GYNECOLOGIC CANCERS
Latest News
August 17th 2018
By Lisa Astor
Mesothelin-targeted chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy has shown early evidence of efficacy in a phase I trial of patients with malignant pleural disease and mesothelioma, non–small cell lung cancer, or breast cancer. Additionally, significant responses were seen in patients who went on to receive subsequent PD-1 checkpoint inhibition treatment.
Large Phase III ATHENA Trial of Rucaparib/Nivolumab Combo in Ovarian Cancer Now Enrolling
By Lisa Astor
Latest Videos
CME Content
More News
In an interview with <em>Targeted Oncology</em>, Panagiotis A. Konstantinopoulos, MD, director of Translational Research, Gynecologic Oncology Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, discussed the findings from the TOPACIO trial for patients with platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer. He also highlights the outlook for immunotherapy in gynecologic cancers and what the next steps are moving forward.
Shannon Westin, MD, MPH, recently explained the treatment considerations and decisions she makes when treating patients with ovarian cancer. Westin explained her treatment decisions based on 2 case scenarios during a <em>Targeted Oncology</em> live case-based peer perspectives presentation.
The FDA approved several indications in the month of June, including venetoclax (Venclexta) in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic leukemia (SLL), the combination of binimetinib (Mektovi) plus encorafenib (Braftovi) in melanoma, and bevacizumab (Avastin) in ovarian cancer. The FDA also accelerated approvals for pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in cervical cancer and in primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, while also granting a priority review to glasdegib for acute myeloid leukemia.
In findings from the randomized phase III SOLO-1 trial, olaparib (Lynparza) tablets reduced the risk of disease progression or death compared with placebo as frontline maintenance therapy for women with <em>BRCA</em>-positive advanced ovarian cancer.
Based on survival data from the phase III TOWER study, blinatumomab has been granted full marketing authorization by the European Commission for the treatment of adult patients with Philadelphia chromosome-negative relapsed/refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia, according to Amgen, the developer of the anti-CD19 immunotherapy.
Christa Dominick, MD, a gynecologic oncology fellow at University Hospitals, discusses the rationale behind this trial and the results. She also highlights her plans moving forward with other trials involving the cowpea mosaic virus in ovarian cancer.<br />
Mario M. Leitao, Jr, MD, FACOG, FACS, program director of Gynecologic Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, highlights some of the phase I and II clinical trials in ovarian cancer currently enrolling at his institution. He also discusses the rationale behind a new trial that is expected to open soon.
Based on results from the phase III GOG-0218 trial, bevacizumab (Avastin) has been approved by the FDA for use in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel, followed by bevacizumab monotherapy, for the treatment of women with advanced ovarian cancer following initial surgical resection.
Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) has been granted an accelerated approval by the FDA for the treatment of patients with advanced, PD-L1–positive cervical cancer with disease progression on or after chemotherapy.<br />
An important step for treatment of patients with ovarian cancer has been testing for genetic alterations. Mike Janicek, MD, says that the use of genetic testing must become more common in order to push the field of ovarian cancer forward.