Oncology

Umeā University in Sweden finds a connection between the two, due to the intestinal micobiome.

The FDA has approved a second drug, zanubritinib, for the treatment of adult patients with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia.

Atezolizumab was granted accelerated approval for the mTNBC indication in March 2019, making it the first immunotherapy agent to be approved in this setting.

The FDA has also converted the indication for pembrolizumab from an accelerated to a full, regular approval for patients with urothelial carcinoma.

FDA’s green light for biopharmaceutical company’s drug candidate builds upon previous approval to treat pancreatic cancer.

Experts from Emory Healthcare and Winship Cancer Institute discuss the management of oncology patients by pharmacists within an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital reminds parents about the importance of getting the HPV vaccination during National Immunization Awareness Month.

Investigators found that 65% of patients with cancer and COVID-19 were hospitalized and 17% required admission or transfer to a higher level of care.

Approved indications for idelalisib include relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia, small lymphocytic lymphoma, and follicular B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Previous studies have demonstrated an association between low levels of vitamin D in the blood and pain, sensitivity to infection, fatigue, depression, and lower self-rated quality of life.

The mutated genes in question, TET2 and DNMT3A, each influence the efficacy of treatment in different ways.

This designation could shorten the FDA review period to 8 months compared to the 12 months under Standard Review.

The kinase inhibitor is a promising treatment option for patients with MET exon 14 skipping mutation non–small cell lung cancer.

Silmitasertib has produced clinical benefit as a monotherapy and in combination with drugs such as gemcitabine and cisplatin.

For the study, approximately 20,000 people were followed over a span of 4 years, which showed that reports of marijuana use peaked at 9% for patients with cancer versus 14% among those with no cancer history.

The approval of Tibsovo marks the first and only targeted therapy approved for patients with previously treated IDH1-mutated cholangiocarcinoma.

Tisagenlecleucel is a CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T cell immunotherapy already indicated for B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Researchers found that the levels of serum albumin and the number of metastatic sites that patients with lung cancer have were significantly associated with overall survival.

Active surveillance, intended to avoid unnecessary treatment and the resulting adverse effects, typically involves regular prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screenings, prostate exams, imaging studies, and repeat biopsies to carefully monitor prostate cancer growth or progression without compromising long-term outcomes.

Cholangiocarcinoma is a rare bile duct cancer, with physicians diagnosing approximately 8000 cases each year.

Directions in Oncology Pharmacy is getting to know oncology pharmacy professionals through a series of interviews. In this issue, we talk to Ashley E. Glode, PharmD, BCOP, who was recently named an Advocacy Champion by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

This research lays the foundation for future clinical trials aimed at investigating whether moderate to vigorous exercise can minimize “chemo brain,” which is a decline in cognitive function many patients with breast cancer experience.

Rylaze was granted Fast Track Designation by the FDA in October 2019 for acute lymphoblastic leukemia and was approved as part of the Real-Time Oncology Review program.

The pharmacist can provide information and support that patients with cancer need to get through what might be the most challenging time of their lives.

Median disease-free survival was nearly twice as long among patients with urothelial carcinoma who received nivolumab compared with placebo.

Kristin Ferguson, DNP, RN, OCN, outlined 4 principles for the reimbursement of oncology drugs, diagnostics, and biomarker testing that were recently released by the Association of Community Cancer Centers.

STRO-002 is a folate receptor alpha-targeting antibody drug conjugate for the treatment of patients with platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who have received 1 to 3 prior lines of systemic therapy.

The agents that have been evaluated and approved, and those that are coming in the pipeline, make for an exciting time to consider directed therapies.