Jason Harris

Articles by Jason Harris

Nivolumab/Ipilimumab Combo Extends Treatment-Free Survival in RCC

Published: | Updated:

Patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma assigned to nivolumab plus ipilimumab had a longer treatment-free survival than patients treated with sunitinib. Furthermore, those patients assigned to the combination spent less time experiencing treatment-related adverse events.

Targeted Agents May Be Moving Closer to Frontline for Treatment of mCRC

Published: | Updated:

Treatment targeting molecular pathways such as <em>BRAF, </em>HER2<em>,</em> and <em>RAS</em> has typically been reserved for later lines of therapy for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Benjamin A. Weinberg, MD, said that agents targeting these pathways are not yet ready for the upfront setting, but data from ongoing trials suggest that these agents may eventually have a role to play in first- and second-line treatment.

Immunotherapy Options Growing for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Published: | Updated:

Immunotherapeutic agents have grown in popularity for treating mismatch repair&ndash;deficient metastatic colorectal cancer, becoming the standard of care in the second line, Howard Hochster, MD, told an audience at the 2019 Gastrointestinal Oncology Conference. Furthermore, ongoing clinical trials suggest that these agents may play a larger role in treating CRC going forward.

Choosing Between Systemic Therapy and TACE for HCC

Published: | Updated:

What is the ideal first-line therapy for nonresectable, non&ndash;transplantable eligible, liver-only hepatocellular carcinoma? In a debate at the 2019 Gastrointestinal Oncology Conference, Mark Yarchoan, MD, had the unenviable task of convincing the audience that systemic therapy was the way to go.

Seeking Answers for Pancreatic Treatment Beyond FOLFIRINOX

Published: | Updated:

The FOLFIRINOX regimen remains the treatment of choice for patients with pancreatic cancer even as clinical trials exploring potential therapies, including CD40 and CPI-613, offer the possibility of new options for a notoriously difficult-to-treat disease, Davendra P.S. Sohal, MD, MPH, told an audience at the 2019 Gastrointestinal Oncology Conference.

Novel Combination Therapies in CLL Transform the Treatment Landscape

Published: | Updated:

The presence of novel combinations and oral targeted therapies are rising in the frontline treatment setting for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, regardless of age. According to Nitin Jain, MD, ongoing phase III trials will bring additional modifications to the treatment landscape.

Expert Suggests Novel Approaches To Improve CAR Therapies in ALL

Published: | Updated:

To improve the efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies, Nirali N. Shah, MD, MHSc, suggested including new constructs that target more than 1 antigen in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, during a presentation at the 2019 SOHO Annual Meeting.<br /> &nbsp;

Socioeconomic Disparities Influence Survival in Multiple Myeloma

Published: | Updated:

According to&nbsp;a study authors performed to call attention to the need to address socioeconomic disparities that influence treatment outcomes, higher incomes and having private insurance were associated with a significantly greater probability of survival for patients with multiple myeloma.

Identifying the inflamed&nbsp;tumors that are most likely to respond favorably to immunotherapeutics and, conversely, finding ways to treat noninflamed tumors are essential for successful application of immunotherapy in endometrial cancer, according to a presentation at the 2019 Society of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Winter Meeting.

Targeted therapy has effectively been established as an option for patients with ovarian cancers. However, beyond PARP inhibition in the <em>BRCA</em>-mutated or homologous recombination deficient population, questions remain about how to best treat these patients,&nbsp;Ramez N. Eskander, MD, said at the 2019 SGO Annual Winter Meeting.

Looking Beyond PARP Inhibitors in Ovarian Cancer Treatment

Published: | Updated:

Despite all the positive data associated with PARP inhibitors for the treatment of patients with&nbsp;epithelial ovarian cancer who have known <em>BRCA</em> mutations, these agents are not curing patients, said Leslie M. Randall, MD, MAS, at the 2019 SGO Annual Winter Meeting.

Expert Highlights Benefits of Genomic Testing in Ovarian Cancer

Published: | Updated:

Genomic testing can help physicians in the treatment decision process for women with ovarian cancer.&nbsp;As more of these platforms become commercially available, however, physicians must also learn the similarities and differences between each of these tests.

The Future of Prostate Cancer Care: Taking the Fight Early

Published: | Updated:

The future of prostate cancer treatment will involve using biomarkers to identify which patients will respond to which medications and applying regimens currently in use for patients with advanced disease to men with earlier-stage disease, said Howard I. Scher, MD.

Expert Sees More Cross-Disciplinary Care in Urothelial Cancer Management

Published: | Updated:

Since&nbsp;2016, the FDA has approved 5 immune checkpoint inhibitors to treat urologic cancers. Although that is unquestionably a good thing for patients, the rise of these agents means that the role of the urologist in cancer care is changing, said Noah M. Hahn, MD, during the 2018 Large Urology Group Practice Association Annual Meeting.

Vedolizumab Induces Remission of Immunotherapy-Related Diarrhea, Colitis

Published: | Updated:

Vedolizumab induced clinical, endoscopic, and histologic remission of steroid-refractory, immune-mediated enterocolitis in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitorsfor cancer treatment, according to the results of a small retrospective study presented at the 2018 American College of Gastroenterology Annual Meeting.

The National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable may have come up short in its goal to get 80% of American adults &ge;50 years screened for colorectal cancer by 2018, but David A. Greenwald, MD, told his audience at the 2018 American College of Gastroenterology Annual Meeting that the group can point to smaller victories that deserve recognition.

Study Favors Pancreatic Cancer Screening for High-Risk Patients

Published: | Updated:

There may be pros and cons for screening people who do not have symptoms of pancreatic cancer, but the evidence clearly supports screening those at a high risk for developing the disease,&nbsp;Vivek Kaul, MD, told his audience at the 2018 American College of Gastroenterology Annual Meeting.