Pembrolizumab Shows OS Benefit in PD-L1+ Esophageal Cancer
January 26th 2019Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) was found to reduce the risk of death by 31% in patients with PD-L1–positive (combined positive score [CPS] ≥10) advanced or metastatic esophageal or esophageal junction carcinoma who progressed on standard therapy, according to phase III findings of the KEYNOTE-181 trial.
Pembrolizumab/Trastuzumab Induction Highly Active in HER2+ Gastric, GEJ Cancer
January 24th 2019Two-thirds of patients with untreated metastatic HER2-positive esophagogastric adenocarcinoma remained free of disease progression at 6 months with a combination of pembrolizumab (Keytruda), trastuzumab (Herceptin), and chemotherapy, a small clinical trial showed.
PD-L1 Immune Cell Expression Critical to Atezolizumab Efficacy in TNBC
December 19th 2018Improvements observed in progression-free survival and overall survival with the addition of first-line atezolizumab (Tecentriq) to nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane) in patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) or inoperable locally advanced TNBC are exclusive to those patients with PD-L1 expression ≥1% in immune cells, according to a biomarker subgroup analysis of the phase III IMpassion130 study.1
Immuno-Oncology Clinic Develops Tools to Aid irAE Recognition and Monitoring
December 14th 2018Oncology nurses must not only be aware of the adverse events (AEs) of immunotherapy, but they must also educate their patients—and their other healthcare providers—to recognize them as well, according to Massey Nematollahi, MScN, RN, CNS, OCN, CON.
FDA Approves Frontline Atezolizumab Combo for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
December 7th 2018The FDA has approved the combination of atezolizumab (Tecentriq), bevacizumab (Avastin), carboplatin, and paclitaxel (ABCP) for the frontline treatment of metastatic nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This indication excludes patients with EGFR/ALK aberrations.
Pembrolizumab's Journey to the Frontline in NSCLC
November 26th 2018The PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda) has shown an overall survival advantage across 3 phase III clinical trials studying its use in patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These positive results led to a frontline indication as a single agent and in combination with chemotherapy for both patients with squamous and nonsquamous NSCLC.
Immunotherapy Pioneers Win Nobel Prize for Research on Checkpoint Inhibitors
October 4th 2018Immunotherapy pioneers James P. Allison, PhD, and Tasuku Honjo, MD, PhD, have won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their research that eventually led to the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors to treat cancer.
FDA Grants Priority Review to Elotuzumab Combination to Treat Multiple Myeloma
August 23rd 2018The FDA has granted a priority review to the immunostimulatory monoclonal antibody elotuzumab (Empliciti) for use in combination with pomalidomide (Pomalyst) and low-dose dexamethasone (EPd) to treat patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM) who have received 2 or more prior therapies, including lenalidomide (Revlimid) and a proteasome inhibitor.
Pediatric Guidelines for CAR T-Cell Therapy Help Nurses Recognize AEs Earlier
August 23rd 2018A year after the first CAR T-cell therapy was approved to treat pediatric patients with relapsed and/or refractory CD19-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), researchers have issued guidelines to help healthcare professionals recognize and treat the associated adverse events (AEs) from this treatment.
FDA Approves Nivolumab/Ipilimumab for Metastatic CRC Subgroup
July 11th 2018The FDA granted an accelerated approval to the immunotherapy combination of nivolumab (Opdivo) and ipilimumab (Yervoy) for use in adult and pediatric patients 12 years and older with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) following progression on a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan.
Liso-Cel Shows Promise in High-Risk Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
June 7th 2018A promising CD19-directed chimeric antigen (CAR) T-cell therapy, Lisocabtagene maraleucel (JCAR017; liso-cel), may result in durable remissions among patients with high-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
FDA Grants Nivolumab Priority Review for SCLC Treatment
April 19th 2018The FDA has granted priority review to a supplemental biologics license application for nivolumab (Opdivo) to be used to treat patients with small cell lung cancer who have already had two or more lines of therapy, and whose disease has continued to progress.
Nurses Play Critical Role in New Dosing Regimen for Nivolumab
March 20th 2018While the new FDA approval of 4-week dosing adds more flexibility in scheduling, it reduces the number of times patients would be monitored in person for adverse effects (AEs), so nurses need to be alert to and educated about potential AEs.