ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Genetic information could help identify patients likely to respond to radiation therapy and predict when disease recurrence following radiation is likely to occur. This could help clinicians better tailor treatment strategies to individual patients to boost efficacy, while minimizing unwanted side effects. The findings come from two studies that will be presented at ASCO Breakthrough: A Global Summit for Oncology Innovators, taking place October 11-13, 2019 in Bangkok.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Roughly one in five young adults uses e-cigarettes daily or recreationally, and nearly one in four believes the products are harmless and not addictive, according to findings from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)’s third annual National Cancer Opinion Survey. This comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued the results from its National Youth Tobacco Survey earlier this month, reporting that e-cigarette use among pre-teens and teens is on the rise. It is also despite warnings from the U.S. Surgeon General that e-cigarettes (also known as vapes) contain addictive and harmful or potentially harmful ingredients, including nicotine; lead and other heavy metals; and flavorants such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to serious lung disease. Amid public debate over banning flavored e-cigarettes, the ASCO survey also found that nearly three in 10 young adults think flavored e-cigarettes are less damaging to a person’s health than non-flavored ones. In addition, nearly seven in 10 Americans support raising the legal age to purchase e-cigarettes from 18 to 21. 

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two studies examine different issues related to patient participation in clinical trials. One study investigates the relationship between participation in a clinical trial and overall survival in patients with advanced lung cancer. The second study discovers and explores a discrepancy between providers’ and patients’ perceived barriers to clinical trial participation. Authors will present their findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) upcoming Quality Care Symposium, taking place September 6–7, at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront in San Diego.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) announced today the three recipients of its CancerLinQ Discovery® Research Support Grant. The awardees will undertake research projects using data from CancerLinQ Discovery®, an offering of ASCO’s CancerLinQ® initiative that provides de-identified data from cancer patients to academic researchers, government agencies, and others in the oncology community to generate practical knowledge that will improve cancer care.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Twenty practices in three countries elevated their standard of care and achieved Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) Certification in the second quarter of this year. The American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc. (ASCO®) commends these practices that have demonstrated their commitment to providing the highest-quality oncology care to their patients, communities, and contemporaries.

“We applaud the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine for its recommendations on cancer control in the United States. The report examines the oncology community’s efforts over the past 10 years and lays out a comprehensive path for addressing the complex issues facing the entire cancer care continuum, from government agencies to the individual physician.

CHICAGO – A single arm, phase II clinical trial of 125 patients showed treatment with enfortumab vedotin (EV) – a new agent targeting Nectin-4, a protein found in 97% of urothelial cancers – produced responses in 44% of patients with locally advanced or metastatic forms of urothelial cancer. Patients had previously been treated with platinum chemotherapy and a PD-1 or PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, but the cancer had progressed despite these treatments.

The study will be featured in a press briefing today and presented at the 2019 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting.