News

From 2001 to 2017, the cancer death rates continued to decline in the United States, and these decreases were observed in all major racial and ethnic groups, as well as in males, females, adolescents, young adults, and children. However, the rates of cancer incidence for all cancers slightly increased in females from 2012 to 2016, according to the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, which was published in Cancer.^ 

Vemurafenib monotherapy is an effective treatment for patients with BRAF V600-mutated non–small cell lung cancer, according to results from the phase II AcSe vemurafenib trial II study published in the Annals of Oncology.

Researchers have developed a baseline score to determine the risk for heart failure in patients with acute leukemias, to address the scarcity in knowledge around the increasing incidence and risk factors of symptomatic heart failure in this patient population. The findings were published in JACC: CardioOncology.

Randall A. Oyer, MD, was named President for 2020 to 2021 of The Association of Community Cancer Centers during the ACCC 46th Annual Meeting Cancer Center Business Summit, according to a press release.

A post hoc analysis of the ALTER 0303 trial has found that anlotinib, compared with placebo, extended the time patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer had before brain metastases developed or existing brain lesions increased in size, reports a recent paper in The Oncologist.

African American males with prostate cancer may fare better in terms of overall survival than Caucasian males, according to the results of a pooled analysis of phase III data. The data were obtained through the PROCEED registry, which includes over 1900 patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer treated with sipuleucel-T, created at the recommendation of the FDA.

Patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer with a luminal B tumor are associated with better outcomes with the addition of docetaxel chemotherapy to androgen deprivation therapy compared with androgen deprivation therapy alone. In a correlative study presented at the 2020 Genitourinary Cancers Sumposium, investigators also determined that the basal tumor subtype did not experience as much of a survival benefit with the addition of docetaxel to androgen deprivation therapy.

The phase III JAVELIN 100 trial of avelumab plus chemoradiotherapy versus standard-of-care  CRT in patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma  has been terminated due to doubt that the combination will meet the primary end point, progression-free survival.

In an interview with Targeted Oncology, Tony S. K. Mok, MD, BMSc, FRCPC, discussed the final progression-free survival data for frontline alectinib comparted with crizotinib as treatment of patients with advanced ALK-positive non–small cell lung cancer in the ALEX trial.

The FDA has granted a Fast Track designation for the evaluation of balstilimab in combination with zalifrelimab for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory metastatic cervical cancer, according to a press release from Agenus, Inc., the developer of balstilimab. Comprehensive data supporting the potential of the combination served as the basis for the designation.

The FDA has recommended that a preliminary meeting for a potential Breakthrough Therapy designation be requested for leronlimab as a treatment of patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, based on positive data from a phase Ib/II study.

The largest prospective dataset in previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma revealed the molecular heterogeneity of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with potential treatment targets harbored by the cell-of-origin subtypes, based on data from a phase III GOYA study.&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;

The addition of cediranib to olaparib did not result in improved progression-free survival in comparison with platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with platinum-sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer, which was the primary end point of the phase III NRG-GY004 trial, according to a press release from AstraZeneca and Merck.

Pemetrexed-based chemotherapy regimens were more effective as treatment of patients with&nbsp;<em>RET</em>-rearranged non&ndash;<a>small</a>&nbsp;cell lung cancer compared with other regimens, according to a multicenter, retrospective study. This treatment also showed similar benefit for various&nbsp;<em>RET</em>&nbsp;fusion types, including&nbsp;<em>KIF5B-<a>RET&nbsp;</a></em>and non-<em>KIF5B-RET</em>&nbsp;fusions.

The FDA has placed a partial clinical hold on the phase I trial of ACTR707 in combination with rituximab in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma from Unum Therapeutics, following the submission of a safety report from the company. The FDA notified Unum of the hold verbally on March 4. Unum Therapeutics acknowledged the partial clinical hold in filings with the Securities and Exchange commission.

Cirmtuzumab in combination with ibrutinib induced a clinical benefit rate of 100% in a small cohort of patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma, according to interim results of the phase I/II CIRLL trial.

Acelarin demonstrated clinical activity in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer who were heavily pretreated with at least 3 lines of chemotherapy, according to preliminary results from part 1 of phase II PRO-105 study, announced in a press release from the drug developer, NuCana plc.

Progression-free survival failed to meet the threshold for statistical significance with the addition of ixazomib to lenalidomide and dexamethasone in patients with newly diagnosed, transplant-ineligible multiple myeloma in the phase III TOURMALINE-MM2 trial, not meeting the primary endpoint.

In an interview with&nbsp;Targeted Oncology, Eric Kmiec, PhD, discussed the evolution of CRISPR and how it fits into the treatment landscape for physicians in the community practice. He highlights the challenges that arise with the use of CRISPR and how to address these issues.

The FDA has granted an accelerated approval to the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab for the treatment of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma previously treated with sorafenib.

The FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to JNJ-61186372 for the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer with&nbsp;EGFR&nbsp;exon 20 insertion mutation whose disease has progressed on or after platinum-based chemotherapy.

After demonstrating promising results that were comparable to targeted therapies in the first 2 cohorts of a phase I clinical trial, the combination of cladribine, cytarabine, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, and mitoxantrone plus the antibody radiation conjugate lintuzumab-Ac225 in patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia is now being explored in a third cohort.

The addition of tazemetostat to rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone was generally well tolerated and demonstrated early anti-tumor activity in patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, according to the findings from the phase Ib study.

The combination of elotuzumab plus lenalidomide and dexamethasone did not demonstrate a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival compared with lenalidomide and dexamethasone alone in newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma who are transplant ineligible, missing the primary end point of the phase III ELOQUENT-1 trial.<br /> &nbsp;

In an interview with&nbsp;Targeted Oncology, Whitney Ducaine, MGC, CGC, CN-BM, discussed the evolution of genetic testing in oncology. She highlighted the importance of having conversations with genetic counselors to help inform the patient on their familial risks as well to help inform treatment decisions.

New data from the RANGE study have found that ramucirumab combined with docetaxel confers a progression-free survival benefit in patients with platinum-refractory advanced urothelial cancer versus placebo and docetaxel in extended follow-up, according to a recent paper in Lancet Oncology.

The FDA has accepted a Biologics License Application for MYL-1402O, a proposed biosimilar to bevacizumab, according to a press release from co-developers Biocon and Mylan. The BLA is seeking approval for the biosimilar as a treatment for multiple types of cancer and the FDA has set an action date goal of December 27, 2020, for a decision on the BLA.

The first chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy to utilize chlorotoxin to direct T cells to target cancer cells in the brain has been developed at the City of Hope and demonstrated antitumor activity in a preclinical study. Based on these findings, the first-in-human clinical trial has opened enrollment at City of Hope for patients with recurrent or progressive glioblastoma.

In an interview with&nbsp;Targeted Oncology, David S. Hong, MD, discussed the emerging role of multitargeted therapeutics in patients with hematologic malignancies.

As the new coronavirus disease 2019 creates problems internationally, health-wise and economically, it is also becoming a cause for concern throughout the oncology community.