Historically, fewer than 10% of adults with cancer have enrolled in clinical trials. Computational tools have been developed to match patients to trials, but these tools are relevant only when patients need new treatment.

Cell-free, circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) is an established measure of minimal residual disease; however, it is not utilised in melanoma management. We investigated whether ctDNA measurements could predict survival outcomes during adjuvant targeted therapy or placebo treatment in stage III melanoma, thereby identifying patients at high risk and low risk of recurrence.

ETV6::RUNX1-positive pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia frequently has a prenatal origin and follows a two-hit model: a first somatic alteration leads to the formation of the oncogenic fusion gene ETV6::RUNX1 and the generation of a preleukemic clone in utero. Secondary hits after birth are necessary to convert the preleukemic clone into clinically overt leukemia. However, prenatal factors triggering the first hit have not yet been determined. Here, we explore the influence of maternal factors during pregnancy on the prevalence of the ETV6::RUNX1 fusion. To this end, we employed a nested interventional cohort study (IMPACT-BCN trial), including 1221 pregnancies (randomized into usual care, a Mediterranean diet, or mindfulness-based stress reduction) and determined the prevalence of the fusion gene in the DNA of cord blood samples at delivery (n = 741) using the state-of-the-art GIPFEL (genomic inverse PCR for exploration of ligated breakpoints) technique. A total of 6.5% (n = 48 of 741) of healthy newborns tested positive for ETV6::RUNX1. Our multiple regression analyses showed a trend toward lower ETV6::RUNX1 prevalence in offspring of the high-adherence intervention groups. Strikingly, corticosteroid use for lung maturation during pregnancy was significantly associated with ETV6::RUNX1 (adjusted OR 3.9, 95% CI 1.6-9.8) in 39 neonates, particularly if applied before 26 weeks of gestation (OR 7.7, 95% CI 1.08-50) or if betamethasone (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.4-11.3) was used. Prenatal exposure to corticosteroids within a critical time window may therefore increase the risk of developing ETV6::RUNX1+ preleukemic clones and potentially leukemia after birth. Taken together, this study indicates that ETV6::RUNX1 preleukemia prevalence may be modulated and potentially prevented.

In the Phase 3 PhALLCON trial (NCT03589326), ponatinib demonstrated superior efficacy and comparable safety profile versus imatinib in adults with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Here we report patient-reported outcomes (PRO) from PhALLCON assessed as exploratory endpoints using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Leukemia (FACT-Leu) and EQ-5D-5L. Primary PRO domains included FACT-G physical well-being, FACT-Leu subscale (FACT-LeuS), Trial Outcome Index (TOI), FACT-Leu total score, FACT-G total score, and EQ-5D visual analogue scale. Differences in least-squares mean score changes from baseline to the end of induction (EOI)/consolidation (EOC) and time to confirmed improvement/deterioration were analyzed. Overall treatment tolerability was assessed using the FACT-GP5. Analyses included 238 patients (ponatinib 159, imatinib 79) with ≥1 PRO assessment. Least-squares mean changes from baseline favored ponatinib, with significant and meaningful differences in FACT-LeuS, TOI, and FACT-Leu total score at EOI and across the primary domains except for FACT-LeuS at EOC. Median time to confirmed improvement was shorter with ponatinib versus imatinib for key measures. Ponatinib-treated patients tended to report being less bothered by treatment side effects as assessed by FACT-GP5. These findings highlight ponatinib's potentially favorable impact on health-related quality of life, supporting its use as frontline treatment for Ph+ ALL.

To our knowledge, the ACHILLES/TORG1834 trial is the first randomized study comparing afatinib and chemotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring sensitizing uncommon epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations.

Molecular diagnostics play a pivotal role in guiding therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Current guidelines recommend stratification based on biomarkers such as RAS, BRAF, and DNA mismatch-repair (MMR) status to select between anti-EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) and anti-VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) therapies.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety/tolerability of paclitaxel with and without the AKT inhibitor afuresertib in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC).

