In a cross-sectional study reported in JAMA Network Open, Rezoug et al found that universal genetic testing identified immediately actionable and established germline pathogenic variants in more than 1 in 20 newly diagnosed patients with invasive breast cancer and was associated with systemic...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Chang et al identified potential genomic determinants of relapse risk in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). As stated by the investigators, “Although cure rates for childhood ALL exceed 90%, ALL remains a leading cause of cancer...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the in vitro diagnostic TruSight Oncology (TSO) Comprehensive test and its first two companion diagnostic indications. This targeted sequencing panel interrogates over 500 genes to profile a patient's solid tumor, helping to increase the...
In a Chinese single-center trial (Fudan CUP-001) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Liu et al found that site-specific therapy guided by a 90-gene expression assay improved progression-free survival vs empirical chemotherapy in previously untreated patients with cancer of unknown primary (CUP) who...
Researchers have offered a comprehensive understanding of the progression of multiple myeloma from a treatable condition to a high-risk disease by providing insights into its genetic diversity and subtypes, according to a recent study published by Skerget et al in Nature Genetics. Background...
Researchers may have uncovered the germline mutational landscape of Chinese patients with ovarian cancer and identified an enriched RAD51D variant in these patients, according to a recent study published by Feng et al in JCO Global Oncology. The findings could serve as a critical reference for...
Researchers have uncovered that T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) may be frequently driven by genetic changes in noncoding portions of the DNA, according to a recent study published by Pölönen et al in Nature. The investigators believe these findings may lead to a paradigm shift in...
Researchers have reported novel genetic alterations and molecular classifiers of tumor variants in patients with colorectal cancer, according to a recent study published by Nunes et al in Nature. Background “Since 2018, Uppsala University and BGI [Genomics] have carried out in-depth cooperation on...
In the phase II INSIGHT 2 trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Yi-Long Wu, MD, and colleagues found that the combination of tepotinib plus osimertinib showed clinically meaningful activity in patients with advanced or metastatic EGFR-mutated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with MET...
The presence of a mutation in any one of three genes known to be involved in DNA damage repair may be associated with complete pathologic response to cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy, as measured by pathologic downstaging at the time of cystectomy in patients with muscle-invasive urothelial ...
In a U.S. study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Steven J. Katz, MD, MPH, and colleagues found that many women with early breast cancer and indications for genetic testing do not undergo said testing. Study Details The study involved data from 1,412 women aged 20 to 79 years...
Those living in disadvantaged neighborhoods have significantly higher activity of stress-related genes, new research suggests, which in turn may contribute to higher rates of aggressive prostate cancer in African American men. These findings were published by Boyle et al in JAMA Network Open....
Researchers have found that many eligible breast cancer survivors may not be receiving genetic counseling and testing, according to a recent study published by Katz et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Background A growing proportion of cancer treatment and survivorship care relies on...
Some patients with a genetic predisposition for cancer may not qualify for genetic screenings under the current guidelines, according to a recent study published by Samadder et al in JCO Precision Oncology. Researchers are investigating how to advance personalized medicine and tailor prevention and ...
The search for biomarkers of response to immunotherapy is high on the list of cancer-related research efforts. A new classifier in triple-negative breast cancer is showing promise and is currently being validated in the I-SPY2.2 trial, according to Laura van ’t Veer, PhD, Professor of Laboratory...
In a single-center study reported in JAMA Network Open, Kerollos Nashat Wanis, MD, PhD, and colleagues found that women with breast cancer and a pathogenic BRCA1/2 variant who underwent breast-conserving therapy had a 71% rate of 10-year bilateral mastectomy–free survival. Study Details The study...
In a study reported in JAMA Network Open, Plym et al found that men at a higher genetic risk for prostate cancer were more likely to experience early death from prostate cancer compared to men with a lower genetic risk for the disease. Study Details The cohort study used a combined analysis of...
Results from the ECOG-ACRIN EAZ171 trial—reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Schneider et al—showed that germline predictors of taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy were not associated with an increased risk of taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy in Black women with early-stage breast...
Initiating surveillance soon after recognizing a pediatric patient has a genetic predisposition for cancer may improve the identification of early-stage asymptomatic tumors, according to a recent study published by Blake et al in JAMA Oncology. The findings may inform clinical practice following...
A serum fusion-gene machine-learning model may offer early diagnostic accuracy and could help improve the 5-year survival rate in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, according to a recent study published by Yu et al in The American Journal of Pathology. Background Hepatocellular carcinoma is...
On June 13, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to repotrectinib (Augtyro) for adult and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with solid tumors that have a neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase (NTRK) gene fusion, are locally advanced or metastatic or...
Researchers have found that about 6% of patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and KRAS, EGFR, or ALK gene mutations may also have HER2 alterations, according to recent findings presented by Dahake et al at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 8534). Background Lung adenocarcinoma is...
Researchers examined whether the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab given neoadjuvantly may improve outcomes in certain patients with stage II or III mismatch repair–deficient/microsatellite instability–high colorectal cancer. Interim findings from the phase II NEOPRISM-CRC clinical trial were presented...
New findings suggest that docetaxel may be considered the preferred treatment over paclitaxel for Black patients with early-stage breast cancer. While the EAZ171 trial focused specifically on Black people, the results highlight the need to personalize therapy to minimize toxicity. Importantly, this ...
