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Breast Cancer
Genomics/Genetics

Clinical Characteristics of Breast Cancer in Young BRCA Carriers

In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Matteo Lambertini, MD, and colleagues identified clinical characteristics of breast cancer in young women carrying germline pathogenic variants in BRCA1 vs BRCA2 and examined the effect of prediagnostic BRCA testing on outcomes. Study...

Leukemia
Genomics/Genetics

Combination of MCL-1 and SRC Inhibitors May Increase Cell Death in AML

An innovative combination of treatment strategies involving myeloid cell leukemia (MCL)-1 inhibitors and a kinase inhibitor targeting the SRC oncogene could be effective at triggering cell death in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells, according to a recent study published by Hu et al in Signal...

Prostate Cancer
Genomics/Genetics

BRCA1 Gene Mutations May Not Be Key to Prostate Cancer

Germline or somatic mutations in the BRCA1 gene might not be key to the initiation of prostate cancer, as previously thought, suggests the first study of its kind, published in BMJ Oncology. If confirmed in further studies, the findings suggest that it may be time to reassess current treatment...

Multiple Myeloma
Genomics/Genetics
Issues in Oncology

Genetic Testing May Identify High-Risk Cytogenetic Abnormalities in Patients With Multiple Myeloma

Offering genetic testing to patients with multiple myeloma may help physicians to determine which patients have the most aggressive types of the disease and how to target their malignancy more effectively, according to a recent study published by Kaiser et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology....

Skin Cancer
Genomics/Genetics
Issues in Oncology

New Study Identifies Potential Genes Implicated in Treatment-Resistant Melanoma

Researchers have found that inhibiting the S6K2 gene could be an effective strategy for managing treatment-resistant melanoma, according to a recent study published by Lipchick et al in Science Translational Medicine. Background Cases of melanoma—the deadliest type of skin cancer—are currently...

Lung Cancer
Genomics/Genetics
Issues in Oncology

Predicting Response to KRAS G12C Inhibitors in NSCLC

Researchers may have uncovered a novel strategy to help predict how well patients with KRAS G12C–mutated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) will respond to new therapies, according to a recent study published by Kato et al in Clinical Cancer Research. Study Methods and Results Researchers developed ...

Gynecologic Cancers
Genomics/Genetics

Hereditary Ovarian Cancer Risk: Unlocking New Insights

Researchers have uncovered new heredity genes that may contribute to an increased risk of developing high-grade serous ovarian cancer, according to a recent study published by Subramanian et al in npj Genomic Medicine. Background High-grade serous ovarian cancer is one of the most prevalent and...

Solid Tumors
Issues in Oncology
Genomics/Genetics

FDA Highlights Importance of DPD Deficiency Discussions With Patients Prior to Capecitabine or Fluorouracil Treatment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided a safety announcement to increase awareness of recent updates to the product labeling of capecitabine and fluorouracil related to the risks associated with dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency. Background Fluoropyrimidines are a...

Colorectal Cancer
Genomics/Genetics
Issues in Oncology

Novel Combination Targeted Therapies, Chemotherapy in BRAF-Mutated Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

First-line treatment with the targeted therapies encorafenib and cetuximab plus a modified leucovorin, fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin (mFOLFOX6) chemotherapy regimen may be effective in patients with BRAF V600E–mutated metastatic colorectal cancer, according to recent findings presented by Kopetz et ...

Pancreatic Cancer
Genomics/Genetics

Effect of KRAS Mutation Status on Treatment Outcomes in Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

In a study reported in JAMA Network Open, Norton et al found that KRAS G12D and G12V mutations were associated with worse outcomes compared with KRAS wild-type in patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Study Details The retrospective cohort study used data from a nationwide U.S.-based ...

Prostate Cancer
Genomics/Genetics
Issues in Oncology

Genomic Classifier Tests May Influence Treatment Decisions in Prostate Cancer Despite Lack of Evidence for Long-Term Outcomes

Although genomic classifier tests may influence risk classifications or treatment decisions in patients with localized prostate cancer, there is a need for more data to better understand cost effectiveness, clinical utility, and their impact on racial and ethnic groups—particularly Black men,...

Genomics/Genetics
Breast Cancer
Gynecologic Cancers
Pancreatic Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Issues in Oncology

Improvements in BRCA2 Testing Could Enhance Cancer Risk Assessment, Patient Care

Researchers may have advanced the understanding of genetic alterations in the BRCA2 gene, according to a recent study published by Huang et al in Nature. The findings could improve the accuracy of genetic testing and allow health-care professionals to offer more precise risk assessments and...

CNS Cancers
Genomics/Genetics
Issues in Oncology

New Study Identifies Genes That Could Be Implicated in Glioblastoma in Adulthood

Researchers have discovered of a new type of stem cell in the brain that could lead to the development of more effective treatments in adult patients with glioblastoma, according to a recent study published by Wang et al in Nature. The finding could help explain how adult brain cells take advantage ...

