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

Safra Provides an Overview of PARP Inhibitors in Ovarian Cancer

November 6th 2014

PARP inhibitors represent an important class of emerging therapies for the treatment of patients with ovarian cancer and possibly other malignancies, but many scientific questions about the underlying molecular mechanisms that these agents target must be answered before they can be fully employed in clinical practice.

TGR-1202 and Ublituximab Show Promise in CLL

November 5th 2014

As the targeted therapy era in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) continues to unfold, two next-generation agents are generating responses with improved safety profiles as single agents and in combination regimens

Many Companies Join Race to Create Novel CTC Technology

October 16th 2014

At least 30 companies are seeking to develop the next generation of circulating tumor cell (CTC) technology, part of an emerging focus on analyzing the biofluids of patients with cancer as a "liquid biopsy," particularly for solid tumors.

Rosenberg Sees New Milestone in Latest CAR Findings

September 9th 2014

Steven A. Rosenberg, MD, PhD, discusses the implications of responses to the CAR T-cell therapy KTE-C19, particularly among patients with chemotherapy-refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphomas.

Evidence Builds for Electric Field Therapy in Recurrent GBM

August 19th 2014

A wearable device that uses electric fields to disrupt the activity of cancer cells has demonstrated survival benefits among patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme in real-world settings, particularly among individuals treated in earlier stages of progression

Ludwig Researchers Focus on a New Set of Immune Checkpoints

August 5th 2014

Ever since ipilimumab (Yervoy) gained FDA approval in 2011 for the treatment of metastatic melanoma, the immune checkpoint blockade strategy that the agent employs has been an intense focus of interest in research and pharmaceutical circles.

Ambitious Lung-MAP Trial Launched With Five Novel Drugs

July 31st 2014

Five novel agents for the treatment of patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the lung will be evaluated in the recently launched Lung-MAP trial

Study Finds Mouth Rinse Alleviates Oral Mucositis Symptoms in Head and Neck Cancers

July 28th 2014

A growing understanding of the biological pathways at work in the development of oral mucositis in patients treated with cytotoxic cancer therapies has helped spur interest in steering symptom management away from "institutional folklore" rinses and anecdotal approaches toward evidence-based strategies

Immunotherapy Branches Out

July 18th 2014

Immunotherapy agents are delivering impressive results in a broad range of tumor types, reinforcing the excitement in research and investment circles for anticancer strategies that actively harness the immune system

Survey Finds Wide Gaps in Cancer Care Communications

June 18th 2014

A significant proportion of oncology patients and caregivers feel they are not getting the information they want from their cancer care team, and nearly 1 in 4 are dissatisfied with the care provided during their treatment journey

Radium 223 Option Hinges on Bony Disease Burden in mCRPC

June 5th 2014

As with other new therapies that have been approved in recent years for the treatment of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), researchers are not entirely certain about how best to fit radium Ra 223 dichloride (Xofigo) into the emerging paradigm

HPV-Targeting Immunotherapy Shows Early Promise in Cervical Cancer

June 2nd 2014

Two patients with metastatic cervical cancer achieved durable complete responses that have so far lasted from 15 to 22 months through an adoptive T-cell therapy (ACT) targeting the human papillomavirus (HPV) in a study that researchers say supports the concept that the experimental immunotherapy approach may be beneficial in a variety of tumor types.

Negative ALTTO Results Reverberate for Lapatinib, Novel Clinical Trials

June 1st 2014

A dual HER2-blockade strategy that added lapatinib to trastuzumab for the adjuvant treatment of women with early breast cancer failed to demonstrate a significant improvement in DFS over the standard therapy with trastuzumab alone.

Targeted Therapy Combination Improves PFS in Ovarian Cancer

May 31st 2014

Combining the oral targeted agents olaparib and cediranib resulted in a near-doubling of median progression-free survival (PFS) among women with recurrent ovarian cancer in a phase II study highlighted Saturday during the 2014 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting.

Study Supports Dialing Back Radiation for Some Patients With HPV-Positive Oropharyngeal Cancer

May 31st 2014

Patients with less aggressive, HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer can be effectively treated with a lower-dose radiation regimen depending upon their response to combination induction therapy.

Markman Gains New Leadership Post at CTCA

May 28th 2014

Maurie Markman, MD, the editor-in-chief of OncologyLive magazine, has been named president of the Medicine & Science unit at Cancer Treatment Centers of America.

New MRD Assay Helps Move Testing Forward in Multiple Myeloma Research

April 18th 2014

An improved assay for assessing MRD status in patients with multiple myeloma is contributing to the momentum for using MRD as a surrogate endpoint for survival in clinical trials and as a tool with the potential to help guide therapy choices.

Targeted Therapies Usher in a New Era in CLL: Wierda Discusses Key Facets of Emerging Agents

April 4th 2014

The approval of the first small-molecule, targeted therapy for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) launches a new era that promises to transform management of the disease, yet significant challenges in translating research advances into improvements in long-term outcomes remain

Obinutuzumab Gains Role in CLL Guidelines

March 25th 2014

Amid advances in targeted therapies for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), researchers also have been making strides in the realm of chemoimmunotherapy regimens for the disease.

Study Supports First-Line Eribulin Therapy in Metastatic Breast Cancer

March 5th 2014

Eribulin mesylate (Halaven) proved safe and effective as first-line therapy for locally recurrent or metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer in final phase II clinical trial results