News

The FDA approved the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax (Venclexta) for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who have a 17p deletion (del[17p]), following at least 1 prior therapy.

Multiple targeted therapies have shown promising signs of efficacy for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), including the FLT3 inhibitor midostaurin and novel IDH inhibitors, with the ongoing potential for combination strategies in the future, according to Eytan M. Stein, MD.

An upcoming FDA decision for the PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab as a treatment for patients with bladder cancer could set the stage for an onslaught of new and highly effective immuno-oncology agents, according to Daniel Petrylak, MD.

The multikinase inhibitor lenvatinib (Lenvima) has quickly become the frontline standard of care for patients with progressive, radioactive iodine (RAI)-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), just one year following its initial approval, according to Renato Martins, MD.

Treatment with gefitinib (Iressa) failed to show noninferiority compared with erlotinib (Tarceva) for patients with pretreated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Adding plitidepsin (Aplidin) to dexamethasone reduced the risk of disease progression by 35% versus dexamethasone alone in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma enrolled in the phase III ADMYRE trial.

In an interview with Targeted Oncology, Sarah Goldberg, MD, MPH, assistant professor of Medicine and Medical Oncology, Yale Cancer Center, discussed the efficacy of immunotherapies, PD-L1 as a biomarker, and how these therapies will continue to alter the treatment of patients with lung cancer.

In an interview with Targeted Oncology, Edward Kim, MD, discussed the FDA-approved immunotherapies nivolumab and pembrolizumab along with potential combinations, biomarkers, and ongoing research.

A new drug application (NDA) has been submitted to the FDA for telotristat etiprate as a treatment for carcinoid syndrome in patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), according to a statement from the drug's developer, Lexicon Pharmaceuticals.

The combination of the PD-L1 inhibitor durvalumab and the CTLA-4 inhibitor tremelimumab, showed antitumor activity in patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), irrespective of PD-L1 status, according to a recent phase Ib study published in The Lancet Oncology.

Second-line treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer, after first-line treatment with nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine or gemcitabine alone, is feasible and may improve outcomes, according to a post-hoc analysis of the phase 3 MPACT trial presented at the 2016 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.

Three different chemotherapy regimens, each combined with bevacizumab, failed to demonstrate an advantage for patients with advanced ovarian cancer or build on results of a landmark trial reported more than a decade ago.

An ongoing clinical trial has begun the process of evaluating whether the addition of a booster agent can take the anticancer activity of PD-1 directed immunotherapy to another level.

New technology and improvements in administration techniques could make the utilization of stereotactic body radiation therapy easier and more plausible for patients with pancreatic cancer, according to Joseph Michael Herman, MD.

The panel, which included experts in oncology, dentistry, nursing, speech pathology, and primary care, conducted a systematic literature review to develop these consensus-based management strategies for HNC survivors. Their search identified 2081 articles, of which 184 were ultimately included in the evidence base.

A subgroup analysis of the phase III SAR-3007 trial demonstrating the efficacy of trabectedin (Yondelis) in patients with advanced uterine leiomyosarcoma bodes well for the malignancy's armamentarium, according to Martee L. Hensley, MD.

Liposomal irinotecan (irinotecan liposome injection; Onivyde), fluorouracil (5-FU), and leucovorin in combination has been added to the 2016 NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology as a second-line treatment for patients with gemcitabine-refractory metastatic pancreatic cancer.

On Saturday, April 23, 2016, Physicians' Education Resource, LLC (PER) will help to fill the education gap inherent in some of the most difficult-to-treat forms of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, with the first annual School of Gastrointestinal Oncology (SOGO), which will be held at the Grand Hyatt in New York City.

Expanding on the efficacy shown in numerous single-group studies, a phase II study published in The Lancet Oncology showed lenalidomide significantly increased progression free survivalin patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma.

A combined homologous recombination deficiency score consisting of 3 markers significantly boosted outcome prediction of platinum-based treatment of ovarian cancer compared with the individual markers.

In an interview with Targeted Oncology, Stacy Loeb, MD discusses how these PSA tests work, what their benefits are, and what urological specialists need to know in order to best utilize them.

Patients with advanced ovarian cancer harboring mutations in homologous recombination (HR) genes, including BRCA1/2, had improved survival versus patients without HR mutations, according to a mutational analysis of the phase III GOG 218 study.

Investigators hope a duo of just-opened phase III studies will support expanding the FDA approval of olaparib (Lynparza) in ovarian cancer, according to Ursula A. Matulonis, MD.

Researchers are now working on refining the use of PARP inhibitors in ovarian cancer by gaining a greater understanding of mechanisms of resistance and exploring combination and sequencing possibilities. For expert insight on these topics, Targeted Oncology sat down with Shannon Westin, MD.

Trabectedin (Yondelis) improved progression-free survival (PFS) when compared with dacarbazine in women with advanced uterine leiomyosarcoma, according to a subgroup analysis of the phase III SAR-3007 trial.

Ghassan Abou-Alfa, MD, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the significance of a recent trial and how the findings can impact the treatment paradigm of HCC.

The amount of vitamin D in a man's blood could be an effective biomarker to identify an aggressive form of prostate cancer, doubly so for men who are considering active surveillance.

An abiraterone acetate (Zytiga) plus prednisone combination showcased an 11.8-month improvement in overall survival (OS) when compared with prednisone and placebo in less advanced, chemotherapy-naive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.