Study Finds Gemcitabine/Cisplatin Improved Outcome vs Fluorouracil/Cisplatin in Recurrent or Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
In a Chinese phase III trial reported in The Lancet, Zhang et al found that gemcitabine/cisplatin improved progression-free survival vs fluorouracil/cisplatin in patients with recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Study Details In the open-label trial, 362 patients from 22 sites in...
Study Finds More Nodes Should Be Examined to Rule Out Node-Negative Disease in Papillary Thyroid Cancer
The proportion of patients with papillary thyroid cancer identified as having node-negative disease decreased substantially with an increased number of lymph nodes examined, according to an analysis of data from the National Cancer Database. Robinson and colleagues, of Duke University, reported...
Increased Uveal Melanoma Risk Linked to Pigmentation Genes That Dictate Eye Color
New research links specific inherited genetic alterations to an increased risk for uveal melanoma, a rare form of melanoma that arises from pigment cells that determine eye color. These findings were published by Ferguson et al in Scientific Reports. Previous clinical data suggests uveal melanoma...
FDA Approves Pembrolizumab for Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma After Platinum-Containing Chemotherapy
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda), an anti–PD-1 (programmed cell death protein 1) therapy, at a fixed dose of 200 mg every 3 weeks, for the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with...
Genetic Characteristics of Recurrent and Metastatic Head and Neck Cancers
Next-generation sequencing of recurrent or metastatic head and neck tumors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) has provided insight into the molecular characteristics of these tumors, which may aid in the implementation of precision treatment. Morris et al reported these findings in...
New Study Finds Increase in Imaging After Thyroid Cancer Treatment Identifies Recurrence but May Not Improve Survival
More imaging after thyroid cancer treatment identifies recurrence, but it does not always improve survival, a new study published by Banerjee et al in The BMJ suggests. Researchers from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center looked at 28,220 patients diagnosed with...
Study Finds Pembrolizumab Active in Advanced Head and Neck Cancer
As reported by Seiwert et al in The Lancet Oncology, the monoclonal antibody pembrolizumab (Keytruda) showed activity in patients with programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1)–positive recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in the phase Ib KEYNOTE-012 study. Study ...
ASCO 2016: Pembrolizumab Shows Significant Clinical Response in Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Treating head and neck cancer patients with recurrent or metastatic disease with the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda) achieved significant clinical responses in nearly one-fifth of the patients from a phase II clinical trial, researchers from Dana-Farber...
ASCO 2016: Nivolumab Immunotherapy Improves Survival, Quality of Life in Metastatic or Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer
Treatment with nivolumab (Opdivo) doubled overall survival and improved quality of life, with fewer side effects, in a treatment-resistant and rapidly progressing form of head and neck carcinoma, reported a large, randomized international trial co-led by investigators at the University of...
FDA Grants Selumetinib Orphan Drug Designation for Adjuvant Treatment of Differentiated Thyroid Cancer
AstraZeneca announced on May 12 that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug designation for the investigational MEK 1/2 inhibitor selumetinib (AZD6244, ARRY-142886) for adjuvant treatment of patients with stage III or IV differentiated thyroid cancer. Differentiated...
Spectrin Gene Identified as a Biomarker in HPV-Negative Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Researchers have identified a gene that may help to predict survival outcomes in patients with cancer of the mouth and tongue. Patients whose tumors express a gene called spectrin are 4.6 times more likely to die at any given time, according to a study by researchers at Loyola Medicine and Loyola...
FDA Grants Breakthrough Designation to Nivolumab in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck
On April 25, 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted breakthrough therapy designation to the anti–programmed death 1 antibody nivolumab (Opdivo) for the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck that previously received...
AACR 2016: Nivolumab Improved Survival for Patients With Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
For the latest information on CheckMate-141, click here, here, or here. Treatment with the immunotherapeutic nivolumab (Opdivo) improved survival for patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma that progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy compared with...
