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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PARP Inhibitors Show Promise as Initial Treatment for Ovarian CancerIn three large clinical trials of women with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer, treatment with a PARP inhibitor as first-line therapy, maintenance therapy, or both, extended the length of time before participants’ cancers came back or got worse.
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Failed Alzheimer’s Drug Might Boost CAR T-Cell Therapy for Multiple MyelomaResults from a new study suggest a potential way to improve the effectiveness of CAR T-cell therapy for multiple myeloma. The approach relies on a class of drugs called gamma-secretase inhibitors (GSIs), several of which have been studied to treat Alzheimer’s disease.
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Analysis Shows Women with High Breast Cancer Recurrence Scores Benefit from ChemoA TAILORx analysis shows women with early-stage breast cancer and high recurrence scores on the Oncotype DX who received chemotherapy with hormone therapy had better long-term outcomes than what would be expected from hormone therapy alone.
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Dual-Function Virus Engineered to Kill Tumor Cells and Support Immune CellsResearchers have engineered an oncolytic virus to kill cancer cells and boost the immune response against tumors. In a new study, the virus provided T cells around tumors with a hormone they need for their own cell-killing functions.
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Selpercatinib Shows Promise against Lung Cancers with Alterations in RET GeneThe investigational drug selpercatinib may benefit patients with lung cancer whose tumors have alterations in the RET gene, including fusions with other genes, according to results from a small clinical trial.
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For Children with Neuroblastoma, Trial Results Highlight Continued Evolution of TreatmentFor many children with high-risk neuroblastoma, receiving two separate stem cell transplants is more beneficial than receiving one, according to the results of an NCI-supported clinical trial conducted by the Children’s Oncology Group.
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FDA Approves Entrectinib Based on Tumor Genetics Rather Than Cancer TypeFDA has approved entrectinib (Rozlytrek) for the treatment of children and adults with tumors bearing an NTRK gene fusion. The approval also covers adults with non-small cell lung cancer harboring a ROS1 gene fusion.
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For Some Women with Breast Cancer, Cost Influences Decisions about SurgeryIn a survey of nearly 600 breast cancer survivors, researchers found that the cost of care factored into the decisions the women made about what type of surgery to get. Many women also reported never discussing costs with their physicians.
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Pembrolizumab Approved for Some Patients with Advanced Esophageal CancerFDA has approved the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) to treat some patients with advanced esophageal cancer. Patients must have certain levels of the protein PD-L1 on their tumors, as determined by an FDA-approved test.
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Targeted Drug Erdafitinib Benefits Some Patients with Advanced Bladder CancerNew clinical trial findings confirm that the targeted therapy erdafitinib (Balversa) can benefit patients with advanced bladder cancer whose tumors have a genetic alteration in one of the four FGFR genes.
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Improving Cancer Immunotherapy: Overcoming the Problem of ‘Exhausted’ T CellsResearchers have identified proteins that may play a central role in transforming T cells from powerful destroyers to depleted bystanders that can no longer harm cancer cells. The findings could lead to strategies for boosting cancer immunotherapies.
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Can Some Women Treated for Endometrial Cancer Forgo Radiation after Surgery?Some women with endometrial cancer may be able to receive less intensive treatment, chemotherapy and no radiation, without increasing their risk of the disease recurring within 5 years, according to the results of a randomized clinical trial.
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Trial Highlights Complexities of Targeted Therapy for Pancreatic CancerOlaparib (Lynparza) may be beneficial for some people with advanced pancreatic cancer who have inherited mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, according to results from the POLO trial.
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More Treatment Options Emerging for Some Men with Metastatic Prostate CancerIn two large clinical trials, the drugs enzalutamide (Xtandi) and apalutamide (Erleada), respectively, combined with the androgen deprivation therapy, improved the survival of men with metastatic prostate cancer that still responds to hormone-suppressing therapies.
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Combination Therapy with Venetoclax Approved for Chronic Lymphocytic LeukemiaThe Food and Drug Administration has approved venetoclax (Venclexta) in combination with obinutuzumab (Gazyva) for the initial treatment of adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma.
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Drug Shows Promise in Slowing Progression of Smoldering Myeloma to CancerThe drug lenalidomide (Revlimid) may delay the progression of smoldering myeloma to multiple myeloma, according to preliminary results from a clinical trial.
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T-DM1 Approval Expanded to Include Some Women with Early-Stage HER2-Positive Breast CancerFDA has expanded the approved use of the drug ado-trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla), also called T-DM1, to include adjuvant treatment in some women with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer.
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Tagraxofusp Proves Effective for BPDCN, A Rare Blood CancerNew findings from a clinical trial of the drug tagraxofusp confirm its efficacy against the rare blood cancer blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN).
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New Drugs, New Side Effects: Complications of Cancer ImmunotherapyThe expanding use of cancer immunotherapy has revealed a variety of side effects associated with this treatment approach. Researchers are now trying to better understand how and why these side effects occur and develop strategies for better managing them.
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Some Children with Liver Cancer May Need Less Chemotherapy, Study SuggestsSome children with liver cancer may need less chemotherapy than is typically used, new research suggests. The study included children and infants with hepatoblastoma whose tumors had been surgically removed when the disease was diagnosed.