GYNECOLOGIC CANCERS

After passage of the Affordable Care Act, women with ovarian cancer who were pre-medicare-aged were more likely to be diagnosed at an early stage and receive treatment within 30 days of diagnosis compared to prior to the ACA, according to findings presented at the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting.

In an interview with&nbsp;<em>Targeted Oncology</em>, experts in gynecology, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, lung, and breast cancers spoke to the significance of the abstracts they are most looking forward to at the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting.

Dostarlimab (TSR-042), an&nbsp;investigational anti&ndash;PD-1 therapy, demonstrated durable responses across subgroups of patients with&nbsp;microsatellite instability&ndash;high and microsatellite stable advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, according to results&nbsp;from the phase I/II GARNET study.

The FDA has granted a breakthrough therapy designation to novel tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy LN-145 for the treatment of patients with recurrent, metastatic, or persistent cervical cancer who have progressed on or after chemotherapy.

The FDA has lifted the partial clinical hold placed on the phase III AIM2CERV trial, which is evaluating axalimogene filolisbac (AXAL) for the treatment of patients with high-risk locally advanced cervical cancer, according to Advaxis, the developer of the investigational immunotherapy agent.

Treatment with vaginal cuff brachytherapy plus paclitaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy was not found to be superior to pelvic radiation therapy in patients with high-intermediate and high-risk early-stage endometrial cancer, according to findings from a phase III trial recently published in the <em>Journal of Clinical Oncology</em>.

Mirvetuximab soravtansine, an antibody-drug conjugate, led to a favorable benefit-risk profile in patients with&nbsp;folate receptor alpha&ndash;positive ovarian cancer according to a comprehensive analysis of the phase III FORWARD trial.

In new preclinical data, the combination of the PARP inhibitor olaparib (Lynparza) and the pan-HER TKI neratinib (Nerlynx) was found to be highly synergistic in HER2-positive uterine serous carcinoma, according to lead study author&nbsp;Ghanshyam Yadav, MD.

A new phase III trial has demonstrated that a novel extended-release formulation of anagrelide (Thromboreductin) is noninferior to immediate-release anagrelide in reducing platelet counts in patients with essential thrombocythemia.

Analyses from the phase III ARIEL3 trial presented during the 2019 Society of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting showed that rucaparib is safe and effective as a maintenance therapy across all subgroups of patients.

Before a community oncology practice considers getting involved in clinical trials research, there are many factorsto consider. Perhaps foremost is the fact that cancer clinical trials provide the evidence base for new advances in oncology.&nbsp;

Artificial intelligence has made inroads in many industries&mdash;banking, finance, security&mdash;but its adoption in healthcare has been lagging and real-world clinical implementation has yet to become a reality. Nonetheless, proponents say it is only a matter of time and pilot programs are starting to yield some practical results.&nbsp;

In an interview with&nbsp;<em>Targeted Oncology, </em>David O&rsquo;Malley, MD, discussed the updates with bevacizumab and PARP inhibitors as a treatment and maintenance therapy option for patients with ovarian cancer and recurrent disease. He also discussed considerations for selecting the right agent for the right patient.

Gynecologic oncology experts reflect on some of the most significant data presented during the 2019 SGO Annual Meeting, which underscored how the field is moving toward a precision medicine approach.

A pivotal phase III INNOVATE-3 trial investigating the efficacy of tumor-treating fields (TTFields; Optune) combined with paclitaxel in patients with recurrent, platinum-resistant ovarian cancer has been initiated, according to Novocure, the company developing the device.