News

A comprehensive effort to assess the prevalence of microsatellite instability in a large series of malignant thyroid tumors comprising all major histologic subtypes has found that the overall prevalence of MSI in follicular thyroid cancer is 2.5%. The study also found that MSI is either entirely absent or rare in other histology subtypes of thyroid carcinoma.

Michael A. Morse, MD, FACP, MHS, highlights the latest ongoing research in HCC and predicts what future treatment might look like in this field.

Positive findings have been seen with a novel antibody–drug conjugate in a pivotal trial for patients with advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer who have previously been treated with immunotherapy and chemotherapy, according to an announcement from the co-manufacturers Seattle Genetics and Astellas Pharma.

In an effort to enable healthcare providers and patients to make more informed medical decisions, the FDA has proposed amendments to key policies to modernize breast cancer screening and improve mammography services.

During a <em>Targeted Oncology</em> live case-based peer perspectives program, B. Douglas Smith, MD, discussed his clinical consideration for the management of acute myeloid leukemia. Smith explained his treatment decisions during the dinner event in 2 case scenarios of patients with AML.

The FDA has granted ivosidenib plus azacitidine a breakthrough therapy designation for the treatment of newly diagnosed patients with acute myeloid leukemia who harbor an <em>IDH1 </em>mutation and are &ge;75 years old or have comorbidities that would prevent them from receiving intensive induction chemotherapy.

According to new data, survivors of childhood cancer who have lived 5 or more years from their primary malignancy may be up to 30 times more likely to develop a skin malignancy compared with the general population.

Under the updated&nbsp;guideline from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network for the management of&nbsp;chronic myeloid leukemia,&nbsp;discontinuation of TKI therapy is considered safe with careful monitoring in adult patients with CML in the chronic phase&nbsp;who achieve and maintain a major molecular response.

A supplemental biologics license application has been submitted to the FDA for the potential approval of a new indication for daratumumab. The sBLA was for the combination of daratumumab plus bortezomib, thalidomide, and dexamethasone for the treatment of newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma who are eligible for autologous stem cell transplant.

A pivotal phase III INNOVATE-3 trial investigating the efficacy of tumor-treating fields (TTFields; Optune) combined with paclitaxel in patients with recurrent, platinum-resistant ovarian cancer has been initiated, according to Novocure, the company developing the device.

Under the 2019 update to the&nbsp;National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines, the recommendation&nbsp;on the management of&nbsp;advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma has undergone a major shift in defining the risk category used to define preferred and alternative first-line treatments.

Mario E. Lacouture, MD, has joined the Treatment Support Program of the National Community Oncology Dispensing Association as director of the medical advisory board.

Lurbinectedin (PM1183) monotherapy induced responses in patients with relapsed small cell lung cancer, achieving the primary endpoint of overall response rate in a single-arm phase II trial, according to an announcement from PharmaMar, the company developing lurbinectedin.

Thomas W. Flaig, MD,&nbsp;discusses the latest updates to the NCCN guidelines for the treatment of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. In addition, he highlights the latest approvals of checkpoint inhibitors in this patient population.

Wells A. Messersmith, MD, reviews key updates to the NCCN guidelines for the treatment of colorectal cancer.

According to results from the ongoing phase I/II GARNET trial, dostarlimab induced an overall response rate of nearly 30% in patients with recurrent or advanced endometrial cancer. Results presented at the 2019 SGO Annual Meeting also demonstrated durable responses in both patients with&nbsp;microsatellite instability-high and microsatellite stable tumors.

The establishment of a high-risk cancer screening and genetic counseling service in a community setting may be an arduous undertaking but, as demonstrated in a case study presented during the Association of Community Cancer Centers 45th Annual Meeting &amp; Cancer Center Business Center Summit held in Washington, DC, it could help to reduce the chance of patients developing a hereditary cancer.

David Cibula, MD,&nbsp;highlights the phase II data on DCVAC/OvCA in combination with chemotherapy for patients with relapsed, platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer, and how it could impact future treatment approaches for this population.

Be careful with the investigational use of venetoclax (Venclexta) for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma, the FDA has warned in an alert to healthcare professionals and clinical investigators.

The combination of FOLFOXIRI plus molecular targeted therapies, including bevacizumab, was effective as a first-line treatment in metastatic colorectal cancer, according to findings from a retrospective study recently published in <em>Oncotarget.</em>

Three next-generation physician practice management companies&mdash;US Oncology Network, American Oncology Network, and OneOncology&mdash;provided an overview of their business models to distinguish themselves from competitors at a breakout session during the Association of Community Cancer Centers 45th Annual Meeting &amp; Cancer Center Business Center Summit held in Washington, DC.

During a <em>Targeted Oncology </em>case-based peer perspectives program, Elias Jabbour, MD, discussed his clinical considerations for the management of chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase.&nbsp;Jabbour explained his treatment decisions during the live event based on a case scenario of a patient with CML-CP.

The first patient has been dosed in a phase II study investigating the safety and tolerability of the novel agent LiPlaCis for the treatment of advanced or refractory prostate cancer.

The efficacy of osimertinib does not significantly vary according to the body size variables of patients with T790M-positive non&ndash;small cell lung cancer who progress on prior EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors, according to findings from a new study published in <em>Thoracic Cancer</em>.<br /> &nbsp;

Carla Casulo, MD,&nbsp;discusses challenges in the management of patients with relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma and progress being made toward predicting early relapse in these patients.

The phase III JAVELIN Ovarian PARP 100 study has been discontinued,&nbsp;according to Merck KGaA and Pfizer, the companies that collaborated on the trial.^&nbsp;The ongoing trial was investigating the efficacy and safety&nbsp;of avelumab in combination with chemotherapy followed by maintenance avelumab in combination with talazoparib in patients with locally advanced or metastatic ovarian cancer.

Sarah Rutherford, MD, discusses&nbsp;a pilot study at Weill Cornell Medicine investigating ribavirin as a treatment for patients with follicular lymphoma.

A partial clinical hold has been placed on&nbsp;all clinical trials examining venetoclax in multiple myeloma,&nbsp;according to AbbVie, co-developer of the BCL-2 inhibitor with Genentech. This hold, placed by the FDA,&nbsp;halts enrollment of new patients on the studies.

The clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer have been updated by NCCN to include the combination of&nbsp;encorafenib plus binimetinib in addition to EGFR inhibition with either cetuximab or panitumumab as a Category 2a treatment recommendation for patients with <em>BRAF</em> V600E&ndash;mutant metastatic CRC, after 1 or 2 prior therapies for metastatic disease.

The FDA has approved the combination of&nbsp;atezolizumab plus carboplatin and etoposide&nbsp;as a first-line treatment for patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.