The Cancer Letter – The Cancer Letter is an independent weekly news publication and the leading source for information on the issues that shape oncology.

Issue 28 - Jul. 10, 2020

TCL46-28 (100 downloads)

$5.275 billion for NIH is a healthy chunk of change—but read the fine print
A House subcommittee July 7 marked up a spending bill that proposes a $5.275 billion increase for NIH.
Depending on how you count, the bill that has cleared the Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies would provide one of the biggest raises in NIH history.
USPSTF broadens age range, risk threshold in new recommendation for lung cancer screening
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has recommended expanding the eligible age range and broadening the risk threshold for annual low-dose CT screening for lung cancer.
Conversation with The Cancer Letter
USPSTF’s Michael Barry: Recommendation on lung cancer screening aims to reduce mortality
By making lung cancer screening available to a larger population, the new guideline from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force could save an additional 120 lives per 100,000 Americans, said Michael J. Barry, a member of the Task Force, and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Conversation with The Cancer Letter
Ruben Mesa: Facing a dramatic COVID-19 spike in San Antonio
Last time Ruben Mesa spoke with The Cancer Letter, COVID-19 was under control in San Antonio and the environs—or so it seemed.
COVID-19 Updates
- Yale researchers identify COVID-19 blood clotting cause
In Brief
- Theoret, Beaver, Kim, Amiri-Kordestani named to new positions at FDA
- Müschen named director of Center of Molecular and Cellular Oncology at Yale
- Friedman named associate director for community science and health outcomes at Vanderbilt
- Mehnert joins NYU Langone as associate director, clinical research
- Yale researchers awarded $2.8M NCI Cancer Systems Immunology grant
- Thermo Fisher and Chugai sign companion diagnostic agreement
Funding Opportunities
DoD Pancreatic Cancer Research Program funding opportunities for FY20
The FY20 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding to the Department of Defense Pancreatic Cancer Research Program to support a collaborative pancreatic cancer research paradigm that reduces the burden of pancreatic cancer.
Clinical Roundup
- Drug screens and CRISPR combine to make better cancer drugs, collaboration of researchers say
- Fasting Mimicking Diets may enhance effectiveness of chemotherapy in cancer patients
Drugs & Targets
- Inqovi approved by FDA for at-home MDS treatment
- Keytruda’s sBLA receives Priority Review from FDA for second-line treatment of relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma
- Lynparza approved in EU for germline BRCA-mutated metastatic pancreatic cancer

Issue 27 - Jul. 2, 2020

TCL46-27 (184 downloads)

Conversation with The Cancer Letter
Northwell Health reopens cancer services after COVID-19 deluge
New York health system explores NCI designation in affiliation with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Any way you look at it, Northwell Health, New York’s largest health system, took a massive hit from COVID-19.
Northwell has treated over 50,000 COVID patients, admitting over 15,000 of them to its hospitals—more than any such system in the U.S.
NCI BSA approves nine new and reissue concepts
The NCI Board of Scientific Advisors has approved nine new and reissue concepts—Request for Applications, Cooperative Agreement, Request for Proposals, and Program Announcements with special receipt, referral and review.
In Brief
- Yale Cancer Center receives $2.8M NCI cancer systems immunology grant
- USC Norris receives $5 million for cancer drug discoveries
- Alexander Drilon named chief of the Early Drug Development Service at MSK
- Nancy R. Daly named CEO of Conquer Cancer, the American Society of Clinical Oncology Foundation
- ASCO’s Association for Clinical Oncology establishes PAC
- Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute breaks ground for new location
Trials & Tribulations
(Social + geographic) distance = Ongoing challenges in disparities for rural cancer patients
Approximately two-thirds of the NCI Community Oncology Research Programs, serve states in which the rural population exceeds 30%.
Clinical Roundup
- NCCN Guidelines for patients can help patients recognize side-effects of immunotherapy
Drugs & Targets
- Phesgo receives FDA approval in breast cancer indication for at home treatment
- Keytruda receives FDA approval as first-line immunotherapy for MSI-H/dMMR MCC
- Bavencio receives FDA approval for urothelial carcinoma maintenance treatment
- Reblozyl approved by European Commission for transfusion-dependent anemia in adults with MDS or beta thalassemia
- Guardant Health launches real-world clinical-genomic platform to accelerate precision oncology drug development
NCI Trials
NCI Trials for July 2020
The National Cancer Institute approved the following clinical research studies last month.
For further information, contact the principal investigator listed.

