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Hepatobiliary Cancer
Immunotherapy

ASCO Releases Guideline on Systemic Therapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

ASCO has released a new evidence-based clinical practice guideline to assist in clinical decision-making for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.1 “Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma has transitioned from a disease where we had a single approved therapy for patients to one where we now...

Immunotherapy
Solid Tumors
Sarcoma

Progress Report on Checkpoint Inhibitors in Rare Tumors

Immune checkpoint inhibitors may prove to be effective in treating patients with two rare cancer types—leptomeningeal metastases and angiosarcoma, according to early-phase clinical trials reported at the 2020 Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), which was held virtually ...

Breast Cancer
Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: An Evolving Story

Immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors, established as a treatment of many solid tumors, may be finding a role in the treatment of breast cancer. The current state of the art regarding immunotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer was the focus of a talk by Heather L. McArthur, MD, MPH, Medical ...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

Expert Point of View: Joel W. Neal, MD, PhD

Invited discussant of the abstract, Joel W. Neal, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine at Stanford University, called this real-world analysis novel,1 given the decreasing number of patients treated with single-agent immunotherapy. “I think we’re unlikely to have a larger prospective study [in...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

Lung Cancer Progression-Free Survival With Immunotherapy Varies Significantly by Tumor-Mutation Subtype, Real-World Data Show

A real-world study of single-agent immune checkpoint inhibitors in driver-mutated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has demonstrated significant variation in progression-free survival between mutation subtypes, according to data presented during the International Association for the Study of Lung...

lymphoma
immunotherapy

Caron A. Jacobson, MD, on Treating Large B-Cell Lymphoma With Axicabtagene Ciloleucel

Caron A. Jacobson, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discusses results from the ZUMA-9 C2 study, an ongoing trial that is exploring axicabtagene ciloleucel in patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma (Abstract 2100).

Leukemia
Immunotherapy

ASH 2020: Chemotherapy Plus Blinatumomab for Philadelphia Chromosome–Negative B-Cell ALL

Results from a phase II study presented by Nicholas J. Short, MD, and colleagues at the 2020 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition (Abstract 464) showed that first-line treatment with a regimen of chemotherapy combined with the monoclonal antibody blinatumomab...

multiple myeloma
immunotherapy

Sagar Lonial, MD, on CAR T-Cell Therapies for Myeloma: Novel Approaches and Longer-Term Follow-up Data

Sagar Lonial, MD, of the Emory University School of Medicine, summarizes key papers presented in a session he co-moderated on how second-generation CAR T cells can be used to treat patients with multiple myeloma (Session 653).

Lymphoma
Immunotherapy

ZUMA-5 Trial Finds Axicabtagene Ciloleucel Shows Activity in Patients With Indolent Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

In the phase II ZUMA-5 trial, axicabtagene ciloleucel led to responses in 92% of patients with indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma treated with the cellular immunotherapy. These findings were reported by Caron Jacobson, MD, MMSc, and colleagues at the 2020 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual...

Multiple Myeloma
Immunotherapy

ASH 2020: Subcutaneous Teclistamab for Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma Studied in Phase I Trial

A subcutaneous injection of the BCMAxCD3 bispecific antibody teclistamab was found to be safe and elicited responses in a majority of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, according to findings from a multi-institutional phase I study presented by Alfred L. Garfall, MD, and...

Lymphoma
Immunotherapy

ASH 2020: Early Research Shows CD58 May Be a Biomarker for Response to Axicabtagene Ciloleucel in Patients With Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Although the immunotherapy axicabtagene ciloleucel has significantly improved treatment outcomes for some patients with large B-cell lymphoma, not all patients benefit.  In a new study presented by Robbie G. Majzner, MD, and colleagues at the 2020 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting ...

COVID-19
Immunotherapy

ASH 2020: SARS-Cov-2 Multivirus-Specific T Cells for the Treatment of Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19

Researchers have successfully built banks of SARS-CoV-2–specific T cells obtained from people who recovered from the virus that are now poised to be used as an experimental treatment in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. This T cell–based therapy may represent a step forward in the search for...

Multiple Myeloma
Immunotherapy

ASH 2020: APOLLO Findings Support Use of Subcutaneous Daratumumab Plus Pomalidomide/Dexamethasone in Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma

For patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma whose disease progressed after at least one prior regimen, the subcutaneous form of daratumumab, given with pomalidomide and dexamethasone, significantly improved progression-free survival vs pomalidomide and low-dose dexamethasone alone....