AACR 2016: LOXO-101 Shows Continued Promise in Patients Whose Tumors Had NTRK Gene Fusions
The investigational drug LOXO-101, which selectively targets a family of proteins called neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptors (NTRKs), produced significant tumor regression in patients whose tumors had NTRK gene fusions, according to data from a phase I clinical trial presented by Hong et al at...
AACR 2016: RAF-Targeted Therapeutic BGB-283 Shows Early Promise Against Tumors With BRAF and RAS Mutations
The new investigational anticancer therapeutic BGB-283, which targets the RAF family of proteins, was safe, tolerable, and showed signs of clinical activity in patients who had a range of types of cancer with mutations in BRAF, KRAS, and NRAS, according to results from a phase I clinical trial...
FDA Accepts Supplemental Biologics License Application for Pembrolizumab in Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer, Grants Priority Review
Merck today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review the supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for pembrolizumab (Keytruda), a monoclonal antibody and anti–programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) therapy, for the treatment of...
UK Trial Shows Similar Survival With PET-CT Surveillance vs Planned Neck Dissection in Advanced Head and Neck Cancer
In a UK noninferiority trial reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Mehanna et al found that positron-emission tomography–computed tomography (PET-CT) surveillance was associated with similar survival vs planned neck dissection in patients with stage N2 or N3 squamous cell carcinoma ...
New American Cancer Society Guideline Addresses Long-Term Needs of Head and Neck Cancer Survivors
A new American Cancer Society guideline provides clinicians with recommendations on key areas of clinical follow-up care for survivors of head and neck cancer, a growing population numbering approximately 436,060 and accounting for 3% of all cancer survivors living in the United States. The...
Retrospective Analysis Suggests Benefit of Adding Cetuximab to Radiotherapy Irrespective of p16 Status in Oropharyngeal Carcinoma
A retrospective analysis of the phase III registration trial IMCL-9815 of cetuximab (Erbitux) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Rosenthal et al suggests that the addition of cetuximab to radiotherapy was of benefit irrespective of p16 expression in patients with locoregionally...
Researchers Find Possible Association Between Oral Bacteria and Esophageal Cancer
University of Louisville School of Dentistry researchers have found that a bacterial species responsible for gum disease, Porphyromonas gingivalis, is present in 61% of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The findings, published by Gao et al in Infectious Agents and Cancer, only...
Loss of Skeletal Muscle Before or After Radiotherapy Linked to Poorer Survival in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
In a single-center retrospective study reported in JAMA Oncology, Grossberg et al found that skeletal muscle loss before or after radiotherapy was associated with poorer overall survival in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Study Details The study included 2,840 patients...
New Staging System for Human Papillomavirus–Related Oropharyngeal Cancer
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by O’Sullivan et al, a new staging system for human papillomavirus–related oropharyngeal cancer has been developed based on findings from the International Collaboration on Oropharyngeal Cancer Network for Staging (ICON-S) study. Study Details The...
2016 Head and Neck Cancer Symposium: Induction Chemotherapy Does Not Predict Survival Advantage Over Concurrent Chemoradiation
Head and neck cancer patients who receive induction chemotherapy rather than the standard treatment of concurrent chemoradiation do not benefit from increased survival rates and are less likely to receive a full course of radiation, according to research presented by Stokes et al at the 2016...
2016 Head and Neck Cancer Symposium: Chemoradiation May Increase Survival for a Subset of Elderly Head and Neck Cancer Patients
The addition of chemotherapy to radiation therapy improves survival rates among a subset of elderly head and neck cancer patients, specifically those aged 71 to 79 with low comorbidity scores and advanced disease stage, according to research presented by Amini et al at the 2016 Multidisciplinary...
2016 Head and Neck Cancer Symposium: Most Recurrences of HPV-Positive Oropharyngeal Cancer Can Be Found Within 6 Months
For patients treated with definitive radiation therapy for oropharyngeal cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), the majority of recurrences can be detected by post-treatment imaging at 3 months and physical exams during the 6 months following treatment, according to research presented by...
