The American Society of Clinical Oncology May 16 released the nearly 5,800 abstracts that will be presented and published at its annual meeting next month.
As I read the latest offering from the US Preventive Services Task Force, this time another encyclical on prostate screening, I felt a recurrence of the extreme irritation left over from the last time they wasted my (and their) time. Borrowing from Molière's “The Imaginary Invalid”, I conceived an Imaginary Interview with an un-named representative of this band of bozo's that seem to have few boundaries, a high level of comfort in wasting taxpayer dollars and editorial space, and who seem set on providing useless homilies that, at best, provide no value. This is couched as a Paul Goldberg-style low-key interview… and so the play begins:
In response to a congressional letter and a new study on the prevalence of undiagnosed hidden uterine cancers, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are considering launching a review of whether gynecologists are sufficiently thorough in evaluating patients in the preoperative setting, according to insiders with knowledge of the agency's plans.
Fourteen years ago, I was recruited to the University of Miami to develop a program in cancer disparities.
Ibrutinib is a selective and irreversible inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) that entered phase 1 clinical trials in 2009 based on preclinical efficacy in models of B-cell malignancy and autoimmune disease.[1, 2] The initial phase 1 trial showed clear efficacy in a number of lymphoid malignancies at doses as low as 1.25 mg/kg/d. Furthermore, full receptor occupancy was demonstrated at 2.5 mg/kg/d. Despite these pharmacological and early clinical findings, development of ibrutinib continued at doses of 420 mg qd and 560 mg qd, levels 3-4 fold higher than suggested by the pharmacological data. In addition, the absorption of ibrutinib is enhanced by administration of food, which may explain why even the lowest dose showed efficacy in some patients.
Despite much progress in lung cancer over the last decade, lung cancer is the most frequent cause of cancer death.
Cancer immunotherapy, and in particular immune checkpoint blockade, has transformed oncology with the potential for durable responses even in patients with metastatic disease. To date, regulatory approvals and clinical trials have focused on the study of these agents in relatively more common tumor types, such as melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, bladder cancer, and kidney cancer, amongst others.
FDA has approved a supplemental Biologics License Application updating the Opdivo (nivolumab) dosing schedule to include 480 mg infused every four weeks for a majority of approved indications.
Could diet and exercise really cure breast cancer?
Diversity is to be celebrated in our society as enriching our experiences, our cultures and the richness of our lives. Diversity within the context of cancer care and research has appropriately grown to include considerations of diversity of race, ethnic heritage, age, gender, and experiences.
