Oncology

Another breakthrough for HIV: Fourth patient goes into long-term remission

Audrey Abella, 4 hours ago

Hope springs yet again in the field of HIV treatment, as another HIV patient (reportedly the fourth in the world) goes into remission 3 decades following diagnosis. The patient stopped antiretroviral therapy (ART) after receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) of CCR5-Δ32/Δ32 donor cells for acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML).

Teclistamab demonstrates clinical activity for R/R MM

Audrey Abella, Yesterday

The T-cell-redirecting bispecific antibody teclistamab induced deep and durable responses in patients with triple-class-exposed relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM), findings from the phase I/II MajesTEC-1 trial have shown.

SIRT + chemo feasible, effective in unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Christina Lau, Yesterday

Selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) with resin yttrium-90 microspheres followed by standard chemotherapy is feasible and effective in patients with unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), a phase II single-arm study in Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand has shown.

Gastric disease prevalence peaks during middle age, late adulthood

Tristan Manalac, 2 days ago

There appears to be a twin-peak prevalence profile (TPP) for diseases of the stomach, including Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection, gastric cancer (GC), gastric intraepithelial neoplasia (GIN), and gastritis, according to a recent China study. The first peak typically occurs during middle-adulthood while the second peak happens in late life.

Improving survival outcomes with systemic therapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

02 Apr 2021

At the 3rd Bayer Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) Masterclass, three distinguished speakers shared their insights into the management of intermediate and advanced HCC in Malaysia. Topics discussed include current treatment landscape and updates in disease management, as well as two case studies that highlighted the role of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in improving the overall survival (OS) of patients with advanced HCC.

New treatment option now available for patients with HR+/HER2- aBC/MBC, PIK3CA mutations

31 Mar 2021

At the recent webinar entitled Pik Me Up: Mutation Matters, Consultant Medical Oncologist Dr Senthil Rajappa discussed the role of PI3Kα-specific inhibitor alpelisib (TREZILENT^®, Novartis) in managing patients with HR+/HER2- aBC/MBC and PIK3CA mutations while Senior Consultant Pathologist Professor Dr Pathmanathan Rajadurai explained the process of detecting PIK3CA mutations in patients.

Management of MDROs in the ICU and the role of newer antimicrobial agents

Prof. David Paterson, 30 Mar 2021

Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are at risk of developing serious infections with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), which require appropriate and adequate antibiotic coverage. Early empirical coverage is pivotal in saving patients’ lives. At a recent webinar co-organized by the Society of Infectious Disease (Singapore) and Pfizer, renowned Professor David Paterson, Professor of Medicine and Director, The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, and Consultant Infectious Diseases Physician, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane, Australia, discussed the role of newer antimicrobial agents, including ceftazidime-avibactam (Zavicefta) in the management of MDROs in the ICU. Dr Wong Sin Yew, Infectious Disease Physician at Gleneagles Medical Centre and Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre, Singapore, chaired the event.

The changing treatment landscape for premenopausal women with advanced breast cancer: Focus on ribociclib

Dr. Wong Seng Weng, Dr. Lee Guek Eng, 19 Mar 2021

In Singapore, advanced breast cancer (aBC) is the leading cause of cancer death in women 30–49 years of age. For premenopausal women diagnosed with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative BC, cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibitors provide new hope. Currently, ribociclib is the only CDK4/6 inhibitor studied in the first-line setting for premenopausal women with HR+/HER2- aBC, in the phase III MONALEESA-7 trial. Two experts, Dr Wong Seng Weng, Medical Director & Consultant Medical Oncologist at The Cancer Centre, Paragon Medical & Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre, and Dr Lee Guek Eng, Senior Consultant & Specialist in Medical Oncology at Icon Cancer Centre and Program Director of the Young Women Cancer Program, weigh in with their views on managing premenopausal women with aBC.

Optimizing metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer treatment in advanced prostate cancer

Assoc Prof. Darren Poon, Assoc Prof. Edmund Chiong, 14 Jan 2021

Metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) refers to the condition whereby patients have metastatic prostate cancer and no prior hormonal therapy or androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Typically, patients with mHSPC have been treated with ADT alone, following which, the overwhelming majority develop castration resistance over time and head towards eventual mortality. In recent years, the publication of various landmark trials has prompted dramatic changes in the mHSPC treatment landscape, and had favourably impacted overall survival (OS) in these patients. At a recent webinar, A/Prof Darren Poon, Honorary Consultant in Clinical Oncology, Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, and Honorary Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Clinical Oncology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, reviewed treatment options in mHSPC, while A/Prof Edmund Chiong, Head and Senior Consultant, Department of Urology, National University Hospital, Singapore, presented a case which was discussed by an esteemed panel of experts. This webinar was jointly organized by the Singapore Society of Oncology and the Singapore Urological Association, and supported by Astellas.

ALL treatment: Current settings, future goals

Roshini Claire Anthony, 08 Jan 2021

Significant advancements in the treatment of acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) in children have improved their outcomes. However, ALL treatment and eradication remain a major challenge in adults. In a recent webinar, two specialists from the US discussed current ALL treatment strategies and goals of future regimens.

Upfront ASCT + RVd improves PFS in NDMM

Roshini Claire Anthony, 16 Jul 2022

Upfront autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) plus lenalidomide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone (RVd) significantly improves progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM), results of the phase III DETERMINATION trial showed.

Second-line axi-cel improves EFS in elderly patients with R/R LBCL

Elaine Soliven, 16 Jul 2022

Second-line treatment with the CAR* T-cell therapy axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) led to significantly longer event-free survival (EFS) in patients aged ≥65 years with relapsed/refractory (R/R) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) compared with standard of care (SoC), according to a preplanned subgroup analysis of the ZUMA-7** trial presented at EHA 2022.

Trastuzumab deruxtecan for HER2-low breast cancer: A treatment for a new population

Roshini Claire Anthony, 14 Jul 2022

Trastuzumab deruxtecan led to greater survival outcomes than chemotherapy treatment of physician’s choice (TPC)* in patients with HER2-low** advanced breast cancer, according to results of a phase III trial presented at ASCO 2022.

Panitumumab + mFOLFOX6 ups OS in 1L left-sided RAS wild-type mCRC in Japanese trial

Christina Lau, 14 Jul 2022

Panitumumab plus modified FOLFOX6 (mFOLFOX6; fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin) as first-line therapy significantly improves overall survival (OS) vs bevacizumab plus mFOLFOX6 in patients with left-sided RAS wild-type (wt) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), results of the Japanese PARADIGM trial have shown.

Venetoclax-obinutuzumab ± ibrutinib induces PFS benefit in CLL

Roshini Claire Anthony, 13 Jul 2022

A time-limited regimen of venetoclax plus obinutuzumab with or without ibrutinib improved progression-free survival (PFS) in fit, treatment-naïve patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), according to results of the phase III GAIA/CLL13 trial presented at EHA 2022.

Can very low-risk breast cancer patients be spared from postop radiotherapy?

Audrey Abella, 12 Jul 2022

Adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) may be omitted in women with very low-risk breast cancer who have had breast conserving surgery (BCS) and have been receiving endocrine therapy, according to findings from the LUMINA study.

Quizartinib bounces back, doubles OS in FLT3-ITD-positive AML

Elvira Manzano, 09 Jul 2022

The oral FLT3 inhibitor quizartinib more than doubled overall survival (OS) when added to first-line chemotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed FLT3-ITD*-positive acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in the phase III QuANTUM-First** trial