) as a major resource for researchers across the world and calls for increased across-the-board commitment to translate these efforts into medical advances for the benefit of patients with ...
Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have completed a detailed genomic analysis, known as the Pan-Cancer Atlas, on a data set of molecular and clinical information from over 10,000 tumors representing 33 types of cancer. “This project is the culmination of more than...
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has issued an update to its clinical guideline for the use of palliative-intent radiation therapy for patients with incurable non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Reflecting new evidence from randomized clinical trials, the guideline now...
On April 10, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Fast Track designation to the oral selective inhibitor of nuclear export (SINE) compound selinexor for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least three prior lines of therapy. The FDA’s...
A study by Eberl et al in Cancer Cell has pinpointed a mechanism that controls how basal cell cancers respond to treatment and offers new ideas for controlling this disease. Basal cell carcinomas are incredibly common—somewhere between 1 million to 3 million diagnosed each year—and...
On April 4, Pfizer Inc announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted the company’s new drug application and granted Priority Review for dacomitinib, a pan-human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor, for the first-line treatment of...
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved rucaparib (Rubraca) tablets for the maintenance treatment of adult patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who have a complete or partial response to platinum-based chemotherapy. The FDA...
Topline results from the phase III REACH-2 study of ramucirumab (Cyramza) as a single agent in the second-line treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were recently announced. The trial met its primary endpoint of overall survival as well as the secondary endpoint of...
On April 3, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Fast Track designation for TAR-200, a gemcitabine-releasing intravesical system (GemRIS), for the treatment of patients with organ-confined or locally advanced muscle-invasive bladder cancer who are unfit for curative-intent therapy....
ASCO’s Conquer Cancer Foundation has announced the recipients of its 2018 International Innovation Grants (IIG) and International Development and Education Awards (IDEA). Both the grant and award support oncology professionals in low-and middle-income countries, investing in either an innovative...
THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION for Cancer Research (AACR) announced the launch of a collaborative initiative known as “2020 by 2020.” The initiative will perform genomic sequencing of both malignant and benign tumor tissues from 2,020 consented African American cancer patients in addition to aggregating...
Some patients may make discriminatory requests for a different clinician for their health care.1-5 These individuals may want to avoid treatment with clinicians of a certain race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin. Oncologists are not exempt from this type of patient...
Data presented at the 2017 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition on the longer-term follow-up analysis of results from the ZUMA-1 trial investigating the effectiveness of axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta) in patients with refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) showed...
ELI LILLY AND COMPANY announced that Maura Dickler, MD, a breast cancer clinical researcher at the Breast Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), will join Lilly Oncology as Vice President of Late Phase Development in early May 2018. Dr. Dickler is currently Section Head ...
VIRGINIA CANCER SPECIALISTS, an affiliate of The US Oncology Network, has announced Hernan Vargas, MD, has joined its practice. Virginia Cancer Specialists is a cancer care and research center in Northern Virginia with more than 40 years of service to patients. Dr. Vargas joins Virginia Cancer...
THE COMMUNITY ONCOLOGY ALLIANCE announced that Frederick M. Schnell, MD, FACP, has been appointed to the newly created staff position of Medical Director. Dr. Schnell has been a practicing community oncologist for 34 years and most recently Chief Executive Officer at Central Georgia Cancer Care...
The 2018 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium is supported by ASCO, the American Society of Radiation Oncology, the Society of Surgical Oncology, and the AGA Institute. Over 3,700 physicians, researchers, and allied health-care professionals attended the meeting. Photos by © ASCO/Todd Buchanan ...
ON MARCH 20, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris), an antibody-drug conjugate, to treat adult patients with previously untreated stage III or IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma in combination with chemotherapy. Brentuximab vedotin combines an antibody and...
WHETHER THEY are parents themselves or dealing with their own parents, patients with cancer often look to their health-care team to help guide these relationships, but data on how best to help are lacking, according to two poster presentations at the 2018 American Psychosocial Oncology Society...
On April 3, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) accepted for review the Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for cemiplimab for the treatment of patients with metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) or patients with locally advanced CSCC who are not candidates for surgery....
On April 3, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted a Biologics License Application (BLA) for moxetumomab pasudotox, an investigational anti-CD22 recombinant immunotoxin and a potential new medicine for the treatment of adult patients with hairy cell leukemia (HCL) who have received at ...
THE SAMUEL WAXMAN Cancer Research Foundation (SWCRF) will present the 2018 Daid T. Workman Memorial Award to Craig B. Thompson, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, at its Breakthroughs Scientific Symposium in late April. The event brings together...
EDWARD M. WOLIN, MD, an internationally renowned authority on neuroendocrine tumors, has joined the Mount Sinai Health System as Director of the Center for Carcinoid and Neuroendocrine Tumors. This multidisciplinary center includes specialists in gastroenterology, surgical oncology, hepatobiliary...
DESTROY PANCREATIC CANCER, an Atlanta-based nonprofit dedicated to finding better treatments for pancreatic cancer, is donating $1 million for a unique pancreatic cancer clinical trial designed by the nonprofit Translational Genomics Research Institute. Daniel D. Von Hoff, MD, FACP, one of the...
THE 2018 GENITOURINARY Cancers Symposium hosted an international audience of oncologists and other stakeholders to hear about the latest advances in the field. We have included coverage of many of the top news stories from the meeting in previous issues of The ASCO Post. Here are summaries of a few ...
Dr. Collins is Director of the National Institutes of Health. Originally posted on March 19, 2018, to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s Blog (https://directorsblog. nih.gov). OVER THE PAST couple of weeks, we’ve lost two legendary scientists who made major contributions to our...
On March 30, Foundation Medicine announced that FoundationOne CDx, the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved comprehensive genomic-profiling assay for all solid tumors incorporating multiple companion diagnostics, is now available in the United States. FoundationOne CDx is a...
Extensive surgery involving mastectomy and removal of several lymph nodes may be safely avoided for more women with some types of breast cancer if they receive targeted drugs before surgery, according to research presented at the 11th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-11) (Abstract 19). The...
The ASCO Post mourns the loss of ASCO Past President James F. Holland, MD, FASCO, on March 22, 2018. Dr. Holland was the Distinguished Professor of Neoplastic Diseases in the Department of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. His wife of many years, Jimmie C....
“I think I found the trial that is going to save your life,” Stefanie Joho’s sister said after checking out the ClinicalTrials.gov website. “And sure enough, it did. That is not an exaggeration. That is exactly what happened,” Ms. Joho, a health advocate and consultant based in Philadelphia, told...