Treatment - Cancer Currents Blog
Cancer treatment related news, with context from leading experts. Includes articles on new therapies, treatment side effects, and important trends in treatment-related research.
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Treatments for Oropharyngeal Cancer Are Very Effective, But Are There Ways to Do Less Harm?Can some people with HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer, a type of head and neck cancer, get less intense treatment without risking their cancer coming back? Researchers are trying to find out.
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Sacituzumab Govitecan Earns Full Approval for Triple-Negative Breast CancerSacituzumab govitecan (Trodelvy) now has regular FDA approval for people with locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The update follows last year’s accelerated approval of the drug for people with TNBC.
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Topotecan–Berzosertib Combination Shows Promise against Small Cell Lung CancerCombining the chemotherapy drug topotecan and the investigational drug berzosertib shrank tumors in some patients with small cell lung cancer, results from an NCI-supported phase 1 clinical trial show. Two phase 2 trials of the combination are planned.
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Immunotherapy Drug Tebentafusp Improves Survival in Advanced Uveal MelanomaIn a large trial, tebentafusp helped patients with uveal melanoma live longer than patients who received other treatments for the disease. Uveal melanoma is an aggressive cancer of the eye, and many patients do not survive for a year once it has spread.
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FDA Approves BCMA-Targeted CAR T-Cell Therapy for Multiple MyelomaThe Food and Drug Administration has approved idecabtagene vicleucel (Abecma) for some people with multiple myeloma. The approval is based, in part, on a small study in which ide-cel partially or completely shrank tumors in 72% of patients.
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Whole-Genome Sequencing Could Help Guide AML TreatmentFor people with acute myeloid leukemia and related cancers, a new study shows whole-genome sequencing could replace a series of conventional tests used to help guide decisions about treatment.
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Blinatumomab Improves Survival in Children with Relapsed LeukemiaThe results of two trials establish blinatumomab (Blincyto) as a new standard treatment for children and young adults with high-risk relapsed B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia after remission has been achieved and before a stem cell transplant.
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Targeted Therapy Cabozantinib Slows Progression of Rare Kidney CancerCabozantinib (Cabometyx) is an effective initial treatment for people with metastatic papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC), a rare type of kidney cancer. A clinical trial showed the drug was more effective than the current standard treatment.
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Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer? A Genetic Test Could Help DecideFor some men with prostate cancer, a genetic biomarker test called Decipher may help predict if their cancer will spread elsewhere in the body. The test could help determine whether hormone therapy, which can cause distressing side effects, is needed.
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Imaging Test Could Help Guide Breast Cancer Treatment DecisionsFor some people with ER-positive breast cancer, a new imaging test may help guide decisions about receiving hormone therapy, according to a new study. The test can show whether estrogen receptors in tumors are active and responsive to estrogen.
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Oncotype DX Breast Cancer Test May Be Less Accurate for Black PatientsThe test, which helps guide treatment decisions, was not as good at predicting the risk of death from breast cancer for Black patients as for White patients, a new study has found. The findings highlight the need for greater racial diversity in research studies.
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Study Explores Jaw Problem Linked to Zoledronic Acid, Finds Risk FactorsA recent study quantified the risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw for patients who take zoledronic acid to manage complications from cancer that has spread to the bone. The study also examined risk factors for osteonecrosis of the jaw in these patients.
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Relugolix Approval Expected to Alter Treatment for Advanced Prostate CancerFDA’s recent approval of relugolix (Orgovyx) is expected to affect the treatment of men with advanced prostate cancer. A large clinical trial showed that relugolix was more effective at reducing testosterone levels than another common treatment.
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Trial Tests Abemaciclib As New Option for Early-Stage Breast CancerThe drug abemaciclib (Verzenio) may be a new treatment option for people with the most common type of breast cancer, with new study findings suggesting that it can reduce the risk of the cancer returning.
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Steroids May Limit the Effectiveness of Immunotherapy for Brain CancerIn people with glioblastoma and other brain cancers, steroids appear to limit the effectiveness of immunotherapy drugs, a new study shows. The findings should influence how steroids are used to manage brain tumor symptoms, researchers said.
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Stopping TKI Treatment Is Safe, Improves Quality of Life for Some with CMLFor adults with CML who are in a sustained deep molecular remission, stopping treatment with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor is safe and improves their quality of life, a study shows. But researchers cautioned that these patients must be closely monitored.
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Could Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Improve Cancer Immunotherapy?Cholesterol-lowering drugs known as PCSK9 inhibitors may improve the effectiveness of cancer immune checkpoint inhibitors, according to studies in mice. The drugs appear to improve the immunotherapy drugs’ ability to find tumors and slow their growth.
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Cancer “Liquid Biopsy” Blood Test Gets Expanded FDA ApprovalFDA has expanded the approved uses of the FoundationOne Liquid CDx blood test, known as a liquid biopsy, that can help doctors pick specific treatments for some people with cancer. When used in this way, the test is known as a companion diagnostic.
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Targeted Radiation Reduces Pain from Cancer Metastases in the SpineFor some patients with painful spinal metastases from advanced cancer, a type of precise, high-dose radiation therapy—called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT)—may be a highly effective way to relieve that pain, clinical trial results show.
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Radiopharmaceuticals: Radiation Therapy Enters the Molecular AgeResearchers are developing a new class of cancer drugs called radiopharmaceuticals, which deliver radiation therapy directly and specifically to cancer cells. This Cancer Currents story explores the research on these emerging therapies.