This randomized controlled study aimed to evaluate the effect of a therapeutic play intervention on early-onset nausea, vomiting, and quality of life in children receiving chemotherapy.

Dual anti-CTLA-4/PD-1 inhibitors show efficacy in numerous malignancies. We are the first to report on the efficacy of ipilimumab-nivolumab immunotherapy in a dedicated cohort of patients with gynecologic clear cell carcinomas (CCCs), which are rare, aggressive cancers.

This study aimed to determine whether aromatherapy inhalation would reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) among cancer patients receiving moderate to high emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC) regimen.

Paclitaxel being an effective treatment for ovarian cancer, presents one of the most critical toxicities; peripheral neuropathy (PN), a debilitating side effect that might limit continuation of chemotherapy. Vitamin B was found to significantly improve PN and Gabapentin is debatably used in chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of vitamin B prophylaxis in reducing the severity of CIPN, particularly in diabetic patients with the need for Gabapentin as additional therapy and the potential impact on disease response. A clinical trial of 146 adult ovarian cancer patients received Paclitaxel for 18 weeks; randomly allocated into two arms: One arm received vitamin B prophylaxis before starting Paclitaxel and other received upon CIPN. Gabapentin was given upon aggravation of CIPN. This study showed a significant reduction in CIPN grade over time, with fewer patients progressed to higher grades in prophylactic versus non-prophylactic group, extended to significant improvement in CIPN in prophylactic versus non-prophylactic diabetic patients. Gabapentin was more significantly required in non-prophylactic versus prophylactic group. A significant correlation was found between dose modification due to CIPN and CA125 status. Finally, a significant difference in PFS between prophylactic and non-prophylactic group was found at the end of the study. These results reinforce the potential role of vitamin B prophylaxis in improving patient outcomes through significantly reducing CIPN severity and minimizing the risk of dose reductions, thereby contributing to better disease response. Trial registration number: NCT07191587, date of registration: 09/24/2025, retrospectively registered.

Cancer treatment puts older adults with cancer at increased risk for functional decline, impaired quality of life (QOL), and treatment-related toxicity. Geriatric co-management has been proposed as a strategy to improve outcomes in this vulnerable population.

Trastuzumab used for the treatment of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer induces cardiotoxicity. The NRG1/HER pathway plays a central role in human cardiovascular physiology; however, the link between exercise, NRG1, and cardiotoxicity is unclear.

To assess the safety and tolerability of avacincaptad pegol (ACP), a Food and Drug Administration-approved therapy for geographic atrophy, administered in combination with ranibizumab, an approved therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), in patients with nAMD.

Chemotherapeutic agents for ovarian cancer commonly cause chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), significantly impairing quality of life (QoL). Selenium, a potent antioxidant, may mitigate toxicity and improve QoL in cancer patients. This study evaluated intravenous high-dose selenium for preventing neuropathic symptoms in platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer (PSROC).

Recent studies in China have increasingly focused on the evidence-based evaluation of malignant tumors, including colorectal cancer (CRC), leveraging the unique properties of herbal medicine. This has led to notable progress in the development of novel therapies. Clinical observations indicate that the modified Banxia Xiexin Decoction (mBXD) exhibits significant anti-cancer effects. However, well-designed clinical trials and foundational research in this field remain insufficient.

The phase 2 SWOG S1512 trial ( NCT02775851 ) was designed to evaluate the response to pembrolizumab (anti-PD-1) in individuals with desmoplastic melanoma. Here we report the results of cohort A of the trial, evaluating the pathological complete response (pCR) rate of neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade in surgically resectable desmoplastic melanoma. Secondary endpoints included clinical response rate, overall survival and toxicities. Twenty-eight eligible individuals with resectable desmoplastic melanoma received intravenous pembrolizumab (200 mg) every 3 weeks three times, followed by excision. Tissue samples before treatment, at 3-5 weeks after treatment initiation and at the time of surgery were reviewed. The primary endpoint of pCR rate by local pathological review was 71% (95% confidence interval, 51-87%; P < 0.001), which met the prespecified endpoint. There were two (7%) grade 3 treatment-related adverse events. At three years of follow-up, four participants have died, none known to be from melanoma or adverse events. In conclusion, neoadjuvant pembrolizumab in individuals with resectable desmoplastic melanoma results in a high pCR rate with acceptable safety profile. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02775851 .

Chondrosarcomas are rare cartilaginous neoplasms with limited treatment options. Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 (mIDH1/2) mutations occur in 65% of chondrosarcomas. Here we report safety and efficacy of olutasidenib, an mIDH1 inhibitor, evaluated in patients with locally advanced or metastatic mIDH1 chondrosarcoma (Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT03684811). The primary endpoint was objective response rate by tumor evaluation; secondary endpoints included adverse events, progression-free and overall survival. Patients received olutasidenib 150 mg twice daily. Twenty-three patients were enrolled; 16 were diagnosed with conventional chondrosarcoma (cCS). Median age was 57 (range, 30-71) years. In 21 response-evaluable patients, 11 (52%) had stable disease, 8 (38%) had progressive disease, and 2 (10%) were not evaluable. Median progression-free survival (mPFS) was 2.0 months (95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.7, 4.7); median overall survival was 16.0 months (95%CI: 7.7, not reached). Among patients with cCS, 10 (63%) had stable disease; 6 (38%) had progressive disease; mPFS was 3.5 months (95%CI: 1.7, 5.1). Median overall survival in cCS patients was 19.0 months (95% CI: 7.7, not reached). No dose-limiting toxicities were reported during the study. Olutasidenib was well tolerated and conferred disease control in cCS. Study limitations include open-label design and low patient sample due to rarity of cCS.

