February 2021, Vol 11, No 2

Last year was an adventure. We learned a lot, and we changed even more. Many of us woke up on January 1, 2021, wondering what the new year would bring. We are already getting some answers. Activities and initiatives that slowed down during the learning curve of the COVID-19 pandemic are beginning to rev up again. The ushering in of the new administration has opened doors to staffing and policy changes, with new directives being sent out at an unprecedented rate. Read More ›

So, you have installed a new server and a unified threat management device, firewalls, and updated software that intercepts malware. You have also conducted vulnerability and penetration testing and coached and trained your staff. You think you are safe, and maybe you are—for today. However, while you are sleeping tonight, evildoers will be hard at work preparing for their next cyberattack, and it could be on your system or data. Read More ›

When it comes to gathering and assessing social determinants of health (SDoH) as part of a medically appropriate history and examination, it is necessary to employ 5 key strategies, said Allysceaeioun D. Britt, PhD, MPH, Interim Vice President, Office of Faculty Affairs and Development, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, in a presentation during the virtual 2020 Healthcare Administration Alliance Conference. Read More ›

Financial toxicity can have a negative effect on outcomes for patients with cancer. However, findings from a recent pilot study revealed that a comprehensive intervention focused on the financial aspects of care signficantly improved quality of life for patients with hematologic malignancies. These results were presented during the virtual 2020 ASH Annual Meeting. Read More ›

Apost-hoc analysis of a pivotal clinical trial presented at ASH 2020 showed that the recently approved belantamab mafodotin-blmf (Blenrep), a first-in-class antibody targeting BCMA (B-cell maturation antigen), induced deep and durable responses in heavily pretreated patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. This analysis of the ongoing, open-label DREAMM-2 study focused on 1-year outcomes based on the number of previous therapies. The results were presented by Sagar Lonial, MD, FACP, Chief Medical Officer, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA. Read More ›

In a phase 3 clinical trial, ruxolitinib (Jakafi) led to superior overall response rates and durable responses compared with best available therapy (ie, control group) in patients with steroid-dependent or steroid-refractory chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), with acceptable safety, according to results presented at ASH 2020. Read More ›

Results of a phase 1 clinical trial showed that approximately 66% of patients with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) had a major cytogenetic response (MCyR) to the novel oral BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) vodobatinib, regardless of whether they previously received ponatinib therapy. Jorge E. Cortes, MD, Director, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University, presented the results at ASH 2020. Read More ›

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed many of the cracks in our healthcare system. According to Maurie Markman, MD, MS, FACP, FASCO, President, Medicine and Science, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, COVID-19 disproportionately affects the elderly, those with comorbidities, and racial and ethnic minority populations, all of whom are more likely to have serious or fatal illness. At the 10th Annual Summit of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care (AVBCC) in 2020, Dr Markman served as a co-moderator of a session about minority representation in clinical trials. Read More ›

In the following interview, Ms Hayes discusses Epic Care’s commitment to excellence and its positive experience with the CMOM-HEM/ONC program. Read More ›

In a keynote address during the virtual 2020 International Kidney Cancer Symposium, William G. Kaelin, Jr, MD, Sidney Farber Professor of Medicine, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, provided an update on treatment strategies aimed at improving outcomes for patients with clear-cell renal-cell carcinoma (RCC) caused by inactivation of the VHL gene. Promising therapies include immunotherapies, hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-2α inhibitors, and cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)4/6 inhibitors. Read More ›