Articles
By William King
The combination of the investigational drug pevonedistat in combination with azacitidine injection (Vidaza) leads to longer event-free survival (EFS) and a higher complete response rate than azacitidine alone in patients with high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), according to results from a phase 2, open-label, international clinical trial. The findings were presented by Mikkael A. Sekeres, MD, MS, Director, Leukemia Program, Cleveland Clinic, OH, at ASH 2020.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in pediatric patients, with an overall 5-year survival of >90%.1 The length of treatment for these patients is typically 2 to 3 years and involves several phases (induction, consolidation, and maintenance) and multiple forms of chemotherapy.
Since 1980, the incidence of liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer has more than tripled in the United States, whereas the death rates have more than doubled during this time.
When it comes to gathering and assessing social determinants of health (SDoH) as part of a medically appropriate history and examination, it is necessary to employ 5 key strategies, said Allysceaeioun D. Britt, PhD, MPH, Interim Vice President, Office of Faculty Affairs and Development, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, in a presentation during the virtual 2020 Healthcare Administration Alliance Conference.
Targeted therapy has improved survival for patients with cancer across a broad spectrum of disease sites, but until recently, progress has been slow in the treatment of patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA).
The recent FDA approval of the first FGFR inhibitor, pemigatinib (Pemazyre), and the positive results from the phase 3 study of the first IDH1 inhibitor, ivosidenib (Tibsovo), represent major breakthroughs in the treatment of patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a rare cancer associated with poor outcomes. However, the duration of response with these agents is still relatively short.
Patient-derived tumor organoids may have clinical application to predict drug responses in a personalized treatment setting; they have shown concordance with actionable genomic anchors and retrospective treatment outcomes.
In April 2020, the FDA granted accelerated approval to pemigatinib (Pemazyre), the first targeted therapy for cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). The FGFR inhibitor was approved for adults with CCA and FGFR2 fusion.
New cytotoxic chemotherapy regimens and novel combinations are being evaluated in clinical trials in an effort to improve the outcomes of chemotherapy in the adjuvant and palliative settings in patients with biliary tract cancer, including cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), said Angela Lamarca, MD, PhD, MSc, Consultant, Medical Oncology, the Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom. She discussed the future of cytotoxic chemotherapy for this patient population at the 2020 Cholangiocarcinoma Summit.
The January issue of The Oncology Pharmacist (TOP) contains important news and updates for today’s oncology pharmacist, including highlights from recent national and international virtual conferences, exploring best practices in value-based performance in cancer care, strategies for providing high-quality and affordable care to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing efforts to address social determinants of health and their effect on the delivery of healthcare, and the latest data on the safety and efficacy of novel agents and combination regimens for the treatment of patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors.