All articles tagged: Hematology-Oncology

PET imaging using a radiolabeled antibody picked up clear cell renal cell carcinoma and could help avert unnecessary biopsies and surgeries.

Updates to two genetic risk assessment guidelines now include prostate, endometrial, and gastric cancer to reflect the growing understanding of hereditary cancer risk and value of genetic testing.

The rising incidence of pancreatic cancer among young Americans may largely reflect previously undetected cases not a true rise in occurrence, experts say.

Merck said on Tuesday a study showed its injectable version of cancer drug Keytruda was not inferior to the currently approved intravenous formulation of its treatment,...

Neoadjuvant immunotherapy offers a survival benefit in specific subtypes of patients but seems to offer no benefit in the adjuvant setting.

A family physician encouraged the use of shared decision-making, following the discussion with patients of the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening.

The oral small molecule is the first drug approved for a major driver of acute leukemia in infants.

Among four approaches, perioperative chemotherapy and trimodality therapy were associated with better survival outcomes in locally advanced esophageal cancer.

Researchers analyzed data from a cohort study of 1251 patients with advanced-stage nasopharyngeal cancer, of which 202 were statin users.

Overscreening and overtreatment of men with prostate cancer and limited life expectancy continue to be an ongoing issue in the era of active surveillance.

Two kinase inhibitors have been recommended by the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

Jorge Cortes, MD, reflects on his pioneering CML research and new challenges.

Many academic institutions have recently established centers promising comprehensive care for patients with BRCA and other cancer-linked mutations.

Evidence-based smoking cessation treatment within 6 months of a cancer diagnosis yielded the largest survival benefit, according to a prospective cohort study.

Socioeconomic and educational disparities significantly affect the access of women to cancer screening and care in Europe.

A retrospective cohort study revealed that breast cancer survivors who carry BRCA1/BRCA2 germline variants have an increased risk for second primary cancers.

Oncologists are looking to discount pharmacy options like GoodRX and CostPlus for their patients as insurers place more restrictions on supportive care medications.

Early detection of atrial arrhythmias may prevent strokes in sickle cell disease.

Researchers examined the relationship between US county mean PM2.5 levels and head and neck cancer (HNC) incidence rates.

A multicenter study found that the timing of radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy did not significantly affect patients' long-term health-related quality-of-life outcomes.

Despite encouraging trends in control of tobacco smoking, progress in reducing use of smokeless tobacco and areca nut products has stalled and should be prioritized, the cancer agency said.

Patients with cancer screening positive for financial distress received one-on-one consultations with trained financial navigators.

New research digs into the unique mental, physical, and financial challenges young adults with CRC face.

About 35% of patients diagnosed with cancer in Ontario had previously visited an emergency department, raising questions about access to routine care and oncology services.

A digital twin can replicate a human patient and test every treatment path in minutes, predicting what will work best. Just how good are they?

Obe-cel was designed to increase T-cell persistence and reduce T-cell exhaustion and was shown to improve response rates and survival, particularly in patients with low leukemia burden.

FDA directors explained why a confirmatory trial that fails to demonstrate a cancer drug’s clinical benefit doesn’t necessarily signal a failed drug.

Researchers looked for associations of plasma omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids with the incidence of cancer.

Phase 3 study on previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia showed sustained PFS with venetoclax-obinutuzumab.

Researchers conducted a cohort study to try to characterize long-term treatment-related adverse effects and complications in patients treated for prostate cancer.

The risk for breast induration was associated with the irradiated breast volume in patients aged 65 years or older; smoking doubled the risk for induration irrespective of irradiated volume and age.

A growing body of evidence suggests a synergistic effect when combining immunotherapy and radiation to treat NSCLC brain metastases.

Palliative care offered more than 3 months before death appears to decrease the aggressiveness of end-of-life care for patients with ovarian cancer.

A diverse, real-world patient population with triple-negative breast cancer that received pembrolizumab showed similar overall rates of immune-related adverse events.

The FDA continues to approve new drugs and expand indications for others at a rapid pace. Here’s a summary of what happened last month.

Residential exposure to fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and black carbon are positively linked to lung cancer incidence and mortality.

Patients with cancer participating in the Medicare Low-Income Subsidy program were less likely to receive systemic therapy at all, a new analysis suggests.

Recent findings yield good news about bridging the urban-rural healthcare gap.

Over about 4 years, the scheme allegedly netted Naveed Aslam, MD, more than $2.5 million.

Researchers compared the risks for distant metastases between patients with local regrowth after watch and wait and those with near-complete pathologic response managed by total mesorectal excision.

Fidanacogene elaparvovec gene therapy may usher in a new era in the treatment of hemophilia B.

Patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic HER2+ breast cancer were randomly assigned to receive trastuzumab duocarmazine or a physician’s choice.

The treatment-related adverse events, however, were higher with the radiotherapy-TKI combination among patients with oligometastatic NSCLC.

As more major organizations update their breast screening recommendations, some experts remain divided on whether the earlier screening timeline will really improve patient outcomes.

A subgroup analysis found that pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy improved disease-free survival in high-risk patients with endometrial cancer and dMMR tumors.

Researchers aimed to evaluate the efficacy of combining atezolizumab with targeted therapy based on tumor mutation status.

A post-STOP era analysis showed increasing stroke rates among Californians with sickle cell disease.

A recent study found that older Black adults with breast cancer were less likely to receive timely, guideline-concordant care than White adults.

Experts outlined viable remaining options for treating multi-refractory myeloma, following immunotherapy.

An American Cancer Society expert urges clinicians to advocate for action in the healthcare industry to help combat climate change and its effects on lung cancer incidence.

Specialists fiercely debated best strategies for treating advanced lymphoma but could not reach consensus.

A specialist applied a novel, nuanced approach to Waldenström macroglobulinemia, based on mutational status.

Air pollution, specifically fine particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm, was associated with an increased risk for breast cancer, particularly among White women.

Researchers conducted a subgroup analysis of POSEIDON trial data, then characterized underlying biologic mechanisms using mouse models.

Researchers analyzed US-based phase 1-3 cancer treatment trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov from 2017 to 2022.

But free screenings remain available to those exposed to radiation from nuclear testing.

Patients with cancer have higher rates of bankruptcy and debt collections and lower credit scores — issues that can persist for years following their diagnosis.

The FDA placed the hold on the phase 3 PRESERVE-003 trial of the antibody candidate due to varying results between patient populations, according to an SEC notice.

Participants were randomly assigned to receive either three or six cycles of CEV chemotherapy after enucleation.

Many people with cancer are interested in using cannabis for symptom management, but few talk to their doctor about it. ASCO guidelines suggest making it a routine conversation.

Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis to identify the specific population of patients with TNBC that benefited from adjuvant capecitabine.

A fracture risk assessment tool that factors in bone mineral density predicted the risk for incident major osteoporotic fractures and hip fractures in patients with cancer.

A new study aimed to examine associations between dietary patterns and survival among Black women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer.

This FDA approval marks the first for a claudin 18.2–targeting agent in the United States.

The European Medicines Agency recommended the antihemorrhagic drug eltrombopag to treat forms of thrombocytopenia and aplastic anemia.

The European Medicines Agency has recommended Korjuny for the treatment of patients with intraperitoneal malignant ascites.

Older adults with metastatic cancer living in Mexico experience a high time toxicity burden, spending about 21% of their days with healthcare contact.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy was associated with significantly better urinary continence and fewer sexual issues at 2 years than prostatectomy in patients with localized prostate cancer.

Romania will be one of ten Central and Eastern European countries benefiting from a new initiative that aims to build capacities for more comprehensive cancer care.

Researchers investigated whether induction chemotherapy improves PFS and OS in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer.

Men with localized prostate cancer were randomly assigned to receive either SBRT or control radiotherapy in a phase 3 trial.

Oncologists never know which patients with dire prognoses will be among the rare, but real responders. The few who defy all odds give oncologists a sense of hope that's hard to shake.

In a cross-sectional study, about one third of adult survivors of childhood cancer reported clinically significant or high fear of cancer recurrence.

Patients with this rare end-stage cancer complication achieved a median overall survival of nearly a year with proton craniospinal irradiation.

The monoclonal antibody is the first non-factor, once-weekly treatment approved in the United States for hemophilia B.

Testing rates for mismatch repair and microsatellite instability among patients with CRC increased from 2012 to 2021, but variations by cancer stage and other factors still exist.

One of your patients could be eligible for a new clinical trial for fibroids or gynecologic cancer.

In the approval trial, Genentech's PI3K inhibitor doubled progression-free survival compared with placebo.

Older cancer survivors who had overweight or obesity at the time of first diagnosis had a higher risk for second cancers, particularly obesity-related cancers.

CAR T-cell therapy offers the "holy grail" of precision therapy in lung cancer, but it is biologically challenging and poses significant problems, according to experts.

Pfizer said on Thursday a combination of its drugs, Talzenna and Xtandi, helped prolong the lives of patients with a type of advanced prostate cancer in a late-stage...

Wearable device-based intervention was associated with overall improved physical activity and dyspnea after lung cancer surgery compared with usual care, a new analysis found.

