July 25, 2020 (View All Issues)
- Previously treated and untreated de novo and secondary MDS with the following...
Nivolumab/Ipilimumab Shows Benefit in Patients With Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer and Brain Metastases
The combination of nivolumab plus ipilimumab was at least as effective as chemotherapy in front-line therapy for patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and brain metastases at baseline, according to the results of a post hoc analysis from part 1 of the phase III CheckMate 227...
The Need for Solid Data During a Global Pandemic
The rapid outbreak of COVID-19 disease on a global scale found the community of clinicians and scientists largely unprepared to face the devastating effects of the pandemic. The stress on health-care systems revealed their weaknesses and brought about associated financial crises.
Defining the...
Monumental Progress in the Treatment of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Some monuments are difficult to topple. At least that was the case dating back to 1976, when investigators from the Southwest Oncology Group demonstrated the importance of doxorubicin in the treatment of patients with a group of lymphoid malignancies then referred to as diffuse aggressive...
Can Radiomics Predict Survival in Patients With NSCLC Receiving Immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors has made great strides in the treatment of many cancers, but only between 25% and 50% of patients respond with clinical benefit, and these agents come with adverse events and high price tags. Thus, preselection of patients who are likely to respond to ...
ctDNA Clearance Predicts Progression-Free Survival With Osimertinib/Savolitinib in EGFR-Mutant, MET-Amplified NSCLC
Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) clearance of EGFR mutation—that is, detectable mutation at baseline that became undetectable or dropped below a predetermined threshold—appears to be predictive of extended progression-free survival for patients with EGFR-mutant, MET-amplified non–small cell lung...
AACR Holds COVID-19 and Cancer Virtual Meeting
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) hosted a virtual meeting on COVID-19 and cancer earlier this month (July 20–22, 2020).
The virtual event, “COVID-19 and Cancer,” featured presentations from leaders in the fight against the pandemic, including three keynote lectures. In an...
ASTRO to Host Virtual Annual Meeting, October 25–28, 2020
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has announced it will hold its 62nd Annual Meeting October 25–28, 2020, via an interactive virtual platform. The meeting, “Global Oncology: Radiation Therapy in a Changing World,” will feature reports from the latest clinical trials; panels on...
Small Study Evaluates Neoadjuvant vs Adjuvant Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab in Stage III Melanoma
The neoadjuvant combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab yielded a continued benefit in relapse-free survival vs adjuvant use of the same combination therapy in 20 patients with stage III macroscopic melanoma. This finding is based on 3-year follow-up results of the phase Ib OpACIN trial, presented...
Double PIK3CA Mutations and Response Benefit in Breast Cancer
Patients who have breast cancers with double PIK3CA mutations seem to have a more robust response to PI3Kα inhibitors than those with a single PIK3CA mutation, based on an analysis of the phase III SANDPIPER trial, which tested taselisib plus fulvestrant, according to a presentation during the 2020 ...
VIALE-A Trial Supports Survival Benefit of Venetoclax Plus Azacitidine in Elderly Patients With AML
In the phase III VIALE-A trial, venetoclax added to azacitidine led to a significant and clinically meaningful improvement in response rates and overall survival, as compared with azacitidine alone, in treatment-naive predominantly elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) ineligible for...
Combination of Isatuximab, Carfilzomib, and Dexamethasone Reduces Risk of Disease Progression in Myeloma
The addition of the CD38 antibody isatuximab-irfc to carfilzomib and dexamethasone nearly halved the risk of disease progression or death in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, the interim analysis of the phase III IKEMA trial has shown.1
“Isatuximab plus carfilzomib and...
In Case You Missed It: Quick Takes on Novel Therapies for Solid and Hematologic Malignancies
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, oncology providers from around the world had to forgo their annual trip to McCormick Place—but the show did go on. We all realized important research can still be presented, clinicians and fellow researchers will still listen, and ASCO presentations will still...
FDA Approves Oral Combination of Decitabine and Cedazuridine for Adult Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndromes
On July 7, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an oral combination of decitabine and cedazuridine (Inqovi) for adult patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), including the following:
Marilyn J. Heine, MD, FACEP, FACP, FCPP, Elected AMA Council on Legislation Chair
During its June meeting, the American Medical Association (AMA) Council on Legislation chose Marilyn J. Heine, MD, FACEP, FACP, FCPP, as its new Chair. The Council reviews proposed federal legislation and recommends appropriate action in accordance with AMA policy. It also develops model state...
