Vol. 18/No. 10

In an OncLive Peer Exchange® discussion, experts in breast malignancies reviewed some exciting new developments in TNBC.

BGB-3111, a second-generation BTK inhibitor, is being tested in patients with refractory B-cell lymphoid malignancies in an effort to determine whether the novel oral small molecule is a viable therapeutic option and to better understand its pharmacologic properties.

The genomic landscape of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer is becoming increasingly well defined, with new clinical data emerging to clarify and, in many cases, support the use of PARP inhibitors.

Extensive studies into molecular aberrations in colorectal cancer are yielding fresh insights into the potential clinical utility of checkpoint immunotherapies, genetic testing, and tumor-sidedness implications. Experts weigh in on key developments that may change treatment paradigms.

An epigenetic strategy under study at Cleveland Clinic combines THU, a cytidine deaminase inhibitor, with decitabine and nivolumab (Opdivo) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. The results of early studies demonstrate that THU may help prime the immune system.

It is common for third-party payers to deny payment for N-of-1 molecular testing at the same time they continue to pay for multiple lines of chemotherapy, even though there is often little evidence that the particular patient's cancer will respond or that the quality of life will be improved.

Although there has been much discussion in recent months about the promise of precision medicine to improve outcomes for patients with cancer, the challenges and complexities of reaching that goal become strikingly evident as soon as we start trying to individualize therapies based on molecularly identified targets.