Virginia Powers, PhD

Articles by Virginia Powers, PhD

Atezolizumab/Bevacizumab Combo Leads to Improved PFS in Kidney Cancer

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The combination of atezolizumab (Tecentriq) and bevacizumab (Avastin) demonstrated greater progression-free survival in patients with untreated metatatic renal cell carcinoma compared with standard sunitinib (Sutent), according to findings presented at the 2017 ESMO Congress held in Madrid, Spain. 

Taselisib/Letrozole Combo Active in ER+/HER2- Early Breast Cancer

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The combination of taselisib and standard letrozole improved the objective response rate compared to letrozole with a placebo in postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive and HER2-negative early breast cancer, according to findings from the LORELEI study presented at the 2017 ESMO Congress in Madrid, Spain.

Bb2121 Induces 100% Response Rate in Multiple Myeloma

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According to findings from a small phase I study, all patients with multiple myeloma showed a response following treatment with an active dose of bb2121, an investigational anti–B-cell maturation antigen chimeric antigen receptor T-cell construct.

According to a careful examination of studies exploring the immune response, immunotherapy will be most effective as a treatment for breast cancer when it is used to alter the tumor microenvironment. Nora Disis, MD, presented her findings during the 15th St. Gallen International Breast Cancer Conference.

Findings from an efficacy update of patients participating in a study in the CheckMate series revealed that first-line nivolumab (Opdivo) demonstrated activity in advanced non–small cell lung cancer, and the addition of ipilimumab (Yervoy) resulted in enhanced activity, specifically in prolonged progression-free survival and higher objective response rates.

Determining the PD-L1 status of a patient’s tumor has become increasingly important for informing the clinical decision whether to offer certain immunotherapeutic agents, making standardization of the tests and antibodies used to determine the PD-L1 status necessary to provide accurate and consistent results.