Interim analysis of first MIDAS trial findings showed "highest rate of response and MRD negativity to date."

Researchers reviewed the effects of traditional and newer cancer therapies on fertility at the recent congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology.

The biennial breast cancer update from the ACS reported an increase in diagnoses, especially among younger women, as well as disparities in survival outcomes.

Patients with limited-stage SCLC were randomly assigned to receive durvalumab with or without tremelimumab or placebo as adjuvant therapy.

Scientists are learning more about the critical period after cells start to grow abnormally but before they've developed into cancer, paving the way for a new era in cancer treatment.

Combining short-term ADT with high-dose radiotherapy improves disease-free survival in men with localized intermediate-risk prostate cancer, new data showed.

In a recent phase 3 trial, SBRT led to similar tumor control and survival outcomes compared with hypofractionated conventional radiotherapy in patients with stage I NSCLC.

Trial aimed to evaluate outcomes of MRI-guided SBRT in prostate cancer.

IMTOZ trial findings and subsequent approval of Isa-VRd regimen for transplant-ineligible myeloma suggested the combo as a new frontline standard of care.

A phase 2/3 non-inferiority study compared de-escalation strategies to standard chemoradiation in patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal cancer.

The checkpoint inhibitor is now approved, based on CheckMate 77T findings, for neoadjuvant/adjuvant use in patients with resectable NSCLC.

Novel ways of administering opioid analgesics improve pain management and satisfaction in cancer patients.

Language and stigma are major factors preventing ethnic Chinese immigrant cancer patients from receiving the healthcare they need.

A new trial highlights that the timing of chemoradiation and immunotherapy is crucial when treating limited-stage small cell lung cancer.

"Tumor behavior upon recurrence is often more aggressive, and patients may quickly exhaust safe and effective options for surgery and radiation."

A sizeable proportion of patients with cancer who experience cognitive decline after radiation treatment for brain metastases may regain full neurocognitive function within 6 months.

Trial results suggested the antibody-drug conjugate may be a treatment option for patients with HER2 metastatic breast cancer in whom endocrine-based therapy has failed.

Cilta-cel is the first CAR T-cell therapy to show a significant OS benefit in multiple myeloma.

Adding external beam radiotherapy did not improve biochemical failure outcomes or prostate cancer specific mortality in higher-risk prostate cancer patients.

A third large trial has shown that hypofractionated, whole-breast irradiation with simultaneous integrated boost is effective and safe for adjuvant radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery.

"The people with the very worst prior authorization stories aren't here anymore to tell you about them," one expert said.

A significant minority of patients with brain metastases may avoid radiotherapy, but they need to be carefully selected.

A large randomized trial found no difference in oncology outcomes or reconstruction complications with accelerated radiation regimens after mastectomy.

First results of much-anticipated CEPHEUS trial, with MRD as primary endpoint, show deep, durable responses.

Neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy outperformed adjuvant chemoradiotherapy in the first head-to-head trial in patients with locally advanced, resectable ESCC.

New data show excellent quality-of-life outcomes and effective tumor control for both intensity-modulated radiation therapy and proton beam therapy in the patient population.

Some oncologists are turning to GLP-1 agents to help patients shed excess pounds, with the goal of improving cancer outcomes. But data on the practice remain limited.

After hours of company pushback, FDA's Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee voted that the benefit of immunotherapy in low or no PD-L1 expressors doesn't outweigh the risks.

Adding daratumumab to lenalidomide in maintenance therapy for multiple myeloma significantly reduced rates of minimal residual disease.

Pfizer withdrew its pill for sickle cell disease amid heightened European scrutiny, triggered by death rates seen in clinical studies.

Radiotherapy had a distinct advantage over surgery in reducing myeloma progression while maintaining comparable survival outcomes in patients with extramedullary plasmacytoma.

Dropping 5-FU bolus from multidrug regimens is associated with lower rates of cytopenia in gastrointestinal cancers without affecting survival.

Approval follows priority review granted based on findings from the LAURA trial.

A leading Ohio State leukemia researcher enlists her pets to advocate for patients' quality of life.

Patients with stage I NSCLC who receive stereotactic body radiotherapy rarely experience acute toxicities or 90-day mortality, a large real-world analysis found.

A new study analyzed 26 breast cancer drugs approved by the FDA between 2000 and 2023.

The Rome Study demonstrated the value of extensive sequencing and discussion of individual cancer cases to offer tailored therapeutic choices.

In a Markov model, testing all women in Canada for BRCA1 and 2 genetic mutations was cost-effective, compared with testing only women with a family history of breast cancer.

