ASCO 2015 Highlights

Philadelphia, PA—Immunotherapy with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) was safe and effective in the treatment of patients with previously treated as well as treatment-naïve patients with advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to results of the KEYNOTE-001 trial, said Edward B. Garon, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, who presented these data at the 2015 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) meeting.

Philadelphia, PA—The use of the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, olaparib (Lynparza), plus carboplatin chemotherapy shows promising activity in patients with recurrent breast or ovarian cancer; furthermore, the order of administration of these therapies did not affect the occurrence of side effects, according to new data from a phase 1 clinical trial presented at the 2015 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) meeting.

Philadelphia, PA—Several retrospective studies have shown that metformin is associated with longer survival in patients with cancer, including pancreatic cancer. However, in a new study led by Roongruedee Chaiteerakij, MD, PhD, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Rochester, MN, metformin did not improve survival for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The results were presented at the 2015 American Association for Cancer Research meeting.

Philadelphia, PA—Over the next 15 years, up to a 50% increase is projected in the number of breast cancer cases, according to a study from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The incidence of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancers, diagnosed mostly by mammography, is projected to increase, whereas cases of ER-negative cancers, the more-difficult-to-treat cancers, are projected to decrease. ER-positive in situ cancers are expected to increase by approximately 50% and ER-negative cancers are expected to decrease by approximately 50% by 2030.

Philadelphia, PA—High levels of KRAS mutations in plasma circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) predict worse overall survival (OS), whereas low levels of KRAS mutations in plasma ctDNA indicate improved OS in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Philadelphia, PA—Combination immunotherapy with ipilimumab (Yervoy) plus nivolumab (Opdivo) was superior to ipilimumab monotherapy in previously untreated patients with advanced melanoma in a phase 2 randomized clinical trial, according to lead investigator F. Stephen Hodi, MD, Director of the Melanoma Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, who presented the study at the 2015 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting.

A reevaluation of the value of cancer care between 1982 and 2010 in the United States versus Western Europe (Soneji S, Yang JW. Health Aff [Millwood]. 2015;34:390-397) paints an entirely different picture from a similar analysis published in 2012 (Philipson T, et­ al. Health Aff [Millwood]. 2012;­­31:667-675). The earlier study found significant improvements in breast and prostate cancer survival in the United States relative to Western Europe, concluding that the high costs in the United States were worth it.

Hollywood, FL—Targeted therapy in B-cell lymphoma is rapidly expanding beyond anti-CD20 antibodies. Some of the emerging therapies are conjugated antibodies, treatments that target signaling pathways or apoptosis, immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs), and immune checkpoint inhibitors, said Andrew D. Zelenetz, MD, PhD, Vice Chair, Medical Informatics, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, at the 2015 National Comprehensive Cancer Network conference.