GYNECOLOGIC CANCERS

The FDA has granted a breakthrough therapy designation to blinatumomab for the treatment of adult patients with Philadelphia-negative relapsed/refractory B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

The FDA’s ODAC voted 11-2 against the accelerated approval of the PARP inhibitor olaparib as a maintenance therapy for women with platinum-sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer with germline BRCA mutations.

Major objective responses to treatment were demonstrated in one-fourth of patients with relapsed or refractory BRCA-mutant ovarian cancer with the investigational PARP inhibitor, veliparib, according to results from a phase II study.

Sean C. Dowdy, MD, professor, chair, Division of Gynecologic Surgery, co-leader, Women’s Cancer Program, Mayo Clinic, discusses bevacizumab and improvement of progression-free survival (PFS) for patients with the mesenchymal molecular subtype of ovarian cancer.

The FDA has approved the radioactive diagnostic imaging agent Lymphoseek injection to guide sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with cancer of the head and neck.

Two patients with metastatic cervical cancer achieved durable complete responses that have so far lasted from 15 to 22 months through an adoptive T-cell therapy (ACT) targeting the human papillomavirus (HPV).

Combining the oral targeted agents olaparib and cediranib resulted in a near-doubling of median progression-free survival (PFS) among women with recurrent ovarian cancer.

Hassan Arshad, MD, assistant professor of oncology, head and neck surgeon, Department of Head and Neck Surgery/Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, discusses the future of treating head and neck cancer and the challenges behind treating the disease.

Eunice Wang, MD, discusses an ongoing phase III trial looking at vincristine sulfate liposomes injection (Marqibo) for the treatment of patients ≥ 60 years old with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Screening for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) significantly cuts the death rate from prostate cancer, but at the same time, America’s medical community should work harder to avoid the screen’s potential pitfalls.

A wide-ranging analysis of more than 5500 breast cancer tumors that combined genomic and protein expression testing has identified promising targets to explore for treating patients with poor prognoses, with particularly notable findings involving androgen receptor (AR) expression.

Mark R. Litzow, MD, chair, ECOG-ACRIN Leukemia Committee, professor of medicine, Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, discusses ways of conducting minimal residual disease (MRD) assessments in patients with ALL.

According to a new study, physicians now have a clearer understanding of the optimum age for prophylactic oophorectomy in patients with BRCA mutations who want to reduce their risk of ovarian, fallopian tube, and breast cancer.

Franco M. Muggia, MD, professor of oncology, New York University, director, Division of Medical Oncology, New York University Medical Center, discusses the impact of BRCA mutations in ovarian cancer.

Bradley J. Monk, MD, gynecologic oncologist, University of Arizona Cancer Center Phoenix Branch, discusses the TRINOVA-1 trial.

Researchers have completed a comprehensive genomic analysis of cervical cancer in two patient populations. The study identified recurrent genetic mutations not previously found in cervical cancer, including one for which targeted agents have been approved in other cancers.

Franco M. Muggia, MD, professor of oncology, New York University, director, Division of Medical Oncology, New York University Medical Center, discusses the challenge of developing targeted therapies to treat ovarian cancer.

Two drugs that inhibit deoxyhypusine hydoxylase (DOHH) may show promise as potential treatments for cervical cancer, according to research from scientists at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Treatment with decitabine prior to administration of chemotherapy and a cancer vaccine yielded clinical benefit for women with recurrent ovarian cancer, suggesting that this combinatorial chemoimmunotherapy may provide a new treatment option.

Elizabeth Garner, MD, MPH, vice president, Clinical Affairs, Preventive Care, Myriad Genetics, discusses the Myriad myRisk Hereditary Cancer Test.

Matthew Burke, MBA, RN, MSN, APRN-BC, Oncology Nurse Practitioner/Melanoma and Renal Cell Carincoma, Yale New Haven Hospital, discusses the difference between adverse events caused by chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

Bradley Monk, MD, gynecologic oncologist, University of Arizona Cancer Center Phoenix Branch, discusses clinical trial endpoints and individualizing treatment in patients with ovarian cancer.

Marcel R.M. van den Brink, MD, PhD, Head, Division of Hematologic Oncology, Alan N. Houghton Chair, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, highlights two studies that will be presented at the 2013 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Meeting.

Trebananib added to paclitaxel significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer compared with placebo plus paclitaxel in the large international TRINOVA- 1 trial.

Franco M. Muggia, MD, professor of oncology, New York University, director, Division of Medical Oncology, New York University Medical Center, discusses the identification and treatment of ovarian cancer.