Gynecologic Oncology

Disparities across the globe continue to surface as we approach year 2 of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in health care. As one considers its implications, a research team from the American Cancer Society investigated its potential impact on early cancer detection.

A recent study suggests that unconscious or implicit bias may exist when it comes to physicians referring African American patients with breast cancer for genetic counseling and testing.

The clinical-stage immunotherapy company PDS Biotechnology Corporation has announced the temporary suspension of recruitment to the National Cancer Institute–led phase 2 trial, which is evaluating a novel triplet combination comprised of PDS0101 and 2 immunomodulating agents in patients with advanced human papillomavirus cancers.

The accelerated approval of the tissue factor–directed antibody and microtubule inhibitor tisotumab vedotin-tftv bolsters the treatment portfolio for patients with recurrent metastatic cervical cancer.

The FDA has granted a fast track designation to the interleukin-2 variant immunotherapy nemvaleukin alfa for use in combination with pembrolizumab in the treatment of patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.

The immuno-oncology company Agenus has made the decision to withdraw its biologic license application for the use of the PD-1 inhibitor balstilimab in patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer who experienced disease progression on, or after, chemotherapy.

As we move beyond COVID-19, the healthcare industry is just beginning to uncover the impact of delayed cancer screenings and care on oncology outcomes.

Analyzing the relationship between data from patient self-reports and clinician ratings of vulvovaginal tissue health following cancer can help provide better sexual function treatment for patients, according to a recent study.

The FDA has granted priority review to a supplemental biologics license application for the use of cemiplimab-rwlc in the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer whose disease progressed on, or after, chemotherapy.

Immunotherapy is emerging as a preferred second-line treatment option for patients with gynecologic cancers, including endometrial and cervical cancer. Checkpoint inhibitors may also be preferred to chemotherapy in the frontline or adjuvant settings based on improved efficacy.

Bradley J. Monk, MD, FACS, FACOG, discusses the practice-changing data from KEYNOTE-826 examining pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab and next steps for research in recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer.

The overgrowth of fungi could cause the immune system to stop fighting cancer, according to a study.

In an interview with Targeted Oncology, Melissa K. Frey, MD, discussed findings from implementing web-based health information collection of family history in patients with gynecologic cancers.

Results of a phase 2 study demonstrate that the anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) antibody balstilimab from Agenus Inc. provides meaningful and durable clinical activity in patients with previously treated, recurrent/metastatic cervical cancer.

The official declaration means more funding for research initiatives.

The FDA has accepted a new supplemental biologics license application for pembrolizumab, an anti-PD-1 therapy, as a single agent for the treatment of patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma that is microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair deficient, who have diseased progression following prior systemic therapy in any setting and are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation.

Pregnant women who had cancer previously or currently have cancer were more likely to experience comorbidities and in-hospital complications, depending on cancer type.

The results, according to the study authors, demonstrate that screening the general population for tubal and ovarian cancer each year does not result in a survival benefit.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recently published an updated committee opinion regarding morcellation of presumed uterine leiomyoma. Here are the key points.

We hear from Christine Isaacs, MD about the new ASCCP guidelines and what they mean for ob/gyns.

The unmet need for personalized follow-up care due to a wide variety of health burdens after treatment needs to be addressed.

For cervical cancer screening, human papillomavirus (HPV)–based screening modalities detect significantly more abnormal cervical cells than traditional liquid-based cytology (LBC) approaches, according to a study in JAMA Network Open.

Nemvaleukin alfa (Alkermes) was mostly well tolerated and indicated antitumor activity as both monotherapy and in combination with pembrolizumab among patients with advanced solid tumors, according to study results presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), held virtually from June 4-8.

“I believe in combinatorial immunotherapeutic regimens in an attempt to increase efficacy and durability of response,” said principal investigator Omid Hamid, MD, director of clinical research and immunotherapy at The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute in Los Angeles, an affiliate of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

In honor of International Women’s Day, CURE® compiled some recent news and updates in cancer research that you may have missed.

Researchers from a study published in Cancers discovered a new method of detecting endometrial cancer in women via a simple, non-invasive blood test.

A team of international researchers partnered with the National Cancer Institute and Mayo Clinic to conduct a research opportunity that led to unexpected findings.

Total laparoscopic nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy (TL-NSRH) has advantages over open abdominal nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy (OA-NSRH), according to research published in the Journal of Gynecologic Oncology.

This interview features Sangini Sheth, MD, MPH, as she discusses the latest research on HPV and cervical cancer.

Women vaccinated following conization experienced a slightly lower, though not statistically significant, rate of recurrence of high-grade cervical dysplasia, according to a recent study.