Oncology

How community pharmacists can advance care as patients come home.

Pharmacists-in-training have a valuable impact on cancer care, according to authors of a recent journal article.

Many opportunities exist for pharmacists within the multidisciplinary care team to ensure the delivery of optimal cancer care.

The rate of prescribing opioids among both oncologists and non-oncologists has dropped significantly in the past few years.

Pharmacists are uniquely qualified to ensure patients receive sufficient pain relief.

Nivolumab plus ipilimumab decreased tumor growth in patients with untreated unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma.

New policy recommendations aim to increase the uptake of biomarker testing and advance health insurance coverage for precision medicine in cancer care.

Investigators reported that, compared with chemotherapy, atezolizumab monotherapy was superior in overall survival and progression-free survival in patients with NSCLC.

The FDA issued a safety alert about efficacy and potential safety concerns with a combination therapy being studied for the treatment of breast cancer.

Oncology pharmacists have implemented new ways to communicate with patients, schedule visits and treatments, and re-evaluate their medications regimens during the pandemic.

There is no evidence that blood pressure lowering drugs increase the risk of cancer, according to a major new study.

Oral azacitidine (Onureg; Celgene) is approved for patients in first remission with acute myeloid leukeimia.

Oncology medical and infusion services have declined since the start of COVID-19.

Results from the study showed antitumor activity and safety to be similar to olaparib and durvalumab monotherapy study findings.

Pharmacists should counsel patients on how taking steps now can prevent certain cancers later.

The advent of generic and biosimilar medicines for novel treatments has helped bridge the gap in the delivery of cancer care between the United States and India, according to the study.

ESMO released changes to its recommendations on how to manage patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A recent study evaluated the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on normal cancer care activities, including cancer screening efforts.

On May 8, 2020, the FDA granted accelerated approval to selpercatinib (Retevmo; Eli Lilly and Company).

Karyopharm announced that the agency has accepted for filing its supplemental New Drug Application for selinexor as a second-line treatment for multiple myeloma.

A recent study found that the programs may result in cost savings to health systems and patients.

The fixed-dose combination of pertuzumab and trastuzumab with hyaluronidase (Phesgo; Genentech) can be administered subcutaneously for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.

Today, pharmacists are banding together to “eliminate racism, discrimination, injustice, and the marginalization of individuals within the profession.”

An exploratory analysis of 2 phase 3 trials evaluating ribociclib (Kisqali, Novartis) plus endocrine therapy in advanced breast cancer showed positive results.

Oncology pharmacy practitioners highlight challenges amid the pandemic, such as limited access to personal protective equipment and essential medications.

The study, presented at the virtual ASCO20, showed significant clinical benefit for patients with endometrial cancer who were treated with cabozantinib and nivolumab.

Officials with the FDA approved atezolizumab (Tecentriq, Genentech) in combination with bevacizumab (Avastin) for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma who have not received prior systemic therapy.

A systematic review of medical cannabis and cannabinoid use in oncology care demonstrated varied results. 

Targeted therapy osimertinib (Tagrisso) demonstrated significant improvements in disease-free survival in patients with localized non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were treated following surgery.

The study marks the first time that the drug has demonstrated benefit for front-line therapy in patients with this type of colorectal cancer.