Hematology

An analysis presented at the 59th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology showed that against a 3-year horizon, ibrutinib succeeds in overall survival (OS) and progression free suvrvival (PFS) over hematopoetic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) in the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia with 17p deletion. Against a lifetime horizon, ibrutinib still proved to be superior in OS and PFS over HSCT, but is no longer cost saving as treatment costs continue.

Landmark study shows clot-busting drugs not recommended for most patients with secondary blood clots in the legs.

A systematic review of the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) found elevated reporting for both tofacitinib (Xeljanz) and ruxolitinib (Jakafi) for thromboembolic adverse events (AEs), suggesting the possibility of a class-wide issue with Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors.

A panel on the importance of clinical and non-clinical stakeholders in a patient’s care trajectory brought together a diverse group of stakeholders at The American Journal of Managed Care®’s Patient-Centered Oncology Care® meeting.

While African Americans are 3 times more likely than Caucasians to be diagnosed with multiple myeloma (MM)—and twice as likely to die of the disease—they are underrepresented in MM disease research.

A study published in JAMA Oncology found that a significant number of patients newly diagnosed with cancer have had a prior cancer. The prevalence differed among age group and incident cancer type.

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy should be the first line of treatment for certain prostate cancers and lymphomas with a major genetic weakness, according to researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.

An early-stage trial in pediatric and young adult patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) has found that modifying the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells to target the CD22 receptor achieved remission.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors may have proven benefits for treating metastatic breast cancer, but the therapies are associated with hematological toxicities and febrile neutropenia.

Recently reported results from Hydroxyurea Study of Long-Term Effects (HUSTLE) support the use of hydroxyurea in children, and indicate that a preferred dosing strategy should target an HbF endpoint of greater than 20%.

Roche had 2 drugs approved by the FDA—one that is the first approved treatment for a rare blood disease and the other is approved as a first-line treatment for anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive metastatic non–small cell lung cancer.

Research into GSK-3 inhibition in cells may have implications for leukemia treatment.

Bayer has announced the FDA’s acceptance of its Biologics License Application (BLA) for BAY94-9027 for the treatment of hemophilia A in adults and adolescents aged 12 years or older.

Mantle cell lymphoma is an aggressive type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Acalabrutinib (Calquence) is a kinase inhibitor that works by blocking an enzyme the cancer needs to multiply and spread.

Results of the Phase 3 ARROW trial revealed that patiehts with refractory multiple myeloma can live up to 3.6 months longer, without their disease worsening, when Kyprolis (carfilzomib) is administered once-weekly at the 70 mg/m2 dose with dexamethasone rather than Kyprolis administered twice-weekly at the 27 mg/m2 dose with dexamethasone, according to Amgen.

Researchers developed additional guidance for using granulocyte colony-stimulating factors to optimize pegfilgrastim use in clinical practices for patients at risk of chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia.

CD19 CAR T cells are highly effective in high-risk patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who have failed to respond to treatment with ibrutinib, a Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor, according to a new study.

Aimee Tharaldson, PharmD, of Express Scripts kicked off the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2017 Nexus, held October 16-19 in Dallas, Texas, with a presentation on the pipeline of specialty pharmaceuticals in development.

The study found that young patients with leukemia who have been vaccinated against the influenza virus are as susceptible to develop flu as their unvaccinated peers.

With the clinical and financial implications of high-cost medications, and their impact on health system revenue, it is of utmost importance for all key stakeholders to be engaged in the complex revenue cycle.

A recent study found that excess body fat in the abdomen and pelvis may predict poor treatment response in patients with multiple myeloma.

Evidence-Based OncologyTM sat down with Brandon R. Shank, PharmD, MPH, BCOP, clinical pharmacy specialist, Division of Pharmacy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, to understand a pharmacist's role in administering chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells.

Following the phase 3 ENDEAVOR trial that compared 2 proteasome inhibitors-carfilzomib and bortezomib-in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma patients, researchers conducted a second interim analysis to compare the overall survival between the 2 groups.

A recent survey by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society found that the majority of adults are surprised by the prevalence of blood cancers-specifically the prevalence of acute lymphocytic leukemia among children and young adults.

A recent report, “Toxicology Cluster Chemotherapy Related Toxicity Drug Development Pipeline Review, 2017,” presents a summary of drugs in development to treat chemotherapy-related toxicities.

New results published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report have identified a surge in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) during the period 2001 to 2008, followed by stabilization during 2008 to 2014.

Patients with relapsed follicular lymphoma now have a new treatment option: copanlisib, a kinase inhibitor that was recently approved through the FDA’s accelerated approval process.

The assumption in the United States is that once someone with cancer is cured, done with treatment, and healthy, that they are now okay. However, the reality is that survivors contend with lingering challenges that aren’t visible and make it difficult for them to ask for help or admit they need it.