Articles

Afatinib, an irreversible ErbB family blocker, and gefitinib, a reversible EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, are approved for first-line treatment of advanced EGFR-mutated non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Researchers reported updated OS findings from a phase 2b trial (LUX-Lung 7) that compared afatinib versus gefitinib in first-line patients.

Atezolizumab, a humanized anti–PD-L1 monoclonal antibody, is approved for the treatment of patients with metastatic non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose disease progressed during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy. OAK is one of the 2 international, randomized, open-label clinical trials that demonstrated superior efficacy for atezolizumab over docetaxel.

Patients with SCLC whose disease progressed during or after initial platinum-based chemotherapy have few treatment options. Nivolumab alone and combined with ipilimumab has demonstrated clinical benefit in multiple tumor types. Researchers presented updated results for the SCLC cohort of the phase 1/2 CheckMate 032 trial.

Chicago, IL—Maintaining a clean room compliant with US Pharmacopeial Convention Chapter 800 (USP 800) can come with a significant price tag, but noncompliance can drive up costs to oncology practices and institutions. However, certain measures can contribute to the successful construction, renovation, and maintenance of hazardous drug sterile compounding spaces in an oncology setting, according to Ryan A. Forrey, PharmD, MS, FASHP, Director of Pharmacy, Emory University Hospital Midtown, Atlanta, GA. Dr Forrey provided practical tips related to USP 800 compliance in clinical practice at the 2016 Annual Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Oncology Pharmacy Practice Management Program.

Of the potential side effects of chemotherapy, nausea and vomiting remain among the most fear-inducing events. If appropriate prophylaxis were not provided, more than 70% of patients with cancer who receive chemotherapy would have nausea and/or vomiting.

Adelaide, Australia—SGX942, a novel agent that is first in its class, decreased the incidence of severe oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing chemoradiation, according to new research led by Oreola Donini, PhD, Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, Soligenix, Princeton, NJ, and Mahesh R. Kudrimoti, MD, Professor of Radiation Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington.

Delirium is an exceedingly prevalent syndrome among patients with cancer, but is underrecognized and undertreated, according to Alan Valentine, MD, Chair, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, and Darryl Etter, PsyD, Clinical Psychologist, VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System, Denver, at a webinar hosted by the American Psychosocial Oncology Society in July 2016.

San Francisco, CA—As a result of recent advances in therapy, indications for stem-cell transplant are expanding, along with the number of patients eligible for the procedure. However, the intense and cure-oriented nature of transplants can lead to various forms of distress in patients who undergo this treatment, said Christina K. Ullrich, MD, MPH, Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, at the 2016 Palliative Care in Oncology Symposium.

San Francisco, CA—In addition to being costly for public and private payers, hospital readmissions can lead to increased risk for complications, hospital-acquired infections, and psychological distress in patients with advanced cancer. Although preventing readmissions would improve patient outcomes and decrease healthcare costs, the underlying causes of rehospitalization are not completely understood, suggested Robin L. Whitney, RN, PhD, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, University of California, Davis, and colleagues in a poster presentation at the 2016 Palliative Care in Oncology Symposium.

New York, NY—Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) include myelofibrosis, polycythemia vera, and essential thrombocytopenia, and affect an estimated 295,00 individuals in the United States. MPNs represent a diverse array of diseases. This has led to the generation of various treatment guidelines that are often contradictory and difficult to interpret. However, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) is developing a unified field theory on the diagnosis and treatment of MPNs.