Gastric Cancer

According to a presentation at the 2018 ESMO Congress, risk of death was reduced with trifluridine/tipiracil versus placebo in patients with heavily pretreated gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer. Lead TAGS trial author Hendrik-Tobias Arkenau, MD, PhD, said there was also improvement in progression-free survival and disease control.

Groundbreaking developments in cancer therapies can change lives, extending survival and sending patients who previously thought their chances were slim into remission. But these therapies come at a cost, and many patients reel at the prospect of heavy financial burdens. To help patients and programs meet the challenges of affording cancer treatments, community cancer centers are expanding the role of financial advocates in their organizations.

Thomas A. Gallo, MS, MDA, president of the Association of Community Cancer Centers, discusses his mission as president to “reflect, renew, and reignite” in order to create a more resilient oncology team for the community.

Larotrectinib induced an objective response rate of 80% in patients with advanced solid tumors who harbored&nbsp;<em>NTRK&nbsp;</em>gene fusions, according to results pooled from 3 small trials of the TRK inhibitor. Results were presented during the 2018 ESMO Congress.

Rising prescription drug prices continue to add to the burden of paying for quality healthcare. In an effort to confront such costs, the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services has rescinded a prohibition on step therapy for Medicare Advantage plans. But some contend such a policy will reduce patient access to optimal medication.

General Cancer

According to findings from the&nbsp;phase III KEYNOTE-061 study, second-line treatment with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) did not significantly improve overall survival or progression-free survival compared with&nbsp;paclitaxel&nbsp;in patients with advanced or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer with a PD-L1 combined positive score &ge;1.

In findings from the phase III TAGS study reported at the 2018 World&nbsp;Gastrointestinal Cancer Congress, TAS-102&nbsp;(trifluridine/tipiracil; Lonsurf) was found to be an effective treatment option for patients with heavily pretreated&nbsp;metastatic or advanced gastric cancer, providing a&nbsp;31% reduction in the risk of death compared with placebo.

Things are looking up in the world of adjuvant therapy for patients with gastrointestinal cancers, according to Diane Reidy-Lagunes, MD.&nbsp;During her presentation, Reidy-Lagunes outlined the current state-of-the-art in GI cancer care, with findings from pivotal studies in gastric, pancreatic, biliary, and colorectal cancers.