In this systematic review to evaluate the clinical outcomes associated with molecular tumor board (MTB) review in patients with cancer, 14 studies were included with a total of 3,328 patients. As the number of targetable mutations continues to increase and cancer care becomes even more complex, consultation with an interdisciplinary MTB can help guide therapy […]
Trilaciclib (Cosela, G1 Therapeutics), a cyclin dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor, is already approved in the United States to reduce frequency of chemotherapy-related bone marrow suppression among adults with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer. Now, the FDA has granted fast track designation to the drug for use in combo with chemo for treatment of locally advanced […]
In a study in the journal Nature Cancer, the researchers found that in laboratory cell lines and tumor models novobiocin selectively killed tumor cells with abnormal BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, which help repair damaged DNA. The drug, developed in the 1950s and largely supplanted by newer drugs, was effective even in tumors resistant to agents […]
According to a study of 135,000 doctors by Doximity, male physicians made, on average, 28% more than females in 2020, a 3% increase from the 2019 numbers. The survey, along with Medscape’s poll in 2021 that showed male specialist physicians overall making 33% more than females, points to a few other large gender pay gaps, […]
Messenger RNA (mRNA) is in the spotlight right now as the basis of the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines for COVID-19. Thanks to this newfound prominence, its profile has been raised as a powerful tool in cancer research as well. As a courier of genetic information and protein assembler, mRNA can tell scientists which genes are […]
Oncology Medical Home (OMH) is a system of care delivery that features coordinated, efficient, accessible, and evidence-based care and includes a process for measurement of outcomes to facilitate continuous quality improvement. OMH can serve as a roadmap to guide how a practice delivers high-quality oncology care (a process of practice transformation) and support (but not […]
Is there a benefit for patients who receive celecoxib as an addition to conventional therapy for women with ERBB2 (formerly HER2)–negative primary breast cancer? A report on the Randomized European Celecoxib Trial (REACT), a phase 3, randomized, double-blind study conducted in 160 centers across the UK and Germany testing two years of adjuvant celecoxib vs. […]
According to a press release from April 2021, “the FDA is working toward issuing proposed product standards within the next year to ban menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes and ban all characterizing flavors (including menthol) in cigars.” Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock, MD, said the agency had now “accumulated sufficient evidence establishing the addictiveness […]
Letermovir is a recently approved antiviral shown to decrease clinically significant cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in a phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Appearing in Blood, the authors make two key points: 1) Letermovir prophylaxis may be associated with decreased polyfunctional CMV-specific T-cell immunity after HCT, and 2) COMPASS is an analytical […]
Without definitive treatment, mortality from severe aplastic anemia (AA) approaches 70% at 2 years. Establishing an accurate etiology of the AA is challenging but also absolutely critical to appropriate management, especially differentiating between acquired and inherited forms of the disease. This review emphasizes the newer data on molecular (somatic and germline) findings in AA and […]