In a Dutch phase II study (TRAIN-3) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Louis et al found that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided optimization of duration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy was associated with favorable event-free survival in patients with stage II to III HER2-positive breast cancer....
In an interim analysis of a phase III trial (KEYVIBE-010) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Dummer et al found that adjuvant therapy with a coformulation of the anti-TIGIT antibody vibostolimab with pembrolizumab did not improve outcomes vs pembrolizumab alone in patients with resected high-risk...
Microplastics and nanoplastics were identified in samples from 9 out of 10 patients with prostate cancer, with greater levels of these small plastic fragments inside tumors than in nearby normal tissue, according to findings from a small pilot study that will be presented at the upcoming 2026 ASCO...
U.S. counties located closer to operational nuclear power plants (NPPs) have higher rates of cancer mortality than those located farther away, according to a new study published by Alwadi et al in Nature Communications. The study is the first of the 21st century to analyze proximity to NPPs and...
Researchers have reported findings that may help redefine treatment for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, a potentially aggressive form of the disease that is traditionally treated with surgical removal of the bladder. The study, published by Matthew D. Galsky, MD, and colleagues in the ...
Researchers have developed a new computational approach designed to better account for changes in gene expression within tumors relative to their unique microenvironments. This approach outperformed current methods for predicting chemotherapy response in patients with triple-negative breast ...
The bispecific antibody odronextamab plus standard CHOP (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, prednisone) chemotherapy yielded robust and durable responses in treatment-naive patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), based on the first results of the phase III OLYMPIA-3 study...
A genetic study of Mexican patients with acral melanoma revealed that the cancer subtype encompasses three groups that may each have distinct gene expressions associated with different survival outcomes, according to findings published in Nature. “We found that acral melanoma is not a single...
In an English population–based study reported in The Lancet Oncology, Maringe et al found that inequalities in provision of minimally invasive surgical resection of colon cancer may be associated with poorer patient outcomes. Study Details The study involved data from patients diagnosed with stage...
On February 19, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor acalabrutinib (Calquence) tablets and capsules in combination with the BCL2 inhibitor venetoclax (Venclexta) for adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma...
In an individual patient data meta-analysis (WOLVERINE) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Tang et al found that the addition of metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) to standard of care (SOC) was associated with benefits in patients with oligometastatic prostate cancer. Study Details A systematic review ...
In a UK study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Gandhi et al found that whereas breast cancer incidence was reduced with bilateral risk-reducing mastectomy (BRRM) among women carrying BRCA1/BRCA2 pathogenic variants, no difference vs surveillance was observed in breast cancer–specific...
Researchers developed a deep neural network, M-PACT, to identify and classify brain tumors in pediatric patients from the subnanogram-input cell-free DNA of methylomes, according to findings published in Nature Cancer. “This is a next-generation assay and computational framework that we’ve...
The incidence of new primary melanoma was similar among patients with completely resected stage IIB or IIC cutaneous melanoma who did vs did not receive adjuvant pembrolizumab, while nonmelanoma skin cancers were more common with placebo, according to a secondary analysis of the multicenter phase...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Kanemitsu et al, long-term results of the Japanese phase II/III JCOG0603 trial showed that the addition of adjuvant mFOLFOX6 to hepatectomy did not improve overall survival vs hepatectomy alone in patients with liver-only metastases from colorectal ...
Treatment with the novel CD123-targeting antibody-drug conjugate pivekimab sunirine led to a high rate of complete and durable responses in patients with blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN), especially among patients being treated in the front-line setting. The antibody-drug...
New research highlighting the growing potential of radiopharmaceutical therapies (RPT) to improve outcomes for people with cancer was presented at the inaugural Multidisciplinary Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Symposium, which took place in Palm Desert, California, and online on February 17 and 18....
Longer duration of diabetes is associated with a modestly increased risk of developing pancreatic cystic neoplasms, based on the results of a Korean nationwide population-based cohort study published in JAMA Network Open. Cho et al noted that the association was more pronounced among younger...
Zsofia K. Stadler, MD, has been appointed as the next Editor-in-Chief of JCO Precision Oncology (JCO PO), an ASCO journal. JCO PO is a peer-reviewed, online-only journal publishing original research, reports, opinions, and reviews that advance the science and practice of precision oncology and...
The addition of the BRAF inhibitor encorafenib and the EGFR antibody cetuximab to chemotherapy with FOLFIRI (leucovorin, fluorouracil, and irinotecan) in the first-line treatment of BRAF V600E–mutated metastatic colorectal cancer led to a significant improvement in overall response rate—compared...
Pleurectomy/decortication can be completed safely in select patients with pleural mesothelioma with low postoperative mortality, according to findings from a study published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. “Our findings show that pleurectomy/decortication can be done safely when patients are...
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Nilsson et al, the 10-year analysis of the phase III HYPO-RT-PC trial confirmed the noninferiority of ultra-hypofractionated vs conventionally fractionated radiotherapy (RT) in failure-free survival in patients with localized prostate cancer. The previously...
Pfizer has announced positive topline progression-free survival results from cohort 3, a separate randomized cohort of the pivotal BREAKWATER trial, evaluating encorafenib in combination with cetuximab and FOLFIRI (fluorouracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan) in patients with previously untreated...
A remotely delivered, behaviorally designed game-based intervention was found to increase physical activity and may have implications for cardiovascular health among Black and Hispanic breast and prostate cancer survivors with cardiovascular risk factors compared with attention control, according...
