News

Overall survival was improved for women with cervical cancer by adding bevacizumab (Avastin) to chemotherapy, according to final results from the phase III GOG 240 trial published online in <em>The Lancet</em>.

The FDA has granted breakthrough therapy designation to the investigational HER2-targeting antibody-drug conjugate DS-8201 for the treatment of patients with HER2-positive, locally advanced, or metastatic breast cancer who have been treated with trastuzumab (Herceptin) and pertuzumab (Perjeta) and have disease progression after ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1; Kadcyla).

A supplemental biologics license application for obinutuzumab (Gazyva) in combination with chemotherapy, followed by obinutuzumab alone, has been granted a priority review by the FDA for the first-line treatment of patients with follicular lymphoma.

Breast cancer expert Carlos Arteaga, MD, was recently named director of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Results from a recent retrospective study published in the<em> Journal of Clinical Oncology</em>^&nbsp;revealed hospice enrollment is low and use of aggressive treatment is high for elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

According to results from a trial conducted by investigators from the Children&rsquo;s Oncology Group, treatment with arsenic trioxide consolidation was effective and safe in newly diagnosed pediatric patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia, allowing a significant reduction in cumulative anthracycline doses.

Eunice Wang, MD, discusses a study examining the biology of newly diagnosed patients with <em>FLT3</em>-positive acute myeloid leukemia who achieved a response to the FLT3 TKI crenolanib combined with chemotherapy.

Fulvestrant (Faslodex) has been approved by the FDA for use in hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative locally-advanced or metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women not previously treated with endocrine therapy.

Jonathan E. Rosenberg, MD, discusses the muscle-invasive bladder cancer guidelines&nbsp;and their significance for the treatment of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Carfilzomib (Kyprolis) reduced the risk of death by 21% compared with bortezomib (Velcade) in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, according to results from the phase III ENDEAVOR trial, now published in the<em> Lancet Oncology.</em>

The CDK 4/6 inhibitor ribociclib (Kisqali) has been approved by the European Commission for use in combination with an aromatase inhibitor for the frontline treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone-receptor (HR)&ndash;positive, HER2-negative locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

Antonia R. Sepulveda, MD, PhD, discusses&nbsp;the importance and utility of genetic testing in GI cancers, as well as noteworthy developments in microsatellite instability, <em>BRAF</em>, and <em>KRAS </em>testing in colorectal cancer.

Robert Andtbacka, MD, discusses&nbsp;long-term results for T-VEC in melanoma and the remaining challenges with the oncolytic immunotherapy.<br /> &nbsp;

Manuel Hidalgo, MD, shares his insight on the growth of genetic testing in CRC.<br /> &nbsp;

Patients with intermediate- or high-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumors were less likely to experience recurrence after 5 years of treatment with imatinib, according to results from the phase II PERSIST-5 trial.

Frankie Ann Holmes, MD, discusses which breast cancer patients can benefit from endocrine therapy and the challenges that still exist with deciding between chemotherapy and endocrine therapy for each patient.

Investigators recently reported 5-year follow-up data from a phase II study of dabrafenib (Tafinlar) plus trametinib (Mekinist) in patients with <em>BRAF</em> V600-mutant unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

In patients with heavily-pretreated microsatellite stable metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), treatment with CEA-TCB, an investigational CEA/CD3 bispecific antibody, showed a favorable safety profile and promising efficacy, with enhanced efficacy when combined with the PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab.

The FDA has granted its approval to olaparib tablets (Lynparza) as a maintenance therapy for patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer, who are in a complete or partial response to platinum-based chemotherapy, regardless of <em>BRCA</em> status.

Inotuzumab ozogamicin (Besponsa) has received FDA approval for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), based on findings from the phase III INO-VATE trial.

Dominik P. Modest, MD, discusses a retrospective, central evaluation of the FIRE-3 study to determine surgical treatment options, which explored the number of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who had resectable disease during systemic first-line therapy.&nbsp;

A supplemental biologics license application (sBLA) for brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) has been granted a priority review by the FDA for the treatment of patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), according to Seattle Genetics, which codevelops the antibody-drug conjugate with Takeda.

Exelixis has submitted a supplemental New Drug Application to the FDA for the multikinase inhibitor cabozantinib as treatment for previously untreated patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

The risk of progression or death was reduced by 70% with maintenance olaparib (Lynparza) compared with placebo for patients with platinum-sensitive, relapsed, <em>BRCA</em>-mutant ovarian cancer.

According to findings recently published online in the<em> Journal of Clinical Oncology, </em>12<em>&nbsp;</em>weeks of neoadjuvant T-DM1 (ado-trastuzumab emtansine; Kadcyla) with or without endocrine therapy induced superior pathologic complete response (pCR) compared with trastuzumab (Herceptin) plus endocrine therapy in patients with HER2-positive/HR-positive early breast cancer.

Adding pertuzumab to standard postoperative trastuzumab therapy in patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer improved the rate of recurrence overall, but had a greater benefit for individuals with higher-risk disease, according to results from the phase III APHINITY trial.

Shaji Kumar, MD,&nbsp;discusses ixazomib, daratumumab triplets, denosumab, and CAR T-cell therapy in multiple myeloma.

Julia A. Elvin, MD, PhD, discusses her genomic research in ovarian cancer and how it could potentially impact treatment decisions for patients.

Douglas Levine, MD,&nbsp;provides his insight on some of the recent data with PARP inhibitors in ovarian cancer, as well as his predictions for the field in the next several years.<br /> &nbsp;

Supplemental New Drug Applications were recently submitted in the United States and Europe for carfilzomib (Kyprolis). The sNDAs were submitted based on data from 2 phase III studies showing carfilzomib improves overall survival for patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. &nbsp;