Issues in Oncology
COVID-19
Hematologic Malignancies
Immunotherapy

Study Explores Duration of Shedding of Viable SARS-CoV-2 in Patients With Cancer After Immunosuppressive Therapy

In a single-institution study reported in a letter to the editor in The New England Journal of Medicine, Aydillo et al found that SARS-CoV-2 RNA could be detected in patients with COVID-19 receiving immunosuppressive treatment for cancer for as long as 78 days after the onset of virus symptoms. The ...

Lymphoma
Leukemia
Hepatobiliary Cancer
Symptom Management
Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

FDA Pipeline: Agents in DLBCL, SCLC, AML, and More

Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued regulatory decisions for agents to treat diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), small cell lung cancer (SCLC), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), biliary tract cancer, and graft-vs-host disease. Priority Review for Loncastuximab Tesirine...

Gynecologic Cancers
Immunotherapy

Subgroup Analysis of Japanese Patients With Ovarian Cancer Treated With Maintenance Olaparib/Bevacizumab

Findings from a subgroup analysis of the phase III PAOLA-1/ENGOT-ov25 study presented by Fujiwara et al at the ESMO Asia Virtual Congress 2020 showed that the addition of olaparib to bevacizumab maintenance following standard platinum-based therapy plus bevacizumab provided a progression-free...

Immunotherapy

Managing Checkpoint Inhibitor–Mediated Colitis: Vedolizumab vs Infliximab

For patients who develop severe diarrhea or colitis while receiving checkpoint inhibitors, the immunosuppressive agent vedolizumab is preferred over infliximab, according to an expert on the topic from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. A retrospective comparison of outcomes with...

Head and Neck Cancer
Immunotherapy

Phase II Study of Combination Immunotherapy for Advanced Nasopharyngeal Cancer

Dual CTLA-4/PD-1 blockade with ipilimumab plus nivolumab provided durable responses in patients with recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma, according to updated efficacy and safety findings from a phase II study presented by Kao et al at ESMO Asia Virtual Congress 2020 (Abstract 266O)....

CNS Cancers
Immunotherapy

Does Concurrent Treatment With Dexamethasone Diminish the Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Patients With Glioblastoma?

Among patients with glioblastoma receiving an immune checkpoint inhibitor, those who received the corticosteroid dexamethasone at baseline for cerebral edema had significantly worse overall survival, according to results of a study published by Iorgulescu et al in Clinical Cancer Research....

Gastroesophageal Cancer
Gastrointestinal Cancer
Immunotherapy

Avelumab Maintenance vs Continued Chemotherapy After First-Line Induction for Advanced Gastric Cancer

As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Markus Moehler, MD, and colleagues, the phase III JAVELIN Gastric 100 trial showed no improvement in overall survival with avelumab maintenance vs continued chemotherapy after first-line induction in HER2-negative, unresectable, locally advanced or ...

Skin Cancer
Immunotherapy

Machine Learning Algorithms May Help Predict Response to Immunotherapy in Patients With Advanced Melanoma

A study investigating a computational method that integrates deep learning on histology specimens with clinicodemographic variables has found that the artificial intelligence may help predict response to immune checkpoint blockade among patients with advanced melanoma. This computational approach...

Solid Tumors
Immunotherapy

FDA Grants Accelerated Approval to Naxitamab for High-Risk Neuroblastoma in Bone or Bone Marrow

On November 25, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to naxitamab (Danyelza) in combination with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) for pediatric patients aged 1 year and older and adult patients with relapsed or refractory high-risk...

Leukemia
Immunotherapy

Dasatinib/Blinatumomab Produces High Rates of Molecular Response and Survival in Philadelphia Chromosome–Positive ALL

In an Italian phase II trial (GIMEMA LAL2116) reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Robin Foà, MD, of Sapienza University of Rome, and colleagues, found that first-line induction and consolidation treatment with dasatinib and blinatumomab produced a high rates of molecular response as...

Multiple Myeloma
Immunotherapy

Expert Point of View: Ajay K. Nooka, MD, MPH

“Both KarMMa and CARTITUDE-1 trials presented during the ASCO20 Virtual Scientific Program showed exceptional results, not only in obtaining higher responses in the majority of patients but also in attaining high-quality responses,” said Ajay K. Nooka, MD, MPH, Associate Professor, Department of...

