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November 2021, Vol 11, No 11

I believe that the most powerful and positive force in medicine is that of a self-advocating patient. At the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, we strive to connect, educate, and empower patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) to partner with their care team in navigating the course of their treatment. However, we understand that the treatment options are extremely limited for many patients with CCA. Read More ›

On September 22, 2021, the FDA approved a new indication for ruxolitinib (Jakafi; Incyte) for the treatment of patients aged ≥12 years with chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after 1 or 2 lines of systemic therapy. Ruxolitinib received an orphan drug designation for this indication. Read More ›

On October 12, 2021, the FDA approved a new indication for the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor abemaciclib (Verzenio; Eli Lilly), in combination with tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor as initial endocrine-based therapy, for the treatment of adult patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative, node-positive, early breast cancer at high risk for recurrence, and a Ki-67 score ≥20%, as determined by an FDA-approved test. Read More ›

On October 13, 2021, the FDA approved a new indication for the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda; Merck) for use in combination with chemotherapy, with or without bevacizumab (Avastin; Genentech), for the treatment of patients with persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer whose tumors express PD-L1 (combined positive score ≥1) as determined by an FDA-approved test. Read More ›

On October 15, 2021, the FDA approved a new indication for atezolizumab (Tecentriq; Genentech) for adjuvant treatment following resection and platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with stage II to IIIA non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors have PD-L1 expression on ≥1% of tumor cells, as determined by an FDA-approved test. Read More ›

On September 20, 2021, the FDA accelerated the approval of tisotumab vedotin-tftv (Tivdak; Seagen), a tissue factor-directed antibody and microtubule inhibitor conjugate, for the treatment of women with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer whose disease progressed during or after chemotherapy. Read More ›

On October 29, 2021, the FDA granted accelerated approval to asciminib (Scemblix; Novartis) for patients with Philadelphia chromosome–positive (Ph+) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in chronic phase, previously treated with ≥2 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). The drug was also granted a full approval for adult patients with Ph+ CML in chronic phase with a T315I mutation. Read More ›

Cancer remains the leading cause of death in individuals aged <80 years in the United States, and was responsible for nearly 10 million deaths worldwide in 2020. According to the National Cancer Institute, the 5-year survival rate for individuals diagnosed with localized cancer of any type is 89%.3 However, this rate drops to only 21% for those diagnosed with metastatic disease highlighting the 1 detrimental impact of late-stage diagnosis on patient outcomes. Read More ›

Cancer remains one of the costliest diseases to treat in the United States. According to a 2020 report published by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the out-of-pocket costs patients faced in 2018 totaled $5.6 billion. Furthermore, evidence shows that the total amount attributed to direct cancer-1 related healthcare spending in 2015 was $183 billion, a number that is estimated to increase to approximately $246 billion by 2030. Read More ›

ALK inhibitor therapy achieved “remarkable” response rates in a small study of patients with ALK-positive adult-onset neuroblastoma. Some patients who did not respond to initial treatment with 1 ALK inhibitor had a subsequent response to lorlatinib (Lorbrena), which had the best showing among ALK inhibitors evaluated in this setting. The results of this retrospective study were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2021 virtual annual meeting. Read More ›

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