FDA alters approved use of two checkpoint inhibitors for bladder cancer

Last year, the drugs—pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and atezolizumab (Tecentriq)—received approval for the treatment of patients with previously untreated urothelial carcinoma that has spread beyond the bladder. The 2017 approvals covered the use of the drugs for patients who, because of other health-related factors, cannot receive the chemotherapy drug cisplatin, which is a standard treatment for patients with advanced bladder cancer.

To read more about these changes click here.

European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) releases new patient guide in breast cancer

The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) has released a new edition of the ESMO Patient Guide in Breast Cancer, as part of their guideline series. 


Updates to the new edition include:

• section on locally-advanced disease
• new section on sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB)
• new drugs (neratinib, olaparib, and talazoparib) and associated treatment algorithms
• section on special populations (BRCA-associated disease, pregnancy, young women, elderly patients, men)
• Section on supplementary interventions (supportive and palliative care, survivorship, end-of-life care

 To access the new guide, click here.

Mouse study links immune cells to diarrhea caused by chemotherapy

New findings may shed light on how some chemotherapy agents cause diarrhea. Immune cells called macrophages may help regulate the contractions of muscles lining the walls of the intestines, according to a new study in mice. This could be the basis for developing new anti-diarrheal treatments for patients with cancer who experience chemotherapy-induced diarrhea, researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis reported in Immunity on July 17.

To read more about this study, click here.

New trial alert: steoreotactic body radiation therapy for breast cancer

A new trial investigating the use of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for unresected breast cancer has begun at the Sunybrook Regional Cancer Centre in Toronto.  The trial will involve 24 patients with advanced breast cancer, who either do not qualify as candidates for surgery or who have declined surgery as a treatment option.  These patients will each receive "4 fractions of radiation therapy over 12-15 days as the primary treatment modality. 


To read more about this trial, click here.

Sodium thiosulfate prevents cisplatin-induced hearing loss in some children

The results from a new study show the drug sodium thiosulfate can protect the hearing of children with cancer undergoing treatment with the chemotherapy drug cisplatin. The clinical trial involved children with liver cancer that had not spread (localized cancer), for whom cisplatin is the standard chemotherapy. Although cisplatin is very effective, it also causes hearing loss in many children.

To read more about this study, click here.

Blood test can help identify the target population to screen for lung cancer

A new press release from the International Agency for Research on Cancer announced the results of a new study published in JAMA oncology. Researchers found that a blood test measuring four protein biomarkers can improve the identification of individuals who would later develop lung cancer. These biomarkers may help refine the criteria for including current and former smokers in lung cancer screening programmes, using low-dose computed tomography (CT) scans, aimed at reducing deaths from this common cancer.

To read the full press release, click here.

Immune-based therapy for metastatic melanoma that has spread to the brain

New research conducted on 2,700 patients in the U.S. indicates that a form of immunotherapy may provide hope for melanoma cancer that has spread to the brain.  This new form of treatment, known as the Checkpoint Blockade does not involve chemotherapy, but rather "manipulates the patient's immune system so that it targets and destroys the melanoma cells."  Study results indicate that patients receiving the CheckPoint Blockade experienced a rise in overall survival from 5.2 to 12.4 months.


To read more about this study, click here.


Source: Abate-Daga D. Ramello MC, Smalley I, Forsyth PA, Smalley KSM. The biology and therapeutic management of melanoma brain metastases. Biochem Pharmacol 2018 Jul; 153: 35-45.

The key to the HPV vaccination discussions with parents is cancer prevention

The conclusion of a new study found that health care providers should emphasize cancer prevention when discussing human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination with the parents of preteens who are due to receive the vaccine. The study asked a diverse group of parents what they felt are the most compelling reasons to get their children vaccinated. Results of the NCI-funded study were published in the July 2018 Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

To read more about this study, click here.