Issue 26 - Jun. 26, 2020

TCL46-26 (561 downloads)

Participation by minority racial, ethnic groups in NCI-funded trials nearly doubles in 20 years
The proportion of racial and ethnic minority patients in NCI-funded clinical trials has nearly doubled over two decades—from 14% in 1999 to 25% in 2019, according to data from NCI’s National Clinical Trials Network and the NCI Community Oncology Research Program.
The Cancer Letter’s paywall is returning
When the COVID-19 crisis began, The Cancer Letter made the decision to take down our paywall, and provide coverage of the pandemic free of charge “until this crisis is resolved” (The Cancer Letter, April 3, 2020).
AACR session on disparities points to the new consensus: Being woke is not enough
The name of the session was a message in and of itself: “Racism and Racial Inequalities in Cancer Research.”
NCI seeks applications to build research capacity for COVID-19 serology and immunology
NCI has issued two Requests for Applications and a Request for Proposals focused on COVID-19 serology and immunology.
Collins: It’s unknown whether COVID-19 antibody-positive test means protection against reinfection
In March, as SARS-CoV-2 spread rapidly across the United States, cancer researchers scrambled to find clues about the virus and ways to mitigate its damage.
Guest Editorial
To expedite progress against COVID-19, a public-private “accelerator” taps into real-world data
Real-world data is everywhere. During the COVID-19 global pandemic, we are literally generating, and collecting, real-world data every single day—from electronic health records, insurance claims, patient registries, and a myriad of other sources. But the question remains: how do we use this data to better understand, prevent, and treat this disease?
In Brief
- Kids v Cancer urges Congress to permanently reauthorize pediatric voucher program
- UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute joins Kiyatec clinical study
AACR Briefs
- David A. Tuveson elected AACR president-elect for 2020-2021
- James R. Downing receives inaugural AACR-St. Baldrick’s Foundation award for pediatric cancer research
- TCGA founding members and project team receive AACR 2020 Team Science Awards
- Jedd D. Wolchok receives AACR-Joseph H. Burchenal Award for clinical cancer research
- Cigall Kadoch receives AACR Award for basic cancer research
- Lisa A. Newman receives AACR-Minorities in Cancer Research Jane Cooke Wright Lectureship
- Patricia S. Steeg receives 2020 AACR-Women in Cancer Research Charlotte Friend Lectureship
- Benjamin F. Cravatt receives 2020 AACR Award for chemistry in cancer research
- Christopher I. Amos receives 2020 AACR-American Cancer Society Award for research in cancer epidemiology and prevention
- Michael Karin receives 2020 AACR-G.H.A. Clowes Award for basic cancer research
- Michelle M. Le Beau receives AACR-Margaret Foti Award for leadership and achievements in cancer research
- Barbara J. Wold receives AACR-Irving Weinstein Foundation lectureship
- Luis A. Diaz receives AACR-Waun Ki Hong Award
- Tyler Jacks receives AACR Princess Takamatsu Memorial Lectureship
- Phillip A. Sharp receives award for lifetime achievement in cancer research
- Herbst, Lowy, Majima, Spears, receive AACR distinguished public service award
- AACR names fellows of the AACR Academy class of 2020
- Charles L. Sawyers named AACR Academy president-elect
- Steven A. Rosenberg receives AACR-CRI Lloyd J. Old Award in cancer immunology
- John E. Dick receives 2020 Pezcoller Foundation-AACR International Award for Extraordinary Achievement in Cancer Research
Clinical Roundup
- FDA pilot program to communicate patient reported outcomes from cancer clinical trials
- Black cancer patients better represented in publicly-funded clinical trials
- AI dual-stain approach improved accuracy, efficiency of cervical cancer screening in NCI study
- IPATential150 study meets rPFS primary endpoint in mCRPC
- City of Hope, TGen study shows T cells can predict how patients respond to immunotherapy
- Liquid biopsies using urine and plasma help detect NSCLC
- Online program significantly improves insomnia in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors
- Study: LifeTracDx blood test shows positive results in detection of early stage cancer in solid tumors
Drugs & Targets
- FDA approves Keytruda for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma
- Selinexor receives FDA approval for relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
- Oral relugolix NDA accepted for Priority Review by FDA
- Keytruda approved in China for second-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic ESCC indication

$5.275 billion for NIH is a healthy chunk of change—but read the fine print

USPSTF broadens age range, risk threshold in new recommendation for lung cancer screening

Conversation with The Cancer Letter

USPSTF’s Michael Barry: Recommendation on lung cancer screening aims to reduce mortality

Conversation with The Cancer Letter

Ruben Mesa: Facing a dramatic COVID-19 spike in San Antonio

COVID-19 Updates

In Brief

Funding Opportunities

DoD Pancreatic Cancer Research Program funding opportunities for FY20

Clinical Roundup

Drugs & Targets

Conversation with The Cancer Letter

Northwell Health reopens cancer services after COVID-19 deluge

New York health system explores NCI designation in affiliation with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

NCI BSA approves nine new and reissue concepts

In Brief

Trials & Tribulations

(Social + geographic) distance = Ongoing challenges in disparities for rural cancer patients

Clinical Roundup

Drugs & Targets

NCI Trials

NCI Trials for July 2020

Participation by minority racial, ethnic groups in NCI-funded trials nearly doubles in 20 years

The Cancer Letter’s paywall is returning

AACR session on disparities points to the new consensus: Being woke is not enough

NCI seeks applications to build research capacity for COVID-19 serology and immunology

Collins: It’s unknown whether COVID-19 antibody-positive test means protection against reinfection

Guest Editorial

To expedite progress against COVID-19, a public-private “accelerator” taps into real-world data

In Brief

AACR Briefs

Clinical Roundup

Drugs & Targets