Oncology

Bioengineers at Harvard have devised a chip with bone marrow to test chemotherapy and radiation-associated toxicity, bypassing the need to use animal models.

Cryotherapy, already being used for benign breast tumors and several other cancers, might prove effective in women with breast cancer tumors 1 cm or smaller in size.

Vintafolide, jointly being developed by Merck and Endocyte, failed to present efficacy on PFS in Phase 3 trials, resulting in early termination.

OncologyCloud, a platform developed by Flatiron Health, is already in partnership with more than 25 cancer centers to help address some of the bottlenecks in cancer care.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who experienced disease recurrence half a decade after surgery received a significantly higher dose of opioids postoperatively, researchers said here.

Patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck treated with hyperfractionated radiation therapy (HFX) experienced improved local-regional control and, with patients censored at five years, improved overall survival with no increase in late toxicity.

Demcizumab, a monoclonal antibody that targets the Notch signaling pathway, has been awarded an orphan drug status by the FDA in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

In this study, the authors engineered BMP4-secreting mesenchymal stem cells to study their effect on a glioblastoma mouse model.

An advisory panel to the CMS voted against recommending an annual low-dose CT scan for high-risk individuals citing no benefit over the harm of false-positives.

Validation studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery push availability of the DecisionDx-Mesothelioma molecular test through an early access program.

Following a FDA advisory earlier in the month of an increased risk of cancer spread, Johnson and Johnson suspended the global sale of a device used in fibroid surgery.

A company in Baltimore is personalizing cancer therapy by developing patient-derived tumor xenografts in mice to identify the most effective drugs for the patient.

By adopting ASCO's electronic data-sharing guide for it's breast cancer treatment, Athena hopes to improve coordination of care, registration submission and research.

Sativex,a cannabinoid developed together by GW Pharmaceuticals and Otsuka, receives FDA's Fast Track status for advanced cancer pain.

3D printing of tumors could provide a more physiological environment to boost cancer drug discovery and development.

The US FDA today approved Zykadia (ceritinib), a ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor developed by Novartis, for treatment of late-stage NSCLC.

The American Journal of Managed Care publishes a first-of-its-kind study comparing different types of health insurance plans and different levels of co-payment, to see how varieties of coverage affect access to therapeutic drug classes.

A collaboration between Aetna, MOASC Contracting Network and Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions aims to improve quality and cost of cancer care in California.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced results from the Phase III SYNERGY trial, a randomized, open-label, two-arm study comparing the combination of custirsen and standard first-line docetaxel/prednisone therapy to docetaxel/prednisone alone in men with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC)

Older breast cancer patients who received radiation treatment after surgery were more likely to undergo a more expensive and somewhat controversial type of radiation called brachytherapy if they got their care at for-profit rather than nonprofit hospitals, a new study reports.

PD-L1 protein levels could be an important biomarker to predict response to immunotherapy in NSCLC patients.

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has issued a new guideline, The Role of Postoperative Radiation Therapy for Endometrial Cancer: An ASTRO Evidence-Based Guideline, that details the use of adjuvant radiation therapy in the treatment of endometrial cancer. The guideline's executive summary is published in the May-June 2014 issue of Practical Radiation Oncology (PRO), the official clinical practice journal of ASTRO. The full-length guideline is available as an open-access article online.

Moffitt Cancer Center researchers say clinical trials for a new experimental drug to treat acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are very promising. Patients treated with CPX-351, a combination of the chemotherapeutic drugs cytarabine and daunorubicin, are showing better responses than patients treated with the standard drug formulation.

Chronic inflammation in benign prostate tissue is associated with high-grade prostate cancer, according to researchers.

Randomized trial to evaluate immune activation following treatment with immunotherapy combination. The open label design will allow for ongoing evaluation of clinical results from study.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first FDA-approved HPV DNA test for women 25 and older that can be used alone to help a health care professional assess the need for a woman to undergo additional diagnostic testing for cervical cancer. The test also can provide information about the patient's risk for developing cervical cancer in the future.

The expenses associated with cancer care in the United States are staggering and only expected to climb.

- QRxPharma (ASX: QRX and OTCQX: QRXPY) announced today that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee has voted to recommend against approval of Moxduo, an immediate release Dual Opioid® for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain. The Advisory Committee found the Company did not provide sufficient evidence to warrant approval of Moxduo at this time.