Gastroesophageal Cancer
Genomics/Genetics

Role of Cancer Gene in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma May Support Paradigm Shift in Predicting Disease

A genetic mutation long believed to drive the development of esophageal cancer may play a protective role early in the disease, according to a recent study published by Ganguli et al in Nature Cancer. The findings could help physicians identify which patients are at greater risk of developing...

Hematologic Malignancies
Leukemia
Genomics/Genetics

Study Finds Genetic Changes, Elevated Leukemia Risk in Ground Zero First Responders

First responders who worked at Ground Zero in the aftermath of the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City were three times more likely to have genetic changes associated with an increased risk of leukemia compared with other first responders or members of the public who were not...

Hematologic Malignancies
Genomics/Genetics

Detection of Occult Maternal Cancer Through Prenatal Cell-Free DNA Sequencing

In the IDENTIFY study, reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Turriff et al found a high incidence of maternal occult cancer associated with unusual or nonreportable prenatal cell-free DNA (cfDNA) findings in fetal aneuploidy screening. Study Details In the ongoing study, performed at the ...

Breast Cancer
Immunotherapy
Genomics/Genetics

Novel Immunotherapy May Offer Benefit in Early Clinical Trial for Breast Cancer

A novel cell-based immunotherapy may enhance treatment responses and reduce the need for conventional chemotherapy and its associated toxicities in patients with breast cancer, according to a recent study published by Han et al in JAMA Oncology. Study Methods and Results In the phase I clinical...

Issues in Oncology
Genomics/Genetics

How Functional and Genomic Precision Medicine Are Getting Closer to Matching Each Patient to the Right Therapy

Functional precision medicine—in which information is obtained from direct perturbations of tumor-derived living cells that enable immediate translatable, personalized data to guide patient therapy—has its roots dating back more than 50 years.1 However, advances in two- and three-dimensional...

Breast Cancer
Issues in Oncology
Genomics/Genetics

Healthy Women May Have Aneuploid Epithelial Cells Resembling Breast Cancer

Researchers have found that in healthy women, some breast cells that otherwise appear normal may contain chromosome abnormalities typically associated with invasive breast cancer, according to a recent study published by Lin et al in Nature. The findings challenged conventional thinking on the...

Hematologic Malignancies
Solid Tumors
Immunotherapy
Genomics/Genetics
Issues in Oncology

New Technique May Allow for Visualization of CAR T Cells Postinjection

The University of Cincinnati Cancer Center announced the launch of a new study funded by a $2.3 million National Cancer Institute (NCI) grant to develop a novel technique to visualize where genetically modified immune cells go after being administered in patients with cancer. Background During...

Breast Cancer
Solid Tumors
Genomics/Genetics
Issues in Oncology

AI Tool May Detect Cancer Gene Signatures in Biopsy Images

Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered computational program that may be capable of predicting the activity of thousands of genes within tumor cells based on standard microscopy images of a biopsy, according to a recent study published by Pizurica et al in Nature...

Solid Tumors
Genomics/Genetics

FDA Approves Novel Companion Diagnostic Assay

Caris Life Sciences announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved MI Cancer Seek for use as a companion diagnostic assay to identify patients with cancer who may benefit from targeted therapies. Caris Life Sciences is a next-generation artificial intelligence techbio...

Issues in Oncology
Breast Cancer
Genomics/Genetics

Breast Cancer Vaccine Could Be Preventive, Well Tolerated in High-Risk Patients

Researchers have uncovered insights into a novel investigational vaccine aimed at preventing triple-negative breast cancer. The findings by Rhoades et al were presented at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 2024 Annual Meeting (Abstract 631) and simultaneously published in the Journal...

Solid Tumors
Issues in Oncology
Genomics/Genetics

NCCN Guidelines Have Expanded to Meet Growing Understanding of Hereditary Risk

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) introduced expanded NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) to account for the advanced understanding of hereditary cancer risk in breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate cancers. The new guidelines followed the recent...

Issues in Oncology
Immunotherapy
Genomics/Genetics

Eyeing the Future of Oncology: Highlights From the Presidential Symposium at ESMO Congress 2024

At the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2024, the Eyes to the Future Presidential Symposium showcased innovative approaches in personalized medicine, immunotherapy resistance, and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven pathology analysis. These presentations, focusing on the...

Solid Tumors
Hematologic Malignancies
Issues in Oncology
Genomics/Genetics

Novel Method for Liquid Biopsies May Streamline Cancer Detection

Researchers have discovered a novel strategy to detect cancer cells with a liquid biopsy designed to be simpler, quicker, and more informational compared with current methods, according to a recent study published by Walker et al in Small. Background Current methods for detecting cancer cells may...

Solid Tumors
Genomics/Genetics

CDK4/6 Inhibition in Peritoneal Mucinous Carcinomatosis With GNAS Mutation

In a single-institution study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Weitz et al found that the CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib was active as a novel treatment in patients with peritoneal mucinous carcinomatosis with GNAS mutation. As stated by the investigators: “Mucinous neoplasms of the...

