Gastrointestinal Cancer

A phase II study presented at AACR found that the combination of atezolizumab plus cobimetinib improved cancer control in some patients with biliary tract cancer.

The phase II study found that nivolumab was well tolerated and demonstrated moderate efficacy with durable response in patients with refractory biliary tract cancer.

Researchers found a steady increase in racial inequalities of the mortality rate from liver cancer from 1998-2016 after lifesaving drugs for hepatitis C virus were introduced.

A recent study published in JAMA Oncology revealed that quality improvement initiatives are necessary to optimize treatment and lessen chemotherapy interruption and noncompletion rates among patients with squamous cell anal carcinoma.

The study was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Virtual Meeting 2020 and demonstrated encouraging preliminary antitumor activity with objective responses as a monotherapy and in combination with nivolumab.

This study found a substantial difference in the number of agents available for use in the metastatic and adjuvant settings for non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, and colon cancer.

Identifying early predictors of poor quality of life could allow for the identification of patients who may benefit from early referral to palliative and supportive care according to the researchers.

This is the first FDA approval for this patient population.

Leading cancer experts from across Europe issued an international expert consensus statement regarding radiotherapy treatment options for patients with rectal cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The FDA approved the combination use of encorafenib and cetuximab for the treatment of adult patients with BRAFV600E-positive metastatic colorectal cancer.

In a recent study, researchers indicated that primary liver cancer prevention schedules should give more attention to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and elderly patients.

The FDA granted priority review to pembrolizumab monotherapy for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with unresectable or metastatic TMB-high solid tumors who have progressed following prior treatment and who have no satisfactory alternative treatment options.

The trial evaluating the first-line treatment of pembrolizumab in patients with microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair deficient unresectable or metastatic colorectal cancer demonstrated improved PFS compared with chemotherapy.

ASCO released new guidelines for treating patients with late-stage colorectal cancer based on previously existing guidelines using an expert panel.

Researchers reported on the incidence and outcomes of the SARS-CoV-2 infection, which has been linked to COVID-19, in patients with cancer who were treated at a tertiary cancer institution in Wuhan, China.

In this study, researchers found that endoscopic therapy was the most effective strategy for patients with T1 CRC with less aggressive biomarker profiles and laparoscopic colectomy was the most effective for patients with more aggressive profiles.

With February being National Cancer Prevention Month, here are the latest updates in cancer prevention.

The FDA granted a priority review to Deciphera Pharmaceuticals’ new drug application for ripretinib to treat patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

The professor from MD Anderson Cancer Center spoke about the exploration of different concepts for the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers.

The chief of surgical oncology at the UK Markey Cancer Center discussed liquid biopsies and their potential importance for diagnosing gastric cancer.

The expert spoke about ongoing trials of novel treatment strategies that may lead to the development of new therapies in this space.

This technology identified a practical method for detecting multiple gastrointestinal cancers from a single noninvasive blood test.

Incidence of early-onset gastric cancer has steadily increased in the US, now comprising >30% of new gastric cancer cases today, causing researchers to try and discover what makes this disease type unique.

Researchers indicated the importance in improving access to and uptake of CRC screening in these underserved populations.

Although researchers determined which regimen was preferred among physicians in treating metastatic colorectal cancer, they found that shared decision-making should include observation as an acceptable option.

Researchers assessed whether ctDNA could accurately differentiate metastases during the neoadjuvant period after surgery to guide therapy adaptation.

A 39-year-old Hispanic male presented with complaints of mucous stools, loss of appetite, rectal bleeding and a 30-pound weight loss within the past several months.

The FDA approved avapritinib for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor harboring a PDGFRA exon 18 mutation, including PDGFRA D842V mutations.

Though physical activity guidelines are largely based on chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes, these data suggest they are important to cancer prevention as well.

These results could present an opportunity to broaden inclusion criteria on clinical trials and intensify chemoradiotherapy treatments.