News

Encorafenib (Braftovi) plus cetuximab (Erbitux) with or without binimetinib (Mektovi) demonstrated longer maintenance of quality of life (QoL) on patient-reported assessments over current standard of care in the treatment of patients with BRAF V600E-mutant metastatic colorectal cancer.

Updated data on several emerging treatment modalities were presented at the 2019 ASH Annual Meeting in multiple myeloma, including CAR T-cell therapy, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs), and a novel selinexor (Xpovio) combination, explained Sandy W. Wong, MD.

The FDA has granted an accelerated approval to tazemetostat (Tazverik) for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients aged ≥16 years old with metastatic or locally advanced epithelioid sarcoma that is not eligible for complete resection.

Surufatinib improved progression-free survival (PFS) compared with placebo in patients with low- or intermediate-grade advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) for whom there is no effective therapy, according to a preplanned interim analysis of the phase III SANET-p trial (NCT02589821) that was completed by an independent data monitoring committee (IDMC).

Being able to quickly detect and properly manage adverse events (AEs) that arise in patients with melanoma who are receiving immunotherapy is key to improving their experience with treatment, explained Kathleen Madden, RN, MSN, FNP-BC, AOCNP®, APHN.

The role of radiation therapy, specifically with elective nodal irradiation (ENI), has evolved over the past several years, said He James Zhu, MD, PhD, adding that the technique should be performed in patients with breast cancer on an individualized basis.

Despite the approvals of targeted agents and immunotherapy in the treatment paradigm of metastatic melanoma, clinical trials remain the gold standard for patients with newly diagnosed disease, according to Anna C. Pavlick, DO.

Treatment with luspatercept-aamt (Reblozyl) reduced the severity of anemia in patients with very low- to intermediate-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with ring sideroblasts who require red blood cell (RBC) transfusions, according to findings from the phase III MEDALIST trial that have now been published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

The FDA has approved avapritinib (Ayvakit) for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) harboring a PDGFRA exon 18 mutation, including PDGFRA D842V mutations.