August 2019

CDK4/6 inhibitors<strong> </strong>offer clear benefits in pro&shy;gression-free survival, delayed time to chemotherapy, and overall survival in both pre and postmenopausal patients with estrogen receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer, said Angela DeMichele, MD, MSCE.

In a presentation at the <em>18th Annual </em>International Congress on the Future of Breast Cancer&reg; East, hosted by Physicians&rsquo; Education Resource&reg;, LLC, in New York, Armin Shahrokni, MD, MPH, emphasized the importance of performing a comprehensive geriatric assessment for each patient to determine optimal treatment.

The addition of novel agents and combinations to the treatment of multiple myeloma, along with improvements in personalized therapy based on genetic profiles of individual patients, are propelling care forward with their potential for prolonging survival and deepening responses beyond those from the current standards of care.<br /> &nbsp;

PET imaging modalities such as fluciclovine PET, choline PET, and more recently PSMA-PET are more sensitive in the detection of both soft tissue and bone metastases. These newer modalities have the potential to better identify patients who are eligible for targeted treatment of oligometastases with radiation or treatments more appropriate for immediate systemic androgen deprivation, according to Arjun V. Balar, MD.

Twenty to 30 years ago, delivering a diagnosis of lung cancer to a patient was a difficult conversation to have for many oncologists. But that has given way to greater optimism today, according to Mark A. Socinski, MD.

Recent guidelines highlight the need to distinguish chronic myelomonocytic leukemia from conditions similar to other myeloproliferative neoplasms, provide standardized diagnostic procedures, and outline therapeutic options for adult patients with CMML.

Management of neuroendocrine liver metastases relies on many treatment modalities, ranging from surgery to ablation. Clinicians have in their armamentarium interventional radiology techniques that use regional and systemic treatments spanning a diverse group of biologic, cytotoxic, and targeted agents.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology and Friends of Cancer Research have issued a joint research statement that broadens eligibility criteria affecting 2 patient subgroups: patients with treated/stable brain metastases and those with new, active, or progressive brain metastases.<br /> &nbsp;

Both cell cycle-specific and nonspecific mechanisms that lead to acquired resistance to CDK4/6 inhibition in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer have resulted in multiple promising agents and combinations for the second-line management of metastatic disease.

Findings from a phase I study investigating the use of nonengineered T-cell therapy suggest that the therapy is safe and feasible in pancreatic cancer and may offer benefit to patients. The novel therapy targets the tumor-associated antigens PRAME, SSX2, MAGEA4, NY-ESO-1, and Survivin.

The initial pilot study of CTL019 in heavily pretreated CD19-positive hematologic malignancies demonstrated the feasibility of CAR T-cell therapy in patients with CLL. A presentation at the 2019 American Society of Gene &amp; Cell Therapy Annual Meeting reported 2 cases of chemotherapy-resistant CLL, with ongoing follow- up at 8 years showing persistence of CAR-engineered T cells and sustained remission, as determined by flow cytometry and deep sequencing of immunoglobulin H rearrangements.&nbsp;

Although chemotherapy remains the standard treatment for small cell lung cancer in first- and second-line settings, notable progress in immunotherapies have recently taken place, begging the question of how these agents will be optimized in this tumor type.