FDA Approves Fam-Trastuzumab Deruxtecan-nxki for HER2+ Gastric or GEJ Adenocarcinoma
January 15th 2021The approval was based on results from the phase 2 DESTINY-Gastric01 trial which evaluated patients with HER2-positive locally advanced or metastatic gastric or GEJ adenocarcinoma who had progressed on at least 2 prior regimens.
Novel AI Tool Helps Patients to Find, Understand Clinical Trials
January 15th 2021Cancertrialsearch.com helped to match patients with gastrointestinal cancers to clinical trials using 7 different criteria, possibly paving the way for patients to find, understand, and enroll in oncology clinical trials.
Pembrolizumab Plus Capecitabine and Bevacizumab Tolerable in Patients with MSS mCRC
January 15th 2021The phase 2 study presented at the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Gastrointestinal Cancer Symposium reported a total of 2 responses at the interim analysis, meeting criteria to continue accrual.
Scott Kopetz, MD, PhD, on the Results of the SWOG S1406 Trial
January 15th 2021SWOG S1406 evaluated the use of irinotecan and cetuximab (Erbitux) with or without vemurafenib (Zelboraf) in patients with BRAF V600E-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer who had been previously treated with 1 or 2 regimens.
Various Diagnostic Criteria by PET/CT May Assist in Predicting Richter Syndrome in CLL
January 14th 2021A recent study revealed that by using standardized uptake value thresholds as determined by 2-[18F]-FDG PET/CT, investigators were able to predict the occurrence of Richter syndrome in patients with CLL.
Patients with Ph- B-cell ALL May Benefit From Addition of Blinatumomab to Chemotherapy Combo
January 13th 2021The addition of the monoclonal antibody blinatumomab to hyper-CVAD could represent a potential option for extending remission times in patients with Philadelphia chromosome–negative B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Receipt of IMRT Is a Predictive Factors for Survival in Oropharyngeal Cancer, Study Shows
January 13th 2021A study found that patients without recurrence of their oropharyngeal cancer at 5 years who were treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy and had less tobacco exposure experienced optimal survival, but still had poorer outcomes when compared with the general population.
Deepu Madduri, MD, on the Design of the Phase 1b/2 CARTITUDE-1 Trial
January 12th 2021The goal of the CARTITUDE-1 study was to evaluate the use of ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel; JNJ-68284528) chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy in heavily pretreated patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.
SWOG S1406 Finds Vemurafenib Combo With Irinotecan, Cetuximab Effective for BRAF-Mutatant CRC
January 12th 2021The study assessed the use of irinotecan and cetuximab (Erbitux) with or without vemurafenib (Zelboraf) in patients with BRAF V600E–mutated metastatic CRC who had been previously treated with 1 or 2 regimens.
Phase 3 QUAZAR AML-001 Trial Finds Oral Azacitidine Extends Survival in Older Adults with AML
January 12th 2021“Based on the results of the QUAZAR study, it is very exciting to think that, by taking a tablet that is relatively well tolerated, we can help reduce relapse risk and improve survival,” lead study author Andrew H. Wei, MB, BS, PhD, said in a press release.
Strategies Proposed to Improve Management of Immune-Related Adverse Events
January 11th 2021Though the majority of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) can be managed with corticosteroids and other immunosuppressive treatments, life-threatening and sometimes fatal events have still been reported thus revealing a need to develop measures for effective management.
COVIDSurg Collaborative Finds Surgery for Head and Neck Cancer Is Safe During COVID-19 Pandemic
January 10th 2021A group launched by the Global Health Research Unit of the National Institute for Health Research, which is currently seeking to determine the best surgical practices for cancer treatments, found that there is no additional risk of contracting COVID-19 for patients with cancer of the head and neck.
Lisa La on the Limitations of a Study Evaluating Diabetes in Patients with Multiple Myeloma
January 10th 2021The clinical investigator and her colleagues sought to evaluate differences in baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and survival outcomes in diabetic versus nondiabetic patients enrolled in the CONNECT Multiple Myeloma Registry.
Study Finds Current Maintenance Strategies for Primary Ovarian Cancer Lack Cost-Effectiveness
January 9th 2021A study of simulated patients with primary epithelial ovarian cancer found that none of the maintenance therapy regimens evaluated were cost-effective when compared with observation following frontline response.