Precision Medicine in Oncology® | Specialty

The OncLive Precision Medicine in Oncology® condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and expert insights on precision-focused approaches in patients with cancer, with gene-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors and antibody-drug conjugates, checkpoint inhibitors, tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy, and other tailored treatments. This page features news articles, interviews in written and video format, and podcasts that focus on updates and ongoing research with personalized therapies across solid and hematologic tumors.

A Journey of a Lifetime: Noted Breast Cancer Researcher in Far-Flung Pursuit of a "Cure"

February 12th 2013

Leyland-Jones, MB BS, PhD, a renowned oncologist and translational scientist, has helped develop several mainstay oncologic treatments and the targeted breast cancer therapy trastuzumab.

Targeting Tumors Early: Trials Push Novel Agents to Forefront

February 11th 2013

New discoveries about tumor biology suggest to many researchers that targeted therapies, when used in appropriate early-stage patients, might significantly boost cure rates and extend lives.

Dr. Abou-Alfa on MET Inhibition in Liver Cancer

February 11th 2013

Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa, MD, from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the promising results and future investigation of MET inhibition in hepatocellular carcinoma using cabozantinib and tivantinib.

BATTLE-2: Next-Generation of Biomarker-Driven Trials

February 8th 2013

While the number of known mutations and matching targeted agents is relatively limited at present, clinical trials are being designed to identify effective therapies for specific mutations more efficiently.

Innovative BATTLE Trials Pair Agents, Biomarkers in NSCLC

February 7th 2013

As therapy based on cell-signaling pathways has become a priority in cancer research, so has the concept of designing clinical trials that can better target patient populations more likely to benefit from a particular regimen.

HER2 Mutations Identified as Treatment Targets in Patients With HER2-Negative Breast Cancer

February 5th 2013

Patients with breast cancer who do not exhibit amplifications of the HER2 gene may still have mutations of HER2 that drive the progression of their cancer, suggesting that these mutations could serve as therapeutic targets.

Potential Treatment Combinations for Melanoma Identified Through Novel Screening Approach

February 4th 2013

A new drug screening method revealed that cholesterol-reducing statin drugs used in combination with cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors might serve as an effective treatment approach for certain types of melanoma.

ADCs Are Poised to "Blossom" as a New Category of Therapy: An Interview With John M. Lambert, PhD

February 1st 2013

Antibody-drug conjugates are a robust area of oncology exploration, with an estimated 25 ADCs under study in clinical trials, up from six less than a decade ago.

Proto-oncogene Responsible for Ovarian Cancer Metastasis Identified

January 29th 2013

Activation of a signaling pathway involving the proto-oncogene Src is responsible for disease progression and metastasis in cancer and beta blocker drugs could be used to reduce mortality in these patients.

Dr. John Byrd on Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase in CLL

January 29th 2013

John C. Byrd, MD, director of the division of hematology at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the role of Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Dr. Grady Discusses Molecular Subtypes in Colorectal Cancer

January 25th 2013

William M. Grady, MD, from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, discusses results from a study that examined the association of intrinsic subtypes of colorectal cancer with prognosis, chemotherapy response, and other factors.

Dr. Ramalingam Explores Cytotoxics in Lung Cancer

January 22nd 2013

Suresh S. Ramalingam, MD, from Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute, explains that a number of new cytotoxic drugs are being developed in combination with targeted therapies, such as EGFR inhibitors.

The Future of BRCA1/BRCA2 Testing

January 22nd 2013

A pair of studies could change the way patients are evaluated for mutations of BRCA1 and BRCA2, two cancer susceptibility genes closely associated with breast and ovarian cancers, as well as other tumor types.

Dr. Li Reviews Afatinib Data From the LUX-Lung 3 Trial

January 17th 2013

Tianhong (Tina) Li, MD, PhD, from the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses results from the LUX-Lung 3 trial that examined afatinib as a first-line treatment for patients with EGFR-positive advanced lung adenocarcinoma.

Making Oncology History: Imatinib Pioneer Created His Own Opportunities

January 17th 2013

Brian J. Druker, MD, one of the pioneering researchers who discovered imatinib, has maintained his focus on finding new and better treatments for CML and other leukemias.

Priority Review Granted to Afatinib for EGFR+ Advanced NSCLC

January 15th 2013

The FDA has accepted a NDA for afatinib to treat patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC who have tested positive for an EGFR mutation that has been identified through a companion diagnostic test.

Dr. Corey Langer Discusses Erlotinib in Advanced NSCLC

January 15th 2013

Corey J. Langer, MD, from the University of Pennsylvania, Abramson Cancer Center, discusses the EGFR-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor erlotinib for patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Novel Drugs Show Promise in NSCLC

January 14th 2013

An ever-deeper understanding of the biology that drives NSCLC is sparking new treatment paradigms that include selecting targeted drugs based on patients' biomarkers.

Dr. Zelenetz on the Impact of Rituximab in Lymphoma

January 14th 2013

Andrew D. Zelenetz, MD, PhD, from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, explains the impact that rituximab has made in the treatment of patients with non-Hodgkin and B-cell lymphomas.

Dr. Debu Tripathy on the CDK4/6 Inhibitor PD 0332991

January 11th 2013

Debu Tripathy, MD, from the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses a phase II trial that examined the CDK inhibitor PD 0332991 for women with advanced estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.