Anita T. Shaffer

Associate Director of Editorial, Print
Anita T. Shaffer is your lead editorial contact for OncologyLive®, a twice monthly clinical news publication. A 10-year veteran of MJH Life Sciences™, she has been at the helm of the publication since shortly after joining the company in 2010. Before becoming an oncology journalist, she held a variety of editorial positions at The Times of Trenton, including metro editor. Email: anitashaffer@onclive.com

Articles

New Strategies for Targeting CTLA-4 Emerge

June 22nd 2023

In 2011, the development of ipilimumab, a novel antibody targeting the CTLA-4 immune checkpoint, helped launch the modern era of anticancer immunotherapy.

New Research Results Spotlight Rare Molecular Subtypes in NSCLC

May 10th 2023

Although molecularly targeted therapies have transformed the treatment paradigm for NSCLC, the kaleidoscope of genomic alterations that affects subsets of patients is straining the limits of current diagnostic and clinical discovery approaches.

TIGIT Remains a Tempting Target for Immunotherapy Combinations, Despite Setbacks

April 13th 2023

Despite a high-profile clinical disappointment, the TIGIT immune checkpoint remains an important target for anticancer therapy, with research programs testing novel agents moving forward in non–small cell lung cancer and a range of other tumor types.

Invasive Lobular Carcinoma Comes Into Sharper Focus

February 13th 2023

Research groups in the United States and Europe are seeking to build the knowledge base about invasive lobular carcinoma in hopes that therapy can be tailored for patients with this diagnosis.

Targeting FRα Enters a New Era in Ovarian Cancer and Beyond

January 16th 2023

Efforts to target the folate metabolism network have entered a new stage, with the approval of a novel therapy directed at folate receptor–α and the potential for additional agents aimed at that target in solid tumors.

PI3K Inhibitors Face Challenges in Hematologic Malignancies

December 2nd 2022

The PI3K cell-signaling network has been an important therapeutic target in oncology research for nearly 40 years ago, but the use of PI3K inhibitors in hematologic malignancies has come under scrutiny amid concerns about efficacy and safety.

OS Advances Gather Steam in Breast Cancer

October 27th 2022

The treatment of patients with breast cancer is making noteworthy strides in several clinical settings, with recent trial results showing overall survival improvements for advanced and metastatic disease.

GI Cancer Expert Sets Sights on the Next Generation

August 16th 2022

At the start of his career, Weijing Sun, MD, FACP, was motivated to explore potential new treatments for gastrointestinal malignancies, and is now an internationally known GI cancer expert.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors at ASCO: Long-term Efficacy Data Mount

July 25th 2022

Twelve years after key research into immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy first made a splash at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, evidence continues to mount that supports the durability of these agents in a range of cancers.

NCCN Guidelines Affirm New Options for Resectable NSCLC

June 1st 2022

New systemic regimens are being integrated into the treatment paradigm for resectable non–small cell lung cancer in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings, expanding options for patients with earlier-stage disease who face a challenging prognosis.

Targeted Combo Notches Rare Success in Glioblastoma

March 30th 2022

Encouraging response rates to a dual-targeted regimen in patients with recurrent or refractory malignant brain tumors with BRAF V600E mutations were reported in 2021, representing a new potential targeted therapy strategy against glioblastoma.

Checkpoint Inhibitor Changes Take Hold: Approval Standards Stir Debate

February 16th 2022

the development of PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy underwent a course correction in 2021, with the withdrawal of a range of indications due to study results that failed to reach thresholds for confirming clinical benefit.

New Strategies Are Needed for Patients With NRAS-Mutant Melanoma

November 3rd 2021

Although there has been dramatic progress in the treatment landscape for metastatic melanoma over the past decade, many patients whose tumors harbor NRAS mutations have not shared in the improved outcomes.

IO Combo Anchors a New Front Line Taking Shape in Unresectable HCC

October 13th 2021

The tide is starting to turn toward more effective frontline systemic therapies for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma as a result of the introduction of a novel immune-oncology combination.

Novel Drug Sparks Hope for Targeting HER3 in NSCLC and Beyond

October 11th 2021

Patritumab deruxtecan, a novel antibody-drug conjugate, is emerging as a promising HER3-directed therapy in patients with non–small cell lung cancer and perhaps other solid malignancies.

3 Precision Era Biomarkers Get a Closer Look

August 18th 2021

Circulating tumor DNA, tumor mutational burden, and homologous recombination deficiency are 3 emerging biomarkers for tailoring therapy need further clinical and technical clarity to support robust use in daily practice.

CEACAM5 Joins a Growing Menu of Emerging Lung Cancer Targets

August 3rd 2021

After nearly two decades of successfully developing therapies directed at molecular aberrations in non–small cell lung cancer, investigators are exploring a new generation of novel targets, including some not specifically associated with driver mutations.

Navitoclax Shows Early Signs of Clinical Benefit in Myelofibrosis

April 1st 2021

The combination of navitoclax and ruxolitinib simultaneously inhibits 2 key mechanisms that promote myelofibrosis, resulting in an improvement in symptom control and positive changes in response biomarkers in patients with high-risk disease.

FDA Will Reassess 6 Immunotherapy Accelerated Approvals

March 12th 2021

Six indications for immune checkpoint inhibitors granted under the FDA’s accelerated approval process that later failed confirmatory clinical trials are being reassessed as the agency continues an industry-wide evaluation of the pathway.

Margetuximab Approval Augments Emerging Treatment Choices in Breast Cancer

March 8th 2021

Margetuximab represents an effective new therapeutic option that can be combined safely with a chemotherapy drug of choice for patients with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who have undergone multiple lines of prior treatment.