A Collection of Hematology & Oncology Articles
The practice of oncology and hematology is in constant evolution. These articles highlight some of the most notable advancements and discoveries in the modern medical world. We invite you to use this site frequently and collaborate with medical professionals across the globe.
Welcome
At Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS), our physicians and advanced practice providers are deeply vested in clinical research to provide the most cutting-edge treatment options available to our patients. In our own practices we are fortunate to offer over 300 clinical trials across 37 locations including 3 dedicated Phase 1 Drug Development Units. We value every opportunity to share best practices and the latest research both within and outside of our institution. We welcome you to use this collection as a resource to support your own research and understanding as we strive together to advance cancer care one step at a time.
Recent Articles
Orca-T vs allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Precision-T): a multicenter, randomized phase 3 trial Open Access
This is an impressive advance in allo transplant, Orca-T cutting moderate–severe cGVHD dramatically (≈13% vs 44%) and nearly doubling cGVHD-free survival at 1 year (78% vs 38%) while also lowering NRM and serious infections is hard to ignore. Overall survival (OS) isn’t statistically different yet, but the combination of better disease control, less toxicity, and preserved immune reconstitution makes this feel like a meaningful step toward safer, more “engineered” transplants rather than just better immunosuppression.
Immune thrombocytopenia in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors Available to Purchase
This is a nice reminder that immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI)-associated immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is uncommon but definitely not benign~1 in 400 incidence with a meaningful subset recurring on rechallenge of 30%, and while most patients recover, severity clearly tracks with worse outcomes including higher mortality. It reinforces that even “rare” hematologic irAEs can carry real clinical weight, so early recognition and thoughtful decisions around rechallenge are key.
Asciminib demonstrates superior efficacy and safety in newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia in the ASC4FIRST trial Open Access
This is starting to look like a real frontline disruptor in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), asciminib showing a pretty striking ~22% absolute improvement in MMR at 96 weeks vs investigator-selected TKIs (and nearly 30% over imatinib) with a cleaner tolerability profile makes a strong case for moving beyond ATP-competitive tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) upfront. The efficacy signal is consistent across depths of response and durability looks excellent, with fewer discontinuations, overall survival (OS) will take time, but this feels very competitive as a new standard option.
Threshold Dose-Response Association Between Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Young-Onset Pancreatic Cancer: A Nationwide Korean Cohort Study of Young Adults Age 20-39 Years
In this Korean retrospective review of >6MM patients, heavy ethanol consumption in patients between 20-39 years of age was associated with associated with about a 20% increased risk of pancreatic cancer. This should be taken with a grain of salt (not on your margarita) but does suggest a dose dependent effect of ethanol use and pancreatic cancer risk.
Thromboembolic Events During Perioperative Therapy for Resectable and Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer in the PREOPANC-2 Trial
Interesting study that quantifies the risk of Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing neo(adjuvant) treatment. Risk was about 9% overall, underscoring the need to be aware and potentially provide prophylaxis where appropriate.
Neoadjuvant GOLP in Resectable High-Risk Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma
This ZSAB‑neoGOLP trial is one of the first randomized neoadjuvant studies in high‑risk resectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Neoadjuvant GOLP (gem‑ox + lenvatinib + toripalimab) nearly doubled median event‑free survival, 18.0 vs 8.7 months—and significantly reduced early recurrence, with a strong EFS P<0.001. Two‑year overall survival (OS) numerically favored the neoadjuvant arm (79% vs 61%), though it didn’t cross the stringent interim boundary. Toxicity was manageable (≈28% grade ≥3 during neoadjuvant therapy) and surgery remained feasible, making this a compelling strategy for high‑risk intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) pending longer follow‑up and approval.
Fixed-Duration versus Continuous Treatment for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
CLL17 shows that fixed‑duration venetoclax–obinutuzumab or venetoclax–ibrutinib is noninferior to continuous ibrutinib upfront, with 3‑year PFS ≈80% across all arms. The big difference is depth of response, undetectable MRD was 73% with venetoclax–obinutuzumab, 47% with venetoclax–ibrutinib, and 0% with ibrutinib. Toxicities tracked with mechanism (more cytopenias/infusion reactions with ven‑obinutuzumab, more cardiac events with ibrutinib). Overall, this strongly supports time‑limited therapy as a frontline standard for many chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients.
Romiplostim versus Placebo for Chemotherapy-Induced Thrombocytopenia
This is the first phase 3 data we’ve had for chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia, and romiplostim really moved the needle, 84% of patients were able to avoid CIT-driven dose reductions or delays versus just 36% with placebo, with a risk ratio of 2.8. Platelet nadirs were higher, responses were faster (median ≈1 week), and relative dose intensity was meaningfully better maintained across cycles. Bleeding wasn’t significantly different, but events were numerically lower, and this study wasn’t powered for that. Toxicity was largely chemo-related, with a small signal for thromboembolism (2%), so overall this feels like a practical tool to help maintain dose intensity in gastrointestinal tract (GI) cancers getting oxaliplatin-based regimens.
FCS Physician Focus
Plasma Proteome–Based Test for First-Line Treatment Selection in Metastatic Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
FCS medical oncologist and hematologist Ernesto Bustinza-Linares, MD has co-authored an abstract published in the American Society of Clinical Oncology Journal, JCO Precision Oncology, that uncovers a new testing method to determine personalized care options for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The abstract’s authors address the limitations of existing guidelines that recommend checkpoint immunotherapy, sometimes in combination with chemotherapy, for treating NSCLC, which often discounts patient variability and immune factors. The findings from the study show that by incorporating additional plasma proteome-based testing, combined with the standard protein inhibitor testing, clear differences in patient outcomes were observed after applying targeted treatments based on the testing results.
Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute