Charlie Dawson

Interim analysis of the phase 2 clinical trial of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy as first-line treatment of patients with high-risk large B-cell lymphoma shows that axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta) has substantial benefit in patients with unmet medical needs. Read More ›

Single-agent mosunetuzumab is a safe and clinically promising chemotherapy-free therapy for elderly and unfit patients with untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), said Adam J. Olszewski, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, at ASH 2020. Dr Olszewski reported the results of a phase 1/2 clinical study of mosunetuzumab in patients with DLBCL. Read More ›

A new step-up dosing schedule with glofitamab, an investigational T-cell engaging bispecific antibody, has demonstrated strong clinical activity, with high complete response rates in patients with hard-to-treat relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), according to data presented at the ASH 2020 annual meeting. Read More ›

Financial toxicity can have a negative effect on outcomes for patients with cancer. However, findings from a recent pilot study revealed that a comprehensive intervention focused on the financial aspects of care signficantly improved quality of life for patients with hematologic malignancies. These results were presented during the virtual 2020 ASH Annual Meeting. Read More ›

Results of a phase 1 clinical trial showed that approximately 66% of patients with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) had a major cytogenetic response (MCyR) to the novel oral BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) vodobatinib, regardless of whether they previously received ponatinib therapy. Jorge E. Cortes, MD, Director, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University, presented the results at ASH 2020. Read More ›

Enrollment in clinical trials is vital for the advancement of knowledge and improvement of patient outcomes, but few adults participate in cancer clinical trials. The numbers are even lower among minority adolescent and young adults (AYAs). Read More ›

Protecting patients with cancer from financial hardship can save more than money. According to data presented at the 2020 ASCO Quality Care Symposium, mitigating the financial burden of cancer treatment on patients may save lives as well. Read More ›

Cancer does not discriminate based on social status, race, income, or education, but that does not mean that it is an equal-opportunity killer. Evidence shows that overall, patients with poorer socioeconomic status also have poorer health outcomes compared with those with good socioeconomic status. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has recently launched a program to address the role of social determinants of health in cancer care and cancer outcomes. Read More ›

At the 2020 ASCO Quality Care Symposium, Jean Wright, MD, Director of Safety and Quality, Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, DC, advocated for multidisciplinary teams that include the patient as part of the care team. Read More ›

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on cancer care delivery in the United States. Although access to high-quality care has been compromised, the pandemic has also driven innovation, according to information presented at the 2020 ASCO Quality Care Symposium by experts who discussed recent healthcare transformations. Read More ›

An analysis of the Value Framework of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) shows that the Net Health Benefit score of cancer drugs continues to evolve over time after their FDA approval, based on data presented at the ASCO 2020 virtual annual meeting. This analysis showed a substantial change in more than 25% of cancer drugs in their Net Health Benefit 3 years after their initial approval. Read More ›

The combination of carfilzomib (Kyprolis) with lenalidomide (Revlimid) and dexamethasone (KRd) as induction therapy does not improve outcomes in patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma compared with the current standard of care with bortezomib (Velcade), lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (VRd). Read More ›

Cellular therapy is becoming an attractive option for heavily pretreated patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. According to data presented at the ASCO 2020 virtual annual meeting, 2 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell drugs have generated impressive rates of response that are sustainable. Read More ›

Targeted therapy with the Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor acalabrutinib (Calquence), which is currently approved for the treatment of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, has demonstrated durable remissions in treatment-naïve patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to the long-term data from the phase 2 CLL-001 study, which were presented at the ASCO 2020 virtual annual meeting. Read More ›

According to long-term follow-up data presented at the ASCO 2020 virtual annual meeting, anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has demonstrated ongoing durable remissions lasting up to 113 months for follicular lymphoma, 99 months for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and 97 months for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL). What’s more, long-term adverse events were rare, with the exception of prolonged B-cell depletion and hypogammaglobulinemia. Read More ›

A novel intratumoral chemotherapy agent delivered by direct injection permits the dispersion of cytotoxic drugs into cancer cells to eradicate tumors. Data from a phase 1/2 trial of intratumoral INT230-6, alone and in combination with pembrolizumab (Keytruda), in patients with advanced solid tumors was presented at the ASCO 2020 virtual annual meeting by Jacob Stephen Thomas, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, University of Southern California Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles. Read More ›

New research highlights the importance of germline analysis in the identification of germline alterations for cancer treatment. According to a large analysis presented at the ASCO 2020 virtual annual meeting, nearly 9% of patients with advanced cancer harbor a targetable germline variant. Read More ›

As the complexity of cancer care continues to evolve, adhering to evidence-based treatment guidelines is a growing challenge for oncologists. Read More ›

Cemiplimab-rwlc (Libtayo), a new PD-1 inhibitor, has transformed the treatment of advanced cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma (CSCC), significantly extending survival for patients. Read More ›

There is a new standard of care in the first-line treatment setting for the subset of patients with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) that is associated with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR), according to data presented at the ASCO 2020 virtual annual meeting. Read More ›