Hem/Onc Roundup: COVID-19 in Patients with Cancer, Blood Test Detects More Than 50 Cancer Types, and more

Here are the top stories covered by DocWire News this week in the Hematology & Oncology section. This week, a study found that patients with cancer appear to be at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved new treatment options for hemophilia and lung cancer, and more.

Researchers have identified that people with chronic conditions, including cancer, appear to be at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, according to a preliminary report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Kleo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is working with South Korea-based Green Cross LabCell to test natural killer cell treatment options, typically used to treat cancer, for patients with COVID-19.

Researchers have developed a new blood test that can detect more than 50 cancer types across various disease stages with a specificity of 99.3%, according to a study published in Annals of Oncology.

The FDA approved Sevenfact (coagulation factor VIIa [recombinant]-jncw) for the treatment of adults and adolescents (12 years and older) with hemophilia A and B with inhibitors.

The FDA approved Imfinzi® (durvalumab) in combination with etoposide plus either carboplatin or cisplatin as first-line treatment for adults with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.

In case you missed it, more hem/onc headlines are featured below:

• Physicians Struggle to Communicate Positive Thyroid Cancer Prognosis to Patients
• Breastfeeding Significantly Decreases Ovarian Cancer Risk, Including The Deadliest Form of the Disease
• Racial Disparities in Prostate Cancer Outcomes Differ by Geographic Region
• Stereotactic Ablative Radiation Yields Good Outcomes for Patients with Prostate Cancer
• Inherited Mutation Can Predispose Children to Medulloblastoma