Opinions

While there has been significant progress in the development of these blood tests, hurdles remain including test sensitivity and false positives

Applications in artificial intelligence have the potential to transform precision oncology, but data quality and clinical validation of tools are still challenging

New data show that it does not increase the risk of breast cancer recurrence or development of secondary breast cancer in women, nor does it carry any health risks for the child

Extensive research identified the deficiency of a highly accurate DNA repair process known as homologous recombination as an ‘Achilles heel’ in cancer, and led to the development of PARP inhibitors as single-agent therapies 

Using treatments only where clear benefit has been demonstrated and modulating doses based on evidence are potentially effective strategies to reduce the rising costs of oncology

First evidence for the efficacy of anti-PD-1 agents in children, adolescents and young adults with melanoma prompts the call for a change in cancer care for this population

Benefits reported for the combination of ipilimumab and nivolumab further expand alternative therapeutic options for patients with unresected advanced disease

Novel agents, a rethinking of accepted treatment concepts and new roles for older treatment modalities are now driving liver cancer management

Lessons learned about the importance of the gut microbiome composition in immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy response could be crucial in tailoring cancer care 

Recent data indicate a role of immunotherapy for tumours with high levels of microsatellite instability, especially in the neoadjuvant setting