FDA Expands Pembrolizumab Approval for Lung Cancer
April 12th 2019The FDA has expanded the approval for pembrolizumab (Keytruda) monotherapy for the frontline treatment of patients with stage III non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), who are ineligible for surgery or definitive chemoradiation, or metastatic NSCLC, with a PD-L1 expression (tumor proportion score [TPS]) level of ≥1% and do not harbor EGFR or ALK aberrations.
FDA Expands Palbociclib Approval for Male Breast Cancer
April 4th 2019The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the approved use of palbociclib (Ibrance) capsules plus endocrine therapy to treat male patients with hormone receptor (HR)–positive, HER2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer, according to an announcement by the agency.
Savor Health Addresses Unmet Medical Need: Nutrition for Patients With Cancer
March 28th 2019Ninety percent of patients with cancer enter their first oncology appointment with a nutritional issue, according to Susan Bratton. However, Savor Health, who works in conjunctions with Merck’s Your Cancer Game Plan, has set out to combat just that.
Earlier, More Thorough Conversations Eases Distress in Advanced-Stage Patients
March 28th 2019Nurses and other healthcare providers can mitigate emotional distress and improve quality of life in patients with cancer by having earlier and more thorough conversations about their care, according to a recent study conducted at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
FDA Grants Ivosidenib Breakthrough Therapy Designation for AML Subset
March 27th 2019The FDA has granted a breakthrough therapy designation to the combination of ivosidenib (Tibsovo) and azacitidine for the treatment of newly diagnosed patients with IDH1-mutant acute myeloid leukemia (AML) ≥75 years old or are ineligible for intensive induction chemotherapy.
FDA Proposes Changes to Negate Mammogram Oversight
March 27th 2019The FDA announced today that it is working to update mammography regulations, expanding the amount of information that mammography facilities must give patients and healthcare professionals. In turn, this would result in more informed decision-making – especially when it comes to breast cancer diagnoses.
An Overview of Molecular Diagnosis in Kidney Cancer
March 26th 2019While there are some exciting advances coming down the pipeline, there is still much work to do when it comes to the molecular diagnosis of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), explained David I. Quinn, MBBS, PhD, FRACP, FACP.
NCCN Expands Guidelines for Colorectal Cancer Treatment
March 25th 2019Wells A. Messersmith, MD, co-director of the developmental therapeutics program at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, said work in this area is needed to fill the knowledge gaps in metastatic CRC, which has a 5-year survival rate of just 11%.
Clinicians Must Address Financial Concerns With Patients
March 14th 2019Financial distress puts a major burden on patients with cancer and their families. And while there are numerous resources that nurses can share with their patients to help with co-pays and other money-related issues, they are not widely discussed.