Latest Conference Articles

Over the years, cancer treatments that have improved patients outcomes have come out of clinical trial research. These studies have greatly contributed to the decline in cancer mortality in the United States since 1975, as well as the global cancer burden and mortality rate. During a presentation for the 38th Annual Chemotherapy Foundation Symposium (CFS), Clifford A. Hudis, MD, explained the need for monetary investment in research initiatives.

Ketan K. Badani, MD, discusses whether cytoreductive nephrectomies are efficacious when combined with immunotherapeutic agents in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

Ursula Matulonis, MD, took stock of the role for immunotherapy agents in the treatment landscape for ovarian, recurrent/advanced endometrial, and recurrent/advanced cervical cancers.

During a virtual presentation for the 38th Annual Chemotherapy Foundation Symposium, Janice M. Mehnert, MD explained the science behind selecting the optimal adjuvant therapy for patients with BRAF-mutant melanoma. The options Mehnert weighed were immunotherapy and BRAF-targeted therapy.

In the treatment landscape of metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer, the introduction of PARP inhibitors as a therapeutic option has led to progress, explained Maha Hussain, MD, in a presentation during the 38th Annual Chemotherapy Foundation Symposium.

Marc J. Braunstein, MD, PhD, discusses chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies, Bruton’s kinase inhibitors, and brentuximab vedotin that were highlighted at the 2020 Chemotherapy Foundation Symposium.

While the treatment landscape for chronic lymphocytic leukemia has expanded with an explosion of new therapeutic options, physicians are plagued with questions about sequencing therapies for those who progress following therapy in the first-line setting, and little data exists to guide optimal therapy selection, according to Anthony Mato, MD.

A general framework can be utilized to guide treatment decision in patients with follicular lymphoma, according to John P. Leonard, MD. During a presentation for the 38th Annual Chemotherapy Foundation Symposium, Leonard also explained that bulk of disease, comorbidities, and toxicity, among others are all factors that impact treatment decisions.

In a presentation during the 27th Annual Prostate Cancer Foundation Scientific Retreat, W. Kevin Kelly, DO, explained the potential of this novel agent and its development progress.

The combination of ipatasertib and abiraterone acetate achieved a significantly superior radiographic progression-free survival and demonstrated anti-tumor activity compared with placebo and abiraterone in patients with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer with PTEN loss, according to results from the phase 3 IPATential150 clinical trial.

Naomi Haas, MD, discusses several areas of interest for the treatment of patients with prostate cancer that are utilizing PSMA, including bispecific T-cell engager antibodies, chimeric antigen receptor T cells, and the lutetium studies.

Split-dosing of BXCL701 at 0.6 mg per day is a supported dosing strategy for the agent in combination with pembrolizumab as treatment of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, according to phase 1b/2 study results.

In a phase 2 trial, onvansertib, a polo-like kinase 1 inhibitor, combined with abiraterone acetate in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have early abiraterone resistance, demonstrated a decent safety profile across 3 dosing schedules and efficacy in the evaluable arms.

During a presentation at the National Comprehensive Cancer Institute 2020 Virtual Congress: Hematologic Malignancies, Shaji K. Kumar, MD, explained that each case of multiple myeloma requires a long-term strategy that starts with a strong approach in the frontline setting.

During the National Comprehensive Cancer Network 2020 Virtual Congress: Hematologic Malignancies, Aaron Gerds, MD, MS, reviewed the current treatment landscape for patients with myelofibrosis and what’s to come for the treatment of this patient population as clinical trials continue to advance the field.

In an interview with Targeted Oncology, Jens Hillengass, MD, shared his insights on the latest edition of the diagnostic and staging criteria for multiple myeloma that have become standard now for the management of these patients.

Jens Hillengass, MD, discusses the key takeaways from his presentation at the 2020 National Comprehensive Cancer Network Virtual Congress: Hematologic Malignancies, in which he shared his insights on the diagnostic and staging criteria in multiple myeloma.

The growing use of minimal residual disease as a prognostic marker of progression-free survival and overall survival suggests that it might aid in clinical decision-making.

When choosing therapy for patients with early stage Hodgkin lymphoma, considering risk scoring systems and Deauville criteria for PET-adapted therapy are key conditions for optimizing survival rates, according to Ranjana H. Advani, MD.

Shaji K. Kumar, MD, discusses the impact of newer treatment regimens for patients with multiple myeloma and his key takeaways from the current landscape.

Results from the DUNE trial of durvalumab added to tremelimumab in patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors of gastroenteropancreatic and lung origins showed limited activity, according to a presentation held during the 2020 European Society of Medical Oncology Virtual Congress.

Frontline nivolumab plus chemotherapy induced a statistically significant survival benefit compared with chemotherapy alone in patients with newly diagnosed PD-L1–positive advanced gastric cancer, gastroesophageal junction cancer, and esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Preliminary activity was observed in an unselected group of patients with miscellaneous soft tissue sarcoma treated with trabectedin in combination with durvalumab in the phase 1b TRAMUNE trial. The results presented during the 2020 European Society of Medical Oncology Virtual Congress demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing this combination in soft tissue sarcoma.

Robert L. Coleman, MD, discusses the next steps for tisotumab vedotin following the presentation of findings from the phase 2 innovaTV 204/GOG-3023/ENGOT-cx6 study in patients with previously treated recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer.

Prolonged progression-free survival was observed with pembrolizumab monotherapy in patients with selected rare sarcoma subtypes treated in the phase 2 AcSé basket study, according to a presentation during the 2020 European Society of Medical Oncology Virtual Congress.

In patients with newly diagnosed stage III/IV ovarian cancer, adding atezolizumab to a backbone combination of bevacizumab and chemotherapy did not improve progression-free survival, missing the primary end point of the phase 3 IMagyn050/GOG 3015/ENGOT-OV39 trial presented during the virtual 2020 European Society of Medical Oncology Congress.

In patients with early-stage EGFR mutated non–small cell lung cancer following complete tumor resection, treatment with osimertinib reduced the risk for central nervous system death or progression by 82%, findings presented during the EMSO Virtual Congress 2020.

Patients with endocrine-sensitive hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer, treated with Frontline fulvestrant in combination with palbociclib experienced improvement in progression-free survival at 1 year compared with fulvestrant and placebo alone, achieving the primary end point of the phase 2 FLIPPER trial.

Larotrectinib as treatment of patients with TRK fusion-positive thyroid cancer had rapid and durable disease control, with the highest response rates observed in the differentiated thyroid cancer population.

In the phase 3 KEYNOTE-590 clinical trial, frontline pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy demonstrated a significant improvement in overall survival, progression-free survival, and objective response rates versus chemotherapy only in patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic esophageal cancer, result presented during the 2020 ESMO Virtual Congress show.