ASCO 2015 Highlights

Dr Tycel Phillips debates the importance of having more effective and better tolerated treatments for patients who present with recurrent or treatment-refractory follicular lymphoma (FL). Often, these patients have undergone more than 1 or 2 previous lines of therapy and cannot tolerate all types of therapies within the gamut of potential choices. In such patients, it is desirable to have flexibility in the choice of a therapy regimen, for example, one that is chemotherapy-free. Ms Peg Rummel commented that oncology nurses and nurse navigators are paramount in educating the patients and their caregivers around all aspects of therapy, and help alleviate psychological stress, anxiety, and fear of the unknown by explaining to patients with relapsed or refractory FL the various paths along their therapeutic journey.

$Criteria Used to Guide Treatment Decisions and Choice of Therapeutic Agents in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Follicular Lymphoma$

Criteria Used to Guide Treatment Decisions and Choice of Therapeutic Agents in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Follicular Lymphoma

By Tycel J. Phillips, MD; Peg Rummel, MHA, RN, OCN, NE-BC; Andrew D. Zelenetz, MD, PhD

Dr Andrew Zelenetz examines the various criteria used in individual patients with relapsed or treatment-refractory follicular lymphoma and how they help determine the trigger for and timing of initiating antitumor therapies. Dr Tycel Phillips expands on how applying such criteria may best guide the oncologist to choose specific treatment options, such as certain classes of currently available (FDA-approved) drugs in monotherapy or in combination, especially in a community-based clinical setting.

Specific Dysregulation of B-Cell Signaling in Follicular Lymphoma and Its Role in the Initiation and Progression of This Malignancy

By Tycel J. Phillips, MD; Peg Rummel, MHA, RN, OCN, NE-BC; Andrew D. Zelenetz, MD, PhD

Drs Andrew Zelenetz and Tycel Phillips explore the role B-cell signaling plays in the development and progression of follicular lymphoma (FL) and explain how this underlies the pathophysiology of FL. These biological mechanisms underlie the way that FL differs from other B-cell malignancies, and, in many ways, help select candidate molecular targets for the development of novel agents for the management of FL.

Spectrum of Symptoms in Patients Newly Diagnosed with Follicular Lymphoma and the Role of Optimal Coordination of Care at Initial Presentation

By Tycel J. Phillips, MD; Peg Rummel, MHA, RN, OCN, NE-BC; Andrew D. Zelenetz, MD, PhD

Dr Andrew Zelenetz presents key aspects of the epidemiology of, and currently achieved survivorship in, follicular lymphoma (FL) and compares them with those seen in more commonly diagnosed malignancies treated by the broader group of community-based medical oncologists. Dr Tycel Phillips comments on the paucity of patient features or disease attributes that would help predict poor clinical outcomes, including reduced survival, when FL patients are evaluated at the time of initial diagnosis.

Epidemiology and expected survivorship in follicular lymphoma and lack of reliable long-term outcome predictors at disease presentation

By Tycel J. Phillips, MD; Peg Rummel, MHA, RN, OCN, NE-BC; Andrew D. Zelenetz, MD, PhD

ASCO President Stresses the Importance of Innovation for Advancing Equitable Cancer Care

By Wayne Kuznar

Healthcare Equity

The theme for the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting selected by 2021-2022 ASCO President Everett E. Vokes, MD, John E. Ultmann Professor of Medicine, and Chair, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine, Hyde Park, was advancing equitable cancer care through innovation.

Trastuzumab Deruxtecan Is a New Standard of Care for Patients with HER2-Low Metastatic Breast Cancer

By Wayne Kuznar

ASCO 2022 Highlights, Breast Cancer

Targeting HER2 with the antibody–drug conjugate fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (Enhertu; T-DXd) provided clinically meaningful benefits for patients with HER2-low metastatic breast cancer, according to findings presented at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting.

Sotorasib Elicits Durable Responses in Patients with Metastatic NSCLC and KRAS Mutation

By Phoebe Starr

Lung Cancer

Sotorasib (Lumakras) continues to demonstrate durable efficacy in non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with KRAS p.G12C mutation at 2-year follow-up of the phase 2 CodeBreaK 100 clinical trial.

First-Line Treatment with Dostarlimab Led to Remission in All Patients with Mismatch Repair-Deficient Rectal Cancer

By Phoebe Starr

ASCO 2022 Highlights, Rectal Cancer

First-line treatment with dostarlimab-gxly (Jemperli), a PD-1 inhibitor, achieved complete responses (CRs) in 100% of a subset of patients with locally advanced mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) rectal cancer, sparing them surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, as of the latest follow-up.

Black Patients with Cancer and COVID-19 More Likely to Have Treatment Disruptions Than White Patients

By Phoebe Starr

ASCO 2022 Highlights

According to data from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Survey on COVID-19 in Oncology Registry, black or African-American patients with cancer and COVID-19 were more likely than non-Hispanic white patients to experience delays or disruptions in cancer treatment during the pandemic.