Ipilimumab

The FDA approved nivolumab plus ipilimumab for first-line treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors express PD-L1.

The FDA granted priority review to nivolumab plus ipilimumab combined with a limited chemotherapy course as first-line treatment for patients with metastatic or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer.

About three-quarters of patients with advanced melanoma who achieved complete responses to single-agent anti-PD-1 therapy remained in remission at 3 years, according to results of a single-center retrospective study published in Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The FDA granted accelerated approval to nivolumab plus ipilimumab for treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who previously received sorafenib.

Neoadjuvant nivolumab with or without ipilimumab appeared effective and safe for patients with resectable oral cavity cancer, according to results of a randomized phase 2 study presented at Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium.

Adjuvant ipilimumab dosed at 3 mg/kg significantly improved OS compared with high-dose interferon alfa-2b among patients with metastatic unresectable melanoma, according to results of the phase 3 E1609 trial published in Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The FDA granted priority review to the combination of nivolumab plus ipilimumab for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer without EGFR or ALK mutations, according to a press release from the agents’ manufacturer.

ORLANDO — Polyfunctional strength index on pretherapy bone marrow CD4-positive T cells differed substantially between responders and nonresponders to azacitidine plus nivolumab for relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia, according to results of a nonrandomized phase 2 study presented at ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition.

Soft tissue sarcoma is a rare type of cancer that affects the body’s soft tissues, such as muscles, fat and ligaments. There are more than 50 types of soft tissue sarcoma, including synovial sarcoma, which accounts for 5% to 10% of all soft tissue tumors diagnosed each year.

A discussion with the author of a study that found direct-to-consumer genetic tests had an “alarming” rate of clinical false-negative results for two limited variant screening tests — including the test for BRCA1 and BRAC2 — was last week’s top story in hematology/oncology.