Oncology

Cost, convenience main barriers to colonoscopy screening for CRC

Tristan Manalac, Yesterday

Perceived barriers to healthcare, such as cost and inconvenience, discourage patients with positive faecal immunochemical test (FIT) results from undergoing follow-up colonoscopy for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, according to a recent Singapore study.

Dual therapy confers no survival gains in advanced renal cell carcinoma

3 days ago

Dual therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors does not appear to prolong overall survival as compared with sunitinib alone for advanced renal cell carcinoma patients with favourable risk, according to the results of a meta-analysis.

Sintilimab-chemo a new first-line treatment alternative for GI cancers?

Audrey Abella, 4 days ago

Interim results of two phase III ORIENT trials presented at ESMO 2021 underscore the potential of a combination regimen comprising the PD-1 inhibitor sintilimab and chemotherapy (CT) as a first-line therapeutic alternative for gastrointestinal cancers, particularly advanced, recurrent, or metastatic oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and gastric/gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) adenocarcinoma.

Age, sex, certain drugs up risk of advanced colorectal neoplasia in CKD

5 days ago

The risk of developing advanced colorectal neoplasia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is strongly associated with older age, male sex, and exposure to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents and azathioprine, a study has found.

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.

Carfilzomib-based triplet regimen a potential upfront treatment for high-risk MM

Pearl Toh, 22 Oct 2020

The combination therapy comprising carfilzomib, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone (KCd) is effective, with a tolerable safety profile, in an Asian cohort with high-risk multiple myeloma (MM) — thus providing a more economical alternative as a potential upfront regimen in resource-limited settings, according to leading experts during a myeloma education webinar.

Sintilimab-chemo a new first-line treatment alternative for GI cancers?

Audrey Abella, 22 Sep 2021

T-Dxd improves PFS vs T-DM1 in second-line HER2-positive mBC treatment

Christina Lau, 21 Sep 2021

Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-Dxd) provides a highly clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) vs trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) in second-line treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (mBC), results of the phase III DESTINY-Breast03 trial have shown.

Lenvatinib-pembrolizumab improves OS, PFS in advanced endometrial carcinoma regardless of DNA MMR status

Roshini Claire Anthony, 16 Sep 2021

The combination of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared with physician’s choice of treatment (TPC) among patients with advanced endometrial cancer with prior exposure to platinum-based therapy, regardless of DNA mismatch repair (MMR) status, according to results of a phase III study presented at IGCS 2021.

Intensive follow-up does not improve survival in endometrial cancer

Roshini Claire Anthony, 13 Sep 2021

Intensive follow-up for 5 years did not improve overall survival (OS) or relapse-free survival (RFS) in patients who have undergone surgical treatment for endometrial cancer, according to results of the TOTEM study presented at IGCS 2021.

Cemiplimab extends OS in recurrent/metastatic cervical cancer

Roshini Claire Anthony, 10 Sep 2021

Cemiplimab appears to extend overall survival (OS) compared with investigator’s choice (IC) of chemotherapy in patients with recurrent or metastatic (R/M) cervical cancer who have progressed on first-line platinum-based chemotherapy, results of the phase III EMPOWER-Cervical 1/GOG-3016/ENGOT-cx9 trial showed.

Reduced-dose S1 + oxaliplatin combo therapy preserves QoL in older patients with mCRC

Elaine Soliven, 10 Sep 2021

The combination of reduced-dose S1 and oxaliplatin (SOx) chemotherapy preserves quality of life (QoL) and physical function in vulnerable older patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), according to a subgroup analysis of the NORDIC9* study presented at ESMO GI 2021.