Optimising clinical trials for greater inclusiveness
Oncologists are aiming to capitalise on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and design more inclusive clinical trials, optimise trial endpoints and make better use of real-world evidence.
Quality cancer care starts with training oncologists at the highest standards
Despite the encouraging findings of a new global survey demonstrating a high rate of uptake of the ESMO/ASCO Global Curriculum in Medical Oncology, resource limitations in lower-income regions as well as country-specific political circumstances may be hindering its implementation locally.
Anti-cancer medicines are typically approved in the USA eight months before Europe
Discrepancies in anti-cancer drug approvals around the globe are even bigger in low- and middle-income countries, raising some questions about how they impact on patients’ access to quality cancer care.
Bringing a child into a family’s battle with cancer
Available data now allows evidence-based treatment of cancer diagnosed during pregnancy and new therapies are improving many young patients’ survival prospects, but couples’ preferences and values must continue to guide medical teams even when hope is scarce
A new immunotherapy-based combination is promising in nasopharyngeal cancer
Tislelizumab in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin prolonged PFS compared with chemotherapy alone in the RATIONALE 309 study
Biomarkers for immunotherapy: where are we?
The future is in the hands of tools built on combinations of biomarkers as no single biomarker is likely to reflect the complexity of the tumour microenvironment or account for tumour evolution
Are amplifying RNA vaccines the way forward for CAR-T-cell therapy?
Early clinical findings with the anti-claudin-6 CAR-T-cell product BNT211, with or without amplifying vaccine, in patients with refractory solid tumours are promising but more data are required
Can ctDNA changes after neoadjuvant therapy inform management of early NSCLC?
A study associates reductions in ctDNA with major pathologic response following neoadjuvant atezolizumab in resectable stage IB–IIIB NSCLC, but clinical application is still some way off
Can we further define patient groups who benefit from immunotherapy in advanced NSCLC?
Sub-group analyses of CheckMate 227 part 1 provide reassurance but no definite guidance regarding standard treatment for different patient sub-groups
Refining patient selection for atezolizumab in resected NSCLC
Results from an exploratory analysis of the IMpower010 trial confirm that there is a correlation between tumour-cell PD-L1 expression and disease-free survival