All
Examining Early-Life Adversity and the 'Stress Hormone' in Ovarian Cancer Survivors
July 3rd 2018Adversity early on in life and increased stress levels could impact ovarian cancer outcomes – even if these instances happen before a woman is diagnosed, according to a recent article published in the journal Cancer.
Love the Genes You've Got, But Get Them Tested, Too
July 2nd 2018When my mom got cancer, the last thing on my mind was my own health, but she had the foresight and the care to get a genetic test so that her kids could live long and healthy lives. Today I am grateful for my mom, my whole family and the magic of science.
FDA Grants Priority Review to Frontline Keytruda Combination in Metastatic NSCLC
July 2nd 2018The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted a priority review to Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in combination with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), regardless of PD-L1 expression, according to Merck, the manufacturer of the anti-PD-1 agent.
Lynparza Prolongs Disease Progression in Advanced Ovarian Cancer
June 29th 2018PARP inhibitors continue to impress in the ovarian cancer space, as findings from the recent phase 3 SOLO-1 trial showed that Lynparza (olaparib) showed clinically-meaningful improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) when used in the first-line maintenance setting.
Gender May Play a Role in Immunotherapy Efficacy, Further Studies Are Warranted
June 29th 2018Because little is known about the effect of patients' sex on the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors as cancer treatments, the researchers performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the heterogeneity of immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy between men and women.
Patient-Physician Discordance Shows Need for Better Communication on End-of-Life Care
June 28th 2018At the end of life, patients and physicians both have their own goals when it comes to care and treatment; however, researchers from Case Western Reserve University and Flatiron Health have found that those goals are sometimes at odds with one another.
FDA Approves Drug Duo for BRAF-Positive Melanoma
June 27th 2018The FDA has approved the combination of the BRAF inhibitor Braftovi (encorafenib) and the MEK inhibitor Mektovi (binimetinib) for the treatment of patients with BRAF-mutant unresectable or metastatic melanoma, as detected by an FDA-approved test.
Novel Drug Granted Priority Review for Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment
June 27th 2018The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted a priority review to a new drug application (NDA) for glasdegib to treat patients with previously untreated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in combination with low-dose cytarabine (LDAC), which is a type of chemotherapy, according to Pfizer, the manufacturer of the drug.
With Checkpoint Inhibitors Here to Stay, Patient Selection Has Become a Science of its Own
June 26th 2018Checkpoint inhibitors — immunotherapy drugs that are improving the treatment landscape for many patients across the spectrum of cancers — are relatively new. The science involved in finding and treating the patients most likely to respond to these drugs — without overlooking any or treating those who won’t benefit — is even newer.
An Important Research Goal: Make Immunotherapy Reliably Effective for More Patients Who Have Cancer
June 26th 2018We've known for over a century about rare patients who experience spontaneous regressions of cancer. We don’t have absolute proof, but, presumably, this occurs because their immune systems are able to rally and fight the disease.