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Gynecologic Cancers
Immunotherapy

Lenvatinib/Pembrolizumab in Previously Treated Patients With Advanced Endometrial Cancer

As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Vicky Makker, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, and colleagues, findings from a phase Ib/II trial indicate that the combination of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab is active in patients with previously treated advanced...

Gynecologic Cancers
Immunotherapy

Addition of Trastuzumab to Carboplatin/Paclitaxel for Advanced or Recurrent HER2-Positive Uterine Serous Carcinoma

Combining the HER2-targeted therapy trastuzumab with carboplatin and paclitaxel improved survival rates for women with a rare, aggressive type of endometrial cancer, according to findings published by Amanda N. Fader, MD, of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, and colleagues in Clinical...

Gynecologic Cancers
Immunotherapy

Expert Point of View: Nicoletta Colombo, MD

The invited discussant of the two trials in cervical and endometrial cancers presented at the ESMO Congress 2019 was Nicoletta ­Colombo, MD, of the University of Milan-Bicocca in Italy, who commented on what she called “exciting results in cancers with unmet needs.” Dr. Colombo noted: “The studies...

Gynecologic Cancers
Immunotherapy

ESMO 2019: Immunotherapy in Cervical and Endometrial Cancers

In studies reported at the ESMO Congress 2019, immunotherapy yielded encouraging outcomes in two gynecologic cancer populations in need of new treatments, including patients with advanced cervical cancer that is microsatellite-stable and patients previously treated for advanced endometrial cancer....

Gynecologic Cancers
Immunotherapy

KEYNOTE-100: In Women With Advanced Ovarian Cancer, Pembrolizumab Yields Modest Antitumor Efficacy

the final results of the phase II KEYNOTE-100 study of pembrolizumab in women with advanced and recurrent ovarian cancer showed that pembrolizumab monotherapy produced modest clinical activity. Ursula Matulonis, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, reported the data at the...

Skin Cancer
Immunotherapy

Adjuvant Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab vs Nivolumab Alone in Resected Stage IV Melanoma With No Evidence of Disease

In an interim analysis of the German phase II IMMUNED trial reported in The Lancet, Lisa Zimmer, MD, of University Hospital Essen, and colleagues found that adjuvant nivolumab plus ipilimumab and nivolumab alone significantly prolonged recurrence-free survival vs placebo in patients with resected...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

Is It Time to Add Checkpoint Inhibitors to the Treatment of Locally Advanced Lung Cancer?

After more than 20 years of failed strategies to improve survival rates for locally advanced lung cancers, checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized therapy, but prognoses still lag behind other tumor types. During the ASCO20 Virtual Education Program, Mark G. Kris, MD, FASCO, a thoracic medical...

Head and Neck Cancer
Immunotherapy

Assessment of Potential Abscopal Effect of SBRT Added to Nivolumab in Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer

In a single-center phase II trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, McBride et al found that use of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for a potential abscopal effect together with nivolumab did not improve objective response rate vs nivolumab alone in patients with metastatic head...

Colorectal Cancer
Immunotherapy

Meta-analysis of FOLFOXIRI/Bevacizumab vs Doublets/Bevacizumab as Initial Treatment for Unresectable Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

In a patient-level meta-analysis reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Chiara Cremolini, MD, PhD, and colleagues found that infusional fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan (FOLFOXIRI) plus bevacizumab was associated with significantly greater overall survival vs...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

ORIENT-11 Trial Shows Sintilimab Plus Chemotherapy Improves Progression-Free Survival in Advanced NSCLC

The first-line setting for patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) now has become more complicated, according to data presented during the 2020 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer’s World Conference on Lung Cancer Virtual...

Immunotherapy

The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy Appoints John Connolly, PhD, as Chief Scientific Officer

The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI) announced that John Connolly, PhD, has been named Chief Scientific Officer. In this role, Dr. Connolly will design and execute PICI’s overall research strategy in close collaboration with the institute’s leadership team, center directors, and...

Skin Cancer
Immunotherapy

Researchers Outline Need for Evaluation of Gene-Expression Profiling in Melanoma

A consensus statement published in JAMA Dermatology by an international group of melanoma researchers evaluated the use of prognostic gene-expression profile testing to guide clinical management of melanoma.1 The group cautioned against the routine use of currently available gene-expression...

Lymphoma
Immunotherapy

Tafasitamab-cxix in the Treatment of Diffuse Large B-Cell 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 July 31, 2020, tafasitamab-cxix, a CD19-directed...

lung cancer
immunotherapy

Paul Baas, MD, PhD, on Mesothelioma: First-Line Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab vs Chemotherapy

Paul Baas, MD, PhD, of the Netherlands Cancer Institute, discusses results of the CheckMate 743 trial, which suggests nivolumab plus ipilimumab should be considered the new standard of care in first-line treatment of unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma, regardless of the histology subtype (Abstract 3).

Multiple Myeloma
Immunotherapy

FDA Approves Daratumumab Plus Carfilzomib and Dexamethasone for Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma

On August 20, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved daratumumab (Darzalex) in combination with carfilzomib (Kyprolis) and dexamethasone (DKd) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received one to three previous lines of therapy....

Immunotherapy
Lung Cancer
CNS Cancers
Leukemia
Lymphoma

FDA Pipeline: Priority Reviews for Immunotherapy Dose Regimen, Small Cell Lung Cancer; Fast Track Designations in Brain Cancer and Leukemia

Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Priority Reviews for a novel dosing regimen for durvalumab as well as for trilaciclib in small cell lung cancer; granted Fast Track designations to treatments for glioblastoma and B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia; and issued reports...

Immunotherapy
Kidney Cancer

Link Between Gut Microbiome and Treatment Outcomes in Patients With Metastatic Kidney Cancer

Researchers have found that greater gut microbial diversity in patients with metastatic kidney cancer is associated with better treatment outcomes in those receiving immunotherapy. These findings were published by Salgia et al in European Urology. “We also reported the changes over time in the gut...

Immunotherapy

Meta-analysis of Overall Survival With Immunotherapy in Patients With Advanced Cancer According to Sex, Age, and Performance Status

In a systematic review and meta-analysis reported in JAMA Network Open, Yang et al found overall survival benefits with immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment vs non–immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment of advanced cancers irrespective of sex, age < 65 years vs ≥ 65 years, or Eastern Cooperative ...

Breast Cancer
Immunotherapy

Activity of Olaparib and Durvalumab in Germline BRCA-Mutated Metastatic Breast Cancer

As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Susan M. Domchek, MD, and colleagues, the combination of olaparib and durvalumab showed activity in a cohort of patients with germline BRCA-mutated, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer enrolled in a phase I/II basket study (MEDIOLA). Study Details In the...

Breast Cancer
Immunotherapy

Balancing Efficacy and Safety of Targeted Therapy in Breast Cancer Care

Novel targeted therapies have increased the likelihood of cure and prolonged survival in many patients with advanced breast cancer (Table 1), but these new agents also carry toxicity profiles that vary greatly from those of traditional chemotherapy. During the ASCO20 Virtual Education Program,...

Lymphoma
Immunotherapy

Early Rituximab Intensification in R-CHOP for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Pieternella Johanna Lugtenburg, MD, PhD, and colleagues, the phase III Haemato-Oncology Foundation for Adults in the Netherlands (HOVEN)/ Nordic Lymphoma Group HOVON-84 trial showed that early rituximab intensification in R-CHOP-14 (rituximab plus...

Hepatobiliary Cancer
Immunotherapy

Novel Tremelimumab/Durvalumab Regimen Active in Advanced Hepatocelluar Carcinoma

A single priming dose of tremelimumab and durvalumab, followed by monthly durvalumab, showed clinical activity in a predominantly second-line advanced hepatocellular carcinoma population, in a study reported at the ESMO World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer Virtual 2020.1 In a study of 332...

Colorectal Cancer
Immunotherapy

Addition of Bevacizumab to mFOLFOX6 for the First-Line Treatment of RAS-Mutant Unresectable Colorectal Liver Metastases

In a Chinese single-institution trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Tang et al found that the addition of first-line bevacizumab to mFOLFOX6 (modified fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin) resulted in a higher rate of conversion to R0 resection in patients with RAS-mutant,...

Immunotherapy

Subcutaneous Daratumumab Improves Outcomes for Patients With Light-Chain Amyloidosis, Study Finds

Patients with light-chain amyloidosis may soon have a new standard of care, according to data presented during the 25th European Hematology Association (EHA25) Virtual Annual Congress.1 Results of the phase III ANDROMEDA study have shown that adding subcutaneous daratumumab to the triplet...

Bladder Cancer
Immunotherapy

First-Line Atezolizumab Plus Platinum-Based Chemotherapy vs Chemotherapy Alone in Advanced Urothelial Cancer

As reported in The Lancet by Matthew D. Galsky, MD, of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Tisch Cancer Institute, New York, and colleagues, the phase III IMvigor130 trial has shown prolonged progression-free survival with first-line atezolizumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy vs...

