May 19, 2016
October 2014, Vol 3, No 7
Personalized Medicine in Oncology Proudly Presents the Third Annual World Cutaneous Malignancies Congress and PMO Live: A Global Biomarkers Consortium Initiative
Dear Colleague, Personalized Medicine in Oncology (PMO) is pleased to present the third annual meetings of both the World Cutaneous Malignancies Congress (WCMC) and PMO Live: A Global Biomarkers Consortium Initiative. These will take place consecutively in San Francisco, California, October 29 – November 1, 2014. As Coeditor in Chief [ Read More ]
Letter to Our ReadersPersistence and the Expedition to Mine the Immune System for Cancer Cures:
An Interview with Dr James Allison of MD Anderson Cancer Center
The recent triumphant emergence of immuno-oncology as a powerful cancer treatment venue with rich potential has the oncology community’s full attention. While the spell lasts, we do well to learn not only the empirical considerations of this stunning “overnight success after a 30-year quest,†but the underlying principles that sustained [ Read More ]
Interview with the InnovatorsPredictors of Hormone Responsiveness in Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the most common noncutaneous cancer in men and the second most common cause of cancer-related death.1 Normal prostate cells and prostate cancer cells require the presence of androgen for growth and survival. In advanced prostate cancer, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), medically or surgically, has been the mainstay. [ Read More ]
Prostate CancerThe Third Annual World Cutaneous Malignancies Congress
The Third Annual World Cutaneous Malignancies Congress (WCMC) will take place in San Francisco, California, on October 29-31, 2014. The WCMC is a 2-day congress dedicated to informing, educating, and fostering the exchange of clinically relevant information in the field of cutaneous malignancies on topics in melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, [ Read More ]
The Third Annual PMO Live: A Global Biomarkers Consortium Initiative
The Third Annual PMO Live: A Global Biomarkers Consortium Initiative (formerly known as Global Biomarkers Consortium) will take place in San Francisco, California, on October 31 – November 1, 2014. PMO Live is the only global meeting dedicated to advancing the understanding of value and clinical impact of biomarker research [ Read More ]
Novel Treatment-Specific Genetic Marker on the Horizon
One of the areas of personalized medicine that has signaled a new era is the development of genetic signatures that can be used to select therapy that is likely to be effective in separate disease sites: for example, Oncotype DX for breast and colon cancer and MammaPrint for breast cancer. [ Read More ]
Combo of BRAF and MEK Inhibitors Improves Survival in Advanced Melanoma
Combination therapy with a BRAF and a MEK inhibitor improves outcomes in advanced BRAF-positive melanoma, according to 2 phase 3 studies presented at the 2014 ESMO Congress. These studies support the hypothesis that inhibition of both BRAF and MEK will improve survival in melanoma by overcoming the mechanism of acquired [ Read More ]
UncategorizedNivolumab: Impressive Responses in Melanoma
Immunotherapy marches on showing continued progress in treating advanced melanoma. At the recent ESMO 2014 Congress, first reports from a phase 3 study showed that the monoclonal anti–PD-1 antibody nivolumab achieved superior responses and longer duration of response compared with standard chemotherapy in the second- or third-line treatment of patients [ Read More ]
UncategorizedRecord-Breaking Survival in HER2 Metastatic Breast Cancer
Final results of the CLEOPATRA trial show that dual HER2 blockade with the combination of pertuzumab and trastuzumab plus chemotherapy extended overall survival (OS) by almost 16 months compared with trastuzuÂmab plus chemotherapy in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. This should become the new standard of care for metastatic [ Read More ]
UncategorizedHER2-Derived Vaccine Cuts Recurrences in High-Risk Breast Cancer
A vaccine derived from the GP2 peptide was safe and reduced the rate of breast cancer recurrence in women with high-risk breast cancer in a phase 2 clinical trial. The vaccine was particularly effective in reducing recurrence in women with HER2 overexpression, reported Elizabeth Mittendorf, MD, PhD, at the 2014 [ Read More ]
LH-RH Agonist Preserves Fertility When Added to Chemotherapy in Younger Breast Cancer Patients
A second study adds to the body of evidence that adding a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) analog to chemotherapy as treatment for breast cancer increases a younger woman’s likelihood of resuming menses and becoming pregnant. The new data, presented at the 2014 ASCO Breast Cancer Symposium, come from a long-term [ Read More ]