Guideline recommends immunotherapy with chemotherapy for advanced biliary tract cancer

An American Society of Clinical Oncology panel reviewed studies and recommends immune checkpoint drugs with chemotherapy as first treatment for people with advanced biliary tract cancer. The guideline also lists options for later treatment.

“For patients with disease progression on first-line (the first treatment given) treatment and who have no identified biomarkers, FOLFOX with active symptom control, or active symptom control alone are recommended; options for patients who are ineligible for oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy are included in the guideline.”

What this means. A large, final-stage trial in cancer. This is the kind of result regulators use when deciding whether to approve a treatment.

Sitagliptin cut severe graft-versus-host disease after blood cancer transplants

In a trial of 190 adults having donor stem cell transplants for blood cancers, adding sitagliptin to standard prevention cut severe acute graft-versus-host disease: 6.3% developed it, compared with 18.9% without sitagliptin.

What this means. A large, final-stage trial in people having a donor stem cell transplant, mostly for blood cancers. This is the kind of result regulators use when deciding whether to approve a treatment.

Personalized vaccines triggered immune responses in ovarian cancer trial

In a phase 1 trial, people with high-grade serous ovarian cancer received personalized vaccines alongside immune treatment. The approach was feasible and led to cancer-targeting immune responses in many patients.

What this means. An early trial in ovarian cancer, mainly testing safety and dose. Any new treatment here is years away from routine use.

Salvage radiation controlled recurrent prostate cancer in a phase I/II trial

Among 62 people whose prostate cancer returned after radiation, focused high-dose brachytherapy caused no severe early side effects. At three years, 73.0% had no cancer recurrence in the prostate.

“GC score is a promising prognostic tool in patients undergoing salvage local therapy for IPR and warrants further study to guide treatment intensification.”

What this means. An early trial in prostate cancer, mainly testing safety and dose. Any new treatment here is years away from routine use.

FDA expands nogapendekin approval for bladder cancer

The FDA approved nogapendekin alfa inbakicept with BCG for adults whose non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer did not respond to BCG treatment, including those with high-grade papillary-only tumors. In an earlier study of 77 patients, 62% had a complete response.

What this means. Approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for bladder cancer. Doctors can now prescribe it outside a trial.

Camrelizumab lengthened time before small cell lung cancer grew

In a phase II trial of 41 people with untreated limited-stage small cell lung cancer, camrelizumab with chemotherapy, chemoradiotherapy and consolidation kept cancer from growing for a median 24.0 months, versus 11.8 months with chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy alone.

What this means. A mid-stage trial in lung cancer. Good results at this stage usually still need a larger trial before approval.

Carboplatin improved response in some people with breast cancer

In a randomized study of 187 people with early, high-risk breast cancer, adding carboplatin raised complete responses in triple-negative cases from 43% to 69%. Among hormone receptor-positive cases with signs of DNA repair problems, 5 of 8 had a complete response.

“Low genomic LOH fraction may identify triple-negative breast cancer patients who benefit most from Cb, while HRD may guide Cb use in hazard ratio+BC.”

What this means. A trial in breast cancer that split people into groups at random, the fairest kind of test.