Oncology

Co-editor-in-chief, Howard S. Hochster, MD, reviews the ongoing drug price negotiations and the effect it will have in the health care space.

The FDA okayed 2 breakthrough therapy designations for fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki in HER2-positive solid tumors and colorectal cancer, which are based on data from the phase 2 DESTINY-PanTumor02 and DESTINY-CRC02 trials.

Implementing tax benefits for manufacturers who produce chemotherapy drugs may be one solution to increase drug production in the United States, according to Lucio N. Gordan, MD.

Lucio N. Gordan, MD, describes how his practice deals with increasing costs of limited chemotherapy agents to ensure that patients with cancer continue to receive treatment.

Lucio N. Gordan, MD, also discusses how increasing domestic manufacturing of chemotherapy may help in alleviating the ongoing shortages of carboplatin and cisplatin in the United States.

Treatment with divarasib appears to produce a manageable safety profile of low-grade toxicities in patients with advanced or metastatic KRAS G12C–mutated solid tumors.

Kirollos Hanna, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP, FACCC, believes that national legislation can help to resolve the United States’ current dearth of cisplatin, as well as prevent future problems.

Using an AUC of 5 instead of an AUC of 6 can help to conserve cisplatin among patients with cancer, Kirollos Hanna, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP, FACCC says.

Investigators of a cohort study report that the withdrawal rate from clinical trials in oncology appear to be higher among Hispanic patients and across placebo-controlled trials, but lower in trials with radiation use as part of therapy.

The HLA-LOH test makes use of data produced with the xT CDx assay to identify patients with tumors experiencing allele-specific loss of heterozygosity who may benefit from specific targeted treatments.

In the August Letter to Readers, Julie M. Vose, MD, MBA, discusses the recent cisplatin shortages and how this can be mitigated in the future.

Physician burnout is not just a phase, but rather a mental health issue that has made itself well-known in the medical community, with many clinicians trying to find strategies to cope with it.

Data from a phase 2 trial support a supplemental new drug application for isavuconazonium sulfate as a treatment for pediatric patients with invasive aspergillosis or invasive mucormycosis.

Michael Ganio, PharmD, MS, BCPS, FASHP, addresses some challenges concerning the ongoing chemotherapy shortage in the United States, and how communication among clinical teams may mitigate it.

While there is a cisplatin shortage in the United States, the FDA has approved the importation of select chemotherapy drugs from China to help mitigate the scarcity of the agents.

Recommendations penned by the American Society of Clinical Oncology and Society for Gynecologic Oncology may be critical in managing the ongoing chemotherapy shortage, according to Michael Ganio, PharmD, MS, BCPS, FASHP.

Chemotherapy agents imported from Chinese manufacturers may have barcodes that don’t work or be missing an NDC number, according to Michael Ganio, PharmD, MS, BCPS, FASHP.

Results of a survey from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network indicate that almost all responding institutions are impacted by the carboplatin shortage.

Experts in the genitourinary and gynecology fields discuss how they have adapted and adjusted treatment for their patients amid the United States’ shortage of cisplatin and carboplatin.

The safety profile of trastuzumab deruxtecan among patients with HER2-expressing solid tumors in the phase 2 DESTINY-PanTumor02 trial appears to be comparable with previous reports of the agent.

The addition of stereotactic radiotherapy to immune checkpoint inhibition appears safe but yields no significant survival benefit among patients with advanced solid tumors.

The FDA fast track designation for paxalisib and radiotherapy for PI3K-mutant solid tumor brain metastases is supported by data from a phase 1 study.

Hypersensitivity reactions following platinum-based treatment appear to be more severe than hypersensitivity reactions after taxanes among patients with cancer.

Use of the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics may identify a greater comorbidity burden and a commensurate increase in risk of death among survivors of childhood cancer vs siblings and others.

Lindsay Morton, PhD, discusses the risks of developing secondary cancers among cancer survivors due to factors such as genetics and adverse effects associated with some chemotherapy- and radiotherapy-based regimens.