The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated 4D Path’s software a breakthrough device as a possible way to achieve a faster and more accurate breast cancer diagnosis based on tissue taken in a breast biopsy or resection. Named 4D Q-plasia OncoReader Breast, the software is intended to aid doctors in evaluating biopsies and resections (tumors that are surgically…
About Cancer
Cancer, also called malignancy, is an abnormal growth of cells with the potential to invade or spread to surrounding tissues and structures found within the body. There are more than 100 types of cancer. A few examples include breast cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and lymphoma. According to the American Cancer Society, 4 out of 10 people will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime. Cancer prevalence has given rise to multiple medical specialties focused on symptom management and disease management. Current treatment options depending on the form of cancer include chemotherapy, radiation, blood or bone marrow transfusions, and/or surgery. Lifetime prognosis of cancer mortality is dependent on the type of cancer and is heavily conditional to early detection.
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Cancer News
China Approves Xgeva to Prevent Bone Events Due to Multiple Myeloma, Other Cancers
Xgeva (denosumab) has been approved by the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to prevent bone problems — such as fractures, spinal cord compressions, and the need for radiation or surgery — in people with multiple myeloma and in those with bone metastases from solid tumors. Xgeva was previously approved in China to treat adults, and adolescents…
Merck Halts Phase 3 Trial on Yervoy-Keytruda Combo in Advanced Lung Cancer
Merck has decided to suspend its Phase 3 trial that was assessing a combination of Yervoy (ipilimumab) and Keytruda (pembrolizumab) as a first-line therapy for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the company announced in a press release. The decision to halt the study was based on recommendations from an independent data monitoring committee,…
PCF Helps Fund 2 Centers of Excellence to Treat Veterans With Prostate Cancer
The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) has committed $5 million to support the launch of two new Centers of Excellence that will provide precision medicine treatments to veterans with prostate cancer. The centers are being launched in collaboration with the Veterans Administration Boston Healthcare System, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the VA Portland Health Care System, and…
ALKS 4230-Keytruda Combo Found to Reduce Tumor Size, Halt Disease Progression
The combination of Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and ALKS 4230 was able to halt disease progression and reduce tumor size in a small group of heavily pre-treated patients with advanced ovarian cancer, according to data from an ongoing Phase 1/2 trial. Findings from the trial, called ARTISTRY-1 (NCT02799095), also showed the combination therapy had a manageable safety…
New $100M Program Aims to Improve Diversity in Clinical Trials
A new $100-million program aims to improve the diversity of participants in U.S. clinical trials with the ultimate goal of achieving better health outcomes and parity in care for underserved patient populations. The initiative seeks to extend the reach of clinical studies to underserved populations in the nation’s urban and rural communities, and promote treatment development…
FDA Grants Fast Track Status, Rolling Review to Lumicell’s LUM Imaging System
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted fast track designation with rolling review to Lumicell’s LUM Imaging System for the detection and treatment of breast cancer. Fast track is given to accelerate the development and review of investigational therapies aimed at treating serious or life-threatening conditions, and addressing an unmet medical need. With…
Clinical Trial to Test CRISPR-modified T-cells in Treating Advanced Cancers
Immune cells that have been genetically engineered using CRISPR technology will be tested for a first time as a potential treatment of metastatic gastrointestinal cancer in a clinical trial. The Phase 1/2 trial (NCT04426669) is enrolling up to 20 eligible patients at the University of Minnesota’s Masonic Cancer Center. Contact information for this single-site study can be…
Puerto Rico to Test miR’s ‘Liquid Biopsy’ in Detecting Prostate Cancers
The Puerto Rico Health Insurance Administration (ASES) has signed an agreement with miR Scientific to evaluate the economic and health benefits of using the miR Sentinel PCC4 Assay, also called the miR Sentinel Prostate Test, to alleviate the burden of prostate cancer in the U.S. territory. Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer and…
Study to Examine if Blood Test Can Detect Cancer Early in Low-Risk Women
The University of Texas’ MD Anderson Cancer Center, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute and Golfers Against Cancer, is evaluating the usefulness of a blood test called CA-125 at detecting ovarian cancer at early stages in low-risk women. Cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) is a protein found at higher levels in people with ovarian and other types of cancer.…
Phase 3 Study of Epcoritamab for Advanced DLBCL to Open in Europe, Australia
Genmab is launching a Phase 3 clinical trial investigating its bispecific antibody epcoritamab as a treatment for relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients who fail to respond to, or are ineligible for, autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). The open-label trial (NCT04628494) is expected to enroll up to 480 people whose tumors are positive…
FDA Approves Keytruda-chemo Combo for Advanced TNBC Positive for PD-L1
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Keytruda (pembrolizumab), in combination with chemotherapy, to treat people with advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and at least 10% of tumor cells positive for PD-L1. The indication includes patients with locally recurrent and inoperable or metastatic tumors, not previously treated with chemotherapy. Tumor PD-L1 status will be…