Brittany Cote

While PARP inhibitors have played a large part in improving progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with ovarian cancer, long-term use of these agents often leads to resistance that are often quite challenging to overcome, according to Gottfried E. Konecny, MD.

With the emergence of several targeted treatments that have shown efficacy in individuals with germline pathogenic variants, specifically in DNA mismatch repair, the need for germline genetic testing has become even more pronounced.

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to impact the care of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) and other cancers in a multitude of ways, according to Toni K. Choueiri, MD, but those working in the field of oncology are rising up to the challenge by learning as much as possible about the virus to make the best treatment decisions possible for their patients.

The PARP inhibitor rucaparib was beneficial and tolerable for patients with BRCA-positive, metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer.

The management of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) continues to become more personalized, with care decisions being based on factors ranging from the patient’s primary tumor location, to performance status, to the presence of specific mutations, according to Axel Grothey, MD, and novel approaches emerging in later lines are helping to further improve outcomes.

To effectively tailor treatment for transplant-ineligible patients with multiple myeloma in the frontline setting, factors such as frailty status must be taken into consideration, according to Smith Giri, MD, MHS.

Several trials in the field of first-line metastatic urothelial cancer are testing combinations with gemcitabine/platinum-based therapy followed by maintenance avelumab.

Heather Han, MD, discusses ongoing clinical trials within the field of HER2-positive breast cancer and the future of personalized treatment for this patient population.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, many elective surgical procedures had been cancelled or rescheduled to maximize hospital capacity and prevent unnecessary exposure for patients, but surgical delays might lead to worse outcomes for certain patients with gastrointestinal cancers.

Patients with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who later develop central nervous system (CNS) metastases comprise a large population of all patients with breast cancer, and there continue to be an unmet need for this subgroup, explained Brian Czerniecki, MD, PhD.

CAR T-cell therapies have represented an exciting breakthrough in the treatment of patients with hematologic malignancies, according to Natalie Sophia Grover, MD; however, investigators are just scratching the surface of the potential of this modality, and work is needed to expand this approach to other diseases and solid tumors.

The 4-drug combination of atezolizumab (Tecentriq), bevacizumab (Avastin), carboplatin, and paclitaxel (ABCP) improved survival while maintaining good health-related quality of life (QOL) in patients with nonsquamous non–small cell lung cancer .

Efforts are being made to address remaining questions in the realm of BRAF-mutant melanoma, according to Charles L. Sawyers, MD.

Immunotherapy should be continued for up to 2 years in patients with metastatic lung cancer who are responding to the treatment, unless they experience disease progression or excessive toxicity, according to Gilberto de Lima Lopes, MD.

Understanding the implications of age and gender upon safety and efficacy outcomes in patients with renal cell carcinoma is critical to the delivery of individualized care.

The introduction of PET scans was a major advancement in the Hodgkin lymphoma treatment paradigm; however, some questions cannot be answered with that test, such as identifying which patients with PET-negative disease will relapse.

A reduction in patient-reported symptomatic adverse events (AEs) was observed with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) compared with standard radiotherapy in patients with cervical or endometrial cancer, whereas no difference was observed with regard to clinician-reported AE.

An increased proportion of Indigenous American (IA) genetic ancestry may be linked with a higher incidence of HER2-positive breast cancer, according to findings from a study published in Cancer Research.

Treatment options for patients with localized bladder cancer, beyond Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), are evolving as immunotherapies and novel agents are gaining traction in the management of this population, according to John P. Sfakianos, MD.

In an effort to make the use of laparoscopic power morcellators (LPMs) a safer and more effective choice in gynecologic surgeries, the FDA has released a statement that it will be putting a handful of strategies and recommendations in place

Optimal management of treatment-related dermatologic adverse events (AEs) in patients with melanoma is essential for proper care, according to Tracey Liebman, MD.

Being able to quickly detect and properly manage adverse events (AEs) that arise in patients with melanoma who are receiving immunotherapy is key to improving their experience with treatment, explained Kathleen Madden, RN, MSN, FNP-BC, AOCNP®, APHN.

Treatment with luspatercept-aamt (Reblozyl) reduced the severity of anemia in patients with very low- to intermediate-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with ring sideroblasts who require red blood cell (RBC) transfusions, according to findings from the phase III MEDALIST trial that have now been published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).