Charlie Dawson

Rapid adoption of FDA-approved biosimilars is feasible, measurable, and scalable—and pharmacists should lead the charge, according to data presented at the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology Quality Care Symposium. Read More ›

The immune checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab (Opdivo) appears to be effective in pediatric patients with hypermutant or ultra-hypermutant cancers, according to results from a pilot study presented during the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2021 annual meeting. Read More ›

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the forefront the importance of advance care planning. According to research presented at the virtual 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology Quality Care Symposium, pairing a highly trained nurse practitioner with a primary care team to engage patients in this process can lead to better healthcare utilization and higher quality end-of-life care. Read More ›

Adoption of biosimilars continues to rise in the United States, but oncologists’ knowledge regarding these agents has not kept pace, according to data presented at the virtual 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Quality Care Symposium. Read More ›

The development of biosimilar medicines has provided an opportunity for patient utilization of oncology treatments at a lower cost, particularly in individuals for whom biologicals play a predominant role in providing effective therapeutic and supportive care. Although there has been an increase in the use of biosimilars in recent years, challenges to mass adoption remain. According to data presented at the virtual 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology Quality Care Symposium, however, utilization of the biosimilar trastuzumab-anns (Kanjinti) is trending in the right direction. Read More ›

Preliminary results from the first prospective study of a genomic classifier for African-American men suggest that both disparities in access to care and biological factors may be responsible for the increased incidence and mortality in this patient population. The study also identified a significant age difference between African-American and non–African-American men with respect to high genomic risk. These findings were presented during the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2021 virtual annual meeting. Read More ›

According to results from a clinical trial presented during the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2021 virtual annual meeting, aspacytarabine (BST-236), a prodrug of cytarabine, appears safe and effective as first-line therapy for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are unfit for intensive chemotherapy. Read More ›

The addition of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor tucatinib (Tukysa) to trastuzumab (Herceptin) and capecitabine continued to improve overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, according to updated results from the pivotal HER2CLIMB trial. The findings were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2021 virtual annual meeting by lead investigator Giuseppe Curigliano, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Medical Oncology, University of Milano, Italy. Read More ›

The recent approval of several new HER2-targeted therapies has led to significant advances in the treatment of patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. During the 2021 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association Annual Conference, Kelly Gaertner, PharmD, BCOP, BCPS, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Hematology/Oncology, Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, discussed data from recent clinical trials evaluating these agents, including their potential to improve outcomes in patients with brain metastases. Read More ›

According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 35,000 new cases of multiple myeloma will be diagnosed in the United States in 2021, and approximately 12,410 deaths will be attributed to the disease. However, with the introduction of several novel therapies, the outcomes for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma have improved significantly over the past decade. Read More ›

Although standard chemotherapy is often effective in the first-line treatment of locally invasive urothelial carcinoma, until recently, there have been few second- or third-line treatment options for patients with advanced or metastatic disease. During the 2021 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association Annual Conference, Renee K. McAlister, PharmD, BCOP, Oncology Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Melanoma/Genitourinary Oncology Clinics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, discussed promising results from clinical trials evaluating the use of erdafitinib (Balversa) and enfortumab vedotin (Padcev), 2 FDA-approved drugs that are changing the therapeutic landscape for metastatic urothelial cancer. Read More ›

For more than 40 years, healthcare professionals, public health advocates, and healthcare strategists have been discussing health inequities that consistently and disproportionately affect groups of color in the United States. Despite growing awareness of these disparities, however, limited progress has been made, according to Lakesha M. Butler, PharmD, BCPS, Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Read More ›

Biosimilars have the potential to create a more sustainable healthcare environment by offering substantial cost-savings and expanding patient access to lifesaving therapies. At the ASCO 2021 virtual annual meeting, Lalan S. Wilfong, MD, Executive Vice President, Value-Based Care and Quality Programs, and Medical Oncologist/Hematologist, Texas Oncology, Presbyterian Cancer Center Dallas, TX, discussed how a community practice model for therapeutic interchange of brand drugs to biosimilars led to a significant increase in utilization of biosimilars and substantial cost-savings over the course of a single year at his institution. Read More ›

The COVID-19 pandemic may have temporarily overshadowed the opioid crisis in the United States, but deaths related to opioid overdose have risen to an all-time high in the past year. Although largely driven by synthetic opioids such as illicit fentanyl, frequently prescribed opioids have played a role in opioid overdose and opioid use disorder as well. Read More ›

Thrombosis in patients with cancer may be a relatively common complication, but the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in this patient population is anything but simple. Patients with cancer have up to 6 times increased risk for recurrent VTE compared with patients without cancer, and they are also at higher risk for treatment-related side effects, such as bleeding. Furthermore, patients with cancer require longer-term use of anticoagulants, which raises concerns about quality of life and medication adherence. Read More ›

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, but the treatment landscape is rapidly evolving. In the past 10 years alone, the number of drugs approved by the FDA for non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has exceeded the previous 10 decades combined. Read More ›

The process of clinical trials underwent a dramatic transformation amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Heidi D. Finnes, PharmD, BCOP, FHOPA, RPh, Senior Manager, Pharmacy Cancer Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. Pharmacists must see this as an opportunity to evolve patient care in clinical trials long after the pandemic is over, Dr Finnes suggested at the 2021 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association conference. Dr Finnes outlined efficiencies in pharmacy practice that should be enacted to accommodate changes in the way clinical trials are being conducted—such as remote patients and adverse events monitoring, mailing of the investigational drugs, and telehealth visits with study participants. Read More ›

Over the past 2 decades, the number of cancer deaths per 100,000 blacks has declined approximately 30% in the United States, but black people are still disproportionately dying of cancer. In certain cancers, for example, there is a greater than 2-fold increase in the incidence and rate of deaths of blacks compared with whites in the country. Read More ›

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 ›