Rucaparib a Winner for PFS, But Not for OS, in Recurrent Ovarian Cancer
NEW YORK — Rucaparib (Rubraca) turned in mixed results for survival outcomes in patients with recurrent ovarian carcinoma, according to an ARIEL3 trial update. There was a benefit for progression-free survival (PFS), as treatment with the PARP inhibitor was tied to longer time-to-second disease progression (PFS2) in patients with BRCA-mutated disease (26.1 months versus 18.4 […]
‘Potential Detrimental Effect’ With Fourth-Line Olaparib in Ovarian Cancer
NEW YORK — A post-hoc analysis of overall survival (OS) in the SOLO3 trial demonstrated why olaparib (Lynparza) recently had its fourth-line indication in ovarian cancer pulled by drugmaker AstraZeneca. The phase III trial, which tested olaparib versus non-platinum chemotherapy for women with BRCA-mutated platinum-sensitive relapsed disease, found diverging OS signals based on whether women […]
Prenatal Steroids May Improve Outcomes in Extremely Preterm Infants
A complete course of antenatal steroids was associated with higher survival in extremely preterm infants, a cohort study showed. Among infants born at 22 weeks to less than 24 weeks, 53.9% who had full exposure to antenatal steroids at gestational age 21 to 22 weeks survived to discharge, compared with 37.5% who had partial steroid […]
‘Potential New Standard’ for Progressing Desmoid Tumors
PARIS — Progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly prolonged in patients with progressing desmoid tumors treated with an investigational gamma secretase inhibitor in a phase III trial. In the international DeFi study of more than 140 patients, risk for disease progression or death was reduced by 71% in the group randomized to nirogacestat, with a median […]
Maintenance PARP Inhibition Boosts OS in Two Ovarian Cancer Trials
PARIS — Olaparib (Lynparza) maintenance therapy appears to offer a long-term overall survival (OS) benefit for women with ovarian cancer, according to two phase III studies presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) annual congress. At 7 years in the SOLO-1 trial, 67% of patients with advanced BRCA-mutated ovarian cancer treated with the […]
Nonselective Beta-Blockers May Improve Outcomes in Ovarian Cancer
Women with cardiovascular conditions (CVCs) and ovarian cancer had better 2-year survival if they received a nonselective beta blocker (NSBB) at or around the time of cancer surgery, a review of medical records showed. Two-year postoperative survival was 80% in the patients who received NSBBs versus 69% for those who did not receive NSBBs. The […]
Bacterial cellulose could enable microbial life on Mars: Research team studies kombucha cultures under simulated extraterrestrial conditions
An international research team including the University of Göttingen has investigated the chances of survival of kombucha cultures under Mars-like conditions. Kombucha is known as a drink, sometimes called tea fungus or mushroom tea, which is produced by fermenting sugared tea using kombucha cultures — a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. Although the simulated […]
Increased Public Assistance Tied to Better Cancer Survival in Black Patients
CHICAGO — Overall survival (OS) in Black patients with cancer improved significantly, and racial disparities in cancer survival decreased, with increased state-level spending on public welfare programs, a large retrospective review showed. Every 10% increase in public welfare spending was associated with an 8.6% improvement in cancer survival among Black patients, almost four times greater […]
End of the Line for a Failed Prostate Cancer Drug
The androgen synthesis inhibitor orteronel failed to improve survival in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) despite a twofold improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) versus standard androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT), a large randomized trial showed. Patients randomized to ADT plus orteronel had a median overall survival (OS) of 81 months compared with 70.2 months with ADT plus […]
Adjuvant Chemo Disappoints in Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer
PHOENIX — Adjuvant chemotherapy was not associated with better overall survival (OS) for patients with advanced stage low-grade serous ovarian carcinoma undergoing primary cytoreductive surgery, according to an observational study presented here. There was no difference in OS between patients who did and did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy, with 4-year OS rates of 77.5% and […]