Below are summaries of recent ECOG-ACRIN-related analyses and narrative reviews. Click on the shortened citation to access the publication.

Breast Cancer – To better understand which patients may be destined to benefit from bevacizumab therapy or experience treatment-induced hypertension, post-hoc analyses were conducted using 3124 patient cases from two adjuvant breast cancer trials, one by ECOG-ACRIN (E5103). Differences in invasive disease-free survival and overall survival between patients with hypertension and those without were compared. Germline Predictors for Bevacizumab Induced Hypertensive Crisis in ECOG-ACRIN 5103 and BEATRICE. Shen F. Br J Cancer. February 2024

Breast Cancer – 20-year follow-up data is now available from the non-randomized, prospective study E5194, for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) who received surgery alone (without radiation). The results demonstrate the risks of developing an ipsilateral breast event (IBE) or an invasive IBE increased over time. The authors discuss the data in the context of current approaches to the management of DCIS. Lumpectomy without Radiation for Ductal Carcinoma in Situ of the Breast: 20-Year Results from the ECOG-ACRIN E5194 Study. Wright JL. NPJ Breast Cancer. February 2024

Head and Neck Cancer – ACRIN 6685 was the largest prospective multicenter trial of 18F-FDG PET/CT in patients with head and neck cancer (Lowe VJ. J Clin Oncol. July 2019). The results immediately informed practicing clinicians of its effectiveness and benefits, especially in those who are clinically node-negative (cN0). Now, researchers report on the experiences of participants who underwent elective neck dissension. Quality of Life Following Surgery for Head and Neck Cancer: Evidence from ACRIN 6685. Hollenbeak CS. Head Neck. February 2024

Health Equity – Older adults of color face exceptional challenges and suffer from inequalities in cancer diagnosis, management, and treatment outcomes. For example, because studies do not represent these patients well, physicians lack data to guide treatment and care. This narrative review urges this issue to be prioritized nationwide. It recommends an initial step: better clinical assessment of each patient using a guideline-recommended geriatric assessment, with an evaluation of patients' social determinants of health. This step will allow for early identification and management of health disparities. Co-authors include Efrat Dotan, MD (Fox Chase Cancer Center), chair of the ECOG-ACRIN Geriatric Oncology Working Group, part of the Health Equity Committee, and the late Edith P. Mitchell, MD. Disparities in Care of Older Adults of Color with Cancer: A Narrative Review. Dotan EE. Cancer Med. February 2024

Kidney Cancer – Primary results are now available from a phase 3 study of pazopanib, an inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) and other kinases. Randomized, Double-Blind Phase III Study of Pazopanib Versus Placebo in Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Who Have No Evidence of Disease After Metastasectomy: ECOG-ACRIN E2810. Appleman LJ. J Clin Oncol. March 2024

NCI-MATCH – Trastuzumab-pertuzumab is FDA-approved for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, with minimal side effects. The NCI-MATCH precision medicine trial saw it shrink tumors in several other cancer types—a discovery that warrants further research. Trastuzumab and Pertuzumab in Patients with Non-Breast/Gastroesophageal HER2-Amplified Tumors: Results of the NCI-MATCH Trial (EAY131) Subprotocol J. Connolly RM. Clin Cancer Res. April 2024

Leukemia – When the results of trial E1912 appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine in August 2019, they led to a new standard of care. The combination of ibrutinib plus rituximab was superior to standard treatment for patients ages 70 years and younger with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Long-term follow-up continues to demonstrate superior survival with ibrutinib-based therapy. However, clinical challenges remain with this type of therapy, leading to this analysis. Ibrutinib-based Therapy Reinvigorates CD8+ T Cells Compared to Chemoimmunotherapy: Immune Monitoring from the E1912 trial. Papazoglou D. Blood. January 2024

Lung Cancer – When evaluating tumor response to systemic therapies in patients with metastatic cancers, mixed responses in tumors have been reported (one tumor decreasing in size while another increasing in size, for example). Here, researchers sought to determine the incidence and prognostic significance of mixed response in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy in a large phase 3 trial (E5508). Mixed responses occurred in a substantial minority of these patients and independently conferred a poor prognosis. Incidence, Correlates, and Prognostic Significance of Mixed Response in Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer. Gerber DE. The Oncologist. January 2024

Lymphoma – 10-year results are available from the randomized phase 3 RESORT trial (E4402), which compared two rituximab dosing strategies as an alternative to a watch-and-wait approach in patients with low tumor burden follicular lymphoma. With long-term follow-up, researchers report overall survival at 10 years of 83% for maintenance rituximab (every 3 months until symptoms) versus 84% for retreatment rituximab (retreatment only when signs of cancer growth). The long-term follow-up indicates that for patients who opt for rituximab rather than active surveillance, the retreatment approach is advisable. Long-Term Follow-Up of the RESORT Study (E4402): A Randomized Phase III Comparison of Two Different Rituximab Dosing Strategies for Low–Tumor Burden Follicular Lymphoma. Kahl BS. J Clin Oncol. January 2024