The Oncologist

Highlights from the ASCO 2024 annual meeting are presented. https://doi.org/10.1093/oncolo/oyae250

This article reports retrospective results of the combined use of selinexor and PD-1 blockade (tislelizumab) in 5 patients with natural killer/T-cell lymphoma who had exhausted almost all available treatments. https://doi.org/10.1093/oncolo/oyad241

Results of this study suggest that clinicians should take into consideration existing comorbidities, such as diabetes and hyperlipidemia, when prescribing nilotinib to patients with chronic myeloid . Moreover, regular monitoring of glucose and lipid levels is recommended to identify and manage post-treatment diabetes and hyperlipidemia. By implementing these measures, clinicians can potentially mitigate long-term adverse effects and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases in this patient population.

Association of Nilotinib With Cardiovascular Diseases in Patients With Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia: A National Population-Based Cohort Study This population-based study explored the incidence of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension after tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment and the as

Real-world data on the clinical & economic burden of chronic lymphocytic leukemia are limited. This article reports real-world characteristics, treatments, & costs of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma in the US.
https://doi.org/10.1093/oncolo/oyad324

Read the September issue of The Oncologist, now online : https://academic.oup.com/oncolo/issue/29/9

New study identifies and gene signatures that enhance prognosis in by improving risk stratification and predicting patient responses to treatments like . A step forward in personalized oncology care.

Characterization of driver mutations identifies gene signatures predictive of prognosis and treatment sensitivity in multiple myeloma This study aimed to enhance prognostic understanding of multiple myeloma by analyzing pathway dysregulations in key cancer driver genes to identify actiona

There is little consensus on the efficacy or optimal timing of treatment in smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM). This article reviews the landscape of all clinical trials in this disease, comparing the efficacy of treatment regimens in SMM to results from these regimens when used in newly diagnosed MM.
https://doi.org/10.1093/oncolo/oyae219

Evaluating early intervention in smoldering myeloma clinical trials: a systematic review There is little consensus on the efficacy or optimal timing of treatment in smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM). This article reviews the landscape of all cl

In this study, there was a high prevalence of arm symptoms in survivors with or without . Special attention should be given to patients undergoing axillary lymph node dissection, radiotherapy, and a longer post-surgery duration.

Arm symptom pattern among breast cancer survivors with and without lymphedema: a contemporaneous network analysis This study aimed to construct symptom networks and visualize the interrelationships among arm symptoms in breast cancer survivors with and without lymphede

Real-world treatment patterns among patients with -positive showed that monotherapy, , and were most commonly used. Prognosis was poor, highlighting the need for earlier and more effective treatments.
https://doi.org/10.1093/oncolo/oyae183

High-sensitivity tests can be used to detect radiologically occult disease or minimal residual disease post-surgery, and thus, identify high-risk patients. This review summarizes the current evidence, with a particular focus on genitourinary tumors.
https://doi.org/10.1093/oncolo/oyae198

This review discusses the current treatment options for advanced and practical considerations with -based chemo. While + has become a preferred option, platinum-based chemo remains useful for many patients. https://doi.org/10.1093/oncolo/oyae215

A significant number of older cancer patients are not offered treatment. Age alone should not be a barrier for chemotherapy in patients with advanced gastric or esophageal cancer. This study showed similar outcomes and toxicity between patients aged 65-74 years compared with those 75 years or older.

Outcomes in older adults with metastatic esophageal and gastric carcinoma treated with palliative chemotherapy The incidence of esophageal and gastric carcinoma in elderly patients is increasing, yet patients ≥75 years have historically been underrepresented in clin

Dr Jing and colleagues show in this study that the novel combination of camrelizumab, apatinib, and capecitabine shows promising efficacy (28.57% ORR) and manageable toxicity in advanced
https://doi.org/10.1093/oncolo/oyae154

Dr Goggin and her co-investigators present a study revealing 57% cancer survivors have ⬇️ social networks. Only 37% of older patients had access to computer/internet 🖥️. ⬆️ social isolation than general population.

Social supports in patients with cancer attending an Irish cancer center: a cross-sectional study A positive association has been shown between social support, quality of life, and survival outcomes in cancer. This study assessed levels of social suppor

Dr Al-Hussaini et al present the first meta-analysis on among Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) , finds 44% depression, 47% anxiety, with economic and social factors worsening burden.

Assessment of psycho-oncology in the Middle East and North Africa region: a systematic review and meta-analysis The burden of psycho-oncology is not yet established within the Middle East and North Africa region. This study reviewed all available evidence characteriz

Veterans with stage 4 gastrointestinal cancer spend one in three days alive with in-person healthcare contact. Work from the Minneapolis VA.

