Precision Medicine in Oncology®

Patients with mutations of BRCA1 or BRCA2 who received tamoxifen after their initial diagnosis of breast cancer reduced their chances of developing contralateral or secondary breast cancer by more than half.

More than a century has passed since the discovery of antibodies and thanks to a number of Nobel Prize-winning scientists, we have begun to realize their potential as therapeutic tools in cancer.

A detailed analysis of previously reported data on the multikinase inhibitor cabozantinib in medullary thyroid cancer found that patients with mutations of RET and RAS experienced a significantly higher benefit than patients without those mutations.

The presence or absence of RAS mutations should dictate use of panitumumab in combination with FOLFOX chemotherapy for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Patients diagnosed with cancer today are considered to be genuine partners in all major treatment decisions. Yet, how well do they understand the nature and goals of genetic testing that might be recommended as part of the management of their disease?

Lead author, Alice T. Shaw, MD, PhD, from the Massachusetts General Hospital, reviews the first published results from a randomized phase III trial investigating crizotinib in patients with ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer.

Albert S. Baldwin, Jr, PhD, focuses on understanding the regulation and biological functions of NF-κB and its role in disease, particularly in cancer, in a laboratory he heads at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Sandra Swain, MD, medical director of the Washington Cancer Institute at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, highlights information presented at the 2013 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Meeting.

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute have developed a comprehensive analysis of coding variants in nine of the most frequently studied human tumor cell lines in cancer research.

The FDA has approved afatinib, along with a companion diagnostic, to treat patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer who express specific types of EGFR mutations.

Josep Tabernero, MD, PhD, from the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, believes that in order to treat patients with gastrointestinal cancers more effectively, researchers must focus on the molecular classification of particular subpopulations.

Highlights of key findings from several phase I clinical trials that provide insight into new and emerging druggable targets and targeted therapies.

Cancer centers are beginning to establish oncology nurse navigator programs with integrated processes for assessment, identification, referral, education, care, and support for patients whose gynecologic cancers may be genetically-based.