Oncology

A presentation at the Community Oncology Alliance 2021 Virtual Conference focused on the latest developments in gastrointestinal oncology and how the field of gastroesophageal cancer is responding to 3 major, practice-changing trials.

For the future of precision medicine, many health care providers hope to see a flood of new therapies for biomarker testing to be approved in the next few months.

In a presentation at the Community Oncology Alliance 2021 Virtual Conference, Jeff Sharman, MD, summarized the most important developments in care for CLL.

A survey shows that 13% of respondents started or increased substance use to cope with pandemic-related stress or emotions.

Over the past 18 months, the FDA has approved 4 new regimens for HER2-positive metastatic disease.

The data were presented for the first time at the virtual 2021 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, April 10-15, 2021.

The researchers found that patients who reduced their calorie intake by 10% or more and adopted a moderate exercise program immediately after their diagnosis had, on average, 70% less chance of having lingering leukemia cells after a month of chemotherapy than those not on the diet-and-exercise regimen.

In the United States, non–small cell lung cancer accounts for 80% to 85% of all lung cancers, with most patients initially diagnosed with advanced or metastatic disease.

The first step toward operationalizing the uptake of biosimilars is having a program-level discussion that not only describes what biosimilars are, but also assesses how they impact the bottom line and could get incorporated into treatment plans.

For patients with no previous PARP treatment and multiple prior lines of therapy, PARPs may be an appropriate choice.

The discovery points to a novel treatment target for shrinking brain tumors that arise secondary to breast cancer, according to the study authors.

Opdivo-based combinations show benefit for patients with esophageal cancer who are often diagnosed after their disease has spread and would benefit from new therapeutic options.

Megan May, PharmD, BCOP, Cecilia Lau, RPh, BCOP, APh, and Daneng Li, MD, share their thoughts on unmet needs in the management of neuroendocrine tumors.

A session at the Community Oncology Alliance virtual 2021 conference noted that clinical trials have found promising new treatments for patients with breast cancer, offering opportunities for future new approvals and indications.

In patients who received early palliative care, researchers noted a lower percentage of patients with depression, improved quality of life, and, significantly, longer survival.

Panelists at the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) virtual 2021 conference said the impacts of the pandemic on their day-to-day operations were challenging, although they all said they were proud of how their staff handled the rapid changes in spring of 2020.

Findings from the phase 3 ASCENT trial demonstrate a clinically meaningful 57% reduction in the risk of disease worsening or death for patients receiving sacituzumab govitecan.

Patients with glioblastoma receiving temozolomide in the morning had an average overall survival of about 17 months, compared to an average overall survival of approximately 13.5 months for those taking the drug in the evening.

Although many attendees and presenters are looking forward to returning to in-person conferences in the future, Anne Krolikowski said the virtual format of their upcoming conference allows even more people to attend.

Staying educated in the formal and informal health care settings surrounding state-of-the-art cancer care in the community practice is essential for success.

FDA grants a fast track designation to GEN-1, a DNA-mediated IL-12 immunotherapy.

Study indicates patients with ovarian cancer frequently receive aggressive end-of-life care despite industry guidelines that emphasize quality of life for those with advanced disease.

According to previous studies, youth who are obese when they begin chemotherapy are more than twice as likely to have remaining cancer cells after 1 month of treatment compared to their lean counterparts.

As hematology and oncology pharmacists have become increasingly essential members of the care team, new investigational drugs could have a significant impact on the treatment landscape.

A review of the efficacy of HER2-positive–targeted agents for metastatic breast cancer.

Two-thirds of surveyed physicians said patients are presenting with more late-stage cancers, with 73% saying patients in their practice are not receiving screenings.

Guidelines typically recommend debulking surgery, plus systemic chemotherapy for most patients.

The oncology space has seen rapid growth in the last decade, with new approvals and indications necessitating expertise in areas such as medication use, safe practices, and reimbursement practices.

Understanding breast cancer and which patients may be more vulnerable to long-term treatment effects and which patients may benefit most, can help oncologists design the best personalized neoadjuvant and adjuvant human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted therapy.

A panel of experts in neuroendocrine tumors review the challenges in the management of patients based on the site of the tumor.