2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Expert Point of View: Ines Vaz-Luis, MD, PhD
The invited discussant of the Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group (EBCTCG) meta-analysis, Ines Vaz-Luis, MD, PhD, of the Breast Cancer Survivorship Group, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, Fra...
EBCTCG Meta-analysis Confirms Benefit of Ovarian Ablation or Suppression in Preventing Breast Cancer Recurrence
A meta-analysis of randomized trials has revealed a benefit to ovarian ablation or suppression in preventing breast cancer recurrence in premenopausal women with estrogen receptor–positive tumors.1 Th...
Ajay K. Nooka, MBBS, Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma: Efficacy and Safety Data for Elranatamab
Ajay K. Nooka, MBBS, of Winship Cancer Center of Emory University, discusses findings from a pooled analysis of MagnetisMM studies. The data showed that, in patients with relapsed or refractory multip...
More on Biliary Tract Cancer From ASCO 2023: Focus on Zanidatamab
The HER2-targeting bispecific antibody zanidatamab generated rapid and durable responses in patients with HER2-amplified, locally advanced, unresectable or metastatic biliary tract cancer previously t...
More on Renal Cell Carcinoma From ASCO 2023: Focus on Atezolizumab Plus Cabozantinib vs Cabozantinib Alone
The addition of the monoclonal antibody atezolizumab to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor cabozantinib failed to improve progression-free survival and overall survival vs cabozantinib alone in patients wi...
Highlights in Cancer and Aging From the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
The 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting again demonstrated the Society’s commitment to improving cancer care for all older adults. Pertinent questions related to treatment and management in this population we...
Ajay K. Nooka, MBBS, on High-Risk Myeloma: Data on Carfilzomib, Pomalidomide, and Dexamethasone
Ajay K. Nooka, MBBS, of Winship Cancer Center of Emory University, discusses phase II findings showing that, in patients with high-risk myeloma, maintenance therapy with carfilzomib, pomalidomide, and...
Expert Point of View: Priyanka Bhateja, MD
Head and neck cancer specialist Priyanka Bhateja, MD, Assistant Professor in the Division of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, was encouraged by the findings of ...
Quarterback Trial: De-escalation of Chemoradiotherapy for Subset of Patients With HPV-Positive Oropharyngeal Cancer
De-escalation of chemoradiotherapy after induction chemotherapy yields excellent oncologic outcomes in patients with high-risk oropharyngeal cancer associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV). Resu...
Study Finds Durvalumab Plus Carboplatin and Paclitaxel Effective, Tolerable in Frail Patients With Head and Neck Cancer
As a first-line treatment of recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, the PD-L1 inhibitor durvalumab plus weekly carboplatin and paclitaxel provided clinically significant effica...
For Advanced Nasopharyngeal Cancer, Adjuvant Gemcitabine Plus Cisplatin Favored Over Fluorouracil Plus Cisplatin, Study Reports
In patients with N2 and N3 nasopharyngeal carcinoma, adjuvant treatment with concurrent gemcitabine and cisplatin significantly improved progression-free survival, with acceptable toxicity, over fluor...
Expert Point of View: Nabil F. Saba, MD, FACP, and Jennifer Choe, MD, PhD
Nabil F. Saba, MD, FACP, Professor and Vice Chair of Hematology and Medical Oncology, the Lynne and Howard Halpern Chair in Head and Neck Cancer Research, and Director of the HNCA Medical Oncology Pro...
Expert Point of View: Barbara Burtness, MD
Barbara Burtness, MD, the Anthony N. Brady Professor of Medicine and Chief Translational Research Officer at Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, featured the CONTINUUM study at the head and neck cancer ses...
CONTINUUM: In Locally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Cancer, Addition of Sintilimab to Chemoradiotherapy Offers Benefit
The addition of the PD-1 inhibitor sintilimab to standard induction chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy resulted in a significant improvement in 3-year event-free survival, a manageable safety profile,...
Expert Point of View: Erminia Massarelli, MD, PhD, MS
The invited discussant of the VERSATILE-002 and CUE-101-01 trials, Erminia Massarelli, MD, PhD, MS, said both are examples of a growing interest in evaluating immunotherapeutic strategies and treatmen...
Novel HPV-Targeted Agents Boost Efficacy of Pembrolizumab in Head and Neck Cancer, Two Studies Show
Immunotherapeutics that target human papillomavirus (HPV) genotype 16 appear to boost the activity of pembrolizumab in advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Two examples were presented in po...