A study aimed to use a questionnaire to identify patients meeting family history criteria for genetic testing in their electronic health records.

Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study including 3441 adult patients diagnosed with HCC to evaluate survival trends.

Merck said on Wednesday a combination of its experimental drug and blockbuster therapy Keytruda failed a late-stage trial testing it in previously treated patients with a...

Persistent lymph node metastases after neoadjuvant treatment were associated with worse survival and recurrence outcomes in patients with rectal cancer.

Study addresses long-standing debate on pros and cons of systematic vs MRI-targeted biopsy in patients with elevated PSA.

A retrospective analysis found an 8.8% cumulative risk for sarcoma following radiation therapy in carriers of TP53 pathogenic variant at 15 years.

Numerous factors contribute to this phenomenon, with many gaps still to be filled in research and prevention.

In a proposed guidance, the FDA voiced concerns over whether cancer clinical trials largely or entirely conducted outside the United States are relevant to US patients.

Factors related to sex and gender can affect therapy outcomes and should not be overlooked in clinical practice or research.

The report, which calls on Congress to increase funding, highlights some of the major advances made in cancer care as well areas where more research and attention are needed.

Researchers used national Medicare data to look at Medicare Advantage enrollment and treatment patterns for patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy.

The greatest disparity in BC-specific survival was observed in women with HR+ HER2− tumors, with Black women having a 50% higher mortality risk across tumor subtypes.

The CD38 antibody shows improved progression-free survival when added to standard treatment.

Amivantamab plus chemo is now indicated in locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R substitution mutations after disease progression on or after an EGFR-TKI.

Hetronifly in combination with chemotherapy was shown to improve survival of patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer, the European Medicines Agency said.

The drug will be available for patients aged 12 years and older and weighing at least 35 kg.

The drug will be available for patients aged 12 years and older and weighing at least 35 kg.

Elahere was found to improve survival in patients with FR-alpha–positive, platinum-resistant, high-grade serous epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer.

Numerous drugs are under trial with promising results, though not without side effects.

Neoadjuvant therapy is an essential part of high-risk stage III resectable melanoma management, with combination immunotherapy achieving the best survival outcomes, revealed a pooled data analysis.

Obermair calls for his fellow gynecological cancer surgeons to join him in interrogating current standards of practice.

Having a double mastectomy won't improve survival in women with cancer in only one breast, but many women choose the more invasive surgery anyway. What can explain the decision?

Researchers found that pesticide exposure may contribute to 154.1% more non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases than smoking.

High-dose vitamin D added to chemotherapy failed to provide a benefit in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in the SOLARIS trial.

Approval, reimbursement, and other factors make access to new cancer therapies complex.

Unlike rival CDK 4/6 inhibitor abemaciclib, patients don't need to be lymph-node positive to receive ribociclib after surgery.

The blockbuster PD-1 inhibitor now has indications across 21 malignancies.

Adding adjuvant pembrolizumab to chemotherapy only led to a benefit in patients with mismatch repair-deficient high-risk endometrial cancers, a phase 3 trial found.

Researchers compared health-related quality of life with nivolumab added to first-line chemo vs chemo alone in patients with urothelial carcinoma.

Neoadjuvant plus adjuvant immune therapy combined with chemotherapy reduced death by 34% in the KEYNOTE-522 trial.

Last year, the Community Oncology Alliance sued to reverse a policy that prohibits oncology practices from mailing cancer drugs to patients at home. A judge recently dismissed the suit.

But sex health assessments are not yet part of oncological clinical practice, despite studies showing that infertility and sexual dysfunction reduce treatment compliance.

Researchers investigated the efficacy of total neoadjuvant treatment followed by nonoperative management in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

Investigators compared outcomes between patients with stage II/III colon cancer given adjuvant aspirin and those given placebo.

Promising initial results from the IMBRAVE050 trial fell through after longer follow-up.

Adding the checkpoint inhibitor both before and after radical cystectomy had "practice-changing" results.

Data suggested that the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy and lactation should not discourage breastfeeding after breast cancer.

Patients with locally advanced cervical cancer were randomized to receive either pembrolizumab or placebo in combination with standard concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Daiichi Sankyo and Merck said on Tuesday that their drug, patritumab deruxtecan, met the main goal in a late-stage study in some patients with a type of lung...

Patients were randomized to receive either hypofractionated radiotherapy or conventional fractionation.

Combining radium-223 with enzalutamide offered a survival benefit in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, but experts questioned its relevance in a shifting treatment landscape.

One of your patients might be eligible to enroll in a clinical trial currently recruiting people with breast cancer.

Specialists disagree on value of alternative donor transplants vs gene therapy in eligible patients.

