News

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.

Blinatumomab (Blincyto) monotherapy as consolidation therapy prior to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) resulted a significant improvement in event-free survival (EFS) and a lower risk of recurrence in children with high-risk B-cell precursor (BCP­)–acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

The orally available belumosudil continues be promising in patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) who have received 2 or more prior lines of systemic therapy

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved pralsetinib (Gavreto) for the treatment of patients with metastatic, RET fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to Genentech, the co-manufacturer of the drug.

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

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may expand telemedicine and home healthcare access. However, ASCO warned them of the dangers of in-home chemotherapy infusions.

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.

We asked our audience about how the COVID-19 pandemic changed nursing school. Here’s what some of them had to say.

The FDA has granted a priority review to a new drug application for oral paclitaxel and encequidar for use in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Each month, we take a look back at the most popular Oncology Nursing News® stories. Here are the top 5 stories from August 2020.

The NCI and Cancer Research UK are coming together to improve cancer care around the world.

Denise A. Yardley, MD, highlights the evolving role of adjuvant CDK4/6 inhibition in HR-positive metastatic breast cancer.

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.

Germline genetic testing is a key component of prostate cancer treatment, and broader testing criteria combined with reduced barriers to these tests could result in better informed care, including preventive surveillance, according to data from a recent study.

The COVID-19 pandemic can affect every stage of the cancer experience: from diagnosis to adverse event management.

The FDA has approved the FoundationOne Liquid CDx, a liquid biopsy for all solid tumors with multiple companion diagnostic indications.

The FDA has approved a generic form of pemetrexed for intravenous administration as a single-agent in patients with locally advanced or metastatic nonsquamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has not progressed following 4 cycles of first-line platinum-based chemotherapy.

Clinical cancer trials that fail to successfully enroll a racially and ethnically diverse patient population run the risk of leaving critical gaps in understanding regarding the effectiveness of new approaches. The importance of inclusion in such efforts is underscored even further as more studies demonstrate race-based differences in relation to immune status, incidences of tumor mutation, and even mortality rate in patients with cancer.

There is a lot of work that needs to be done to determine the optimal use for immunotherapy in patients with sarcoma.

Investigational CAR T-cell therapy products have demonstrated unprecedented responses rates with seemingly durable remissions in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, explained Luciano J. Costa, MD.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided an update on breast-implant associated side effects that have been reported to the agency, including breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BI-ALCL) and symptoms that are commonly referred to by patients as breast implant illness (BII).

Following a period of stagnation, rapid advances have been made in the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), according to Bradley G. Somer, MD, but as more options emerge in all lines of treatment, sequencing approaches will require careful consideration.

Bradley McGregor, MD, discusses some of the recent approaches that have emerged in bladder cancer and renal cell carcinoma, as well as anticipated developments in each field.

We want to hear about how nursing education has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The FDA has granted a fast track designation to paxalisib for the treatment of patients with glioblastoma.

The FDA has approved daratumumab in combination with carfilzomib and dexamethasone for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma who have received 1 or more prior lines of therapy.

Men receiving ADT were less likely to contract the infection that causes the coronavirus, according to a large Italian study.

The HER2-positive breast cancer treatment paradigm is constantly changing, explained Debu Tripathy, MD, who cited that in less than 1 year, there have been 2 exciting drug approvals, which are tucatinib (Tukysa) and fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (Enhertu).