Hem/Onc Round-up: Immunotherapy Safe in COVID-19, HPV Vaccine Rates, and more

Here are the top stories recently covered by DocWire News in the hematology/oncology section. In this edition, read about immunotherapy safety in COVID-19, parents’ plans on vaccinating their children for the human papillomavirus, cancer diagnosis timing and COVID-19 outcomes, and more.

Immunotherapy doesn’t worsen complications for patients with both COVID-19 and cancer, according to a preliminary study that was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Virtual Meeting.

Survey data from the 2017-2018 National Immunization Study shows that 60% of parents with children unvaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) have no plans to initiate the vaccine series in the future.

Patients diagnosed with cancer more than two years ago have a greater likelihood of developing severe COVID-19 and have an increased mortality risk, a study observed. Further, cancer patients of Asian ethnicity and those receiving palliative care had a higher risk of death.

Preclinical data suggest that a combined approach to metastatic uveal melanoma may be a viable treatment option. According to the findings, the combination of RAF/MEK inhibitor VS-6766 with focal adhesion kinase inhibitor defactinib may be suitable for uveal melanoma patients.

Many parents don’t use best practices when protecting their children from the sun, suggests the findings of a new C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at Michigan Medicine.

Malnutrition affects anywhere from 50% to 80% of cancer patients. A new study examined the effectiveness of a patient- and family-centered intervention to improve nutrition among cancer patients.

To read more of DocWire’s top hematology/oncology stories of the week, click here.