First-in-Class Bifunctional Antibody Plus Pembrolizumab Shows Activity in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
The first-in-class bifunctional antibody BCA101—which inhibits both the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β)—given with the immune checkpoint inhibitor p...
First-in-Class Bifunctional Antibody Plus Pembrolizumab Shows Activity in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
The first-in-class bifunctional antibody BCA101—which inhibits both the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β)—given with the immune checkpoint inhibitor p...
More on Treatments Under Study in NSCLC From ASCO 2023
Two phase III trials presented at the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting explored treatments under study for patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In an exploratory analysis of the CodeBreaK 200 tri...
More on Melanoma From ASCO 2023: Focus on Two Different Treatment Strategies
In patients with melanoma who are undergoing neoadjuvant therapy with immune checkpoint blockade, response to treatment may guide the intensity of additional treatment, according to a retrospective an...
More on Multiple Myeloma From ASCO 2023: Focus on Bispecific Antibodies
Two new bispecific antibodies—teclistamab and talquetamab—have been shown to be active in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma when used in combination, including in patients with extramedullary di...
Expert Point of View: Daniel P. Petrylak, MD
“Clinically, the implications [of the THOR trial] are clear in that all metastatic urothelial cancers should be tested for FGFR mutations,” stated invited discussant Daniel P. Petrylak, MD, of Yale Sc...
THOR Trial: Erdafitinib Improves Outcomes vs Chemotherapy in FGFR-Altered Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma
Targeted treatment with the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitor erdafitinib significantly improved overall survival, progression-free survival, and objective response rates compared wit...
Three Studies From ASCO 2023 Focus on Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Presented here are summaries of three abstracts from the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting that are pertinent for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. The first two focus on men with ...
CLEAR Trial: Continued Survival Benefit With First-Line Lenvatinib Plus Pembrolizumab in Advanced Kidney Cancer
At extended follow-up, lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab showed sustained superiority over sunitinib for overall and progression-free survival as first-line treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma.1 T...
CARTITUDE-4: Ciltacabtagene Autoleucel Beneficial in Early Myeloma Relapse
Compared with the standard of care for relapsed multiple myeloma, a single infusion of ciltacabtagene autoleucel was associated with a significant 74% reduction in the risk of disease progression in p...
SWOG S1826: Nivolumab Plus AVD Surpasses Standard-of-Care Combination Regimen in Patients With Advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma
The addition of nivolumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, to chemotherapy significantly improved progression-free survival in adults and children with advanced classical Hodgkin lymphoma with reduced...
ZUMA-7: Primary Overall Survival Analysis Supports Axicabtagene Ciloleucel as Second-Line Therapy in Advanced Lymphoma
In the primary overall survival analysis of ZUMA-7, second-line treatment with axicabtagene ciloleucel significantly improved overall survival compared with high-dose therapy plus autologous stem cell...
Should CDK4/6 Inhibitors Be a First-Line Option for Advanced Hormone Receptor–Positive, HER2-Negative Breast Cancer?
Two studies presented at the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting challenge the use of CDK4/6 inhibitors as part of upfront treatment of advanced hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. The first,...
HER2-Low Status Is ‘Dynamic’ for Patients With Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
The probability of obtaining a HER2-low test result increases with the number of biopsies performed, according to a study of more than 500 biopsy samples in patients with triple-negative breast cance...
For Advanced Nasopharyngeal Cancer, Adjuvant Gemcitabine Plus Cisplatin Favored Over Fluorouracil Plus Cisplatin, Study Reports
In patients with N2 and N3 nasopharyngeal carcinoma, adjuvant treatment with concurrent gemcitabine and cisplatin significantly improved progression-free survival, with acceptable toxicity, over fluor...
Three Studies From ASCO 2023 Focus on Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Presented here are summaries of three abstracts from the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting that are pertinent for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. The first two focus on men with ...
Expert Point of View: Anand Ashwin Patel, MD
As presented at the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting, the phase III IMerge trial of imetelstat1 and the phase III COMMANDS trial of luspatercept2 met their primary endpoints of transfusion independence. The ...
IMerge Trial: Use of Imetelstat Reduces Transfusion Dependence in Lower-Risk MDS
In the primary analysis of the phase III randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled IMerge trial, in those achieving the primary endpoint of 8-week transfusion independence, treatment with imetelsta...