When Paired With Palbociclib, Fulvestrant and Letrozole Yield Comparable Results in PARSIFAL Trial
When paired with palbociclib in the first-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer, fulvestrant and letrozole performed comparably, with no statistical superiority in progression-free or overall survival shown for either endocrine agent, in the phase II PARSIFAL study presented during the ASCO20...
FDA Approves Maintenance Avelumab for the Treatment of Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma
On June 30, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved avelumab (Bavencio) for the maintenance treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma that has not progressed with first-line platinum-containing chemotherapy.
JAVELIN Bladder 100
Efficacy of...
Robert Winn, MD, Joins LUNGevity Foundation’s Board of Directors
The LUNGevity Foundation recently announced that Robert Winn, MD, Director of the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Massey Cancer Center, has joined the foundation’s Board of Directors. The nation’s leading lung cancer–focused nonprofit organization, LUNGevity Foundation is dedicated to...
Phase III PADA-1 Trial Examines the Impact of ESR1 Mutations in Metastatic Breast Cancer
ESR1 mutations are known to confer resistance to endocrine therapy in the metastatic breast cancer setting. These mutations herald a poor prognosis, so their clearance early in the treatment course may greatly reduce the risk of recurrence, according to the early results of the prospective phase...
SWOG S1505 Trial Evaluates Neoadjuvant Regimens in Pancreatic Cancer
The much-anticipated SWOG S1505 trial has failed to show that one preoperative regimen is better than another in resectable pancreatic cancer.1 “Perioperative modified FOLFIRINOX and gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel appear to have similar efficacy, with acceptable safety and resectability rates,”...
Nivolumab in Previously Treated Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
On June 10, 2020, nivolumab was approved for treatment of patients with unresectable, advanced, recurrent, or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after prior fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-based chemotherapy.1,2
Supporting Efficacy Data
Approval was based on findings from the...
New Guideline for Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer Supports Multimodality Therapy and Multidisciplinary Treatment
ASCO has released a new guideline for the treatment of locally advanced esophageal cancer that will provide a context for the current standards of care, fill gaps in clinicians’ knowledge of therapy options, and help define future treatment.1 An expert panel developed the guideline based on 17...
Pembrolizumab for Adult and Pediatric Patients With Tumor Mutational Burden–High Solid Tumors
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 June 16, 2020, pembrolizumab was granted accelerated...
Expanded Access to Cancer Drugs in Africa and Asia
The American Cancer Society (ACS) and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) announced agreements with the pharmaceutical companies Pfizer, Novartis, and Mylan to expand access to 20 cancer drugs in 26 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Purchasers are expected to save an average of 59%...
Two Cohort Studies Identify Risk Factors for Mortality in Patients With Cancer and COVID-19
Two studies recently reported in The Lancet have identified risk factors for mortality among patients with cancer and COVID-19.1,2
As reported by Lennard Y.W. Lee, DPhil, of the Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, and colleagues,1 a UK prospective cohort study...
Bishal Gyawali, MD, PhD, Receives Young Health Researcher Award From Nepali Government
At the Sixth National Summit of Health and Population Scientists, held in Kathmandu, Nepal, Bishal Gyawali, MD, PhD, was awarded the Mrgendra Samjhana Medical Trust Young Researcher Award. The annual conference is organized by the Nepal Health Research Council, an autonomous body of the Government...
ESMO Names George Pentheroudakis, MD, PhD, New Chief Medical Officer
The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) has announced the appointment of George Pentheroudakis, MD, PhD, as its new Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Pentheroudakis is Head of the Department of Medical Oncology at the Ioannina University Hospital in Greece and serves as Professor of Oncology at...
NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center Welcomes Janice M. Mehnert, MD, as Associate Director for Clinical Research
Janice M. Mehnert, MD, a researcher in early-phase therapeutics and the treatment of skin malignancies, has been appointed Associate Director for Clinical Research at New York University Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center.
Dr. Mehnert was Associate Professor of Medicine at Robert Wood...
Epigenetics Researcher Yang Shi, PhD, Appointed Member of Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
Yang Shi, PhD, recently joined the Oxford Branch of the United Kingdom’s Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. Dr. Shi, who comes to Ludwig from Harvard University, is a leader in the field of epigenetics, which explores how chemical modifications made to chromatin control the organization and...
The WHO Classification of Tumors of Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues
The ASCO Post is pleased to present Hematology Expert Review, an ongoing feature that occasionally quizzes readers on issues in hematology. In this installment, Drs. Abutalib and Medeiros highlight the rare primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of the central nervous system (CNS). For ...
