In addition to a breakthrough therapy designation for a lung cancer drug, this week we’ll be talking a lot about additional side effects and health conditions that may come with a cancer diagnosis, and how to manage them.  We heard from an expert about using cannabis during cancer care, took a look at a patient population that may be more prone to cardiometabolic conditions after cancer treatment and we’ll highlight a study that’s looking at preventing infection and GVHD in patients with blood cancer who underwent a stem cell transplant.  Patients Should ‘Have the Conversation’ Ab ..read more

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved four different therapies in the oncology space — one of which, Amtagvi, marks the first cellular therapy for the treatment of solid cancers.  The week’s first approval (an Onivyde regimen for metastatic pancreatic cancer) was covered in last week’s episode, but here’s a list of what has happened since that last recording.  FDA Approves Tepmetko for Metastatic NSCLC Subtype Patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer that has MET exon 14 skipping alterations may soon have a new treatment option, as the FDA approv ..read more

Last week, we saw some FDA approvals for a new drug regimens, as well as some expert opinion about cancer vaccines. Additionally research touched upon the potential benefit of concurrent ctDNA and tumor testing, and physical activity for pain reduction in cancer survivors.  FDA Approves Onivyde as First-Line Treatment of Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration approved Onivyde plus oxaliplatin, fluorouracil and leucovorin — a regimen referred to as NALIRIFOX — for the frontline treatment of patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma. The approval was based ..read more

Last week, we saw a few moving parts in the regulatory space, from new NCCN guidelines for pediatric neuroblastoma treatment to FDA Fast Tracks and Priority Reviews. Also last week, we covered research showing that a lower dose of an anti-emetic drug could have similar efficacy — and fewer side effects — than the standard, higher dose.  NCCN Guidelines Give Framework for Childhood Neuroblastoma Treatment The National Comprehensive Cancer Network recently published guidelines for the treatment of pediatric patients with neuroblastoma. This resource is geared toward mitigating unnecessary ..read more

Last week, we saw some research regarding how a popular tool used to plan breast cancer treatment may be misguiding therapy for Black women, as well as an update on when we can expect to see a new cancer vaccine be readily available for patients.  And on the FDA front, we’ll discuss a priority review for Enhertu for patients with HER2-positive solid cancers, as well as a fast track designation for a new drug duo in the lung cancer space.  Cancer Vaccine Likely ‘Several Years’ Away From Wide Availability ELI-002 is a vaccine being investigated for the treatment of patients with K ..read more

Last week, we saw some big headlines in the oncology space, from Dexter Scott King’s death from prostate cancer and MLB Hall-of-Famer Ryne Sandberg announcing that he was diagnosed with the disease.  The FDA also requested a label update for CAR-T cell therapies that would warn patients and providers about secondary malignancies that have been reported from the treatment. Also, we took a look at laughter therapy, and how it could help patients and caregivers.  We’ve also been busy covering two conferences — ASCO’s Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, as well as their Genitourinary C ..read more

Often, receiving a cancer diagnosis can require a crash course in oncology that few patients ever expected to take. For colorectal cancer specialist Dr. Dustin Deming, the ACI/Schwenn Family associate professor in the division of hematology, medical oncology and palliative care at UW School of Medicine and Public Health, a diagnosis of rectal cancer two weeks after receiving his first faculty appointment required an education of a different sort. Deming, a gastrointestinal oncologist and laboratory researcher for UW Health | Carbone Cancer Center, told CURE®, needed to learn how to be a pati ..read more

This week in oncology news, we saw a few decisions from the Food and Drug Administration, ranging from the agency agreeing to review a drug and potentially grant it a full approval to their citing manufacturing concerns for a gastric cancer drug.  Additionally, a small study showed 100% disease control rate in a subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and a clinical evaluation of a new prostate cancer drug will continue to enroll patients.  FDA Accepts sBLA For Tivdak in Recurrent or Metastatic Cervical Cancer The Food and Drug Administration has accepted a supplemental Biologics Licen ..read more

Kate Rice is proof of the power of persistence and positivity while navigating a cancer journey. Rice, an award-winning journalist, received a diagnosis of stage 4 anaplastic thyroid cancer in October 2021 — and quickly applied the same dogged dedication that had served her reporting in support of her own survival. “When I was a reporter, none of my sources or desired sources could escape me. Sooner or later, they were going to have to talk to me, I just have that kind of determination,” Rice said. “And it wasn't so much that I wanted to find out about the cancer I got diagnosed with; I want ..read more

The year 2023 has come and gone, and we figured that now is the perfect time to look back on some of the top cancer-related stories from the year.  Vitamin D May Impact Colorectal Cancer Outcomes In June, we spoke to an expert about research that analyzed 14 studies on vitamin D and colorectal cancer outcomes. Findings showed that people who had a vitamin D deficiency tended to have poorer mortality outcomes than those who supplemented with vitamin D.  Laura Bolte, of the department of gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of Groningen and University Medical Center G ..read more