ONCOLOGY & HEMATOLOGY REVIEW – VOLUME 14 – ISSUE 1 – SPRING 2018

One of the unique characteristics of multiple myeloma (MM) is the presence of the precursor stage that often lasts for over a decade before active therapy is required, namely monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS).1,2 While it seems intuitive that we could intervene at the time of recognition of the clonal process, patients with MGUS […]

Q. What are the main aims of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)? The AACR as an organization aims to promote cancer research worldwide. We are the oldest cancer research-focused association in the US, having just celebrated our 110th anniversary this past year. AACR offers a variety of cancer-focused meetings throughout the year and […]

Q. Could you tell us a little about the latest research in organoids and biomimetic platforms in precision medicine? Precision medicine aims to utilize information about a patient’s tumor, including gene alterations that may aid in the identification of effective therapies.1 Recent advances have allowed researchers to combine genomic analysis with ex vivo drug screens. […]

In 2015, more than 430,000 people in the US were living with lung cancer and there were around 221,200 new cases of lung cancer. Deaths from lung cancer are estimated to be in the region of 158,040.1 Lung cancer is the most frequent cause of cancer deaths in men globally and, in women, lung cancer […]

Q. What are the currently approved treatment options for newly diagnosed patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC)? The currently approved therapies are of two different types: targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Between 2005 and 2014 the backbone of therapy in RCC was anti-angiogenic therapy and in 2015 immune therapy in the form of immune checkpoint […]

Over the course of the last three decades there has been significant improvement in the outcomes of children with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).1 However, despite varied treatment strategies and sequential clinical trials, the prognosis for one NHL subtype, anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), has remained largely unchanged.2 ALCL, a peripheral T-cell lymphoma, was first described in […]

Forty percent of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes.1 Due to continued advances in cancer detection and treatment, there are an unprecedented number of cancer survivors. In fact, the 5-year survival rate for all cancers has increased from 50% in the 1970s to 67% during the period of 2006–2012.2 The two most […]

It has been clearly established that non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) associated with known molecular drivers (e.g., rearrangement of the ALK gene, or mutations activating the epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR] gene) respond favorably to targeted, first-line therapies compared with standard chemotherapy.1,2 The National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends EGFR and ALK testing (category 1), as […]

Plummer-Vinson syndrome is a rare disorder that predominantly affects middle-aged women.1 It is widely renowned throughout the medical literature as the result of a chronic iron deficiency state. Yet, the underlying mechanisms leading to the multitude of head and neck manifestations characteristic of this disease are only speculative and are not completely understood. Such manifestations […]