News

The FDA approved mitomycin gel (Jelmyto) for the treatment of patients with low-grade upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC), cancer of the lining of the urinary system. This is the first therapy approved in this space.

Acalabrutinib (Calquence), a BTK inhibitor approved for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), is being explored in the CALAVI trial as a treatment for cytokine storm in patients with COVID-19.

Leronlimab is an investigational humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody that blocks CCR5, a cellular receptor that appears to play multiple roles with implications in HIV infection, tumor metastases, and immune signaling.

From implementing telemedical approaches to resequencing treatments, cancer centers across the nation have nimbly adapted to face the clinical challenges posed by the novel coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19). These adjustments in standard operating procedures mitigate the risk for virus spread among clinicians and patients alike.

The use of PARP inhibitors against DNA damage repair (DDR) alterations in prostate cancer is the first display of the potential for widespread precision medicine in the field, according to William K. Oh, MD, in a presentation during the 13th Annual Interdisciplinary Prostate Cancer Congress® and Other Genitourinary Malignancies.

To hinder the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the globe, mandatory lockdowns have been put into place to encourage the practice of social distancing, explained Omid Hamid, MD; however, efforts to prevent close contact, and thus exposure to the virus, have also caused disruptions in access to care for patients with cancer.

In the absence of definitive data regarding the risk of COVID-19 to patients with cancer and information to guide daily treatment decisions in the interim, Petros Grivas, MD, recommended converting the majority of patient visits to telehealth appointments and basing a patient’s need for treatment on their medical comorbidities, performance status, and cancer risk.