Blood Cancer Discoveries Program Names Grant Recipients
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research, and the Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group recently announced the awarding of more than $6.75 million to nine scientists. Each project will be supported by an award of $750,000 over a 3-year period.
Grant Recipients
The...
Yale Cancer Center Awarded NIH SPORE Renewal for Lung Cancer Research
Yale Cancer Center researchers were awarded an $11 million grant renewal from the National Institutes of Health to fund the Yale Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Lung Cancer. SPORE harnesses the strengths of academic cancer centers by bringing together experts in oncology,...
The Importance of Measuring Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults
Compared with younger patients, older patients with cancer face unique challenges because many of them have age-related decreases in health-related quality of life. This can be a result of many factors, such as comorbidities, mental health, physical impairment, and financial stressors. A diagnosis...
Joann Sweasy, PhD, Named Director of University of Arizona Cancer Center
Joann Sweasy, PhD, who has served as Interim Director for the past 9 months, has been named Director of the University of Arizona Cancer Center and the inaugural holder of the Nancy C. and Craig M. Berge Endowed Chair for the Director of the Cancer Center.
As Director, Dr. Sweasy will establish...
Fox Chase Cancer Center Welcomes Two New Staff Members
Fox Chase Cancer Center, part of the Philadelphia-based Temple University Health System, recently announced two new additions to its staff.
Shazia K. Nakhoda, MD, a graduate of the Fox Chase–Temple Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program, joins the center’s Department of Hematology/Oncology in the ...
USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center Receives $5 Million for Cancer Drug Discoveries
The University of Southern California (USC) Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck Medicine of USC, and the Keck School of Medicine of USC announced a $5 million gift from the Rosalie and Harold Rae Brown Charitable Foundation. The gift was received from Harold R. Brown, trustee of the...
Addition of Rituximab to Standard Chemotherapy Improves Event-Free and Overall Survival in Children With High-Risk, Mature B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
In a European Intergroup for Childhood Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma/Children’s Oncology Group phase III trial reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Véronique Minard‑Colin, MD, PhD, of Gustave Roussy, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France, and colleagues found that the addition of rituximab...
Role of Rituximab in the Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Mature B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Minard-Colin et al recently reported for the European Intergroup for Childhood Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma/Children’s Oncology Group (EICNHL/COG) a significant improvement in event-free survival among children and adolescents (aged 6 months to 18 years) with high-risk mature B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma...
Leading Organizations Release New Clinical Guideline on Advanced Prostate Cancer
The American Urological Association (AUA), American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), and Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO) recently announced a new clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of advanced prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed ...
Lurbinectedin in Previously Treated Metastatic Small Cell Lung Cancer
On June 15, 2020, the alkylating drug lurbinectedin was granted accelerated approval for treatment of adult patients with metastatic small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with disease progression during or after platinum-based chemotherapy.1,2
Supporting Efficacy Data
Accelerated approval was based on...
Cultivating Emotional Equanimity: Pause, Reflect, and Feel Meaning in Life, No Matter What
For many cultures that are addicted to the relentless quest to feel happy, perhaps as an unconscious attempt to bypass disavowed misery, grief is sort of a taboo, often pathologized and avoided by multiple means of denial. When we grieve, we’re told by well-meaning friends and relatives to “think...
USPSTF Issues Draft Recommendation Statement on Screening for Lung Cancer
On July 7, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) posted a draft recommendation statement, draft evidence review, and draft modeling study on screening for lung cancer in people who do not have signs or symptoms. Based on the evidence, the USPSTF recommends annual screening using a...
Prominent Surgeon and Teacher LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr, MD, Promotes Hard Work and Education to Overcome Boundaries
LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr, MD, the Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery at Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, DC, died on May 25, 2019, at the age of 89. The ASCO Post paid tribute to Dr. Leffall in its July 10, 2019, issue. Here, as part of our 10-Year Anniversary Series, we...
Carolyn J. Anderson, PhD, Receives SNMMI 2020 Paul C. Aebersold Award for Outstanding Achievement in Basic Nuclear Medicine Science
Carolyn J. Anderson, PhD, has been named the 2020 recipient of the Paul C. Aebersold Award. Dr. Anderson is a Professor in the Departments of Medicine, Radiology, Bioengineering, Chemistry, and Pharmacology and Chemical Biology at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. The award was...
