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Radiolabeled somatostatin analogues, a form of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, have gained clinical use in treating neuroendocrine tumors found in the midgut, the non-midgut, and the pancreas. NETs generally have high expression of somatostatin receptors, the target of somatostatin analogues. The most commonly used radionuclides, lutetium 177 and yttrium 90 are β emitters.

ABP 980, a trastuzumab biosimilar, has been approved by the FDA  for the treatment of patients with HER2-overexpressing breast cancer as well as HER2-overexpressing metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, marking the fifth approval by the agency for a trastuzumab biosimilar.

During a recent&nbsp;<em>Targeted Oncology&nbsp;</em>live case-based peer perspectives presentation, Tanios Bekaii-Saab, MD, discussed with a group of physicians the treatment options for patients with gastrointestinal cancers and the characteristics that influence his decision making. Bekaii-Saab explained his clinical decisions based on the case scenario of one patient with colorectal cancer and one with hepatocellular carcinoma.

A phase III trial has begun for the investigational agent pemigatinib in comparison with gemcitabine and cisplatin chemotherapy for the treatment of newly diagnosed patients with metastatic or surgically unresectable cholangiocarcinoma who have activating <em>FGFR2 </em>rearrangements. The first patient has already been treated with the selective FGFR inhibitor in the open-label, randomized FIGHT-302 trial, according to a press release from Incyte, the company developing the agent.

The success of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy observed in hematologic malignancies has not yet translated into the solid tumor setting; however, efforts continue to try to bring this new modality into the treatment paradigm for solid tumors, including pancreatic cancer.&nbsp;

A fourth trastuzumab biosimilar has been granted approval by the FDA. The approval was for PF-05280014 for the treatment of patients with HER2-overexpressing breast cancer as well as HER2-overexpressing metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.

Based on data from the phase III TAGS trial, TAS-102 has been approved by the FDA as a treatment for&nbsp;adult patients with metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma previously treated with at least 2 prior lines of chemotherapy that included a fluoropyrimidine, a platinum, either a taxane or irinotecan, and if appropriate, HER2/neu-targeted therapy.

Merck,&nbsp;the developer of pembrolizumab, has announced that the coprimary endpoints of the&nbsp;KEYNOTE-240 trial were not met, as adding the agent&nbsp;to best supportive care failed&nbsp;to improve&nbsp;progression-free or overall survival in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma who were previously treated with systemic therapy.