Using the nation’s largest COVID-19 data resource, a researcher at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center found the COVID-19 vaccine protected most cancer patients from getting COVID-19. However, patients with certain types of cancer have a higher and widely varied risk of breakthrough infections after receiving the vaccine.
A retrospective, observational study sponsored by G1 Therapeutics described the burden of myelosuppression and its impact on healthcare resource utilization in 3,277 patients being treated with chemotherapy for extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer. The study also described patient outcomes from 21 patients receiving Cosela (trilaciclib) prior to chemotherapy.
Researchers from VCU Massey Cancer Center, the University of Florida College of Medicine, and UF Health Cancer Center found that minority patient participation in cancer clinical trials is low—in part due to standard clinical trial criteria that disproportionately exclude Black patients.
Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center who looked at over 34,000 colorectal cancer patients found that certain PTEN mutations occur in distinct patterns in specific subsets of colorectal cancer.
An analysis by Yale Cancer Center researchers identified accelerated genetic aging in breast tissue adjacent to breast cancer tumors.
Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center identified several characteristics of papillary renal neoplasm with reverse polarity, a neoplasm that may simply be monitored rather than removed through surgery.
Genentech announced that the phase III SKYSCRAPER-02 study, evaluating the investigational anti-TIGIT immunotherapy tiragolumab plus Tecentriq (atezolizumab) and chemotherapy (carboplatin and etoposide) as a first-line treatment for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), did not meet its co-primary endpoint of progression-free survival.
Positive top-line data from the monotherapy arm of the ATHENA (GOG 3020/ENGOT-ov45) trial (ATHENA-MONO) demonstrated that Rubraca (rucaparib) as maintenance treatment achieved the primary endpoint of significantly improved investigator-assessed progression-free survival compared with placebo.
The Tomosynthesis Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial (TMIST) is more than halfway to its recruiting goal of 128,905 participants, with more than 20% of participants in the United States being Black. Recruitment of women from diverse backgrounds is vital to ensuring that TMIST trial results will be applicable across races, ethnicities, and under-served communities.
In support of the reignited Cancer Moonshot’s goal of fostering data sharing in cancer research, the National Cancer Institute has launched the Molecular Characterization Initiative for pediatric tumors (The Cancer Letter, Feb. 4, 2022).
