Top in hem/onc: Tagrisso, gynecologic cancer, hospital rankings

The FDA has granted breakthrough therapy designation to osimertinib for certain patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. It was the top story in hematology/oncology last week.

Another top story was about a study that showed women who underwent chemotherapy or surgery for gynecologic cancer and also had COVID-19 were not at a greater risk for death from the novel coronavirus.

Read these and more top stories in hematology/oncology below:

FDA grants breakthrough therapy designation to Tagrisso for lung cancer subset

The FDA granted breakthrough therapy designation to osimertinib (Tagrisso, AstraZeneca) for adjuvant treatment of certain patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer, according to the agent’s manufacturer. Read more.

Chemotherapy, surgery for gynecologic cancer not linked to higher COVID-19 mortality risk

Women who underwent chemotherapy or surgery for gynecologic cancer and also had COVID-19 infection did not appear at significantly increased risk for death due to the novel coronavirus, according to study findings published in Cancer. Read more.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center again ranked best cancer hospital in US

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has retained its distinction as the No. 1 cancer hospital in the country. Read more.

Women with BRCA mutations may be at higher risk for infertility after chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is known to increase a woman’s risk for infertility, and women with BRCA mutations have lower ovarian reserves and higher risk for developing breast cancer. Read more.

Three-drug induction regimen leads to high response rates after transplantation in myeloma

Induction therapy with lenalidomide, bortezomib and dexamethasone demonstrated high response rates after transplantation among 90% of a cohort of patients with myeloma, according to study results published in Journal of Clinical Oncology. Read more.