Voices from the Field

The classes of cellular immunotherapies and those blocking negative regulatory signals, known as immune checkpoint blockade, have revolutionized cancer treatment.

Liquid biopsy is offering a noninvasive, real-time, and personalized approach to tumor assessment, and is already revolutionizing the field of clinical oncology.

John M. Burke, MD, discusses how Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors have demonstrated unexpected promise in treating follicular lymphoma, challenging previous assumptions in the field of oncology.

An era of advanced molecular testing and personalized medicine has allowed for the de-escalation of breast cancer treatment for many patients. This is part 1 of a 2-part series on overtreatment of breast cancer.

Robert L. Ferris, MD, PhD, discussed the growing use of bispecific antibodies and how he expects to see more of these advances in the coming years.

John M. Burke, MD, turns to ChatGPT to uncover what artificial intelligence may do for hematologists/oncologists.

A number of novel immunotherapies, such as PD-1 inhibitors and targeted drug therapies with BRAF and MEK inhibitors, have become available for managing advanced melanoma.

Oncologists are seeing early onset colorectal cancer more frequently, according to Jalal S. Baig, MD, medical oncologist at City of Hope Chicago.

Murugesan Manoharan, MD, FRACS, offers observations about prostate cancer care at Miami Cancer Institute.

For cervical cancer awareness month, Lauren Bollinger, MD, discusses how the increase in research in the field of cervical cancer is driving the progress of treatment.

Srikanth Nagalla, MD, MS, describes initiatives to improve the talent pipeline for hematology staff at all levels.

Distinguishing on current imaging between disease progression and pseudo progression in patients with glioblastoma is one of the most difficult clinical problems, according to Manmeet Ahluwalia, MD and Pallavi Tiwari, PhD.

Matthew J. Allaway, DO, discusses the need for a safe, precise and efficient option for performing prostate cancer biopsies via the transperineal approach and the limitations with the current standard of care, which is the transrectal approach, during No-Shave November awareness month.

The treatment of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer is challenging, with limited therapeutic options. Antibody-drug conjugates as single agents or in combinations are showing promise for these patients.

Even though most early stage adult patients with granulosa cell tumors experience an excellent outcome, up to 33% of patients will eventually develop a tumor relapse. Recurrence may be detected many years after the initial treatment, thus prolonged surveillance is necessary.

In contrast to the innovations in cancer treatments that help drive improved survival, there are far fewer innovations targeting toxicities and providing supportive care.

Complete surgical removal of a pancreatic tumor is not possible for most patients. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are typically recommended to slow tumor growth, but ultimately are not expected to be curative, writes Michael Chuong, MD.

Cutaneous melanoma is disproportionately lethal among skin cancers, and as incidence rates of cutaneous melanoma continue to rise in the United States, so does the importance of managing melanoma cases in alignment with personalized prognoses.

For people living with the one-two punch of both HIV and cancer, coordinated care by a multidisciplinary team that can bring extra resources to bear during treatment offers the best chance of a successful outcome.

While the volume and variety of information coming from current studies seems overwhelming, it is what is changing the cancer care environment today.

Avelumab was explored in a clinical trial for the treatment of locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, but more research is needed to position the agent and other checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment landscape, experts say.

The proper management of chemotherapy-induced toxicities can have a significant impact on quality-of-life and outcomes for patients.