GI CANCERS

The FDA has granted approval to nivolumab in combination with fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-containing chemotherapy and nivolumab plus ipilimumab for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable advanced, recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

In an interview with Targeted Oncology, Ping Chi, discussed the novel strategy of combining KIT and MEK inhibition to treat patients with GIST treated in the frontline setting.

Although there was no significant overall survival benefit shown with pembrolizumab in the KEYNOTE-177 study, response and safety findings still support its use as a frontline option for patients with microsatellite instability high and mismatch repair deficient metastatic colorectal cancer.

Tanios S. Bekaii-Saab, MD, FACP, discusses the differences between adagrasib and other KRAS inhibitors.

The FDA has granted priority review to a supplemental biologics license application for durvalumab as treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic biliary tract cancer.

The FDA has granted orphan drug designation to AB001 for the treatment of patients with pancreatic cancer and acute myeloid leukemia.

The FDA has granted breakthrough device designation to Precision-GI, a tool that assists with performing a tumor biopsy.

The first patient has been dosed in the phase 1 KN-4802 trial examining the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of KIN-3248 in adult patients with advanced tumors harboring FGFR2 and/or FGFR3 gene alterations.

The phase 2 HERIZON-BTC-01 of zanidatamab in patients with HER2-amplified biliary tract cancer has met its patient enrollment goal.

In RATIONALE 306, tislelizumab plus chemotherapy extended overall survival in patients with previously untreated unresectable, locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

CMG90 is the only drug in its class to have received fast-track status to date. Prior to its fast track status, the drug was granted orphan drug designation by the FDA.

In an interview with Targeted Oncology, Luv Hajirawala, MD, discussed the relevance of high-risk features in patients with stage III colon cancer, and how a recent real-world analysis may change risk stratification in the future.

Samuel J. Klempner, MD, discusses the mechanism of action of the investigational agent DKN-01 in patients with gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma.

Nitika Sharma, MD, explores developments in the esophageal cancer landscape for Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month.

The recent, significant advances for immunotherapy in esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancer are promising, and oncologists hope it is just the beginning of further improvements in patient outcomes.

Treatment with nivolumab plus chemotherapy was more effective compared with chemotherapy alone in patients with advanced gastric cancer, gastroesophageal junction cancer, and esophageal adenocarcinoma in the CheckMate 649 study.

According to 5-year survival data from the BILCAP study, capecitabine stands up to observation as a treatment strategy for patient with biliary tract cancer.

Several notable trials in colorectal cancer suggest a shift in treatment management, especially in the length of treatment with immunotherapies.

Samuel J. Klempner, MD, discusses unmet needs in patients with gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma when it comes to biomarker-targeted agents.

Using combination treatments in the concurrent setting with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or small molecule oncogene and pathway inhibitors may yield positive data in one setting but not another.

Andreana Holowatyj discusses the key takeaway for community oncologists about early-onset appendiceal cancer.

The FDA has accepted for priority review a new drug application for futibatinib seeking approval for the treatment of patients with previously treated locally advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma who harbor FGFR2 gene rearrangement, including gene fusions.

During a debate at the Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, Florian Lordick, MD, argued that knowledge of PD-L1 expression level was needed before starting immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. He was challenged by Aaron James Scott, MD, who argued that knowledge of PD-L1 is not necessary before initiating immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.