Oncology

Smoking cessation intervention during lung screening may encourage quitting

Roshini Claire Anthony, Yesterday

A smoking cessation intervention, introduced as part of lung health screening, may encourage quitting in about 30 percent of smokers, results of the UK-based YESS* trial showed.

Dip in serum cholesterol tied to higher pancreatic cancer risk

Tristan Manalac, Yesterday

A recent decrease in total cholesterol levels may signal an aggravated risk of pancreatic cancer, reports a study. On the other hand, high serum cholesterol in the preceding years may exert a protective effect against pancreatic cancer.

Original New Drug Application Approvals by US FDA (16 - 30 November 2022)

Yesterday

New drug applications approved by US FDA as of 16 - 30 November 2022 which includes New Molecular Entities (NMEs) and new biologics. It does not include Tentative Approvals. Supplemental approvals may have occurred since the original approval date.

Pembrolizumab extends RFS in stage II melanoma

MELTUMP, SAMPUS rarely lead to metastatic malignancies

3 days ago

There appears to be low to no metastatic potential for melanocytic tumours of uncertain malignant potential (MELTUMP) and superficial atypical melanocytic proliferations of uncertain significance (SAMPUS), a recent study has found.

First-line serplulimab + chemo ups survival in extensive-stage SCLC

Roshini Claire Anthony, 3 days ago

The addition of serplulimab to chemotherapy in the first-line setting improved overall survival (OS) in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC), according to results of the ASTRUM-005 trial.

Pharmacogenomic profiling of paediatric AML informs precision medicine

Natalia Reoutova, 4 days ago

A study by the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has found age-specific differences in drug responses and new gene-drug interactions in paediatric acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).

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.

Smoking cessation intervention during lung screening may encourage quitting

Roshini Claire Anthony, 05 Dec 2022

A smoking cessation intervention, introduced as part of lung health screening, may encourage quitting in about 30 percent of smokers, results of the UK-based YESS* trial showed.

FRESCO-2: Fruquintinib improves OS in heavily pretreated mCRC

Elaine Soliven, 30 Nov 2022

Fruquintinib, a highly selective and potent oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor of VEGFR*-1, -2, and -3, significantly improves overall survival (OS) in heavily pretreated patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), according to the FRESCO-2** trial presented at ESMO 2022.

KEYNOTE-240 4.5-year follow-up supports pembrolizumab’s role in 2L advanced HCC treatment

Christina Lau, 11 Nov 2022

An extended 4.5-year follow-up of the phase III KEYNOTE-240 trial showed that pembrolizumab continued to provide clinically meaningful improvements in the dual primary endpoints of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), with a manageable safety profile, vs placebo in patients with sorafenib-treated advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Atezolizumab bests chemo in advanced NSCLC

Elvira Manzano, 09 Nov 2022

First-line immunotherapy treatment with atezolizumab – a PD-L1 inhibitor – offers a survival advantage over single-agent chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are ineligible for platinum doublets in the phase III IPSOS trial.

TIL therapy improves PFS in patients with advanced melanoma

Elaine Soliven, 09 Nov 2022

Tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with advanced melanoma compared with standard-of-care treatment with ipilimumab, according to the M14TIL trial presented at ESMO 2022.

COSMIC-313: Adding cabozantinib to nivo-ipi may improve PFS in advanced RCC

Roshini Claire Anthony, 04 Nov 2022

The combination of nivolumab, ipilimumab, and cabozantinib improved progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with previously untreated, advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) of intermediate or poor risk as per IMDC* criteria, results of the phase III COSMIC-313 trial showed.

NADIM II suggests PFS, OS benefits of nivolumab + chemo in resectable NSCLC

Roshini Claire Anthony, 02 Nov 2022

Adding nivolumab to paclitaxel-carboplatin chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting boosted progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with resectable stage IIIA–B non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to results of the phase II NADIM II trial from Spain.