Immuno-Oncology | Specialty

Dr. Hamid on Promising Phase III Trials in Melanoma

December 16th 2016

Omid Hamid, MD, chief, Translational Research and Immunotherapy, director, Melanoma Therapeutics, The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute, discusses 2 exciting, ongoing phase III randomized trials in melanoma.

Immunotherapy Agents Emerging as Key Players in Sarcoma

December 16th 2016

Excitement continues to surround the potential role of immunotherapy agents in the treatment of patients with sarcoma, according to Breelyn Wilky, MD.

Expert Praises Predictive Role of Radiomics in Sarcoma

December 15th 2016

Several challenges remain in the treatment landscape of soft tissue sarcoma, a disease whose diagnosis can range from one that is quite indolent for patients, to a more life-threatening, metastatic, aggressive cancer.

Dr. Burtness on the Use of Immunotherapy After Chemoradiation in Head and Neck Cancer

December 15th 2016

Barbara Burtness, MD, professor of Medicine, Yale Cancer Center, discusses the use of immunotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer who have residual disease following treatment with chemotherapy and radiation.

Dr. Mutti on Predicting Response to Immunotherapy for Mesothelioma

December 15th 2016

Luciano Mutti, MD, professor in Cancer Research, University of Salford Manchester, discusses predicting clinical response to immunotherapy agents for patients with mesothelioma.

Targeted Therapy Makes Inroads in Gastroesophageal Cancer

December 15th 2016

Gastroesophageal cancer (GEC) is a complex disease, encompassing cancers with different histological and molecular subtypes. Growing insight into the molecular biology of GEC is poised to change the treatment landscape for this disease, although many questions remain unanswered.

Amid Explosion of Novel Agents, Chemo Could Still Have Curative Role in Urothelial Carcinoma

December 15th 2016

Even with 1 FDA approval of an immunotherapeutic agent in urothelial carcinoma—and more expected in the coming months—chemotherapy regimens will continue to play a pivotal part in the treatment of patients with this disease.

Adequate Testing Critical to Advancing Care in NSCLC Patients With Rare Mutations

December 15th 2016

Though testing for mutations in EGFR, ALK, and ROS1 is a standard approach in patients with non–small cell lung cancer, the same is not true for less common genetic abnormalities, including RET, BRAF, c-MET, and NTRK.

After Second-Line RCC Approvals, Focus Shifts to Frontline

December 15th 2016

Three recent drug approvals have shifted the landscape in the second-line setting for renal cell carcinoma, and researchers are now setting their sights on transforming upfront care.

Dr. Venook on Immunotherapy Potential in Colorectal Cancer

December 15th 2016

Alan P. Venook, MD, The Madden Family Distinguished Professor of Medical Oncology and Translational Research at the University of California, San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the potential that immunotherapy may have in the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer.

Nivolumab Shows Promise in Mesothelioma

December 14th 2016

Treatment with the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab showed promising results in patients with recurrent malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Dr. Zamarin on Novel Immunotherapy Approaches in Gynecologic Cancers

December 14th 2016

Dmitriy Zamarin, MD, PhD, medical oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses some of the novel approaches with immunotherapy that he would like to explore in the future treatment of patients with gynecologic cancers.

Expert Says Biomarkers Top Priority for Immunotherapy Progress in Ovarian Cancer

December 13th 2016

Although randomized phase III clinical trials often lead to groundbreaking drug approvals and offer novel therapeutic regimens, Maurie Markman, MD, insists that the search for validated, actionable biomarkers is more important than initiation of new studies.

Additional Research Required for Immunotherapy to Replace Chemo in Upfront Bladder Cancer Care

December 13th 2016

Immunotherapy may be having a moment in the changing landscape of bladder cancer, but expert Gopa Iyer, MD, advises that there is much research to be done before physicians replace chemotherapy with these agents upfront.

Expert Explains Keys to Additional Advances in Lung Cancer

December 12th 2016

The field of lung cancer has undoubtedly seen notable advances over the past year—especially with the game-changing November 2016 approval of pembrolizumab for the frontline treatment of patients with non–small cell lung cancer.

Combinations, Better Biomarkers Key to Advancing Immunotherapy in NSCLC

December 12th 2016

Beyond the strong efficacy outcomes observed with single-agent immunotherapies in non–small cell lung cancer—including pembrolizumab, nivolumab, and atezolizumab—the field is now awaiting the next phase: combination regimens.

Dr. Tolaney on Pembrolizumab Plus Eribulin in TNBC

December 10th 2016

Sara M. Tolaney, MD, MPH, associate director, Clinical Research, Breast Oncology, Susan F. Smith Center for Women's Cancers, senior physician, instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, discusses a phase Ib/II trial exploring eribulin mesylate (Halaven) in combination with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Pembrolizumab/Eribulin Combo Shows Promise for TNBC

December 10th 2016

The combination of pembrolizumab and eribulin demonstrated a 33.3% objective response rate for patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer who received 0 to 2 prior lines of therapy.

FDA Grants Priority Review to Durvalumab in Bladder Cancer

December 10th 2016

The FDA has granted a priority review to a biologics license application for the PD-L1 inhibitor durvalumab for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma whose disease has progressed on standard platinum‑based chemotherapy.

Nivolumab-Brentuximab Vedotin Combo Active and Safe in Relapsed Hodgkin Lymphoma

December 8th 2016

Early data from a phase I/II study suggest that the combination of brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) and nivolumab (Opdivo) may be an active and well-tolerated outpatient regimen in patients with relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma after failure of standard frontline chemotherapy.