This week on DocWire, findings from CARTITUDE-1 found that ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel), an anti-B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for multiple myeloma, achieved high response rates and durable responses in patients with relapsed/refractory disease. After 18 months, 80% of patients achieved a complete response to treatment and the rate of progression-free survival was 66%.
CARTITUDE: BCMA CAR T is Active in Earlier Lines of MM Treatment
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Black Breast Cancer Patients Report More Symptoms, Less Distress Than White Patients
In other news, Black patients with breast cancer reported a higher symptom burden and lower distress prior to initiating chemotherapy compared with white patients. Black patients with breast cancer reported higher levels of general physical symptoms and treatment-related adverse events compared to white patients. Conversely, white patients were more likely to report distress than Black patients.
Black Breast Cancer Patients Report More Symptoms, Less Distress Than White Patients
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News from ASCO: Chemotherapy-Free Regimens in NSCLC and CLL
Data from the ASCO 2021 Annual Conference highlighted the durable efficacy of two investigational chemotherapy-free treatments for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), respectively. An amivantamab-based regimen spurred a clinical benefit response rate of 64% among patients with pre-treated NSCLC, and an all-oral ibrutinib based regimen achieved an overall response rate of 96% in patients with CLL, including more than half who achieved a complete response.
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Germline Pathogenic Variants in Cancer Susceptibility Genes in White Versus Black Women
A study published in JAMA Oncology found no differences in the prevalence of germline pathogenic variants in white women versus Black women with breast cancer. The two groups did not largely differ in the prevalence of the 12 germline pathogenic variants. White women had a higher prevalence of pathogenic variants in CHEK2 than Black women, but a lower prevalence in BRCA2.
Germline Pathogenic Variants in Cancer Susceptibility Genes in White Versus Black Women
