News

Survival for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) remains poor, and although immunotherapy has been positioned as a holy grail, it would be preemptive to predict its future based on the number of small studies that have been performed to date, according to Amer Zeidan, MD, MHS.

The addition of eganelisib (IPI-549) to nivolumab (Opdivo) was found to elicit encouraging responses and improve progression-free survival (PFS) compared with single-agent nivolumab in patients with platinum-refractory, immunotherapy-naïve, advanced, metastatic urothelial cancer, according to an update from the phase 2 MARIO-275 (NCT03980041).

The FDA has granted fast track designations to cavrotolimod (AST-008) for use in combination with a PD-1 therapy in patients with locally advanced or metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) that is refractory to previous PD-1 blockade and for use in combination with a PD-1/PD-L1 agent in those with advanced or metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) that is refractory to previous PD-1/PD-L1 blockade.

The FDA has approved a supplemental new drug application to add overall survival (OS) and other secondary end point data from the phase 3 ARAMIS trial (NCT02200614) to the prescribing information for darolutamide (Nubeqa) for the treatment of patients with nonmetastatic prostate cancer (nmCRPC).

Molecular testing is a critical component of the treatment selection process in lung cancer, as a host of effective drugs have since been developed to target alterations such as ALK, ROS1, and RET, according to Yujie Zhao, MD, PhD, who added that the integration of RNA-based sequencing into these strategies could potentially provide further benefit to patients.

Twice-weekly text message reminders did not improve adherence to aromatase inhibitors (AIs) for postmenopausal patients with early-stage breast cancer; therefore, increasing the odds of long-term adherence for this population will require more personalized approaches, explained Julie Gralow, MD.

The FDA has granted a fast track designation to the investigational antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) ARX788 for use as a monotherapy in the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who have previously received 1 or more HER2-targeted regimens in the metastatic setting.

Patients with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer should be treated with neoadjuvant therapy rather than surgery to determine how they will respond to ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1; Kadcyla)in the adjuvant setting, according to Ian E. Krop, MD, PhD, who added that although residual disease may serve as a potential predictive biomarker for response to this approach, the hunt for effective molecular biomarkers continues.

Data from a recent analysis demonstrated that more than one in five people experienced depression or anxiety, either before or not long after receiving a blood cancer diagnosis, highlighting the need for further mental health screening in these individuals.