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
Molecular profile-based adjuvant treatment for women with high-intermediate risk endometrial cancer (PORTEC-4a): results of a randomised, open-label, phase 3, multicentre, non-inferiority trial
The PORTEC-4a phase-3 trial showed that using a molecular integrated risk profile to tailor adjuvant therapy after surgery for high-intermediate risk endometrial cancer is safe and effective, and it lets nearly half of patients with favorable profiles avoid any radiation without compromising local control.
Nivolumab for Resected Stage III or IV Melanoma 9 Years
The 9-year CheckMate 238 data show that adjuvant Nivo maintains a significant recurrent-free survival (RFS) advantage over the International Prognostic Index (Ipi) (median 61.1 vs 24.2 months; 9-year RFS 44% vs 37%) without a statistically significant overall survival (OS) difference (69% vs 65% at 9 years). OS is similar but I think this may highlight the shift towards neoadjuvant immunotherapy (IO) and effective salvage therapies.
PROs vs clinician-reported adverse events in a large clinical trial: findings from the phase 3 POLARIX study Open Access
This review of patient-reported outcomes (PRO’s) monitoring on the POLARIX trial highlights the usefulness of this technology in our practice. We may see more of these systems in place in the future as more cellular therapy becomes available in the community setting.
Atezolizumab With Bevacizumab and Nonplatinum Chemotherapy for Recurrent Ovarian Cancer: Final Results From the Placebo-Controlled AGO-OVAR 2.29/ENGOT-ov34 Phase III Trial
This is another well-done study that, frankly, confirms what we’ve seen elsewhere—PDL1 inhibition does not seem to meaningfully change outcomes in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, even when added to chemo + bev.
Amivantamab Plus Lazertinib in Atypical EGFR-Mutated Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: Results From CHRYSALIS-2
The CHRYSALIS-2, the cohort C analysis of patients with atypical EGFR mutations showed meaningful and durable activity. Atypical mutations can be difficult to deal with as a clinician, and having concrete data on these (S768I, L861Q and G719ZX) mutations gives assurance that this doublet is active. Overall response rate (ORR) was 52% and median progression-free survival (PFS) was 11.1 months in refractory patients and 19.5 months in the treatment-naive population.
Efficacy and Safety of Neoadjuvant TQB2102 in Locally Advanced or Early Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2–Positive Breast Cancer: A Randomized, Open-Label, Multicenter, Phase II Trial
The QUIWI study used quizartinib, a FLT3 drug added to standard chemo induction/consolidation in FLT-negative acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. There was a meaningful overall survival (OS) improvement across all age and risk groups including the NPM1+ population. They purposefully used a higher dose to achieve what is felt to be off-target TKI activity in familiar pathways of KIT, PDGRF…etc.
CD19 CAR T-Cell Therapy for Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia
This is a remarkable proof-of-concept study—11 out of 11 patients with multi-refractory AIHA achieved complete remission after CD19 CART, with rapid Hb normalization and a median drug-free remission of 11.5 months. Toxicity was surprisingly manageable (mostly grade 1–2 cytokine release syndrome (CRS)), and the relapse biology pointing to BCMA+ long-lived plasma cells really sets up a rational next step with plasma cell–directed strategies.
Survival with Osimertinib plus Chemotherapy in EGFR-Mutated Advanced NSCLC
The final overall survival (OS) analysis from the FLAURA2 confirms the well-published findings that Osi + chemo improves survival over Osi monotherapy. OS difference was about 10 months at 47 vs 37 months, with a predictable toxicity tradeoff.
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