2016 Head and Neck Cancer Symposium: Uninsured and Medicaid Patients More Likely to Present With Advanced Tumors, Experience Cancer-Specific Mortality
Compared to patients with non-Medicaid insurance, uninsured patients and patients with Medicaid are more likely to present with advanced stages of head and neck cancer and have higher overall and cancer-specific mortality rates, according to research presented by Churilla et al at the 2016...
2016 Head and Neck Cancer Symposium: Cost-Coping Strategies and Perceived Social Isolation in Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer
The majority of patients with locally advanced head and neck cancers rely on cost-coping strategies that alter their lifestyle in order to manage the financial burden of their care, according to research presented by Kung et al at the 2016 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium (Abstract...
2016 Head and Neck Cancer Symposium: Study Maps Distinct Molecular Signatures of HPV-Positive Throat Cancer by Smoking Status
Patients with throat cancer exposed to both human papillomavirus (HPV) and tobacco smoke demonstrate a pattern of mutations along several key cancer genes, according to research presented by Zevallos et al at the 2016 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium (Abstract 1). These distinct...
Possible Marker for Recurring HPV-Linked Oropharyngeal Cancers
A retrospective analysis of human papillomavirus (HPV) antibodies in patients treated for oropharyngeal cancers linked to HPV infection suggests at least one of the antibodies could be useful in identifying those at risk for a recurrence of the cancer, said scientists at The Johns Hopkins...
Anil D'Cruz, MD, on Elective Neck Dissection in Node-Negative Early Oral Cancer
Anil D’Cruz, MD, of Tata Memorial Hospital, discusses results from his study that seem to resolve a 50-year-long debate on performing elective neck dissection at the time of primary surgery––a potentially practice-changing finding (Abstract LBA3).
Bruce Minsky, MD, on Clinical Trial Results: The ASCENDE-RT Trial and a Multicenter Study on Prostate Cancer
Bruce Minsky, MD, of MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses two important papers: results from a prospective trial on quality-of-life outcomes for low-risk HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and a prostate cancer radiation therapy study (Abstracts 3, 4).
Catherine C. Park, MD, on Novel Clinical Paradigms
Catherine C. Park, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco, summarizes results from three clinical trials of radiation therapy for various cancers: metastatic melanoma, oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and breast cancer (Abstracts 215, 3, and LBA7).
Bridgett Harr, CNP, on Reducing ER Visits and Admissions in High-Risk Head and Neck Cancer Patients
Bridgett Harr, CNP, of Cleveland Clinic, discusses the advanced practice nurse follow-up clinic, which focuses on symptom management in the first 90 days postchemoradiation (Abstract 3169).
100% of NCI-Designated Cancer Centers Endorse the Promotion of the HPV Vaccination for Cancer Prevention
All National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers have united to support human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. A team of HPV experts drafted a consensus statement that advises widespread use of HPV vaccines to prevent cancer. HPV causes cancer of the cervix, anus, and throat. The HPV ...
Couple Pledges $10 Million Gift to MD Anderson’s Head and Neck Cancer Center
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, recently announced that Charles and Daneen Stiefel, of Raleigh, North Carolina, have pledged $10 million to the Head and Neck Cancer Center at MD Anderson. In honor of their generosity, the institution will name the Charles and...
The Center of Who We Are
The following essay by Eric M. Genden, MD, is adapted from The Big Casino: America’s Best Cancer Doctors Share Their Most Powerful Stories, which was coedited by Stan Winokur, MD, and Vincent Coppola and published in May 2014. The book is available on Amazon.com and thebigcasino.org. There’s...
ESMO Asia 2015: Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy Provide New Options for Difficult-to-Treat Head and Neck Cancer
Novel strategies are being explored for difficult-to-treat and advanced head and neck cancer—the most heterogeneous group of malignancies that are generally associated with poor survival—and encouraging results have been presented in two trials at the first European Society for Medical...
Patients With Thyroid Cancer Report Poor Quality of Life Despite ‘Good’ Diagnosis
Thyroid cancer survivors report poor quality of life after diagnosis and treatment compared with other patients who are diagnosed with more lethal cancers, according to new research from the University of Chicago Medicine. The findings, published by Aschebrook-Kilfoy et al in the journal Thyroid,...
