Hematologic Oncology

A new study suggests that cancer patients do not often request unnecessary and sometimes costly tests or treatments.

A new study finds that childhood cancer survivors are at risk for pituitary hormone deficiencies after radiotherapy treatment to the head.

Despite an association with improved survival, elderly DLBCL patients are less likely to receive standard-of-care chemotherapy with R-CHOP.

In two phase II trials, the protein synthesis inhibitor omacetaxine offered long-term efficacy in some patients with chronic-phase and accelerated-phase CML.

Researchers have shown that axitinib could be repurposed as a treatment for CML patients resistant to standard TKIs through a certain molecular mechanism.

A scoring system that measured frailty in elderly patients with multiple myeloma was able to accurately predict mortality and risk of toxicity.

The FDA has expanded the approved use of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) to include patients with Waldenström macroglobulinemia, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Using genome-wide association studies, researchers have identified a germline variant that is associated with intolerance to mercaptopurine in pediatric ALL.

In a recent study of pediatric ALL, minimal residual disease was able to predict patients who were at increased risk for relapse post-allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

The International Myeloma Working Group recently published a series of consensus statements discussing the use of MRI in the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Socioeconomic factors are reducing the use of combined-modality treatment for early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma, despite its association with increased survival.

In its Annual Report on Progress Against Cancer, ASCO has declared that the transformation in the treatment of patients with CLL is the “advance of the year.”

Long-term follow-up confirmed the previously reported result that intermittent administration of imatinib is safe and effective in CML patients.

A new trial reported improved overall survival in myeloma patients who received a higher bortezomib dose as part of a bortezomib/melphalan/prednisone regimen.

Despite the early trial termination due to safety concerns, an analysis suggests that ponatinib offers improved efficacy over imatinib in newly diagnosed CML.

Cigarette smoking is not a risk factor for multiple myeloma, according to the results of a pooled analysis of nine case-control studies.

Clonal hematopoiesis with somatic mutations is strongly associated with the risk of developing blood cancers, according to a new study.

According to a report, two courses of the newly approved agent blinatumomab, for relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor ALL, will cost a staggering $178,000.

The addition of daratumumab to traditional therapies used in the treatment of multiple myeloma was well tolerated and associated with high rates of responses.

The major value of RT is in enhancement of local control. In localized disease, perhaps this is best achieved by using RT for patients treated with less than full-dose/course chemotherapy.

As we examine the question of which patients with DLBCL do not need RT, the first step must be to confine our review to patients who have received optimal chemotherapy.

Autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation is a safe and effective treatment option for patients with HIV-associated lymphoma, according to a study presented at ASH 2014.

Two studies presented at the 2014 ASH Meeting addressed whether an interim PET scan during and after an initial therapy can help guide treatment.

A large trial has shown that adolescents and young adults have better event-free and overall survival when treated on an intensive pediatric ALL regimen.

Early consolidation therapy with brentuximab vedotin after autologous stem cell transplant improved progression-free survival of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma.

A single cycle of blinatumomab resulted in complete minimal residual disease response in 78% of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

An oral inhibitor of isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 (IDH2), AG-221, has shown activity and potentially durable remissions in patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

In this video from the 2014 ASH Annual Meeting, Dr. Röllig discusses the results of the SORAML trial that tested sorafenib in patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Adding carfilzomib to lenalidomide and dexamethasone resulted in a higher PFS and better overall quality of life for relapsed multiple myeloma patients.

The anti–PD-1 (programmed death 1) antibody nivolumab has shown activity in patients with hematologic cancers who have failed three or more prior therapies.