Study Finds Durvalumab Plus Carboplatin and Paclitaxel Effective, Tolerable in Frail Patients With Head and Neck Cancer
As a first-line treatment of recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, the PD-L1 inhibitor durvalumab plus weekly carboplatin and paclitaxel provided clinically significant effica...
Early-Phase Study Reports Activity of Cabozantinib and Cetuximab Combination in Refractory Head and Neck Cancer
In a phase I study from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), New York, the combination of cabozantinib and cetuximab showed antitumor efficacy in heavily pretreated patients with recurrent or...
Expert Point of View: Barbara Pistilli, MD
Barbara Pistilli, MD, Head of the Breast Cancer Unit in the Medical Oncology Department of Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, Villejuif, France, was invited to discuss the TROPiCS-02 updated analysis. She...
Extended Follow-up of TROPiCS-02 Trial: Sacituzumab Govitecan in Metastatic Breast Cancer
Additional follow-up of the phase III TROPiCS-02 trial has upheld the progression-free and overall survival benefit seen with sacituzumab govitecan-hziy compared with physician’s choice of treatment i...
Roundup of Abstracts on New Therapies for Gastrointestinal Cancers From ASCO 2023
The 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting featured thousands of abstracts. In addition to our in-depth coverage of pivotal research from the meeting, The ASCO Post highlights the following studies of novel therapi...
Expert Point of View: Daniel P. Petrylak, MD
“Clinically, the implications [of the THOR trial] are clear in that all metastatic urothelial cancers should be tested for FGFR mutations,” stated invited discussant Daniel P. Petrylak, MD, of Yale Sc...
THOR Trial: Erdafitinib Improves Outcomes vs Chemotherapy in FGFR-Altered Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma
Targeted treatment with the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitor erdafitinib significantly improved overall survival, progression-free survival, and objective response rates compared wit...
Expert Point of View: Corey Speers, MD, PhD, and Julie R. Gralow, MD, FACP, FASCO
ASCO expert Corey Speers, MD, PhD, Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, Cleveland, provided thoughts on the IELSG37 trial at a press briefing. “The invest...
Omitting Mediastinal Radiotherapy in Some Patients With Primary Mediastinal B-Cell Lymphoma After Immunochemotherapy
In the largest prospective study of patients with primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma, radiation therapy was omitted in complete responders to immunochemotherapy without compromising outcomes. These f...
Expert Point of View: Ines Vaz-Luis, MD, PhD
The invited discussant of the Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group (EBCTCG) meta-analysis, Ines Vaz-Luis, MD, PhD, of the Breast Cancer Survivorship Group, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, Fra...
EBCTCG Meta-analysis Confirms Benefit of Ovarian Ablation or Suppression in Preventing Breast Cancer Recurrence
A meta-analysis of randomized trials has revealed a benefit to ovarian ablation or suppression in preventing breast cancer recurrence in premenopausal women with estrogen receptor–positive tumors.1 Th...
Expert Point of View: Nabil F. Saba, MD, FACP, and Jennifer Choe, MD, PhD
Nabil F. Saba, MD, FACP, Professor and Vice Chair of Hematology and Medical Oncology, the Lynne and Howard Halpern Chair in Head and Neck Cancer Research, and Director of the HNCA Medical Oncology Pro...
JUPITER-02: Toripalimab Plus Chemotherapy Improved Survival Outcomes for Some Patients With Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
In the final overall survival analysis of the phase III JUPITER-02 trial, first-line treatment with toripalimab plus gemcitabine and cisplatin resulted in a statistically significant and clinically me...
Expert Point of View: Priyanka Bhateja, MD
Head and neck cancer specialist Priyanka Bhateja, MD, Assistant Professor in the Division of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, was encouraged by the findings of ...
Quarterback Trial: De-escalation of Chemoradiotherapy for Subset of Patients With HPV-Positive Oropharyngeal Cancer
De-escalation of chemoradiotherapy after induction chemotherapy yields excellent oncologic outcomes in patients with high-risk oropharyngeal cancer associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV). Resu...
Current Management of and Future Possibilities for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
“Triple-negative breast cancer remains the most challenging subtype to treat because of its aggressive phenotype and limited treatment options,” stated Erica Michelle Stringer-Reasor, MD, who spoke at...
