Meeri Kim

An abundance of clinical trials is giving patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) hope for a better future.

Even with all the recent advances in targeted therapies and immunotherapy drugs, patients with non-small cell lung cancer still need more treatment options. Although it’s early, cell-based therapies have shown some promise, with more research underway.

For years, childhood blood cancers were understudied forcing patients’ treatments into a one size-fits-all approach. But new efforts are changing that.

New drugs bring advancements to acute myeloid leukemia after 40 years.

Generally, health insurance covers the cost of genetic testing recommended by a physician. However, some patients who had BRCA testing in the past have had trouble getting reimbursed for a follow-up panel test. The outof- pocket cost for a single panel test can be up to $5,000, although lower-cost tests are available.

As mutations in more genes are linked to the development of cancer, tests that identify the glitches are growing more expansive — but some gray areas remain.

More personalized approaches are being developed to treat patients with metastatic disease.

Herceptin has improved survival for women with HER2-positive breast cancer. Now, scientists are exploring ways to mitigate the heart problems the drug can cause.