The role of elotuzumab in the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

Purpose: The pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy and safety, cost, and place in therapy of elotuzumab for treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (MM) are reviewed.

Summary: Elotuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that targets the signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM) protein SLAMF7 and facilitates an antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity interaction between myeloma cells and natural killer cells. Elotuzumab has U.

Trends in the Incidence and Outcomes of Hospitalized Cancer Patients With Infection: A Nationwide Analysis.

Patients with cancer have several risk factors for infection (CDI), but the impact of CDI on outcomes in this population needs elucidation. We analyzed the incidence of CDI and its impact on outcomes in patients with cancer using the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) database from 2001 to 2010. Diagnosis codes were used to identify patients with cancer and CDI events.

High Initiation of Adjuvant Hormonal Therapy Among Uninsured Stages I-III Breast Cancer Patients Treated in a Safety-Net Healthcare System.

Objective: Despite benefits of adjuvant hormonal therapy (AHT), many eligible breast cancer patients do not complete therapy as recommended. Patterns of AHT use have not been well studied among uninsured breast cancer patients who fall into coverage gaps or are ineligible for public insurance programs.

Methods: We identified 291 patients newly diagnosed with stages I-III hormone receptor-positive breast cancer from January 2008 to December 2012.

Update on targeted therapies for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: nivolumab in context.

While the initial treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) usually relies on surgical resection followed by systemic cytotoxic chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, recent advances in understanding of NSCLC biology and immunology have spurred the development of numerous targeted therapies. In particular, a class of immune modulatory drugs targeting the immune checkpoint pathways has demonstrated remarkable durable remissions in a select minority of advanced NSCLC patients, potentially heralding the elusive "cancer cure". This review focuses on the clinical evidence for one of these agents, nivolumab, and clarifies the role of this drug in the context of the other targeted therapies currently available for the treatment of NSCLC.

Venous thromboembolism treatment outcomes in cancer patients and effect of third-party payers on anticoagulant choice.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare the rates of recurrent VTE among cancer patients treated with parenteral agents to the oral anticoagulants.

Methods: This single-center study was a retrospective chart review of cancer patients with recurrent VTE between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2014. The primary outcome of the study is the rate of recurrent VTE in patients who received a parenteral anticoagulant (enoxaparin, dalteparin, fondaparinux) versus those who received oral anticoagulants (warfarin and rivaroxaban).

Toxic Effects of Sorafenib in Patients With Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma Compared With Other Cancers.

Importance: Sorafenib is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for metastatic, radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer. However, adverse effects common to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor class occur at a noticeably higher rate with sorafenib use in thyroid cancer patients. The mechanism for this increase in toxic effects is unknown.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: New Insights and Current Place in Cancer Therapy.

The treatment of cancer has largely relied on killing tumor cells with nonspecific cytotoxic therapies and radiotherapy. This approach, however, has limitations including severe systemic toxicities, bystander effects on normal cells, recurrence of drug-resistant tumor cells, and the inability to target micrometastases or subclinical disease. An increased understanding of the critical role of the immune system in cancer development and progression has led to new treatment strategies using various immunotherapies.

Role of obinutuzumab in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Purpose: The pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, safety and efficacy, and place in therapy of obinutuzumab in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are reviewed.

Summary: Obinutuzumab, a fully humanized monoclonal antibody that targets the CD20 receptor on mature B cells, was recently approved for use in combination with chlorambucil in patients with previously untreated CLL. In a Phase III clinical trial including 671 patients with CLL and significant comorbidities, patients who received obinutuzumab-chlorambucil combination therapy had longer median progression-free survival than those who received rituximab plus chlorambucil (26.

Choroid plexus papilloma-A case highlighting the challenges of extrapolating pediatric chemotherapy regimens to adult populations.

The treatment of adults who present with rare pediatric tumors is not characterized well in the literature. We report an instance of a 40-year-old African American woman with a diagnosis of choroid plexus carcinoma admitted to the intensive care unit for severe sepsis seven days after receiving chemotherapy consisting of carboplatin (350 mg/m(2) on Days 1 and 2 plus etoposide 100 mg/m(2) on Days 1-5). Her laboratory results were significant for an absolute neutrophil count of 0/µL and blood cultures positive for Capnocytophagia species.

Dosing considerations for obese patients receiving cancer chemotherapeutic agents.

Objective: To examine the available trials evaluating the effect of obesity on the pharmacokinetic parameters of chemotherapy agents.

Data Source: A PubMed search (January 1977-June 2013) was conducted for English-language articles evaluating obesity and its relationship to pharmacokinetic parameters of chemotherapy agents. Search terms included: chemotherapy, obesity, excess weight, overweight, neoplasm, pharmacokinetics, dosing, cancer, body mass index, toxicity, efficacy, body surface area.

Risk of renal failure in cancer patients with bone metastasis treated with renally adjusted zoledronic acid.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of acute renal failure (ARF) in patients with mild to moderate renal dysfunction, receiving renally adjusted zoledronic acid (ZA) and compare it to patients with normal baseline renal function, receiving standard-dose ZA.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients receiving ZA for the treatment of bone metastasis due to cancer. Patients were divided into two groups: (1) normal group with baseline creatinine clearance (CrCl) of greater than 60 mL/min and standard ZA dose; (2) impaired group with baseline CrCl of 30-60 mL/min and renally adjusted ZA dose.

Retrospective analysis of the consequences of acid suppressive therapy on ketoconazole efficacy in advanced castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Background: The area under the curve of a single ketoconazole dose has been shown to decrease significantly when administered with acid suppressive therapy. No published studies have examined the clinical impact of concurrent ketoconazole and acid suppressive therapy in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).

Objective: To evaluate the effect of acid suppressive therapy on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response rate in CRPC patients receiving ketoconazole.

Epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.

Treatment of metastatic colorectal disease has evolved over the last decade. Two epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibodies--cetuximab and panitumumab--have been developed in an effort to provide yet another therapeutic option. The EGFR is a transmembrane glycoprotein, expressed constitutively throughout the body and found on many epithelial tissues.