Bladder Cancer
Immunotherapy

Long-Term Outcomes With Pembrolizumab for Cisplatin-Ineligible Advanced Urothelial Cancer

As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Jacqueline Vuky, MD, of Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, and colleagues, long-term follow-up in the phase II KEYNOTE-052 study has shown durable responses with first-line pembrolizumab in cisplatin-ineligible locally advanced or...

Bladder Cancer
Immunotherapy

‘Switch Maintenance’ Pembrolizumab for Metastatic Urothelial Cancer

In a phase II study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology,1 Matthew D. Galsky, MD, of The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, and colleagues found that maintenance pembrolizumab produced additional responses and improved progression-free survival vs...

Bladder Cancer
Immunotherapy

Novel Indications and New Drugs for the Treatment of Bladder Cancer

Pembrolizumab: On January 8, 2020, pembrolizumab (Keytruda) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-unresponsive, high-risk, non–muscle invasive bladder cancer with carcinoma in situ with or without papillary tumors who are ineligible for or...

Bladder Cancer
Immunotherapy

Early Data Show Activity for Enfortumab Vedotin Plus Pembrolizumab in Advanced Bladder Cancer

It may be possible to use a platinum-free combination as first-line treatment for advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma in cisplatin-ineligible patients, if the results of the phase Ib/II EV-103 trial hold up. The combination of the newly approved antibody-drug conjugate (enfortumab vedotin)...

Bladder Cancer
Immunotherapy

Maintenance Avelumab Improves Survival in Advanced Bladder Cancer

Maintenance therapy with avelumab and best supportive care significantly prolonged overall survival vs best supportive care alone in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma that did not progress on first-line platinum-based chemotherapy, according to an interim analysis of the phase III JAVELIN ...

Kidney Cancer
Immunotherapy

Salvage Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab After Prior Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy in Patients With Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology,1 Anita Gul, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, and colleagues found that salvage therapy with nivolumab/ipilimumab was capable of producing a response after prior PD-1 pathway inhibitor therapy in some patients with...

Kidney Cancer
Immunotherapy

First-Line Combination Treatments Improve Outcomes vs Sunitinib in Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma

Two recently reported phase III trials have shown the benefits of combination therapy vs sunitinib in the first-line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma. As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Brian I. Rini, MD, of Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, and colleagues, the ...

Kidney Cancer
Immunotherapy

Novel Indications and New Drugs for the Treament of Patients With Renal Cell Carcinoma

Pembrolizumab Plus Axitinib: On April 19, 2019, pembrolizumab (Keytruda) was approved for use in combination with the small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor axitinib (Inlyta) for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. Approval was based on findings in the phase...

Kidney Cancer
Immunotherapy

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Rechallenge in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

In a study presented during the ASCO20 Virtual Scientific Program1 and published as a brief report in JAMA Oncology,2 Praful Ravi, MB, BChir, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, and colleagues found that rechallenge with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy was capable of producing...

Prostate Cancer
Kidney Cancer
Bladder Cancer
Immunotherapy

Genitourinary Oncology Highlights 2019–2020 Almanac

Over the past year, we have seen significant advances in the treatment of prostate, kidney, and urothelial cancers that will benefit patients now and in the future. We have learned about the final results of important clinical trials across multiple genitourinary cancers disease states leading to...

Skin Cancer
Immunotherapy

Pembrolizumab Monotherapy as First-Line Treatment for Patients With Unresectable Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma

In the French phase II CARSKIN trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Maubec et al found that pembrolizumab monotherapy produced durable responses in the first-line treatment of unresectable cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Study Details In the multicenter trial, 39 patients (primary ...

Colorectal Cancer
Immunotherapy

Pembrolizumab for First-Line Treatment of Unresectable or Metastatic MSI-H or dMMR Colorectal Cancer

On June 29, 2020, pembrolizumab was approved for the first-line treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic microsatellite instability–high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair–deficient (dMMR) colorectal cancer.1 Supporting Efficacy Data Approval was based on findings in the randomized,...

