Silas Inman

Multiple options currently exist for patients with EGFR-positive non–small cell lung cancer, with additional therapies on the horizon, making upfront treatment selection an increasingly difficult endeavor.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated encouraging results for patients with small cell lung cancer and mesothelioma, which are two aggressive thoracic malignancies with few options.

Adding the MEK inhibitor trametinib to the BRAF inhibitor dabrafenib significantly improves long-term outcomes while lowering certain adverse events associated with either agent alone for patients with BRAF-mutated metastatic melanoma.

Early promising responses seen with immune checkpoint inhibitors for patients with ovarian cancer still need to be validated in larger randomized trials before a conclusion is made regarding their true efficacy.

Combinations of targeted therapies continue to advance toward full regulatory approval for patients with metastatic or unresected melanoma, given the substantial benefits seen with these agents.

The combination of lenalidomide and rituximab demonstrated an objective response rate of 92% as initial therapy for patients with mantle cell lymphoma.

Monoclonal antibodies are poised to revolutionize the treatment of adult patients with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia, specifically blinatumomab and inotuzumab ozogamicin.

The FDA has granted a breakthrough therapy designation to pexidartinib as a potential therapy for patients with tenosynovial giant cell tumor for which surgical removal is contraindicate.

The FDA has granted a breakthrough therapy designation to pembrolizumab as a potential therapy for patients with microsatellite instability-high metastatic colorectal cancer.

Rolling submission of a new drug application for cabozantinib has been initiated for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma who have received one prior therapy.

Talimogene laherparepvec has received a positive recommendation from the CHMP, which suggests that the treatment should gain European approval for patients with advanced melanoma.

The FDA has approved MM-398 (irinotecan liposome injection; Onivyde) in combination with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin as a treatment for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer following prior administration of a gemcitabine-based regimen.

The American Cancer Society now recommends that women at an average risk of breast cancer should wait to undergo annual screening mammography until they reach the age of 45.

The FDA has granted the anti-CD22 antibody-drug conjugate inotuzumab ozogamicin a breakthrough therapy designation as a potential treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

ASCO has recommended extended RAS testing as a predictive biomarker of response for anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies, further stressing the importance of broader molecular analyses for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

The FDA has granted the CDK4/6 inhibitor abemaciclib a breakthrough therapy designation as monotherapy for heavily pretreated patients with refractory hormone-receptor-positive advanced breast cancer.

Encouraging findings and regulatory milestones have recently been announced for the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab and the PD-L1 inhibitor avelumab as treatments for patients with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma.

The combination of vemurafenib and cobimetinib demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in overall survival compared with vemurafenib alone for previously untreated patients with BRAFV600-mutant unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

The FDA has approved Optune in combination with adjuvant temozolomide as a treatment for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme following surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.

The FDA has scheduled an advisory hearing to discuss the biologics license application for the immunotherapy MCNA as a treatment for patients with high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer following first-line bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy.

The FDA has granted an accelerated approval to the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab as a treatment for patients with BRAF V600 wild-type unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

The FDA has granted a priority review designation to rociletinib for patients with EGFR T790M-mutant metastatic non–small cell lung cancer following prior administration of an EGFR TKI.

The FDA has granted a priority review designation to eribulin mesylate as a treatment for patients with soft tissue sarcoma following an anthracycline and at least one other regimen.

Treatment with telotristat etiprate reduced the average number of daily bowel movements by up to 35% for patients with carcinoid syndrome that was not adequately controlled by a somatostatin analog.

Treatment with nivolumab reduced the risk of death by 28% compared with docetaxel for patients with previously treated nonsquamous non–small cell lung cancer.

The combination of dabrafenib plus trametinib improved overall survival by 7.6 months compared with single-agent vemurafenib in patients with unresectable or metastatic BRAFV600E/K-mutant melanoma.

The final analysis of phase III data for trabectedin were consistent with interim results by showing a lack of improvement for the primary endpoint of overall survival in patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma.

The FDA has granted a priority review designation to a supplemental biologics license application for nivolumab plus ipilimumab in previously untreated patients with advanced melanoma.

Second-line treatment with cabozantinib reduced the risk of progression or death by 42% compared with everolimus in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

The FDA has granted a priority review designation to ofatumumab as a maintenance therapy for patients with relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia following a response to second- or third-line therapy.