In the phase III CodeBreaK 300 study, sotorasib 960 mg-panitumumab significantly prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) versus investigator's choice (trifluridine/tipiracil or regorafenib) in patients with KRAS G12C-mutated chemorefractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). One hundred sixty patients were randomly assigned 1:1:1 to receive sotorasib 960 mg-panitumumab (n = 53), sotorasib 240 mg-panitumumab (n = 53), or investigator's choice (n = 54; crossover permitted after primary analysis). Overall survival (OS) analysis, a key secondary end point, although not adequately powered, was prespecified at 50% maturity (after approximately 80 deaths). In this study, we report the OS, updated overall response rates (ORRs), and data for safety. After a median follow-up of 13.6 months, 24, 28, and 30 deaths occurred in the sotorasib 960 mg-panitumumab, sotorasib 240 mg-panitumumab, and investigator's choice arms, respectively; updated objective response rates (ORRs; 95% CI) were 30.2% (95% CI, 18.3 to 44.3), 7.5% (95% CI, 2.1 to 18.2), and 1.9% (95% CI, 0.0 to 9.9), respectively. Compared with investigator's choice, the hazard ratios (HRs [95% CI]) for OS were 0.70 (95% CI, 0.41 to 1.18; two-sided P = .20) with sotorasib 960 mg-panitumumab and 0.83 (95% CI, 0.49 to 1.39; two-sided P = .50) with sotorasib 240 mg-panitumumab. No new safety signals were observed. Although not statistically significant, the observed OS HR and ORR along with prior PFS and safety findings support sotorasib 960 mg-panitumumab as a standard of care in patients with chemorefractory KRAS G12C mCRC.

The PENELOPE-B trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01864746) recruited patients with hormone receptor+/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2- early breast cancer without a pathological complete response after taxane-containing neoadjuvant chemotherapy and at a high risk of relapse. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive 13 cycles of palbociclib once daily or placebo on days 1-21 in a 28-day cycle in addition to endocrine therapy (ET). PENELOPE-B did not show improved invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) after adding palbociclib to ET. This retrospective analysis investigated the impact of germline pathogenic variant (PV) status of BRCA1/2 and non-BRCA1/2 cancer predisposition genes on the outcomes of PENELOPE-B trial patients.

With increased demand for cancer genetic testing (GT), providers are exploring alternative service delivery models such as video education (VE). We compare the uptake of GT among 250 patients with breast, ovarian, pancreatic, or metastatic prostate cancer randomly assigned to receive either pretest VE or a pretest visit with a genetic counselor (GC).

The purpose ot this study was to assess the effectiveness of an educational video compared to in-person genetic counseling for cancer genetic testing candidates. Genetic cancer risk assessment is essential for tailoring oncological treatment, identifying individuals at higher risk of cancer, implementing risk-reduction strategies, and enabling family cascade testing. Pretest genetic counseling facilitates an individual's informed decision making and reduces anxiety. However, the availability of genetics specialists is limited in constrained resource settings.

Acalabrutinib is a Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. We present results from ELEVATE-TN after a median follow-up of 74.5 months. Overall, 535 patients were randomized (acalabrutinib-obinutuzumab, n = 179; acalabrutinib, n = 179; chlorambucil-obinutuzumab, n = 177). Median age was 70 years, 63.0% had unmutated immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region gene (uIGHV), 13.6% had del(17p) and/or mutated TP53, and 17% had complex karyotype (CK; ≥3 chromosomal abnormalities). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was not reached (NR) for acalabrutinib-obinutuzumab and acalabrutinib vs 27.8 months for chlorambucil-obinutuzumab (both P < .0001); estimated 72-month overall PFS rates were 78.0%, 61.5%, and 17.2%, respectively. Acalabrutinib-obinutuzumab resulted in improved PFS vs acalabrutinib monotherapy (hazard ratio [HR], 0.58; P = .0229). Patients with uIGHV, del(17p) and/or mutated TP53, or CK had significantly improved PFS with acalabrutinib ± obinutuzumab vs chlorambucil-obinutuzumab (P < .0001, P ≤ .0009, and P < .0001 for both acalabrutinib-containing arms, respectively). Median overall survival (OS) was NR for all treatments, with significantly longer OS for acalabrutinib-obinutuzumab than chlorambucil-obinutuzumab (HR, 0.62; P = .0349). Estimated 72-month OS rates were 83.9%, 75.5%, and 74.7% for acalabrutinib-obinutuzumab, acalabrutinib, and chlorambucil-obinutuzumab, respectively. Adverse events (AEs) occurring after >4 years were mostly grade 1 to 2. Rates of AEs, serious AEs, and events of clinical interest were similar between acalabrutinib-containing arms and consistent with the known safety profiles of acalabrutinib and obinutuzumab. Efficacy and safety of acalabrutinib-containing arms were maintained, with longer PFS in both acalabrutinib arms than chlorambucil-obinutuzumab including in patients with high-risk features. This trial was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov as #NCT02475681.

