touchREVIEWS in Oncology & Haematology – Volume 18, Issue 2 – 2022

Welcome to the latest edition of touchREVIEWS in Oncology & Haematology, which features a wealth of topical and practical content for oncologists and haematologists, as well as being of interest to the wider medical community. We open with an editorial by Joseph Franz and Sagar Lonial, looking at the potential of the ATLAS trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: […]

The optimal maintenance approach postautologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) for patients with multiple myeloma is still an area of ongoing research. Lenalidomide has demonstrated clear superiority in clinical trials compared to placebo, and continuous post-transplant lenalidomide until progression is considered standard of care. All patients, however, do not derive equal benefit from single-agent lenalidomide, and […]

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a biologically aggressive form of breast cancer defined by the absence of the oestrogen receptor and progesterone receptor, as well as lack of amplification of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). TNBC accounts for up to 20% of breast cancers, and metastatic TNBC (mTNBC) is associated with worse […]

Until recently, treatment options for metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) have been limited to a cytotoxic chemotherapy with or without an anti-epithelial growth-factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibody, namely cetuximab and panitumumab, or an anti-angiogenic agent such as bevacizumab, aflibercept or ramucirumab. For subsequent lines of treatment, the tyrosine kinase inhibitor regorafenib is an important part of […]

Cancers of the oesophagus and oesophagogastric junction (OGJ), termed upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancers, are lethal and constitute a significant public health problem. In 2020, 604,000 cases and 544,000 UGI cancer-related deaths were estimated worldwide.1 UGI cancers are the seventh most frequently diagnosed cancer and the sixth most common cause of cancer-related death.1 In the USA, there were […]

Bladder cancer (BC) is the sixth most common cancer in the world, accounting for 81,180 estimated new cases and 17,100 deaths in 2022.1 BC is most frequently diagnosed among people aged 65–74 years.1 For patients with disease limited to the bladder, the depth of invasion of the primary tumour is the most important prognostic variable in […]

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has been the cornerstone of the treatment of metastatic prostate carcinoma for over 70 years, ever since Huggins and Hodges first treated men with prostate carcinoma with orchidectomy or oestrogen injection in 1941.1 However, the treatment landscape of metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) has changed rapidly over the past decade, with level […]

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) encompass a diverse group of tumours arising from the nasopharynx, oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx and larynx. Tobacco and alcohol abuse are risk factors for the development of HNSCC, particularly oral cavity, hypopharyngeal and laryngeal cancers, whereas Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) and human papillomavirus (HPV) can mediate tumourigenesis in nasopharyngeal […]

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a heterogeneous haematological malignancy characterized by the presence of ≥20% blasts in bone marrow or peripheral blood or the presence of defined genetic abnormalities.1 In 2020, there were an estimated 21,450 new patients with AML and 11,180 AML-related deaths in the USA.2 Most mutated myeloid stem cells proliferate due to genetic alterations, […]

Treatment options for myeloma have rapidly expanded in the past decade and, as with many cancers, the number of oral drug options has increased considerably. Given the more limited number of cancer hospitals, patients often must travel considerable distance to get to their closest cancer centre, which places a significant burden on receiving adequate therapy. […]

Chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression has long been considered a toxicity that limits the dose of cytotoxic agents, which contributes to significant morbidity and mortality.1 Sub-optimal dose intensity may decrease the efficacy of therapy, thereby compromising progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) benefits.2 Chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression is often managed with granulocyte-colony stimulating factors (G-CSFs) and erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) […]