News

The FDA's calendar for making decisions on new oncology drugs and indications is taking shape for 2015, and the clock is ticking on at least 13 applications for novel agents and new therapeutic settings for existing drugs.

Each year, the American Cancer Society publishes its annual cancer statistics, highlighting gains as well as areas that need continued focus. For 2015, the organization's report shows a 22% decrease in cancer death over the past 20 years, equating to more than 1.5 million lives saved-a positive trend seen for the past few years.

With the number of cancer survivors expected to reach 19 million by 2024, how these individuals fare long-term is an issue of ongoing interest and concern. An analysis of findings from a large survey of survivors conducted by the American Cancer Society (ACS) has found that many survivors continue to face physical, mental, and financial difficulties long after their treatment ends.

Changing the administration schedule for gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane) from weekly to every other week significantly reduced side effects without impacting efficacy as a frontline treatment for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer, according to a retrospective study presented at the 2015 GI Cancers Symposium.

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) have collaborated on an outline that would help policymakers regulate electronic cigarettes and other electronic nicotine devices (ENDS) without undermining their potential as a smoking cessation tool, the two cancer organizations announced.

While managing cancer risk is a priority, BRCA mutation carriers are often concerned about their risk of heart disease-the leading cause of death for American women-and how their mutation or risk-management choices may impact their cardiovascular health.

The FDA has approved the PARP inhibitor olaparib (Lynparza) for the treatment of women with BRCA-positive advanced ovarian cancer. The approval was based on results from a single-arm phase II study of patients with deleterious or suspected deleterious germline BRCA-mutated advanced cancers