Top stories in hematology/oncology: Highlights from San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition

Healio’s live coverage of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium and the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Diego provided the most-read stories in hematology/oncology last week.

Coverage included trial updates regarding certain axillary treatment options and various adjuvant therapies for patients with breast cancer.

Other popular stories included trials examining accelerated partial breast irradiation and whole breast irradiation for early-stage cancer and how a shorter course of chemotherapy fared against a longer regimen in some patients with lymphoma. – by Janel Miller

Axillary radiotherapy, lymph node surgery for early breast cancer confer comparable outcomes

SAN ANTONIO — Axillary radiotherapy and axillary lymph node dissection appeared to produce excellent and comparable 10-year recurrence and survival outcomes for patients with early-stage breast cancer who had cancer detected in a sentinel lymph node biopsy, according to results of the randomized phase 3 AMAROS trial. Read more.

Adjuvant ado-trastuzumab emtansine provides ‘transformative’ benefit for certain patients with HER2-positive breast cancer

SAN ANTONIO — Adjuvant ado-trastuzumab emtansine reduced risk for invasive recurrence by 50% compared with trastuzumab among patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer who still had residual invasive disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and HER2-targeted therapy, according to results of the KATHERINE trial. Read more.

Adjuvant capecitabine fails to extend survival in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer

SAN ANTONIO — Adjuvant capecitabine did not prolong disease-free survival or overall survival among women with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer who underwent surgery and standard chemotherapy, according to results from the randomized phase 3 GEICAM/CIBOMA trial. Read more

Trial reveals ‘very small’ differences between accelerated partial breast irradiation, whole breast irradiation for early-stage cancer

SAN ANTONIO — Accelerated partial breast irradiation appears close but not equivalent to whole breast irradiation for control of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence and risk for recurrence-free interval events, according to results of a randomized phase 3 trial. Read more.

Shorter chemotherapy course 'equally effective' in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

SAN DIEGO — Reducing administration of CHOP chemotherapy by two cycles appeared as effective as the standard six cycles for younger patients with low-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, according to results of the phase 3 FLYER trial. Read more.