Alicia Morgans, MD, MPH, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Susan Halabi, PhD, of the Duke Cancer Institute and Duke University School of Medicine, discuss a clinical-genetic model that identified novel circulating tumor DNA alterations that are prognostic of overall survival and may help to classify patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer into risk groups useful for selecting trial participants (Abstract 5007).
Researchers have uncovered differences in the genomic makeup of metastatic prostate cancer cells among U.S. veterans that may be associated with race and ethnicity. These findings will be presented by Valle et al at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 5017). The research could translate into...
Researchers have discovered that the presence of a benign nail condition known as onychopapilloma may lead to the diagnosis of BAP1 tumor predisposition syndrome, according to a recent study presented by Lebensohn et al at the Society for Investigative Dermatology 2024 Annual Meeting and...
Researchers have uncovered novel genetic variants potentially associated with a higher risk of breast cancer–related mortality among women of African ancestry, according to a recent study published by Jia et al in Nature Genetics. Background Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among...
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Bob T. Li, MD, PhD, MPH, and colleagues, the phase II DESTINY-PanTumor01 trial showed activity of fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (T-DXd) in patients with unresectable or metastatic solid tumors that have specific activating HER2 mutations. The antibody-drug...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Im et al found that genetic variants associated with a risk of treatment-related type 2 diabetes mellitus among childhood cancer survivors of African or European ancestry posed a higher risk of diabetes among those of African ancestry. As...
Recent research has provided valuable insights into the long-term outcomes of patients with pathogenic BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations who undergo breast-conserving therapy, according to a study presented at the 2024 Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) Annual Meeting.1 The observational study found that...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Klümper et al established a fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay to measure NECTIN4 copy number variations and found that NECTIN4 amplification was associated with high activity of the anti-NECTIN4 antibody-drug conjugate...
Investigators have uncovered genetic variants that may predispose certain female patients to prevalent or persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and increase their risk of developing cervical cancer, according to a recent study published by Adebamowo et al in the European Journal of Human ...
Researchers have shown that even minimal exposure to chrysotile asbestos may increase susceptibility to the development of malignant mesothelioma in mice with BAP1 germline mutations, according to new findings presented by Kadariya et al at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual ...
Certain proteogenomic signatures in the prostate cancers of men of African and European ancestries were associated with higher risk of metastasis and/or recurrence of the disease, according to a study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2024 (Abstract...
The novel poly-ADP ribose polymerase-1 (PARP1)-selective inhibitor saruparib demonstrated early efficacy and a favorable safety profile in patients with homologous recombination repair (HRR)-deficient breast cancer, according to new findings presented by Yap et al at the American Association for...
A genetic variant located on the IKZF1 gene may be responsible for disparities in the risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) among Hispanic and Latino children, according to a recent study published by de Smith et al in Cell Genomics. The findings offer insights into the causes of the disease...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Battaglin et al, an analysis from the phase III CALGB/SWOG 80405 trial of first-line chemotherapy plus bevacizumab or cetuximab in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer showed differences in outcomes according to HER2 gene–expression status....
The combination of avelumab and axitinib may be effective in patients with mismatch repair–proficient recurrent or persistent endometrial cancer, according to new findings presented by Lee et al at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology’s (SGO) 2024 Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer. Background...
Researchers have identified two genetic markers that may illuminate the association between red and/or processed meat consumption and the risk of colorectal cancer, according to a novel study published by Stern et al in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Background Previous studies...
ASCO in partnership with the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) has released a new guideline addressing recommendations in germline testing in patients with breast cancer.1 The guideline provides oncologists with a framework for how to approach germline testing and recommendations for who should be ...
Investigators have found that common inherited genetic factors capable of predicting cancer risk in the general population may also help to predict childhood cancer survivors who may be at elevated risk of new cancers later in life, according to a recent study published by Gibson et al in Nature...
Researchers have uncovered distinct alterations in the tumor genome of male patients with breast cancer that may suggest potential therapeutic targets, according to a recent study published by Assaad et al in Modern Pathology. Background Breast cancer in male patients represents less than 1% of all ...
Investigators may have uncovered differential associations between smoking and DNA methylation across various racial and ethnic groups, according to a recent study published by Huang et al in the American Journal of Human Genetics. The findings could lead to the development of new strategies to...
The established dual HER2 blockade of pertuzumab and trastuzumab may be an effective treatment for patients with several types of HER2-amplified cancers, according to a study published by Connolly et al in Clinical Cancer Research. Background HER2 receptors control how cells grow and divide. The...
On March 1, the FDA approved the monoclonal bispecific anti–EGFR-MET antibody amivantamab-vmjw (Rybrevant) in combination with carboplatin and pemetrexed for the first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test....
Researchers have demonstrated that an online genetic education program may encourage patients with a family history of cancer to undertake genetic testing, according to a recent study published by Rodriguez et al in Gastroenterology. Background Although research has shown that an inherited...
Researchers have identified a set of 140 genes that may help predict disease-free survival in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with a combination of immunotherapy and low-dose radiation, according to a recent study published by Altorki et al in Cell Reports Medicine. The...
My family first suspected we might have inherited the BRCA1/2 gene mutation after my father was diagnosed with his third cancer, colorectal cancer, following multiple bouts of squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma beginning in his 30s and later prostate cancer. But the high risk of...
In a Swedish study reported in JAMA Oncology, Rodriguez et al identified characteristics of interval breast cancers—those diagnosed between two screening examinations—compared with screen-detected cancers on the basis of analysis of rare germline genetic deleterious protein-truncating variants. As...