Leukemia
Immunotherapy

Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin in Pediatric Patients With Newly Diagnosed CD33-Positive AML

On June 16, 2020, the indication of gemtuzumab ozogamicin (Mylotarg) for newly diagnosed CD33-positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was extended to include pediatric patients aged 1 month and older.1,2 Supporting Efficacy Data Approval was supported by findings from the phase III AAML0531 trial...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

Neoadjuvant Atezolizumab Plus Chemotherapy Produces High Major and Complete Pathologic Response Rates in Resectable NSCLC

In a phase II study reported in The Lancet Oncology, Catherine A. Shu, MD, of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and colleagues found that neoadjuvant treatment with atezolizumab plus nab-paclitaxel/carboplatin produced a major pathologic response in 57% of patients and pathologic complete...

Lymphoma
Immunotherapy

Highlights of Research in Lymphomas Presented During the EHA25 Virtual Congress

To complement The ASCO Post’s continued coverage of the virtual edition of the 25th European Hematology Association Annual Congress (EHA25 Virtual), here are a few abstracts selected from the meeting proceedings focusing on clinical research in Hodgkin and marginal zone lymphomas. Omission of...

Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy

Incorporating Immunotherapy Into Treatment of Early-Stage NSCLC

There is a strong rationale for incorporating immunotherapy into the treatment of early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), given the breakthrough results with PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors as monotherapy, combined with immunotherapy, or combined with chemotherapy in advanced-stage NSCLC. As...

Gynecologic Cancers
Immunotherapy

Avelumab for Patients With Gestational Trophoblastic Tumors Resistant to Single-Agent Chemotherapy

In the French phase II TROPHIMMUN trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Benoit You, MD, PhD, and colleagues found that avelumab normalized human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels in approximately half of women with gestational trophoblastic tumors resistant to single-agent...

Hepatobiliary Cancer
Immunotherapy

First-Line Lenvatinib Plus Pembrolizumab in Patients With Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma

In a phase Ib trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Richard S. Finn, MD, and colleagues found that the combination of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab produced durable responses in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma who had received no prior systemic chemotherapy. As...

Kidney Cancer
Lung Cancer
Myelodysplastic Syndromes
Solid Tumors
Skin Cancer
Lymphoma
Pancreatic Cancer
Breast Cancer
Immunotherapy

FDA Pipeline: Designations in Kidney and Lung Cancers, Myelodysplastic Syndromes, and More

Over the past few weeks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued designations and accepted applications for novel agents, as well as approved companion diagnostics. We summarize these regulatory movements below. Breakthrough Therapy Designation for MK-6482 in von Hippel-Lindau...

Hepatobiliary Cancer
Immunotherapy

Combination Immunotherapy in Advanced Biliary Tract Cancers

In a subgroup analysis of an Australian phase II trial reported in JAMA Oncology, Klein et al found that the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab was active in patients with advanced biliary tract cancers. Study Details The phase II trial is enrolling patients with advanced rare cancers. The...

Lymphoma
Immunotherapy

Anti-CD30 CAR T-Cell Therapy for Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma

In a pooled analysis of two parallel single-center phase I/II studies reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Ramos et al found that anti-CD30 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy produced responses in a high proportion of patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma. As...

Multiple Myeloma
Immunotherapy

FDA Grants Accelerated Approval to Belantamab Mafodotin-blmf for Pretreated Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma

On August 5, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to belantamab mafodotin-blmf (Blenrep), an anti-B-cell maturation antigen antibody-drug conjugate, for adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least four prior therapies,...

Supportive Care
Immunotherapy

ASCO Guideline Supports Continued Use of Dexamethasone for Patients Receiving Checkpoint Inhibitors and Emetogenic Chemotherapy

The ASCO guideline on the use of antiemetics has been updated to include new anticancer agents, antiemetics, and regimens.1 The guideline also addresses a growing concern among some oncologists that corticosteroids and their immunosuppressive abilities could potentially compromise the efficacy of...

immunotherapy

Ralph R. Weichselbaum, MD, on Radiotherapy and Immunotherapy in Oligometastatic Disease

Ralph R. Weichselbaum, MD, of the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center, explores the question of whether radiotherapy is the principal curative treatment with immunotherapy or activates immunotherapy. He also discussed how to improve the interaction of these treatments, perhaps with vaccination, transfer of genetically engineered T cells, or checkpoint inhibitors (Session ED37).

immunotherapy

Silvia Formenti, MD, on Testing Radiation and Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Different Tumor Settings

Silvia Formenti, MD, of Weill Cornell Medical College, discusses her continuing work, and the promising results emerging, in combining radiotherapy with immunotherapy to boost abscopal response rates. This combination therapy extends the use of radiotherapy to promote antitumor T-cell responses for both local and metastatic disease (Session ED37).

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