Genomics/Genetics
Issues in Oncology
Solid Tumors

Scientists Develop a ‘Digital Twin’ Model to Predict Cancer Treatment Responses

Researchers have created a “digital twin” model constructed from the clinical and molecular profiles of patients with cancer that accurately predicted how a patient is likely to respond to a specific chemotherapy. The approach optimizes the treatment choice for patients using available clinical...

Bladder Cancer
Genomics/Genetics
Issues in Oncology

Mutations and DNA Structures May Drive Urothelial Carcinoma

Researchers may have uncovered how urothelial carcinoma originates and progresses, according to a novel study published by Nguyen et al in Nature. The findings provided insights into the biology of urothelial carcinoma and may point to new therapeutic strategies for this difficult-to-treat cancer...

Lung Cancer
Genomics/Genetics

Association of TERT Expression and Survival in Pulmonary Carcinoids

As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Werr et al, high telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) expression has been found to be associated with poorer survival in patients with pulmonary carcinoids. As stated by the investigators: “The clinical course of pulmonary carcinoids ranges from ...

Prostate Cancer
Genomics/Genetics

African Men May Have Higher Risk of Developing Prostate Cancer Earlier

Researchers have identified genetic risk factors that may contribute to prostate cancer in a diverse group of African men, according to a recent study published by Janivara et al in Nature Genetics. The findings could uncover new treatment options in this patient population. Background Certain...

Breast Cancer
Survivorship
Genomics/Genetics
Issues in Oncology

Common Breast Cancer Treatments May Speed Aging Process

Researchers have found that common breast cancer treatments—including chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery—may accelerate the biological aging process among breast cancer survivors, according to a new study published by Carroll et al in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The findings...

Genomics/Genetics

Coping With the Risk of Hereditary Cancer

Three years ago, it had become clear that I needed to be tested for the BRCA1/2 mutation. I knew my family history of cancer was not good. My paternal grandmother died of breast cancer when she was just 41, and her mother had likely died of cervical cancer when she was in her 50s. More recently,...

Genomics/Genetics

Two U.S. Scientists Named Recipients of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded jointly to two U.S. scientists: Victor Ambros, PhD, and Gary Ruvkun, PhD, for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. The recipients were named in a news release issued by The Nobel Assembly at ...

Genomics/Genetics
Issues in Oncology

Optimizing the Use of Multicancer Early Detection Tests

Multicancer early detection (MCED) tests are beginning to enter clinical practice, but how useful will they be? “This is an exciting field, with many competing technologies. MCED assays will be coming across your desk in the near future if they haven’t already. But they are not a panacea. They are ...

Breast Cancer
Gynecologic Cancers
Genomics/Genetics

Breast and Ovarian Cancers May Be Linked to Thousands of RAD51C Gene Variants

Researchers have identified thousands of genetic changes in a gene that may increase the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers, according to a recent study published by Olvera-León et al in Cell. The findings may pave the way for better risk assessment and more personalized care. ...

Breast Cancer
Survivorship
Genomics/Genetics
Issues in Oncology

Two Recent Studies Provide Evidence That Breastfeeding After Breast Cancer May Be Safe

Women who breastfeed after treatment for breast cancer—including those with germline BRCA-mutated disease—may not be at increased risk of cancer recurrence or new breast cancers, according to two recent international studies presented by Blondeaux et al (Abstract 1815O) and Peccatori et al...

Breast Cancer
Genomics/Genetics

Study Supports Universal Genetic Testing of Newly Diagnosed Patients With Invasive Breast Cancer

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...

Leukemia
Genomics/Genetics

Genomic Determinants of Relapse in Childhood ALL

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...

Genomics/Genetics
Solid Tumors

FDA Approves Cancer Biomarker Test, Companion Diagnostic Indications

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...

Solid Tumors
Genomics/Genetics

Previously Untreated Cancer of Unknown Primary: Site-Specific Therapy Guided by a 90-Gene Expression Assay

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...

Multiple Myeloma
Genomics/Genetics
Issues in Oncology

Novel Insights Into Multiple Myeloma Progression

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...

Gynecologic Cancers
Genomics/Genetics

Targetable Variant Found in Chinese Patients With Ovarian Cancer

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...

Leukemia
Genomics/Genetics

Novel Insights May Transform Diagnosis and Treatment of Pediatric Patients With T-Lineage ALL

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...

Colorectal Cancer
Genomics/Genetics

New Study May Unveil Prognostic Genetic Insights Into Colorectal Cancer

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...

Lung Cancer
Genomics/Genetics

EGFR-Mutated NSCLC: Tepotinib/Osimertinib in Patients With MET Amplification

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...

Bladder Cancer
Genomics/Genetics

Can Mutations in DNA Damage Repair Genes Predict Cisplatin Response in Muscle-Invasive Urothelial Carcinoma?

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 ...

Breast Cancer
Genomics/Genetics

Early Breast Cancer: Genetic Testing and Communication of Results With Family After Diagnosis

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...

Prostate Cancer
Genomics/Genetics

Can Living in a Disadvantaged Area Increase the Risk of Aggressive Prostate Cancer?

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....

Breast Cancer
Survivorship
Genomics/Genetics

Are Eligible Breast Cancer Survivors Receiving Genetic Testing?

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...

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