Tony Berberabe, MPH

Tony Berberabe, MPH, is the Editor for Targeted Therapies in Oncology. Berberabe received his Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Rutgers University and his Master of Public Health from the University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey.

Articles by Tony Berberabe, MPH

In using the biomarker approach to the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer, the challenge for the clinician is prioritizing the available treatment options based on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines for breast cancer, which focus on active agents, preferred single-agent chemotherapy approaches, and doublet options for certain patients at high risk.

An FDA Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee meeting resulted in continued approval for 4 of 6 indications that were discussed, although all 6 indications did not demonstrate clinical benefit in confirmatory studies. The meeting, held April 27-29, evaluated anti–PD-1/PD-L1 drugs that received accelerated approvals through the FDA’s accelerated approval program, a nearly 30-year-old initiative to expedite the approval process.

A key advance in treating patients with gastrointestinal cancer is molecular profiling of the tumor that results in specific targets being identified. The standard of care for GI cancer has consisted of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, but these standards have had limited efficacy and considerable toxicity that impact patients’ quality of life.