ASCO Plenary Reports 1, 3, 4, 13 | Young Adults and Cancer
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| Debate: Randomized Trial vs Meta-Analysis
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 9
85
JUNE 10, 2014
Editor-in-Chief, James O. Armitage, MD | ASCOPost.com
ASCO Annual Meeting Plenary Session
‘Unprecedented’ Survival Benefit in Prostate Cancer With Addition of Docetaxel to Hormone Therapy
‘Small Practices Like Mine’
By Alice Goodman
By Carolyn B. Hendricks, MD
A
dding docetaxel to standard androgen ablation ter of Genitourinary Oncoltherapy (ie, testosterone suppression) extended ogy at the Dana-Farber Cansurvival by more than 1 year in men with newly diag- cer Institute in Boston. “This nosed metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer is the first study to identify a in the phase III E3805 trial, funded by the National In- strategy that prolongs survivstitutes of Health. As reported at the ASCO al in newly diag1 Annual Meeting in Chicago, the survival nosed metastatic benefit was observed mainly in men with prostate cancer. more extensive metastatic disease. The benefit is subASCO Immediate Past President stantial and war- Christopher J. Sweeney, MBBS Clifford A. Hudis, MD, FACP, called rants this being these results achieved with an older drug adopted as a new standard treatment for men See page 53 “unprecedented” and “transformative.” who have high-extent disease and are able to tolerate chemotherapy,” he stated. New Standard of Care The E3805 study utilized two older therapies. Andro“We asked the question of whether you treat hormone- gen-deprivation therapy has been used to treat prostate sensitive cancers more aggressively in the beginning or cancer for more than 50 years. Docetaxel transformed the wait to add docetaxel,” said lead author Christopher landscape of treatment for prostate cancer when it was apcontinued on page 4 J. Sweeney, MBBS, medical oncologist at the Lank CenHealth-Care Policy
Medicare Advisory Panel Cast Doubts on Lung Cancer Screening, Leaving Advocates Dismayed but Undaunted
O
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Dr. Hendricks is a medical oncologist specializing in breast cancer. She is in private practice in Bethesda, Maryland. Disclaimer: This commentary represents the views of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views of ASCO.
MORE IN THIS ISSUE
By Ronald Piana n April 30, 2014, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) convened the Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC) to assess the value of lowdose computed tomography (CT) lung cancer screening in the Medicare population. After a decades-long battle, lung cancer advocates were confident that the evidence proved that screening was a cost-effective
R
ecently, I participated in ASCO’s Congressional news briefing in Washington, DC, following the release of its report, The State of Cancer Care in America: 2014. During my presentation I talked about the workforce shortage of approximately 1,500 medical oncologists that is predicted by 2025. A number of factors are converging to make this shortage a reality, including increasing demand for cancer care services over the next decade as the number of new cancer cases rise—largely the result of an aging population—and the growing population of cancer survivors, just as many oncologists start to retire. (According to ASCO’s report, in 2008,
way to save thousands of lives each year. Surprisingly, the MEDCAC panel gave very low confidence scores for lung cancer screening, which further confounds the ongoing debate over Medicare reimbursement.
Focus on the Negatives
In December 2013, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued a grade B recommendation, endorsing annual lowdose CT screening in highrisk, asymptomatic adults. The Task Force—considNot endorsing a modality that saves ered the “gold standard” for clinical preventive lives is a missed opportunity. services—based its recom—Benjamin P. Levy, MD mendation largely on results of the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST).
Oncology Meetings Coverage ASCO 50th Annual Meeting ��������� 3–6, 12 NCCN Annual Conference ������33, 38, 39 American Society of Breast Surgeons ���15, 16 Society of Surgical Oncology �������������������29 John C. Byrd, MD, on CLL �����������������������39 ASCO Guideline Update on Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy ��������������� 44 With Perspective by Armando E. Giuliano, MD ���������������������45 Postmastectomy Radiotherapy �������������� 48 With Perspective by Bruce G. Haffty, MD �������������������������������52 Direct From ASCO �������������������������� 58–61 Ceritinib in ALK-Positive NSCLC �������� 64 Pancreatic Cancer Clinical Trials �����������77
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