Dave Levitan

A phase III trial found that MM-398 in combination with other drugs increases overall survival in pre-treated patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.

New research has shown that a new assay for measuring circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) could detect essentially all stage II-IV non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLC).

A combination of amrubicin and cisplatin was inferior to irinotecan and cisplatin in chemotherapy-naïve patients with extensive disease small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) in a phase III trial conducted in Japan.

GlaxoSmithKline has stopped a phase III trial of a novel lung cancer immunotherapeutic agent, after determining that it may not be possible to identify which genetic subgroups may benefit from the treatment.

Using both clinical and molecular markers, researchers have created a simple prognostic index for patients with cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

The new ALK inhibitor certinib showed strong antitumor activity in a phase I expansion study of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Older age and comorbidities were associated with a higher risk of failing to complete trastuzumab therapy in a new study of older women with early-stage breast cancer, where nearly 20% failed to complete the treatment.

Pathologic and molecular features of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) were generally not correlated with outcome in a study involving adjuvant imatinib therapy following resection of the primary tumor.

A new study of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) suggests that event-free status at 2 years post-treatment is a useful endpoint both for research and for patient counseling.

A subgroup of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells that were “sticky,” or adherent to plastic, showed higher expression levels of BCR-ABL and were more resistant to treatment with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib.

A phase II trial of mogamulizumab showed that the agent has meaningful antitumor activity in patients with relapsed peripheral T-cell lymphoma and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, and acceptable toxicity.

MolecularMD and Novartis are working on a diagnostic test to help determine which chronic myeloid leukemia patients may be candidates to stop taking nilotinib.

A breath test that looks for carbonyl volatile organic compounds could help distinguish between benign and malignant nodules, and be used as an adjunct to CT scans in lung cancer diagnosis.

Contrary to some previous research as well as popular belief, living underneath or near to power lines as a child may not have any notable effect on childhood leukemia risk, according to a new case-control study conducted in the United Kingdom.

A study in mice showed that antioxidant supplementation increases tumor progression and reduced survival in Braf- and Kras-induced lung cancer.

A score based on an epigenetic signature of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is highly prognostic for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to a new study.

The use of a microRNA signature classifier assay was found to have high predictive, diagnostic, and prognostic value in a lung cancer screening trial in Italy. Adding the plasma microRNA test to low-dose CT screening reduced false positive rates.

A new review describes how increasing prices on cigarettes could be one of the most effective methods in the coming decades for reducing tobacco-related mortality.

After significant improvement in progression-free survival with ibrutinib over ofatumumab, an independent data monitoring board has recommended stopping a phase III trial involving patients with relapsed or refractory CLL or SLL.

In a new study, combining the anti-CD20 antibody obinutuzumab with chlorambucil improved outcomes over rituximab and the same agent in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients with coexisting conditions.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients with higher copayments for the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib were more likely to discontinue the drug or be non-adherent, according to a new study.

A deep molecular response to imatinib, achieved by most chronic myeloid leukemia patients who receive the drug, is predictive of better overall survival, according to a new study.

An analysis of data from the National Lung Screening Trial found that more than 18% of all lung cancers detected through low-dose CT screening were indolent.

The USPSTF published its final recommendation on screening for lung cancer on December 31, concluding that all people between the ages of 55 and 80 years who are at high risk for lung cancer should undergo low-dose CT screening.

Modulation of the bone marrow microenvironment with parathyroid hormone may be a feasible way to dramatically reduce counts of leukemia stem cells in chronic myeloid leukemia patients, according to new research in mice.

Mesotheliomas that arise after patients receive radiation therapy for lymphoma have unusual histologic features, and those patients tend to be younger and tend to survive longer than more common asbestos-related mesothelioma patients.

A new phase II trial found that a regimen containing rituximab, gemcitabine, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisolone is active and reasonably safe in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and coexisting cardiac disease.

A study aimed at defining the natural history of breast implant-associated anaplastic large-cell lymphoma found that outcomes differ between those cases where the disease is confined within the fibrous capsule surrounding the implant and those where a mass is present in the breast.

Combining both cetuximab and bevacizumab with platinum-based chemotherapy showed strong efficacy in a phase II trial of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease issued a new position statement in November on e-cigarettes and electronic nicotine delivery systems, calling for stricter regulation of these products, which are rapidly growing in popularity.