Malaysia
Search
Sign In
Oncology
Top Medical News
Exposure to any antibiotics appears to contribute to an increase in the risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), with the risk rising as the cumulative days of exposure increases, according to a study.
Treatment with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) yields similar rates of recurrence and overall survival as does entecavir in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), according to a study.
For people undergoing chemotherapy, tuning in to some music may help soothe nausea symptoms, as reported in a small pilot study.
Moderate consumption of virgin olive oil (VOO) daily appears to help reduce the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, reports a study. However, such effects are not found in common olive oil.
In Singapore, public awareness of oral cancer is limited compared with other common cancers, a survey suggests.
More than 6 cycles of extended adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ) therapy may result in better overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with glioblastoma multiform, suggests a study.
Combination treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and chemotherapy is associated with a higher risk of venous thromboembolic events (VTE) in adult cancer patients, reveals a study. In addition, a similar VTE disease course is seen after ICI exposure, irrespective of other immune-related adverse events (irAEs).
Special Reports
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve with
the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants. The variants of concern have the
potential to impact the transmissibility, virulence, and clinical presentation
of the disease, affecting the epidemiology, public health measures, and
diagnostic and therapeutic options. Mutations in the spike protein of the virus
have increased its ability to infect humans and evade neutralization by natural
or immunisation-induced antibodies. The highly mutated Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2
has multiple sublineages with varying transmissibility and immune evasion
potential. Pre-exposure prophylaxis plays a crucial role in protecting the
immunocompromised populations against severe disease; however, the rapidly
changing landscape of the variants poses a major challenge to the current and
future effectiveness of pre-exposure prophylactic monoclonal antibodies.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Conference Reports
Triplet therapy with darolutamide, androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) and docetaxel improves overall survival (OS) by approximately 30 percent vs ADT plus docetaxel in most disease volume and risk subgroups of patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC), a post hoc analysis of the phase III ARASENS trial has shown.
Treatment with rucaparib significantly improved radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), particularly those with BRCA alterations, compared with the physician’s choice of therapy of docetaxel or a second-generation ARPI*, according to the TRITON3 trial presented at ASCO GU 2023.
The combination of nivolumab (NIVO) with either chemotherapy (chemo) or ipilimumab (IPI) continues to confer overall survival (OS) benefit as first-line treatment for patients with advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) compared with chemo alone, according to updated results of the CheckMate 648 trial presented at ASCO GI 2023.
In the extended follow up of the phase III CheckMate 274 trial, nivolumab continued to show benefit for patients with muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma (MIUC; bladder, ureter, or renal pelvis) who were at high risk for recurrence following bladder resection.
Adding regorafenib to best supportive care improves outcomes in patients with refractory advanced gastroesophageal cancer who have limited options following failure of second-line therapy, with no new toxicity signals.
In a post hoc analysis of the phase III ARASENS study, the triplet regimen comprising darolutamide, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), and docetaxel continued to show overall survival (OS) benefit for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) irrespective of disease volume and risk.
Rucaparib significantly improves radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) vs physician’s choice of docetaxel, abiraterone acetate or enzalutamide in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) harbouring BRCA alterations whose disease has progressed after treatment with a second-generation androgen-receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI), results of the phase III TRITON3 trial have shown.
Multimedia