Multiple Myeloma
Immunotherapy

Support Builds for Anti-BCMA CAR T-Cell Therapy in Multiple Myeloma

Based on early results in clinical trials, interest in the use of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy in multiple myeloma has been high, especially for products targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA). During the ASCO20 Virtual Scientific Program, further support for CAR T-cell...

Lymphoma
Immunotherapy

Pembrolizumab in Adult and Pediatric Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma

In the Clinic provides overviews of novel oncology agents, addressing indications, mechanisms of action, administration recommendations, safety profiles, and other essential information needed for the appropriate clinical use of these drugs. On October 14, 2020, the approval of pembrolizumab was...

Immunotherapy

Can Antihypertensives Improve Outcomes With Immunotherapy?

Angiotensin receptor blockers, commonly used to treat hypertension, may improve outcomes in patients treated with anti–PD-1/L1 agents, according to an observational study of almost 600 patients reported at the virtual 32nd EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics.1 The...

Immunotherapy

Use of Pembrolizumab in Advanced Pleural Mesothelioma: Results From KEYNOTE-158

The largest single-arm trial evaluating pembrolizumab in relapsed malignant pleural mesothelioma has demonstrated an “impressive” duration of response, according to a presentation during the virtual edition of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 2020 North America...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

Phase III GEMSTONE-302 Trial Finds CS1001 Plus Platinum Chemotherapy Prolongs Progression-Free Survival in NSCLC

The addition of CS1001, an anti–PD-L1 monoclonal antibody, to platinum-based chemotherapy significantly prolonged progression-free survival vs chemotherapy in treatment-naive patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to phase III findings presented by Zhou et al at the...

Hepatobiliary Cancer
Immunotherapy

ESMO Asia 2020: First-Line Sintilimab Plus Bevacizumab Biosimilar for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Sintilimab, an anti–PD-1 antibody, in combination with a bevacizumab biosimilar as first-line therapy significantly improved survival compared to sorafenib in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, according to findings presented by Ren et al at the ESMO Asia Virtual Congress 2020...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab in First-Line NSCLC: Two New Indications, Many More Questions

In May 2020, the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for two separate indications in the first-line setting of advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). One was in metastatic NSCLC with tumors that have PD-L1 expression ≥ 1% with...

Solid Tumors
Immunotherapy

ESMO Asia 2020: Novel PD-L1 Antibody Shows Activity in Advanced MSI-H/dMMR Tumors

Envafolimab (also known as KN035), a novel PD-L1 antibody, demonstrated antitumor activity and was safe in patients with diverse, advanced microsatellite instability–high/mismatch repair–deficient (MSI-H/dMMR) tumors, according to findings presented by Shen et al at the ESMO Asia Virtual Congress...

Gynecologic Cancers
Immunotherapy

Pembrolizumab Plus Bevacizumab and Oral Metronomic Cyclophosphamide for Recurrent Ovarian Cancer

In a single-institution phase II trial reported in JAMA Oncology, Zsiros et al found that the combination of pembrolizumab with bevacizumab and oral metronomic cyclophosphamide produced objective response in approximately half of women with recurrent ovarian cancer taking part in the study....

Leukemia
Immunotherapy

4-Year Findings From MURANO Trial: Venetoclax Plus Rituximab for Relapsed Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Arnon P. Kater, MD, PhD, of Amsterdam University Medical Centers, and colleagues,1 the 4-year progression-free and overall survival rates were significantly higher with venetoclax plus rituximab vs bendamustine plus rituximab in the phase III...

Leukemia
Immunotherapy

Acalabrutinib Improves Progression-Free Survival vs Idelalisib Plus Rituximab or Bendamustine Plus Rituximab in Relapsed or Refractory CLL

As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Paolo Ghia, MD, PhD, of the Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy, and colleagues, the phase III ASCEND trial showed significantly prolonged progression-free survival with acalabrutinib monotherapy vs investigator’s choice of either...

Multiple Myeloma
Immunotherapy

Expert Point of View: Ajay K. Nooka, MD, MPH

“Both KarMMa and CARTITUDE-1 trials presented during the ASCO20 Virtual Scientific Program showed exceptional results, not only in obtaining higher responses in the majority of patients but also in attaining high-quality responses,” said Ajay K. Nooka, MD, MPH, Associate Professor, Department of...

Multiple Myeloma
Immunotherapy

Support Builds for Anti-BCMA CAR T-Cell Therapy in Multiple Myeloma

Based on early results in clinical trials, interest in the use of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy in multiple myeloma has been high, especially for products targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA). During the ASCO20 Virtual Scientific Program, further support for CAR T-cell...

