Bonnie Gillis

Determining the optimal sequencing of novel agents with standard chemotherapy has become a key issue in the management of castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Rates of overall survival, disease-free survival, and local control were found to be comparable in select patients with early-stage breast cancer who underwent accelerated partial breast irradiation using multicatheter brachytherapy versus conventional whole breast irradiation.

The IMA901 multipeptide vaccine added to sunitinib failed to improve outcomes versus sunitinib alone as first-line therapy for advanced/metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Tasquinimod, a drug that showed great promise in phase II trials, failed to improve overall survival in a phase III trial in men with treatment-naïve metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

An early study presented at the 2014 AACR Annual Meeting showed promise for a new targeted therapy for acute myeloid leukemia

Dacomitinib holds promise for the treatment of metastatic or recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).

Preliminary evidence supports the use of bromodomain inhibitors in hematologic malignancies, including acute leukemia (mainly acute myelogenous leukemia) and other hematological malignancies, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

It may be possible to predict which men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer will not respond to enzalutamide by using a simple blood test to detect the presence of AR-V7 in circulating tumor cells.

The FDA approval of two anti-CD20 antibodies-ofatumumab and, recently, obinotuzumab-has greatly advanced the outlook for managing chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Several new drugs have recently shown promise for the treatment of gastric cancer, including rilotumumab, ramucirumab, and anti-HER2 agents, according to a presentation at the 2013 Chemotherapy Foundation Symposium.

Switching chemotherapy based on level of elevated circulating tumor cells after one cycle of chemotherapy did not improve OS or PFS in women with metastatic breast cancer.

PIK3CA-mutated tumors in patients with HER2-positive (HER+) breast cancer (BC) are associated with a much lower rate of pathological complete response (pCR). The lowest pCR was observed in HER2+/hormone receptor-positive (HR+), PIK3CA-mutated tumors.

A prescribed exercise program reduces joint pain in breast cancer survivors taking AIs, with pain reductions observed at all levels of exercise.

Anastrozole may be a new option for primary prevention of breast cancer in postmenopausal women at high risk for the disease.

Bevacizumab did not improve invasive disease-free survival or overall survival when added to adjuvant therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer in the large randomized BETH trial.

Women aged 65 and older with hormone receptor-positive, axillary node-negative breast cancer may be able to forego radiation therapy after breast conserving surgery if they are treated with hormonal therapy and considered to be at low risk for breast cancer recurrence.

Several protocols of novel immune and targeted agents show promise alone and in combination, including monoclonal antibodies, immune therapies, and newer proteasome inhibitors.

At the recent NCCN 8th Annual Congress on Hematologic Malignancies, Michael Millenson, MD, Fox Chase Cancer Center, discussed considerations in selecting second- and third-generation tyrosine-kinase inhibitors for the management of chronic myelogenous leukemia

Drugs targeting B-cell receptor signaling pathways are improving outcomes for patients with B-cell lymphomas; these novel agents include idelalisib and ibrutinib, and are considered a breakthrough for CLL and other B-cell lymphomas.

Dovitinib failed to meet the primary endpoint of improving progression-free survival versus sorafenib (Nexavar) in patients with heavily pretreated progressive renal cell carcinoma