In a prospective, longitudinal cohort study published in JACC: CardioOncology by Glen et al, cancer therapy–related cardiac dysfunction and hypertension were found to be common cardiovascular adverse events among patients with melanoma who received BRAF or MEK inhibitor therapy. Nearly half of...
Patients in rural areas who received surgery locally for their lung or colon cancer had comparable surgical outcomes and mortality rates to patients who underwent surgery in an urban facility, according to the results of an analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons....
In the phase III COMMIT trial, a regimen combining atezolizumab plus bevacizumab and standard chemotherapy significantly improved progression-free survival and response rates over atezolizumab monotherapy in patients with previously untreated mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) or microsatellite...
Today, Johnson & Johnson announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new, simplified monthly dosing schedule for amivantamab and hyaluronidase-lpuj (Rybrevant Faspro). When administered in combination with oral lazertinib for the first-line treatment EGFR-mutated...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Hendifar et al found that a computational histology artificial intelligence (CHAI)-powered platform could be used to identify whether gemcitabine-based (G-chemo) or fluoropyrimidine-based (F-chemo) chemotherapy is preferred as first-line...
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) released guidelines on front-line management of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in adolescents and young adults (AYAs), as well as the management of relapsed or refractory disease in this population. Both guidelines, grounded in evidence-based practice,...
Aromatase inhibitors are a cornerstone of adjuvant therapy for hormone receptor–positive breast cancer, significantly reducing recurrence and mortality. However, by suppressing estrogen production, aromatase inhibitors can accelerate bone loss and increase fracture risk. To counter this,...
In a French phase II trial (IMMUNEBOOST-HPV) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Mirghani et al found that use of induction nivolumab prior to chemoradiation (CRT) did not meet the endpoint of ‘receipt of full treatment in due time’ (FTDT) in patients with high-risk human papillomavirus...
In a Chinese phase III trial (neoCARHP) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Gao et al found that neoadjuvant therapy with a taxane plus trastuzumab and pertuzumab (THP) was noninferior in pathologic complete response (pCR) compared with THP plus carboplatin (TCbHP) in patients with stage...
Treatment with a single injection of an oncolytic virus induces persistent T cell–mediated immunity in glioblastoma, according to findings from a trial published in Cell. “Patients with glioblastoma have not benefited from immunotherapies that have transformed patient care in other cancer types...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved drug labeling changes to six menopausal hormone therapy products, also known as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), to clarify risk considerations for these drugs. Specifically, risk statements related to cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, ...
As reported in JAMA Network Open by Awan et al, both histopathologic and demographic factors show distinct time-dependent associations with colorectal adenoma recurrence in postpolypectomy surveillance. In this retrospective cohort study, high-grade dysplasia demonstrated the strongest association...
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) has released clinical practice guidelines on the diagnosis of light chain (AL) amyloidosis, which were published in Blood Advances. Additionally, the expert panel behind the guidelines also published a scoping review about the clinical features of systemic...
In a nationwide Korean cohort study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Park et al found that risk of young-onset pancreatic cancer was associated with increased consumption of alcohol and increased frequency of alcohol consumption. Study Details In the study, a nationwide cohort of...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a first-of-its-kind device for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Optune Pax, developed by Novocure, is a portable, noninvasive device that delivers alternating electrical fields, known as tumor treating...
In a Swedish trial (MASAI) reported in The Lancet, Gommers et al found that artificial intelligence (AI)-supported mammography was noninferior to standard double reading without AI in identifying interval breast cancers in women undergoing breast cancer screening. Study Details In the study,...
A national survey of independent community oncology practices has found that utilization management tactics imposed by health insurers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) delay cancer treatment, interfere with physician-directed care, and increase administrative and financial burdens on practices...
Earlier this week, 25 health-care organizations proposed that the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General adopt a new regulatory safe harbor from the Anti-Kickback Statute that would allow clinical trial sponsors to financially support patients to offset indirect or nonmedical costs...
New research published by Nikitas et al in JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network found that incorporating information from prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans may be able to predict progression-free survival...
On February 10, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda) as well as pembrolizumab and the recombinant human enzyme,berahyaluronidase alfa-pmph (Keytruda Qlex) in combination with paclitaxel, with or without bevacizumab. [Pembrolizumab plus...
The first-in-human clinical trial of an in vivo CAR T-cell therapy for multiple myeloma has shown encouraging clinical outcomes at an early time point, with a safety profile and ease of administration that indicates the off-the-shelf KLN-1010 could be easily deployable, researchers from Australia...
For myelofibrosis, the treatment landscape is poised for change as new targets have emerged, and treatments are evolving beyond the standard Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors. Novel therapies are being paired with the commonly used JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib, as reflected by a wealth of studies...
In patients with CALR exon 9–mutated myelofibrosis who were resistant or intolerant to prior Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor therapy or ineligible for such treatment, the first-in-class mutant calreticulin–specific monoclonal antibody INCA033989 as monotherapy or in combination with ruxolitinib...
In patients with follicular lymphoma who received at least one prior line of therapy, the combination of the bispecific antibody epcoritamab-bysp and rituximab–lenalidomide (R2) reduced the risk of disease progression or death by almost 80% over R2 alone, based on the primary analysis of the phase...
As front-line therapy, a chemotherapy-free regimen combining the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) ponatinib and the bispecific T-cell engager blinatumomab significantly outperformed standard treatment with imatinib plus chemotherapy in adults with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome–positive...
At this year’s American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition in Orlando, we had the opportunity to navigate both manned and unmanned traffic, contend with temperamental weather, and count our steps as we took in the most consequential developments in hematologic oncology....