Multiple Myeloma
Immunotherapy

Expert Point of View: Philip McCarthy, MD

Philip McCarthy, MD, Professor of Oncology and Internal Medicine and Director of the Transplant and Cellular Therapy Center at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, found the results of the DREAMM-6 study to be “exciting and promising.” He commented: “The overall response...

Multiple Myeloma
Immunotherapy

Responses Achieved With Belantamab Mafodotin in Relapsed or Refractory Myeloma

The antibody-drug conjugate belantamab mafodotin yielded responses as a single agent and in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone in the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, according to two reports from the DREAMM team at the ASCO20 Virtual Scientific Program.1,2 In the...

Leukemia
Lymphoma
Multiple Myeloma
Immunotherapy

Novel Therapies and New Indications for Use in Treatment of Hematologic Malignancies

Daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj: On May 1, 2020, the FDA approved daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj (Darzalex) for adult patients with newly diagnosed or relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Ibrutinib: On April 21, 2020, the FDA expanded the indication of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) to include...

Multiple Myeloma
Immunotherapy

Novel Treatment Approaches on the Horizon in Multiple Myeloma

Clinicians who treat multiple myeloma can anticipate a host of new treatments: melflufen, cereblon E3 ligase modulators (CELMoDs), antibody-drug conjugates, bispecific antibodies, and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies. Kenneth C. Anderson, MD, FASCO, Director of the Jerome Lipper...

Leukemia
Lymphoma
Multiple Myeloma
Immunotherapy

Novel Therapies and New Indications for Use in Treatment of Hematologic Malignancies

Venetoclax: On October 16, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved venetoclax (Venclexta) in combination with azacitidine, decitabine, or low-dose cytarabine for newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in adults aged 75 or older. See page 32 for more on this approval....

Hematologic Malignancies
Multiple Myeloma
Lymphoma
Leukemia
Immunotherapy

Hematologic Oncology Highlights 2019–2020 Almanac

The past year has seen remarkable advances in the treatment of leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, which combined account for 9.9% of the estimated 1,806,590 new cases of cancer diagnosed in the United States and an estimated 56,840 cancer-related deaths.1 Novel therapies are providing...

Breast Cancer
Immunotherapy

Guideline Update Offers New Directions About Trastuzumab Emtansine for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

About 10% to 20% of newly diagnosed breast cancers demonstrate overexpression of the HER2 protein.1 Since the introduction of trastuzumab, several new HER2-targeted therapies have been approved for use in the adjuvant and metastatic settings (eg, pertuzumab, lapatinib, and neratinib). However, for...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

Combination of Nivolumab and Ipilimumab for Unresectable Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

On October 2, 2020, the combination of nivolumab (Opdivo) plus ipilimumab (Yervoy) was approved for first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma.1-3 Supporting Efficacy Data Approval was based on findings in the open-label phase III CheckMate 743 trial...

Bladder Cancer
Immunotherapy

DANUBE Trial Reports No Survival Benefit With First-Line Durvalumab in Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma

As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Thomas Powles, MD, of Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, and colleagues, the phase III DANUBE trial showed that durvalumab monotherapy did not prolong overall survival vs standard chemotherapy in previously untreated patients with...

Bladder Cancer
Immunotherapy

Expert Point of View: Kilian M. Gust, MD

Formal discussant Kilian M. Gust, MD, of the Medical University of Austria, Vienna, reminded listeners that JAVELIN Bladder 100 was designed at a time when no checkpoint inhibitor was approved for the treatment of metastatic urothelial cancer. In the past 5 years, five immune checkpoint inhibitors...

Bladder Cancer
Immunotherapy

Front-Line Avelumab Maintenance Improved Survival Across Subgroups With Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma

A strategy of front-line maintenance treatment with the PD-L1 inhibitor avelumab combined with best supportive care improved both progression-free and overall survival vs best supportive care alone across prespecified subgroups of patients with advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma that had...

Lymphoma
Immunotherapy

Do All Patients With Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Need CAR T-Cell Therapy?

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has made great strides in treating patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large-B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), but there may be newer strategies that can produce equivalent outcomes, and not all patients with...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

Lung Cancer: Precision Therapies at the Forefront

What a difference 20 years have made! In the year 2000, the results of the ECOG 1594 trial were reported at the plenary session of the ASCO Annual Meeting. The study demonstrated comparable outcomes between four different platinum-based chemotherapy regimens for the treatment of metastatic...

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