Hem/Onc Roundup: Doctors Abroad Discuss Treating Patients with Cancer During the COVID Pandemic, FDA Approvals, and more

Here are the top stories covered by DocWire News this week in the Hematology & Oncology section. This week, the doctors in Italy wrote about treating patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two new therapies, and more.

Two doctors penned an essay shedding light on the reality of cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, which was hit hard by the virus. The essay, written by Filippo Pietrantonio, MD, and Marina Chiara Garassino, MD, Medical Oncology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy, was published in JAMA Oncology.

The FDA approved Braftovi® (encorafenib) in combination with cetuximab for previously treated patients with metastatic colorectal cancer with the BRAF V600E mutation, as detected by the FDA-approved Qiagen therascreen® BRAF V600E RGQ PCR kit.

The FDA approved Jelmyto™ (mitomycin gel) to treat low-grade upper tract urothelial cancer, making it the first non-surgical treatment for this indication.

Blood-based biomarkers may help scientists identify pancreatic cancer at an early stage, a new study found—a significant finding that could help patients receive treatment earlier.

A study of lung cancer screening programs websites found that they tend to “lack balance” in their portrayal of potential harms and benefits associated with screening.

In case you missed it, more hem/onc headlines are featured below:

• Genomic Information Can Identify Individuals at High Risk for Cancer, Heart Disease, and Diabetes
• Addition of Tislelizumab to Chemotherapy in Frontline Setting Improves Survival for Lung Cancer
• Drug Overcomes Chemotherapy Resistance in Ovarian Cancer, Study Shows