‘Cattle Don’t Care’; Breast Cancer Survivors Talk; Liquid Biopsy for Lung Cancer

A cancer story about “damn doctors” and how the “cattle don’t care.” (Journal of Clinical Oncology)

Genentech announced FDA approval of atezolizumab (Tecentriq), in combination with chemotherapy, as initial treatment for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.

Cranial irradiation to prevent brain metastases significantly improved overall survival in patients with unresected locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer. (NRG Oncology)

Breast cancer survivors talk about their informational needs regarding cancer, lymphedema, dealing with the cost of care, and other issues of survivorship. (American Cancer Society)

A communication intervention for patients with terminal cancer achieved mixed results, failing to improve treatment goals and patient peacefulness but leading to earlier, more frequent, and better-quality conversations between clinicians and patients. (JAMA Internal Medicine, JAMA Oncology)

Citing insufficient benefit and other factors unrelated to safety, Merck and Pfizer announced discontinuation of the ongoing phase III JAVELIN Ovarian PARP 100 trial evaluating avelumab (Bavencio) and chemotherapy followed by maintenance avelumab and talazoparib (Talzenna) as first-line therapy for advanced ovarian cancer. (Seeking Alpha)

Array Biopharma announced that the National Comprehensive Cancer Network added encorafenib (Braftovi) + binimetinib (Mektovi) with erbitux (Cetuximab) or panitumumab (Vectibix) as an option for patients with advanced BRAF-mutant colorectal cancer.

Promising early results with focused laser ablation of localized prostate cancer as a potential alternative to radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy. (University of Texas Medical Branch, Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology)

A California jury found that exposure to glyphosate (Roundup) weedkiller was a “substantial factor” in a 70-year-old man’s development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. (Bloomberg)

Use of digital breast tomosynthesis, or 3-D mammography, significantly reduced the likelihood that a patient would be recalled for further evaluation of false or ambiguous results. (Radiological Society of North America)

A liquid biopsy for lung cancer missed tumor mutations picked up by tissue biopsy in a fourth of cases but did not produce any false-positive results. (Annals of Oncology)

More evidence that even low levels of physical activity, such as walking can significantly reduce the risk of death from heart disease, cancer, and all causes combined. (British Journal of Sports Medicine)