Depressed Head and Neck Cancer Patients 3.5 Times Less Likely to Survive, Have Higher Recurrence Risk
Depression is a significant predictor of 5-year survival and recurrence in head and neck cancer patients, according to a new study from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. These findings, published by Shinn et al in Psychosomatic Medicine, represent one of the largest reported...
Kidney Failure and Its Treatment May Impact Cancer Risk
For patients with kidney failure, poor kidney function and immunosuppressant medications may increase their risk of developing different types of cancer. The findings, which are published by Yanik et al in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, suggest the need for persistent cancer...
Researchers Discover SEC23B, Gene Associated With Cowden Syndrome, Contributes to Thyroid Cancer Risk
Cleveland Clinic researchers have discovered a gene associated with Cowden syndrome, an inherited condition that carries high risks of thyroid, breast, and other cancers, and a subset of noninherited thyroid cancers. These findings were published by Yehia et al in the American Journal of Human...
ASTRO 2015: Frequent Post-Treatment Follow-up by Advance Practice Nurses Improves Care for Patients With High-Risk Head and Neck Cancer
For high-risk patients who receive chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer, frequent follow-up appointments conducted by advance practice nurses (APNs) in a clinical outpatient setting allowed for more intensive symptom management, resulting in fewer post-treatment emergency room visits and...
ASTRO 2015: Reduced-Intensity Chemoradiotherapy May Be as Effective as Current Standard for Patients With HPV-Related Oropharynx Cancer
For some patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancer of the tonsils and tongue, reduced-intensity radiation therapy and chemotherapy may be as effective as standard-dose radiation and chemotherapy, and result in fewer acute side effects, according to research presented by Chera et al...
Disparities in Outcomes for Children With Retinoblastoma May Suggest Unequal Access to Primary Care
Disparities in outcomes for children with retinoblastoma suggest unequal access to primary care, researchers from Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center reported in a study published by Truong et al in JAMA Pediatrics. Although virtually all the children in the study...
ECC 2015: Pembrolizumab in Patients With Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Results of the KEYNOTE-028 Trial
Pembrolizumab (Keytruda), an anti–PD-1 therapy, may be effective as monotherapy in patients with advanced unresectable nasopharyngeal carcinoma whose tumors express programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). Data from a phase Ib study, KEYNOTE-028, showed an overall response rate of 22.2% in 27...
ECC 2015: Association Between Primary Surgery and Survival Benefit in Patients With Advanced Throat Cancers
Patients with cancers of the mid and lower throat may have higher survival rates if their initial treatment includes surgery, according to new research (Abstract 2804) presented at the 2015 European Cancer Congress in Vienna, Austria. Researchers explained that a nationwide study in Taiwan found...
Researchers Discover Novel Marker for Retinoblastoma
A new marker already linked to other types of cancer was found to play a role in the most common childhood primary tumor inside the eye, researchers at the University of Michigan Health System have found. Their findings were published by Khan et al in Laboratory Investigation. Retinoblastoma is a...
Persistent HPV16 DNA in Post-Treatment Oral Rinse Associated With Poor Prognosis in HPV-Related Oropharyngeal Carcinoma
In a prospective cohort study reported in JAMA Oncology, Rettig et al found that persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 DNA in post-treatment oral rinses was associated with a poorer prognosis in patients with HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer. The study included 124 patients treated with...
Susceptibility Gene Identified for Familial Nonmedullary Thyroid Cancer
As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Gara et al identified a germline HABP2 mutation as a susceptibility gene for familial nonmedullary thyroid cancer. Identification of HABP2 Variant In a kindred study, whole-exome sequencing was performed using peripheral blood DNA from affected...
Researchers Decode Molecular Action of Combination Therapy for Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer
In their bid to find the best combination of therapies to treat anaplastic thyroid cancer, researchers at Mayo Clinic's Florida campus demonstrated that all histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are not created equal. In testing multiple HDAC inhibitors in combination with the chemotherapy drug...
