January 2014

Researchers have completed a comprehensive genomic analysis of cervical cancer in two patient populations. The study identified recurrent genetic mutations not previously found in cervical cancer, including one for which targeted agents have been approved in other cancers.

Two drugs that inhibit deoxyhypusine hydoxylase (DOHH) may show promise as potential treatments for cervical cancer, according to research from scientists at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Treatment with decitabine prior to administration of chemotherapy and a cancer vaccine yielded clinical benefit for women with recurrent ovarian cancer, suggesting that this combinatorial chemoimmunotherapy may provide a new treatment option.

The future of PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibition in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is bright, with ongoing studies suggesting that the strategy will lead to a “new world” in the treatment of the disease.

The I-SPY 2 trial, which is evaluating novel agents in the neoadjuvant treatment of breast cancer, may accelerate and influence the way that oncology drugs are tested and approved in the near future.