Vol. 17/No. 17

An assay that would evaluate the immune status of patients with colon cancer is poised to become the first of a series of Immunoscore tests for various tumor types.

BRAF mutation testing has become an essential tool in the diagnostic workup and management of patients with advanced melanoma. Activating mutations of BRAF are present in 40% to 60% of all melanoma cases, with more than 90% of mutations found at codon 600 in exon 15.

John D. Minna, MD, who helped establish the first tumor lines and discover the c-Myc oncogene in lung cancer, was honored in the Lung Cancer category with a 2015 Giants of Cancer Care award, a program that OncLive launched to recognize leaders in the field.

Molecular testing for colorectal cancer continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Biomarkers already have the potential to predict outcomes and better target therapies, with the eventual goal to completely personalize treatments based on the patient’s individual biomarker profile and other tumor markers.

The past 5 years have been a whirlwind of fresh developments in the field of anticancer immunotherapies, and there is certainly no doubt that we have entered a new era of oncology care.

In a pilot study, funded by both the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract and The Center for Advanced Digestive Care, researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine are testing a new mobile app that could help transform postoperative patient monitoring.

Inhibiting RANK signaling has proved a useful strategy in preventing the debilitating skeletal-related events that are associated with bone metastases in many patients with cancer.

Investigators at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center are developing dynamical models that may allow clinicians to move beyond simple human leukocyte antigen matching to personalize immunosuppressive regimens and thus improve donor selection.

Eva González-Suárez, PhD, discusses research on understanding the mechanisms leading to cell transformation, the metastatic capability of epithelial cells, and the disruption of signaling pathways in cancer, including the role of the RANK pathway in the regulation of tumor-stroma crosstalk and as a novel therapeutic target in cancer.

Oncologists eagerly await clinical trial results that will permit them to provide additional strategies to their patients. However, the impact of such randomized trial results can be quite limited where preexisting beliefs, training, economic interests, or well-established practices conflict with what the "evidence" demonstrates.