Large genomic programs have contributed to improving drug development in cancer. To assess the potential benefit of using larger gene panels to guide molecular-based treatments, we conducted a multicenter randomized trial in patients with advanced and/or metastatic solid cancer. Molecular alterations were determined using either a panel of 324 cancer-related genes (Foundation OneCDX (F1CDX)) or a limited panel of 87 single-nucleotide/indel genes and genome-wide copy number variations (CTL) and reviewed by a molecular tumor board to identify molecular-based recommended therapies (MBRTs). Using paired data from both panels for each patient, the primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with an MBRT identified. Main secondary endpoints included the number of patients with at least one actionable alteration leading to MBRT identification, the number of patients with and without MBRTs initiated, progression-free survival, best overall response, duration of response and safety. Among the 741 patients screened, 45.7% had quality-checked tumor samples. MBRTs were identified with F1CDX in 175 (51.6%) patients and with CTL in 125 (36.9%) patients, translating to a significant increase of 14.8 percentage points (P < 0.001) with the more comprehensive gene panel versus the more limited panel, meeting the primary endpoint. However, no differences in clinical outcomes were observed in these patients with advanced and/or metastatic cancer in need of treatment beyond standard genomic alterations. These findings illustrate the potential for larger gene panels to increase the number of molecularly matched therapies. Larger studies are needed to assess the clinical benefit of expanded MBRTs. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT03163732 .

To evaluate local failure (LF) rates for patients with intermediate-risk rhabdomyosarcoma treated on the Children's Oncology Group ARST1431 clinical trial, the first and largest international, phase 3 randomized study to use FOXO1 fusion status for risk stratification. To improve local control, radiation therapy (RT) dose was increased to 59.4 Gy for patients with tumors >5 cm and residual gross disease at the time of RT.

Oxidative stress-induced DNA damage may impact long-term outcomes in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. While bioactive compounds in plant foods have been linked to DNA protection, evidence among patients in remission remains limited. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of a one-year personalized intensive dietary intervention on DNA damage in post-surgery, non-metastatic CRC patients. Participants were enrolled 2-9 months after surgery in the ongoing randomized controlled trial, Norwegian dietary guidelines and colorectal cancer survival (CRC-NORDIET). Eligible participants (aged 50-80 years, primary stage I-III CRC) were randomized to either a plant-based dietary intervention targeting oxidative stress and inflammation, or to a control group that received standard dietary advice as a part of routine cancer care. As a secondary analysis, this study included 156 participants (78 in the intervention group and 78 in the control group) from the total 503 patients enrolled in CRC-NORDIET study. DNA damage in peripheral mononuclear blood cells (PBMCs) was assessed using the enzyme-modified comet assay during a 12-month follow-up period. A significant intervention effect on DNA base oxidation from baseline to 12 months was observed (P = 0.04), representing a 32 % reduction in the intervention group compared to the control group. No significant effect on DNA strand breaks was found. In conclusion, adherence to a plant-based dietary pattern may reduce DNA base oxidation in post-surgery CRC patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01570010.

In the phase 3 TALAPRO-2 trial, talazoparib plus enzalutamide significantly improved radiographic progression-free survival compared with placebo plus enzalutamide in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer harbouring alterations in genes involved in homologous recombination repair (HRR). We aimed to assess patient-reported outcomes in patients with HRR-deficient metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in TALAPRO-2.

Patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer have poor prognoses, underscoring the need for novel therapeutic strategies. First-line talazoparib plus enzalutamide significantly improved radiographic progression-free survival compared with placebo plus enzalutamide in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in the phase 3 TALAPRO-2 study. We aimed to evaluate patient-reported outcomes in the all-comers cohort of TALAPRO-2, which included patients with and without alterations in homologous recombination repair (HRR) genes.

Primary tumor sidedness (PTS) with discrimination of left-sided (LC) and right-sided tumors (RC) guides patient selection for targeted first-line therapy in RAS wild-type (RAS-WT) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). This study assessed the hypothesis whether considering PTS with additional clinical parameters better predicts the treatment benefit of targeted first-line treatment.

Although multiple agents targeting PD-1 have been approved as second-line treatment for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), only a fraction of patients derive long-term survival. Hence, reliable predictive biomarkers are urgently needed.

Estimating breast cancer risk involves quantifying genetic and non-genetic factors. This supports health interventions and risk communication to ensure adherence to screening recommendations. This study evaluated the change in risk estimation when incorporating breast density and polygenic risk score (PRS) into the baseline cancer risk assessment and compared the efficacy of 2 risk-assessment delivery models.