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Frontline Monoclonal Antibody Therapy for Multiple Myeloma The first is the move toward monoclonal antibody therapy in frontline multiple myeloma. Earlier this year, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved daratumumab in combination with bortezomib, melphalan, and prednisone in patients who were ineligible for an autologous stem cell transplant, based on a clinical trial that demonstrated… Read More »Four Major Developments in Multiple Myeloma: ASH 2018

  Ringing in the New Year is the moment for celebration, for spending time with friends and family, and for looking back. A lot can happen in a year and between the good, the bad and the ugly, this may seem like an understatement for most. Hereby, GDMeds wishing every day of the new year… Read More »Happy New Year 2019

  Cabozantinib (Cabometyx, Exelixis) has shown efficacy in the first-line treatment of radioactive iodine (RAI)–refractory differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) and could offer an option in addition to the drugs approved for this indication, such as sorafenib (Nexavar, Bayer) and lenvatinib (Lenvima, Eisai). New data from a phase 2 study showed that patients with thyroid cancer that progressed after surgery and RAI achieved… Read More »Cabozantinib Active in RAI-Refractory Thyroid Cancer

  The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda, Merck), a programmed cell death–ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitor, for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with recurrent locally advanced or metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). A rare and aggressive neuroendocrine skin cancer, MCC is often fatal. MCC is diagnosed in approximately 1600 people… Read More »FDA Approved Pembrolizumab For Advanced Merkel Cell Carcinoma

  Adding immunotherapy to a targeted agent significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) when compared with a targeted agent alone in the first-line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), suggests interim results from the JAVELIN Renal 101 trial. The combination therapy, comprised of the anti-programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) drug avelumab (Bavencio, EMD Serono) and the… Read More »Immunotherapy Plus Targeted Drug in First-Line Kidney Cancer

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  granted accelerated approval to larotrectinib (Vitrakvi, Loxo Oncology) for the treatment of adult and pediatric solid tumors that have a targetable biomarker known as a neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase (NTRK) gene fusion. In effect, the biomarker defines the cancer rather than an organ where the disease originated, as… Read More »FDA Approved Novel ‘Tissue Agnostic’ Cancer Drug.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the targeted agent ivosidenib (Tibsovo, Agios Pharmaceuticals) for adults with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who harbor isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (IDH1) mutations. At the same time, the FDA has also approved the RealTime IDH1 Assay (Abbott Laboratories), a companion diagnostic used to detect specific mutations in the IDH1 gene in blood or bone… Read More »FDA OKs Targeted Agent Ivosidenib for Relapsed/Refractory AML

Emerging data indicate that aggressive treatment of distant metastasis can improve survival in some types of advanced anal cancer, say researchers. Results from a retrospective review of 30 patients with stage IV anal cancer who had distant metastasis limited to the para-aortic (PA) lymph nodes show that a combination of extended-field radiation therapy and chemotherapy… Read More »Chemo Radiation For Distant Mets Ups Survival in Anal Cancer

Nearly 4 in 10 Americans (39%) “somewhat” or “strongly” agree that cancer can be cured solely through “alternative” therapies, such as oxygen therapy, diet, and herbs, without standard cancer treatments, according to a national survey commissioned by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). The survey, which probed public opinion about a variety of cancer-related… Read More »US Survey : 39% Say Alternative Therapies Can Cure Cancer

A first-of-its kind phase 3 study found that patients with advanced ovarian cancer who carry a BRCA mutation have a marked increase in progression-free survival (PFS) if they are given maintenance therapy with the poly(ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor olaparib (Lynparza, AstraZeneca) following successful first-line chemotherapy. Kathleen Moore, MD The finding comes from the SOLO1 study,… Read More »Outstanding Ovarian Cancer PFS With Olaparib Maintenance.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved durvalumab (Imfinzi, AstraZeneca) for the treatment of patients with stage III non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors are unresectable and whose cancer has not progressed after chemoradiation. The immunotherapy becomes the first treatment approved to reduce the risk of the cancer progressing in this setting.… Read More »FDA OKs Durvalumab( Imfinz)For Reducing Risk For NSCLC Progression.

Consolidation treatment with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SAbR) prior to maintenance chemotherapy almost tripled progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with limited metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) compared to maintenance chemotherapy alone. A new analysis showed that there was a statistically significant improvement in PFS from 3.5 to 9.7 months with the addition of consolidative radiotherapy… Read More »RT Plus Chemo Triples PFS In Limited Metastatic Lung Cancer.