The SORASTOP study reports long-term outcomes following planned sorafenib discontinuation in responding patients with extremity desmoid-type fibromatosis (DTF).

This study introduces a novel drug-disease modeling framework designed to assess the benefit-risk balance of antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) in oncology. The framework integrates dose levels, pharmacokinetics, tumor growth dynamics, progression-free survival (PFS), and dose-adjusted adverse events. We demonstrated this through its application to tusamitamab ravtansine (Tusa), an ADC targeting Carcinoembryonic Antigen-Related Cell Adhesion Molecule 5 in non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (nsq NSCLC). We developed our model using phase I trial safety data from 254 patients (doses: 5-190 mg/m2) and efficacy data from 88 nsq NSCLC patients (dose 100 mg/m2). This model accurately predicted phase III outcomes for the Tusa arm via an iterative simulation. Using phase III baseline characteristics, simulations of Tusa doses comparing three dose levels (80, 100, and 120 mg/m2 every 2 weeks) revealed a critical trade-off: while higher doses increased response rates, they also substantially increased corneal toxicity without improving survival. These findings demonstrate how early-phase data can inform optimal dose selection by quantifying benefit-risk. This robust framework and methodology is generalizable beyond Tusa, offering value to support dose selection and trial decision-making in oncology drug development.

Dual anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) therapy plus chemotherapy followed by maintenance treatment with HER2-targeted and endocrine therapies is standard first-line treatment for hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. On the basis of preclinical and clinical data, the addition of palbociclib (a selective inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6) may overcome resistance to both endocrine and HER2-directed therapies.

Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium 048 was a proof-of-principle trial demonstrating responses to the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor olaparib in patients (pts) with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) with germline (g) PALB2 or somatic (s) BRCA mutations (sBRCAm). Here we report results from the expansion cohorts in a larger sample of pts with gPALB2m or sBRCAm.

Background/Objectives: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is associated with anorexia-cachexia syndrome, which negatively affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to evaluate HRQoL and functional status in CRC patients undergoing chemotherapy who were eligible for oral nutritional supplementation (ONS). Methods: In this prospective, randomized study, 72 patients with stage II-IV CRC were enrolled (40 intervention group [IG], 32 control group [CG]). IG received ONS (2 × 125 mL/day, 600 kcal, 36 g protein) for 12 weeks, while CG received dietary counseling only. HRQoL was assessed every 4 weeks with the Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Therapy (FAACT, version 4.0). Functional status was evaluated with the Karnofsky scale. Nutritional status was assessed using the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS-2002), and body mass index (BMI), and appetite was assessed on a visual analogue scale (VAS). Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02848807. Results: Mean FAACT score did not differ significantly between groups over 12 weeks (101.0 ± 22.8, 95% CI: 94.6-107.4 vs. 105.1 ± 21.4, 95% CI: 99.1-111.1; p = 0.06). However, the observed difference corresponded to an effect size at the lower bound of the moderate range. However, minimally important difference (MID) analysis demonstrated that clinically meaningful improvement was significantly more frequent in IG than in CG for global FAACT (32% vs. 8%; p = 0.03, OR = 5.50, 95% CI: 1.10-27.62, φ = 0.29), physical well-being (32% vs. 8%; p = 0.03, OR = 5.50, 95% CI: 1.10-27.62, φ = 0.29), and emotional well-being (38% vs. 4%; p = 0.002, OR = 14.86, 95% CI: 1.79-123.36, φ = 0.40). Functional well-being and anorexia/cachexia concerns showed favorable, but nonsignificant, trends (FWB improvement: 29% vs. 8%, p = 0.05, OR = 4.79, 95% CI: 0.95-24.27, φ = 0.26; ACS deterioration: 3% vs. 20%, p = 0.07, OR = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.01-1.11, φ = 0.28). HRQoL correlated positively with nutritional status, appetite, and functional performance, while Karnofsky scores remained stable in both groups. Conclusions: ONS did not significantly change the mean QoL scores at the group level but increased the proportion of patients achieving clinically meaningful improvement, particularly in the physical and emotional domains. These findings suggest that ONS may benefit selected patients who respond to nutritional interventions, underscoring the clinical relevance of individualized nutrition strategies in oncology.

Arm D of the AcSé-ESMART proof-of-concept phase I/II platform trial aimed to define the recommended phase II dose (RP2D), pharmacokinetics, activity, and biomarkers of the PARP inhibitor olaparib with irinotecan in pediatric patients with recurrent/refractory malignancies.

Patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) and advanced stage and/or significant smoking history are at higher risk of relapse. Induction immunotherapy before chemoradiation (CRT) may improve outcomes. This randomized phase II trial assessed the feasibility and safety of induction nivolumab before CRT in this high-risk population.

This study aims to investigate the effects of a comprehensive nursing protocol combined with a probiotic intervention on improving gastrointestinal function, reducing non-infectious complications, and enhancing the quality of life in patients with advanced digestive malignancies undergoing chemotherapy, thereby providing evidence-based support for chemotherapy nursing care.

To observe the clinical efficacy of heat-sensitive moxibustion in reducing toxicity and enhancing efficacy in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, and to provide a scientific basis for its application and promotion in cancer rehabilitation.