Hematologic Oncology

Tyrosine-kinase inhibitors have considerably improved survival outcomes for patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

As with software upgrades, Carl H. June, MD, sees his work in cancer research as a job with ever-evolving updates.

The FDA has granted a full approval and label update to ponatinib for patients with chronic phase, accelerated phase, or blast phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) or Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) for whom no other tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy is indicated, as well as for patients with T315I-positive CML or T315I-positive Ph+ ALL.

Eytan M. Stein, MD, internist, hematologic oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses some of the potential combinations that could be explored with novel agents in the treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

For a second time, a clinical hold has been placed on the phase II ROCKET study exploring the CD19-targeted CAR T-cell therapy JCAR015 for adult patients with relapsed or refractory B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

A clinical trial that utilizes a novel radiolabeled antibody–drug conjugate to pretreat older patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia as part of a stem cell transplantation regimen is aimed at creating improved outcomes for a high-risk population with limited therapeutic alternatives.

The European Commission has approved nivolumab for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma after autologous stem cell transplant and treatment with brentuximab vedotin.

Investigators are exploring therapy options for patients with indolent lymphomas—including follicular lymphoma, marginal zone lymphoma, and small lymphocytic lymphoma—as rituximab regimens are proving to not be a long-term option for many patients.

The FDA granted a priority review to a new drug application for midostaurin (PKC412) for adult patients with newly diagnosed FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia or advanced systemic mastocytosis.

Nivolumab (Opdivo) may be the only checkpoint inhibitor that is approved by the FDA as a treatment of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma, but other immunotherapies—alone and in combination with other novel agents—are emerging in other indications.

Brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) has received an FDA breakthrough therapy designation for the treatment of patients with CD30-positive mycosis fungoides or primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma following at least 1 prior systemic therapy.

The FDA has approved Mylotarg (gemtuzumab ozogamicin) for the treatment of adults with newly diagnosed CD33-positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML).