Rachel Narozniak, MA

Use of immune checkpoint inhibitors correlates with high incidence of endocrinopathies, especially anti–CTLA-4 therapy.

Investigators hope to answer a potentially paradigm-changing question in the phase II ANCHOR-CRC study (NCT03693170) of BRAF V600E–mutant colorectal cancer (CRC): Can the benefit observed with a targeted triplet in latestage disease extend to the first line?

Between 2013 and 2017, just 40% of patients with metastatic colon cancer received guideline-recommended biomarker testing that could have improved treatment decisions, according to findings from a retrospective study. Results also showed that adherence to evidence-based recommendations for genotyping was poor in academic and community settings alike.

The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer is developing a growing menu of guidelines with treatment algorithms for specific cancer types to help practicing oncologists navigate the appropriate use of this emerging modality.

Armed with the knowledge that inhibition of the Bruton tyrosine kinase is an effective approach in B-cell malignancies, investigators will explore the efficacy of the second-generation BTK inhibitor, zanubrutinib, in 2 leukemia and lymphoma subtypes.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy improved heart function in patients who developed chemotherapy-induced cardiomyopathy.

Investigators are attempting to advance the late-stage non–small cell lung cancer treatment paradigm by combining an emerging antimitotic modality with standard-of-care therapies in the phase III LUNAR trial.

In an effort to expand treatment options for patients with recurrent HER2-positive breast cancer, investigators are testing a novel antibody-drug conjugate: [fam-] trastuzumab deruxtecan (DS-8201a). The drug has achieved breakthrough therapy status.

Recent strides in systemic treatment approaches and the broader application of stereotactic radiation led the American Society for Radiation Oncology to issue its first guideline regarding radiation therapy in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Use of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) significantly increased the risk of early onset hypertension and was associated with long-term risk of developing other major cardiotoxic events in patients with B-cell malignancies.

After 3 years of struggling to meet targets for improved care quality and cost efficiency, many of the 175 practices that have remained in the Oncology Care Model of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have a decision to make: Assume a share of the downside risk for failure to meet financial targets or exit the OCM by December 3.

Although the oncology community has made many advancements in understanding the role of germline mutations in prostate cancer, a pressing need exists for clarity in determining which genes should be included in testing panels and what steps should be taken to counsel patients at risk and their families.

In a phase III trial, investigators are examining if arfolitixorin can supplant leucovorin calcium, a widely used component of combination regimens in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Although use of wearable mobile health monitors has soared in other fields of healthcare, adoption of these electronic devices has lagged in oncology.

Investigators are exploring the novel genetic biomarker DGM1 as a potential predictor of benefit from the experimental agent enzastaurin in treatment-naïve patients with high-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Plasma genotyping is the next big thing in non–small cell lung cancer, and it's already impacting clinical practice.

Neoadjuvant immunotherapy can offer promise to patients with resectable non–small cell lung cancer, but further investigation is required for optimal use, Tina Cascone, MD, PhD, said in a presentation during the 14th Annual New York Lung Cancers Symposium®.

Based on strong findings for efficacy and safety, as well as FDA approvals, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer has issued the first guidelines for the use of immunotherapy agents in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Early dose reductions in a common adjuvant chemotherapy regimen were associated with inferior survival outcomes in a retrospective study of women with intermediate- to high-risk breast cancer.

With several agents in development, small cell lung cancer, which constitutes up to 15% of lung cancers, is the focus of increased clinical investigation that may make further treatment inroads.

In the phase II CLOVER-1 trial, investigators are evaluating whether CLR 131 will be an effective option for patients with difficult-to-treat relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphomas.

The artificial intelligence system that IBM designed for oncology has demonstrated clinical utility in recent studies, generating excitement that the technology may have a role as a decision support tool.

A partnership between a healthcare system in Morristown, New Jersey, and a genomics research institute in Phoenix, Arizona, has led to the opening of a center dedicated to offering phase I cancer trials in community settings and improving access for patients with limited coverage.

Investigators are seeking to determine whether immunotherapy that has been effective in metastatic colon cancers with deficient DNA mismatch repair can be applied to earlier-stage disease, specifically, nonmetastatic stage III colon cancer.

With the recent launch of a free, open-source system for standardizing the electronic storage of patient records, the American Society of Clinical Oncology hopes to improve information flow across electronic health record platforms and curtail the harms of information blocking by private aggregators and vendors of patient information.

Atlantic Health System of Morristown New Jersey and Translational Genomics Research Institute of Arizona have opened a center dedicated to phase I clinical trials in cancer and improving access for patients with limited coverage.

Women with breast cancer who have lower incomes and are members of minority populations are less likely to return to work following surgery and chemotherapy, and oncologists need to help them obtain workplace accommodations to ease their return to employment.

Use of immune checkpoint inhibitors was clearly associated with higher incidences of specific neurologic toxicities in a broad-based retrospective pharmacovigilance study, and clinicians need to monitor for these immune-related adverse events when using these agents.

Investigators are exploring whether lasofoxifene can stop disease progression in women with advanced or metastatic estrogen receptor (ER)–positive, HER2-negative breast cancer with an ESR1 mutation in the multicenter phase II ELAINE trial (NCT03781063).

In thyroid cancer, molecular diagnostic tests enable oncologists to evaluate thyroid nodules with atypical, suspicious, or indeterminate fine-needle aspiration cytology to determine the best course of treatment based on cytopathological result.