Cancer Drugs Spark Hope in Combatting COVID-19
February 5th 2021In response to the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, investigators around the world channeled their efforts into acquiring a better understanding of the virus so that they could rapidly identify any weapons that may be used in the fight against its spread; this included turning to tried-and-true cancer drugs to see whether they could be repurposed to address this pressing need.
mRNA Vaccines: From Cancer to COVID-19
February 4th 2021Recent progress made with messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines has led to amplified protein translation, stronger modulation of immunogenicity, and improved delivery, which has all contributed to an evolution in the application of these products in the field of cancer.
Patients Need Better Treatment Education, Study Finds
January 31st 2021Although survivors and patients with lung cancer felt that they were involved in the treatment decision-making process, nearly half of them reported that they knew what their treatment options were before making a decision, according to results from a study presented at the 2020 World Conference on Lung Cancer Singapore.
Shorter SBRT Treatment Is Safe, Efficacious in High-Risk Prostate Cancer
January 28th 2021A shorter course of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has been shown to have encouraging efficacy with favorable toxicity when used in patients with high-risk prostate cancer in a multi-institutional, international setting, according to findings from a study published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics.
Ilixadencel Gets Orphan Drug Designation for Soft Tissue Sarcoma
January 27th 2021The FDA has granted the cell-based, off-the-shelf immune primer ilixadencel an orphan drug designation for use as a treatment option in patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS), according to an announcement from Immunicum AB.
Lung-Sparing Nodule Resection Needs Multidisciplinary Approach in Lung Cancer
January 25th 2021Although lung-sparing lung nodule resection in the form of lesser resection is available to some patients with lung cancer, it is critical to tailor surgical interventions based on pathologic assessment results, said Henning Gaissert, MD, who added that utilizing a multimodal approach to treatment can help alleviate some of the burden of treatment selection.
Immunotherapy May Highlight Neoadjuvant Treatment's Use in Lung Cancer
January 25th 2021The radiographic and pathologic responses that have been seen with checkpoint inhibitors in lung cancer bodes well for the use of neoadjuvant therapy. However, the relationship between response and long-term outcomes, specifically with regard to overall survival, will have to be teased out before they become standard practice, explained David Spigel, MD.
Retifanlimab Granted Priority Review for Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Anal Canal
January 23rd 2021The FDA has granted priority review to a biologics license application (BLA) for retifanlimab (INCMGA 0012) for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (SCAC) who were intolerant of or who had progressed on platinum-based chemotherapy.
Nivolumab/Chemo Granted Priority Review for Frontline Metastatic Gastric, GEJ, and Esophageal Cancer
January 20th 2021The FDA has granted a priority review to a supplemental biologics license application for nivolumab (Opdivo) in combination with a fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-containing chemotherapy for use in patients with advanced or metastatic gastric cancer, gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer, or esophageal adenocarcinoma.
Padeliporfin ImPACT Granted Fast Track Status for Upper-Tract Urothelial Cancer
January 19th 2021The FDA has granted a fast track designation to padeliporfin Immune Photo Activated Cancer Therapy (ImPACT) for use in the treatment of patients with low-grade and unifocal upper-tract urothelial cancer (UTUC), according to an announcement from Steba Biotech.