Study: CAR T-Cell Therapy Highly Effective in High-Risk Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
October 20th 2017CD19 CAR T cells are highly effective in high-risk patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who have failed to respond to treatment with ibrutinib, a Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor, according to a new study.
In Conversation With a Pharmacist: Management of CAR T-Cell Treatment
October 13th 2017Evidence-Based OncologyTM sat down with Brandon R. Shank, PharmD, MPH, BCOP, clinical pharmacy specialist, Division of Pharmacy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, to understand a pharmacist's role in administering chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells.
Dacomitinib Tops Gefitinib in First-Line EGFR-Mutant NSCLC
October 10th 2017The second-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor dacomitinib significantly improved progression-free survival over gefitinib as a first-line therapy for EGFR–positive non–small-cell lung cancer, according to a randomized phase III trial.
Debating the True Benefit of Adjuvant TKIs in High-Risk RCC
October 4th 2017Adjuvant therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors for patients with high-risk renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who have undergone a nephrectomy may be supported by level IIa evidence from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines.
Rituximab Maintenance Therapy Can Improve Outcomes in Mantle Cell Lymphoma
September 28th 2017Maintenance therapy with rituximab following autologous stem cell transplantation prolonged progression-free, event-free, and overall survival compared with observation in patients with mantle cell lymphoma, according to a new study.
JAMA Commentary Urges Realistic View of New CAR T-Cell Cancer Therapy
September 25th 2017While the FDA’s approval of the immunotherapy tisagenlecleucel represents a landmark in the oncology field, the treatment is far from being a cure and should be viewed in context of its $475,000 price tag, a group of oncologists wrote in a commentary published in JAMA.
Immune Adverse Events From Nivolumab Predict Better Survival With NSCLC
September 23rd 2017When immune-related adverse events arise from nivolumab, it may indicate that the therapy is having greater efficacy against non—small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as a new study demonstrates a link between these events and improved survival outcomes.
Physicians Develop Guidelines to Manage CAR T-Cell Toxicity
September 20th 2017Physicians across different institutes who have been involved in clinical trials of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in B-cell lymphomas have developed a guideline for monitoring and managing the symptoms associated with this treatment.
FDA Panel Splits on Adjuvant Sunitinib in High-Risk RCC
September 20th 2017The FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 6-6 on the potential approval of sunitinib for use as an adjuvant therapy in patients with renal cell carcinoma who have received nephrectomy and are at high risk of recurrence.
Maintenance Rituximab Post-ASCT Associated With Improved OS in MCL
September 19th 2017Patients who received maintenance therapy with rituximab (Rituxan) following autologous stem cell transplantation as treatment for mantle cell lymphoma had a survival advantage, according to results from a retrospective single-center study.
Study Finds Hyperprogression After Immunotherapy in NSCLC Subset
September 14th 2017Although anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy has greatly improved the treatment of patients with non–small cell lung cancer and is generally well-tolerated, the therapy backfires in a newly defined subset of patients who experience accelerated tumor growth indicative of hyperprogressive disease.
Representatives Probe CMS for Further Detail on New CAR-T Therapy Payment Agreement
September 14th 2017After CMS and Novartis devised an outcomes-based payment approach for the new chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T treatment tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah), a group of representatives are requesting more information on the specifics of the agreement.
Mixed Results for Pembrolizumab in Phase III HNSCC Study
September 13th 2017Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) reduced the risk of death compared with standard of care therapy in patients with relapsed/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, but the difference fell just shy of statistical significance.