Researchers conducted a single-center cohort study of more than 47,000 patients diagnosed with CRC from January 1, 1973, to March 1, 2023.

Patients with advanced SSC of the anal canal have a marked survival benefit when immunotherapy is added to standard-of-care chemotherapy, suggested first phase 3 trial in the field.

Subcutaneous injections save time, taking about 7 minutes, vs 30-60 minutes for intravenous infusion.

A study highlighted a mismatch between current lung cancer screening eligibility criteria and actual lung cancer risk.

Before the annual congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology began in Barcelona, clinicians held a press conference to highlight the causes of burnout.

The efficacy of rucaparib plus nivolumab was compared with rucaparib monotherapy as maintenance treatment for ovarian cancer.

Patients with HER2-positive advanced or metastatic breast cancer received trastuzumab deruxtecan every 3 weeks.

Intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma remains a challenge to treat. The new findings may lead to a new treatment strategy for these patients.

The findings, in which doublet immunotherapy added to standard FOLFOX chemotherapy did not improve progression-free survival, underscore the importance of PD-L1 expression in immunotherapy trials.

The lack of a disease-free survival benefit with adjuvant durvalumab in early-stage resected non-small cell lung cancer in the CCTG BR.31 trial underscores the need to identify biomarkers.

Despite improvement in pathologic complete response with preoperative chemoradiation, the benefit did not extend to overall or progression-free survival, a new analysis found.

Results from the first-in-human trial of a new mRNA-based cancer vaccine are promising, as are early results from two other trials presented at ESMO.

Separately, oncologist Thomas Weiner, a former employee, also faces a civil suit, which alleges he overbilled the government for cancer services and overprescribed medications, among other claims.

A phase 3 study of the novel antibody-drug conjugate tusamitamab ravtansine in advanced nonsquamous NSCLC yielded disappointing results, but hope for CEACAM5 as a target remains.

The incidence of postoperative complications was similar in patients undergoing minimal access and conventional nipple-sparing mastectomy, indicating both methods are safe.

Good options exist in the frontline setting, but relapsed/refractory cases remain a challenge.

Judging by Attendees' Votes at the SOHO 2024 Debate, Perhaps Not

Patients with pretreated extensive small cell lung cancer could benefit from the antibody-drug conjugate ifinatamab deruxtecan, indicated phase 2 study.

Aumolertinib maintenance therapy led to a significant improvement in progression-free survival in unresectable, stage III, EGFR-mutated non–small cell lung cancer.

Offering universal genetic testing to newly diagnosed breast cancer patients may identify germline pathogenic variants, which traditional risk-based criteria may miss.

The event-free survival benefit with perioperative pembrolizumab in early NSCLC depends on the post-neoadjuvant residual tumor, suggested analysis.

One of the world's largest oncology meetings will begin on Friday. Here's what you should know.

Osimertinib plus savolitinib demonstrated stronger efficacy than osimertinib alone in patients with de novo MET-aberrant, EGFR-mutant advanced NSCLC in the FLOWERS study.

People with early-onset colorectal cancer who live in impoverished and rural areas have a higher risk of dying from the disease, a population-based study found.

Blood cancer specialists face off on the topic of targeted therapies for chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Study hints at multiple benefits, but it's too early to say if they're actually real.

Hispanic/Latinx and Black patients are underrepresented in immune checkpoint inhibitor clinical trials, but recent years have seen some improvement in their inclusion.

Investigators analyzed patient-level data from the phase 3 CheckMate 77T and 816 trials.

Relay Therapeutics said on Monday interim data from an early-stage study of its combination drug for breast cancer showed it meaningfully extended the time patients lived...

The investigational PD-1/VEGF bi-specific immunotherapy agent showed a clinically significant progression-free survival over pembrolizumab in advanced PD-L1-positive NSCLC.

In a disease with dismal outcomes, KRAS inhibitors may offer hope for treating pancreatic cancer. But with preliminary data, experts remain cautiously optimistic.

A generic second-generation TKI is needed to help improve treatment-free remission rates.

Post-radiation dental extractions posed an elevated risk for exposed bone and osteoradionecrosis in patients with head and neck cancer.

Researchers analyzed whole genome sequencing data from 10,866 women in the WHI to explore possible associations between CHIP, mCA, and solid tumors.

Glimcher will be replaced by current medical oncology chief Benjamin Levine Ebert, MD, PhD, on October 1.

Researchers compared outcomes for patients randomized to receive androgen receptor pathway inhibitors, taxanes, or a physician's choice.

Patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma can discontinue immune checkpoint inhibitors at 1 or 2 years without negatively impacting survival, a study suggests.