scout

October 2019

The wealth of new data available for the treatment of patients with non–small cell lung cancer has led to numerous effective immunotherapy combinations in similar patient subsets, explained Karen L. Reckamp, MD, MS. Clinical trials going forward seem to primarily focus on the combination of immunotherapeutic and targeted agents, which may result in even more options for this tumor type.

A greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying endocrine resistance, along with the development of targeted agents directed at key regulatory oncogenic pathways, continue to lead to new options in the treatment of hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. These therapies offer the promise of better disease control rates and improved quality of life for patients with advanced disease.

Successful induction regimens can reduce the burden of disease and prolong the durability of treatment response, time to disease progression, and overall survival for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, all while minimizing toxicity, according to Saad Usmani, MD, chief of the Plasma Cell Disorders Program and director of clinical research in hematologic malignancies at Levine Cancer Institute of the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The introduction of<strong> </strong>CDK4/6 inhibitors for the treatment of hormone receptor&ndash;positive, HER2-negative breast cancer has transformed therapy management and extended survival for this patient population. The next step in the process of tailoring therapy towards individual patients is the introduction of targeted therapies for patient subsets with driver aberrations.

The approval of alpelisib in May 2019 poses a challenge to oncologists and their practices with the emergence of hyperglycemia as an AE associated with PI3K inhibitors. Managing the patient effectively requires a multidisciplinary team approach that involves counseling up front, monitoring throughout the course of therapy, and input and feedback from the team of oncologists, advanced practice providers, pharmacists, and dietitians.

Adding PARP or CHK1 inhibitors to immunotherapies for the treatment of small cell lung cancer is the next step in the pipeline of novel combination approaches, according to Charles M. Rudin, MD, PhD, in a presentation at the <em>20th Annual </em>International Lung Cancer Congress.