Trajectory of Healthcare Contact Days for Veterans With Advanced Gastrointestinal Malignancy Healthcare contact days (days with healthcare contact outside the home) offer a patient-centered and practical measure of how much of a person’s life is co

Comprehensive genome profiling personalizes targeted therapy and refines tumor diagnostics.

A Misleading Case of NTRK-Rearranged Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma This article presents a misleading case of advanced papillary thyroid carcinoma with lung, node, and pleural metastases, initially diagnosed as metastatic

A series of clinical trials evaluated the effect of salvage nivolumab plus ipilimumab in patients without an objective response to nivolumab. This article reports a pooled analysis to better inform the activity of nivolumab plus ipilimumab after nivolumab.
https://doi.org/10.1093/oncolo/oyad298

The FDA held a virtual symposium on acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment in the community in November 2022 to discuss challenges and opportunities in the treatment of patients with AML in community oncology settings. A summary is presented here.

Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia in the Community Setting The FDA held a virtual symposium on acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment in the community in November 2022 to discuss challenges and opportunities in the

Why we need regulatory innovations and how we can improve Informed consents in clinical trials.

Unleashing the power of clinical trial data: a proposal for enhancing informed consent and data sharing Although clinical trial participants support data sharing, access to patient-level data remains limited. Innovative solutions are needed to ensure scientis

Patients newly diagnosed with indolent lymphoma frequently experience psychological distress, threatening perceptions of illness, and prognosis-related concerns – even in the absence of physical symptoms.
https://doi.org/10.1093/oncolo/oyad295

Gupta et al described that nearly half of advanced cancer patients consider time toxicity when making treatment decisions. Preference for treatments with ⬆️PFS and declining those 🚫OS benefits

Patients’ considerations of time toxicity when assessing cancer treatments with marginal benefit Effective techniques for eliciting patients’ preferences regarding their own care, when treatment options offer marginal gains, is an important clinical ne

Storandt et al assess real-world data of atezolizumab + bevacizumab for advanced . They show variable outcomes by Child-Pugh score. CP-A patients had better survival than CP-B.

Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab as first-line systemic therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: a multi-institutional cohort study This multi-institution retrospective cohort study focused on patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma who received atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in

Suh et al link GBM to poor advance care planning (ACP) and end-of-life (EOL) care. Of 205 patients, 90% didn’t self-complete ACP document. led ⬇️ aggressive EOL care and ⬆️ hospice use.

Current status of advance care planning, palliative care consultation, and end-of-life care in patients with glioblastoma in South Korea Over time, patients with glioblastoma can lose decision-making ability. This study assessed the adequacy of advance care planning and end-of-life care in t

Read the August 2024 issue of The Oncologist, now online : https://academic.oup.com/oncolo/issue/29/8

Volume 29 Issue 8 | The Oncologist | Oxford Academic Published by OUP since 2022, The Oncologist is committed to helping physicians excel in the constantly changing fields of oncology and hematology through the publication of timely reviews, original studies, and commentaries on important developments.

Data showing once again that appendiceal cancer is different from colorectal cancer. Paclitaxel should be considered as a therapeutic option for these patients. Prospective clinical trials are needed!
https://doi.org/10.1093/oncolo/oyad263

Based on this meta-analysis, immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) rechallenge was associated with relative safety, similar efficacy, and improved survival outcomes vs. initial ICI therapy. Thus, rechallenge can be considered individually.
https://doi.org/10.1093/oncolo/oyae134

The real-world study showed an interesting response rate and acceptable safety profile in patients with refractory with poor prognostic factors, especially in patients pretreated with combined anti-PD-1/anti-CTLA-4 and those with BRAF wild-type tumors.

Real-world outcomes of combined lenvatinib and anti-PD-1 in advanced melanoma: the Lenvamel study, a multicenter retrospective study of the French Group of Skin Cancers (Groupe de Cancérologie Cutanée) Treatment options for patients with advanced melanoma who experience failed immunotherapy or targeted therapy are lacking. This article reports the clinica

Different eGFR formulas resulted in comparable percentages of -unfit patients with muscle-invasive . Measured CrCl is recommended when calculated eGFR=40-59 mL/min as a significant number of patients could be reclassified as cisplatin-fit. %

Cisplatin eligibility in the neoadjuvant setting of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer undergoing radical cystectomy This study examined the agreement of different calculated estimated glomerular filtration rate formulas and measured creatinine clearance at the primary di

This study did not find any correlations between moderate -related toxicities and geriatric assessment components, comorbidities, or cancer-related variables. However, there was a significant association between severe toxicity and anemia.

Prediction of moderate and severe toxicities of chemotherapy in older patients with cancer: a propensity weighted analysis of ELCAPA cohort Predictive models for chemotherapy-related toxicity are not sufficiently discriminative in older patients with cancer and do not consider moderate toxiciti