Yale Names Markus Müschen, MD, PhD, Inaugural Director of Center of Molecular and Cellular Oncology
Markus Müschen, MD, PhD, has been appointed the inaugural Director of the Center of Molecular and Cellular Oncology at Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital. “As an innovative and highly productive physician-scientist, Dr. Müschen’s leadership experience and mentorship will be a tremendous...
A Diagnosis of Advanced Lung Cancer Is No Longer a Death Sentence
In hindsight, the symptoms I began experiencing in the winter of 2013, including pains in my chest and shoulders and a persistent cough, should have rung loud alarm bells. However, having undergone a pancreatectomy and splenectomy to cure a history of mucinous cystic neoplasms of the pancreas 5...
The Wake
The ASCO Post is pleased to reproduce installments of the “Art of Oncology,” as published previously in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. These articles focus on the experience of suffering from cancer or of caring for people diagnosed with cancer, and they include narratives, topical essays,...
First-Line Osimertinib/Bevacizumab for Metastatic EGFR-Mutant Lung Cancer
In the phase II portion of a single-center phase I/II trial reported in JAMA Oncology, Yu et al found that the combination of first-line osimertinib and bevacizumab resulted in a high rate of 1-year progression-free survival in patients with metastatic EGFR-mutant lung cancer.
As stated by the...
Addition of an ATR Inhibitor to Gemcitabine in Platinum-Resistant High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Panagiotis A. Konstantinopoulos, MD, and colleagues, a phase II trial has shown significantly prolonged progression-free survival with the addition of the ATR (ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3–related) kinase inhibitor berzosertib to gemcitabine in women with...
Weathering the Storm: Personal Steps Toward Racial Equity in Oncology
“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhumane because it often results in physical death. I see no alternative to direct action and creative nonviolence to raise the conscience of the nation.”
—Martin Luther King, Jr, speaking before the Medical...
Marcella Nunez-Smith, MD, MHS, Named Director of Center for Community Engagement and Health Equity for Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital
Marcella Nunez-Smith, MD, MHS, has been appointed Director of the Center for Community Engagement and Health Equity for Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital, as well as Chief Health Equity Officer and Deputy Chief Medical Officer at Smilow and Associate Cancer Center Director for Community ...
If You Have Self-Doubt When Caring for a Loved One With Cancer
When taking care of a loved one with cancer, it’s natural to feel flooded with emotions—grief, guilt, and just plain old exhaustion. Feelings of inadequacy, doubt, or fear can sometimes pop up, too. Maybe you feel like you do not have the necessary skills to be a caregiver; maybe you feel like you...
Small Goals, Big Victories
While working toward the goal of conquering cancer, patients often celebrate smaller victories. These wins can range from spending a holiday weekend with family to taking a vacation without restrictions.
Jyoti Malhotra, MD, MPH, is a 2015 Young Investigator Award (YIA) recipient helping patients...
Mark Lewis, MD, and Jonathan Bleeker, MD, Reflect in ‘From Every Angle’
Mark Lewis, MD, was 8 years old when his father was diagnosed with cancer. Decades later, he was 1 week into an oncology fellowship when he self-diagnosed his own rare cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1). In the latest Your Stories podcast from Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation,...
Palliative Care Resource for Your Patients From ASCO
Do your patients know that supportive care can help them manage the symptoms and side effects of cancer and treatment, regardless of their age, cancer type, or disease stage? Help your patients understand the benefits of palliative care and where to access these services with the ASCO Answers...
Responding to Racism and Health Inequality as a Cancer Care Community
On June 3, 2020, ASCO President Lori J. Pierce, MD, FASTRO, FASCO, issued a statement on racism and health inequality. An excerpt from the statement follows:
Months ago, when I defined a theme for my year as ASCO President, “Equity:Every Patient. Every Day. Everywhere,” I never imagined we would...
ASCO’s CancerLinQ Launches the SmartLinQ™ QOPI® Certification Pathway, an Automated Solution for Quality Reporting for QOPI-Certified Practices
ASCO’s CancerLinQ® has launched the SmartLinQ™ QOPI® Certification Pathway, an application that empowers oncology practices to automate quality measure tracking and reporting for participation in ASCO’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) Certification Program, a 3-year certification...
New, Updated ASCO eLearning Courses Put Oncology Education at Your Fingertips
As medical professionals increasingly turn to online learning opportunities in the midst of COVID-19 restrictions on travel and gatherings, ASCO eLearning delivers valuable, up-to-date clinical care courses for physicians, nurses, and advanced practitioners on a robust platform that can be easily...
