May 2015, Vol 6, No 4

All patients with smoldering or asymptomatic multiple myeloma should undergo whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or pelvic and spinal MRI if whole body is unavailable, according to recommendations from the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG). The presence of >1 focal lesions >5 mm should be considered diagnostic for symptomatic myeloma requiring therapy.

Geneva, Switzerland—Circulating DNA (ctDNA) in the blood of patients with cancer appears to detect lung cancer mutations, providing similar information to tumor tissue sampling, according to a study presented at the 2015 European Lung Cancer Conference. This makes blood testing for ctDNA an attractive option when tumor tissue sampling is not accessible.

Geneva, Switzerland—A study with ­real-world data showed that almost 1 in 4 (24%) patients with advanced lung cancer are not receiving appropriate testing for EGFR mutations, even though guidelines recommend this genetic test to guide the selection of the most appropriate therapy.

Hollywood, FL—Switching therapy in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) should be considered in those who have a suboptimal response to a first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) at 3 months, said Jerald P. Radich, MD, Director of the Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, and Vice Chair of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline panel on CML. He discussed the management of patients with CML at the 2015 NCCN conference.

Hollywood, FL—New targeted agents in multiple myeloma will turn it into a chronic illness, with sustained complete response possible in a significant fraction of patients, predicted Kenneth C. Anderson, MD, Director, Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, at his presentation at the 2015 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) conference.

Philadelphia, PA—Immunotherapy with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) was safe and effective in the treatment of patients with previously treated as well as treatment-naïve patients with advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to results of the KEYNOTE-001 trial, said Edward B. Garon, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, who presented these data at the 2015 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) meeting.

Philadelphia, PA—The use of the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, olaparib (Lynparza), plus carboplatin chemotherapy shows promising activity in patients with recurrent breast or ovarian cancer; furthermore, the order of administration of these therapies did not affect the occurrence of side effects, according to new data from a phase 1 clinical trial presented at the 2015 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) meeting.

Philadelphia, PA—Several retrospective studies have shown that metformin is associated with longer survival in patients with cancer, including pancreatic cancer. However, in a new study led by Roongruedee Chaiteerakij, MD, PhD, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Rochester, MN, metformin did not improve survival for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The results were presented at the 2015 American Association for Cancer Research meeting.

Philadelphia, PA—Over the next 15 years, up to a 50% increase is projected in the number of breast cancer cases, according to a study from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The incidence of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancers, diagnosed mostly by mammography, is projected to increase, whereas cases of ER-negative cancers, the more-difficult-to-treat cancers, are projected to decrease. ER-positive in situ cancers are expected to increase by approximately 50% and ER-negative cancers are expected to decrease by approximately 50% by 2030.

Philadelphia, PA—High levels of KRAS mutations in plasma circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) predict worse overall survival (OS), whereas low levels of KRAS mutations in plasma ctDNA indicate improved OS in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.