News & Updates

First-line immunotherapy plus chemotherapy in metastatic biliary tract cancer

A 69-year-old female who enjoyed good past health presented with a 3-month history of right-sided abdominal discomfort in December 2022.

Targeting PV source with ropeginterferon alfa-2b revolutionizes treatment

Polycythemia vera (PV) is a chronic myeloproliferative disorder characterized by overproduction of red blood cells, which poses a significant risk of thrombohaemorrhagic complications and impaired survival. Traditionally, treatment approaches have focused on managing the symptoms and reducing haematocrit levels, but these do not address the underlying cause of the disease.

Ropeginterferon alfa-2b (BESREMi, PharmaEssentia), an innovative monopegylated long-acting interferon, offers a novel approach by directly targeting and depleting JAK2-mutated hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in the bone marrow, which is the source of the disease. This article focuses on the role of ropeginterferon alfa-2b in transforming the treatment landscape for PV, its mechanisms, clinical benefits, and potential to significantly improve patient outcomes.

Targeted therapy in the management of metastatic BRAF V600–mutant melanoma: A case study

Professor Roger Ngan, a specialist in clinical oncology, provides insights into the treatment landscape of melanoma and his considerations when managing a patient with metastatic BRAF V600–mutant melanoma.

Optimizing patient survival outcomes in refractory mCRC

Metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is one of the most malignant diseases with a poor prognosis. In an interview with MIMS Oncology, Dr Ingrid Karmane Sumou, a medical oncologist in Macau, shared several patient cases and discussed treatment strategies, including the use of regorafenib, to improve survival outcomes and provided tips on managing regorafenib-related adverse effects.

Second-line treatment with an erythroid maturation agent in a patient with transfusion-dependent anaemia due to LR-MDS with ring sideroblasts

A 72-year-old male presented with symptomatic anaemia in July 2022. Initial peripheral blood examination revealed haemoglobin (Hb) level of 6 g/ dL, mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of 90 fL, white blood cell (WBC) count of 7.85 x 10⁹/L, and platelet count of 93 x 10⁹/L. His butyrate and folate levels, liver enzyme levels, and clotting profile were normal. His baseline erythropoietin (EPO) level was >500 U/L. There were no drug- or organ-related causes that could account for the anaemia. His past health was unremarkable apart from a history of chronic drinking.

ASCO GU 2024: Darolutamide + ADT + docetaxel effective, well-tolerated SoC for mHSPC

ARASENS post hoc sensitivity analysis data presented at ASCO GU 2024 support primary OS analysis and demonstrate that darolutamide + ADT + docetaxel is an effective, well-tolerated SoC for mHSPC. 

Optimizing first-and subsequent-line therapy for advanced RCC

The treatment landscape of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) has undergone a major transformation in the past two decades, with interleukin-2 and interferon-α being replaced with anti-angiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), inhibitors of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). At an Eisai-sponsored symposium organized by the Hong Kong Society of Uro-Oncology during Uro-Oncology Asia 2024, Professor Sun-Young Rha of the Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, discussed the importance of optimizing first-line treatment and subsequent strategies for patients with advanced RCC. Rha also reviewed clinical evidence on regimens containing lenvatinib (Lenvima^®, Eisai), an oral TKI against VEGF receptor, which have been shown to improve outcomes in first and subsequent lines of therapy.

SGO 2024: Unprecedented survival benefits with dostarlimab in advanced endometrial cancer

At the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) 2024 Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer held in San Diego, US, researchers presented updated results from the two-part, phase III ENGOT-EN6-NSGO/GOG-3031/RUBY trial, demonstrating statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) associated with dostarlimab-based combinations in patients with primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer (EC).

Use of an anti-CD38 mAb in a transplant-ineligible patient with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma

A 66-year-old man with plasma cell myeloma and high-risk cytogenetic abnormality was referred to our centre in September 2022. He previously visited a private clinic in August 2022 for back and rib pain, where he received his earlier diagnosis. He was a smoker and chronic drinker with a history of hypertension. His Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) was 0–1.