Trending News on Targeted Oncology, Week of April 3, 2020

The FDA continues to work towards improving the treatment landscape for patients with cancer and also granted approval to a combination regimen for the treatment of patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.

Among other news this week atTargeted Oncology, Kashyap Patel, MD, BCMAS; Natasha Clinton, MSN, APRN, AOCNP, BCMAS; Hirangi Mukhi, BS; Maharshi Patel, BS, MBA, spoke to the opportunity of a potentially expanded role for precision medicine, while Pashtoon M. Kasi, MD, MBBS, MS reviewed rare subsets of colon cancer.

These updates and others were trending this week:

Leronlimab Continues to Improve Health in Patients with Novel Coronavirus

The FDA provided clearance for the initiation and immediate enrollment of a new phase II trial exploring the investigational oncologic agent leronlimab as treatment of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who experience mild to moderate respiratory complications.

FDA Approves Durvalumab for Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

On March 30, 2020, the FDA approved durvalumab (Imfinzi) in combination with standard-of-care chemotherapy, etoposide and carboplatin or cisplatin, as a frontline treatment for adult patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.

COVID-19 Presents an Opportunity for Precision Medicine to Play Expanded Role in Care

A sudden surge in the cases of COVID-19 due to pandemic, along with efforts to contain it, has led to multiple challenges that no country has experienced in the last several decades. The global pandemic from COVID-19 poses a unique set of challenges not only for patients with cancer who need their treatment, but also for caregivers, oncologists, and the overall care team.

Tweet Chat Recap: Evaluating Treatment Options for Rare Subsets of Colorectal Cancer

To conclude the month of March, Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Awareness Month,Targeted Oncologywas joined by Pashtoon M. Kasi, MD, MBBS, MS, in a tweet chat to discuss 3 individual cases of CRC, which highlighted a variety of subsets of CRC like the NTRKfusions, BRAFmutations, and HER2 amplifications. 

A Look Back at FDA News from March 2020

Take a look back at all the FDA happenings from the month of March 2020, including 4 new approvals and several Fast Track, Priority Review, Breakthrough Therapy, and Orphan Drug designations.

Videos:

Immunotherapy Induces Responses in Subtypes of Sarcomas

Jonathan C. Trent, MD, PhD, a professor and associate director for Clinical Research at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Health System, discusses some of the recent immunotherapeutic advances in the treatment landscape for patients with sarcoma, particularly with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Expert Perspective Tumor Board: Skin Cancer

Case 3: Recurrent Metastatic cSCC