Oncology

At 1 year, patients receiving chemotherapy regimens containing anthracyclines for lymphoma who took statins had an average ejection fraction that was 1.3% higher than those who took placebo.

Trastuzumab deruxtecan was approved by the FDA for HER2-low breast cancer treatment in 2022 and could also benefit some patients with hormone receptor-positive or triple-negative disease.

Osimertinib (Tagrisso; AstraZeneca) now has shown a statistically significant and clinically meaningful overall survival benefit in both the early adjuvant and late-stage metastatic settings.

Trastuzumab deruxtecan from AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo meets prespecified criteria for duration of response and objective response rate.

Adding durvalumab to neoadjuvant chemotherapy to treat resectable early-stage non–small cell lung cancer did not increase complications and adverse events or comprise patients’ ability to undergo surgery versus chemotherapy alone.

Pharmacists are the best resource at cancer center practices to ensure patients with cancer do not need to make the choice to stop or delay therapy due to financial reasons.

Emily Graham, PharmD, MS, BCOP, an Oncology Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, discusses the potential outcomes of mirvetuximab for patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.

Median overall survival was also 2 months less for patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer who were ineligible for clinical trials.

Frequent aspirin use associated with a 13% lower risk of nonmucinous ovarian cancer, which was consistent with findings from previous studies.

The KEYNOTE-641 and -789 trials did not demonstrate improvements or meet the primary endpoints in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and metastatic nonsquamous non–small cell lung cancer.

In part 2 of this panel discussion, experts discuss how they define traditional versus nontraditional oncology pharmacy roles and where roles within industry fit in.

On April 2, 2023, the FDA will announce the approval status of Roche’s supplemental Biologics License Application for polatuzumab in the treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

CRISPR technology has also been successful in treating a pediatric patient with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, showing feasibility of its use for cancer immunotherapy.

Pharmacy departments can be one of the most expensive departments in a cancer center practice, but the revenue generated for its services typically far outpaces associated costs.

Cancer Moonshot Initiative launched efforts to investigate how to better support patients with cancer by providing support in the navigation of the diagnosis, treatment, and survival of cancer.

AI-enabled algorithms can also augment clinical decision making for health care professionals using real-time data analysis and decision support to treat patients more efficiently and accurately.

Through automated tools related to scheduling, prior authorization, and radiation planning tasks, there are efforts to shorten the time from diagnosis to treatment to improve patient outcomes.

Ventana PD-L1 (SP263) Assay can increase access to cemiplimab and improve patient outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer.

The vaccine targets a protein that is no longer found after lactation in normal aging tissues but is present in most triple-negative breast cancers.

Because of the complexities of cardio-oncology medication regimens, pharmacists are vital to assess drug-drug interactions using multiple resources, such as databases, case reports, FDA and National Institutes of Health guidelines, and package inserts.

Indication for abemaciclib (Verzenio; Eli Lilly and Company) in combination with endocrine therapy expanded for the adjuvant treatment of adults with hormone receptor–positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative, node-positive, early breast cancer with a high risk of recurrence.

Although pharmacokinetics and dynamics can be complex, particularly in patients with cancer, pharmacists play a key role in the various considerations and treatment decisions.

Atrial fibrillation and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease are frequent challenges among patients with cancer.

In part 1 of this panel discussion, experts address how they define traditional versus nontraditional oncology pharmacy roles today, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of pursuing such a career path based on their experience.

At 36 months, the overall survival rate of patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia administered brexucabtagene autoleucel was 47.1%, with a median overall survival of 26 months.

The approach was based on previous research suggesting that foods rich in carotenoids, lycopene, certain B vitamins, and omega 3 fatty acids improved fatigue in survivors of breast cancer.

The inaugural Oncology Pharmacists Connect is directed toward pharmacists practicing in oncology in multiple practice environments.

Nivolumab met its primary endpoint of recurrence-free survival, reducing the risk of recurrence or death by 58% versus placebo in patients with completely resected stage 2B or 2C melanoma.

Pembrolizumab showed statistically significant improvement in the event-free survival of patients with resectable stage 2 or 3 non-small cell lung cancer.

Therapy consists of high-dose abatacept, ruxolitinib, and proactive monitoring for respiratory muscle involvement.