OncoPharm

Did you know high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cel rescue was a "standard" breast cancer treatment ~30 years ago?

This story involves changing practices based on Phase II data and outright clinical trial fraud, and retractions of publications.

On-site review of Bezwoda study: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(00)90024-2

Oral History: https://cancerhistoryproject.com/institutions/nccns-bob-carlson-talks-about-the-day-he-stormed-out-of-a-meeting-with-transplanters/

Reflections from vacation on 1) How similar the chef training experience on The Bear mirrors some pharmacy residency training and 2) being a resource to family/friends with oncology questions.

Running through recent updates on epcoritamab, adagrasib + cetuximab for colorectal cancer, endometrial cancer, adjuvant dabrafenib/trametinib melanoma follow-up data, and topical capsaicin for delayed CINV.

Also, a brief travelogue on my inaugural trip to ATOPP (advanced topics for oncology pharmacy professionals) Summit.

The MARIPOSA study suggests there may be a new preferred first line regimen (amivantamab + lazertinib) for metastatic EGFR-mutated NSCLC, as this regimen improved PFS compared to osimertinib.

An experimental regimen for DLBCL piques my interest.

Venetoclax

ibrutinib

Prednisone

Obinutuzumab

Revlimid (lenalidomide)

Link: https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa2401532

A new drug is approved for MDS. While some will likely benefit from this new agent, the more enticing news is that inhibiting telomerase may be an attractive target for many malignancies.

Lots and lots of updates from the past weekend's ASCO annual meeting.

1. ADRIATIC (consolidation durvalumab in limited stage SCLC)

2. NADINA (neoadjuvant Nivo/Ipi in stage III melanoma)

3. *NICHE-2 (neoadjuvant Nivo/Ipi in dMMR colon cancer)

4. CheckMate 8HW (Nivo/Ipi in dMMR metastatic colon cancer)

5. TRANSMET (liver transplantation in colon cancer with liver mets)

6. Eposec (FLOT > CROSS in adenocarcinoma of the esophagus)

7. LAURA (forever osimertinib in stage III EGFR-mutated NSCLC post-chemoRT)

8. CROWN (5 year update of lorlatinib in ALK+ NSCLC)

9. Destiny Breast-06 (T-DXd vs. chemo in HER-2 low and "ultra" low MBC who haven't received chemo in metastatic setting)

10. ASC4FIRST (Asciminib first line in CML. Funny title, amirite?)

ASCO & ONS (along with pharmacist representation) released updated safety standards for preparing, administering, and monitoring chemotherapy. Look for a calendar invitation to review your site's policies soon.

Link: https://doi.org/10.1200/OP.24.00216

A new drug for small-cell lung cancer, a bispecific, targeting DLL3 on small-cell lung cancer and CD3 on T-cells is FDA approved. But, infigratinib's FDA approval for cholangiocarcinoma is withdrawn.

QT interval prolongation is a common hurdle to taking care of cancer patients. We dive into what QT interval prolongation is, why it matters, risk factors, and prevention/management strategies.