Anita T. Shaffer

Associate Director of Editorial, Print
Anita T. Shaffer is your lead editorial contact for OncologyLive®, a twice monthly clinical news publication. A 10-year veteran of MJH Life Sciences™, she has been at the helm of the publication since shortly after joining the company in 2010. Before becoming an oncology journalist, she held a variety of editorial positions at The Times of Trenton, including metro editor. Email: anitashaffer@onclive.com

Articles

AGS-003 Vaccine Achieves Survival Benefits in mRCC

March 26th 2013

AGS-003, a personalized dendritic cell immunotherapy, demonstrated prolonged survival benefits in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma, with one-third of those who took the drug during a phase II trial still alive after nearly four years.

Study Supports Chemotherapy-Free Strategy in Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia

March 13th 2013

A treatment regimen rooted in traditional Chinese philosophy has emerged as a targeted approach for patients with newly diagnosed, lower-risk acute promyelocytic leukemia.

Oropharyngeal Cancer Links to HPV Detailed

March 12th 2013

The patterns characterizing oropharyngeal cancers associated with the human papillomavirus are bucking broad trends in oncology statistics in the United StatesâŽ¯and not in a positive way.

Oncology Enters Era of Genomics: Sledge Calls for Overhaul of Clinical Trials System

March 9th 2013

As the genomic era in oncology unfolds, the development of new therapeutics increasingly will involve targeting a range of mutations simultaneously, requiring a "next-generation clinical trials system" to match the advances that technology is delivering.

Piccart Discusses Translating Genomic Testing Into Practice

March 8th 2013

Two large clinical trials are expected to define the impact that employing genomic tests in treatment decisions has on survival outcomes, according to Martine J. Piccart, MD, PhD.

Surprises and Advances Mark Top Abstracts of 2012

March 7th 2013

An interview with Debu Tripathy, MD, summarizing noteworthy results from the 2012 ASCO Annual Meeting and SABCS, including clinical studies in local, adjuvant, and metastatic breast cancer therapies.

Innovative BATTLE Trials Pair Agents, Biomarkers in NSCLC

February 7th 2013

As therapy based on cell-signaling pathways has become a priority in cancer research, so has the concept of designing clinical trials that can better target patient populations more likely to benefit from a particular regimen.

ADCs Are Poised to "Blossom" as a New Category of Therapy: An Interview With John M. Lambert, PhD

February 1st 2013

Antibody-drug conjugates are a robust area of oncology exploration, with an estimated 25 ADCs under study in clinical trials, up from six less than a decade ago.

Special Populations in Lung Cancer Explored

January 8th 2013

PS2 patients in focus at the 7th Annual New York Lung Cancer Symposium, hosted by Physicians' Education Resource, that took place in New York City.

Pomalidomide Labeled an Advance in Multiple Myeloma

December 10th 2012

The combination of pomalidomide and a steroid significantly improved outcomes for patients with MM who have exhausted other novel therapies, marking what researchers say is a notable advancement for a sizable proportion of those treated for the disease.

Ibrutinib Performance in CLL Patients Hailed

December 9th 2012

The novel targeted agent ibrutinib has demonstrated dramatic activity in hard-to-treat patients with CLL when used alone and in combination with rituximab.

Taking a Look at Four Noteworthy Studies

November 28th 2012

The pace of discovery in breast cancer research has been brisk in the past year, leading not only to the approval of several new therapies but also to clinical trial results with the potential to change practice.

Vaccine Promotes Immune Response in Ovarian Cancer

November 19th 2012

Interim data from a phase II clinical study of the dendritic cell vaccine CVac in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer showed promising signs of improving PFS compared with the observational standard of care.

In Prostate Cancer, Focus on AR Signaling Sharpens

November 13th 2012

A deeper understanding of androgen receptor signaling in castration-resistant prostate cancer has created an opportunity to deliver more effective therapies earlier in the treatment timeline.

In Breast Cancer, Targeted Agents Boost Hormonal Therapies

November 12th 2012

Novel combinations of hormonal therapies with targeted agents show promise for improved outcomes and are likely to become part of a new paradigm for managing patients.

CT Screening Evolves Amid Questions and Controversy

October 10th 2012

Nearly 2 years after a landmark study supported CT for people at high risk of developing lung cancer, questions persist about the complexities of implementing an early detection program.

New Chemotherapy Strategy Emerges in Ovarian Cancer

September 24th 2012

A study evaluating first-line chemotherapy dosing strategies for treating patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer has delivered practice-changing findings.

Taking a Novel Look at an Established Agent: Malaria Drug Chloroquine Studied in a Preventive Setting for Early DCIS

September 17th 2012

In this interview, Lance A. Liotta, MD, PhD, discusses the hypothosis that led to the study and the research thus far into chloroquine.

FDA Approval Sought for T-DM1

August 27th 2012

Genentech is seeking the FDA's approval to offer T-DM1 for patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer amid updated results from the pivotal EMILIA trial showing significantly improved OS.

Chemoradiation Established as New Standard in Glioma Subtypes

August 14th 2012

A study that unfolded over 17 years has established combination chemotherapy after radiotherapy as a new standard of care for patients with anaplastic oligodendroglial tumors that contain 1p/19q chromosomal co-deletions.