Hem/Onc Year in Review: The Top 10 News Articles of 2019

Here are the top-read hematology/oncology stories covered by DocWire News in 2019.

1. Roche’s Rozlytrek (entrectinib) has been priced at about half the cost of its competitor, Vitrakvi (larotrectinib), according to reports. Rozlytrek comes with an estimated price tag of $17,000 a month, while Vitrakvi, manufactured by Bayer and Eli Lilly, will set patients back about $33,000 a month.
2. A study found that cancer-causing chemicals—per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—have been found in U.S. milk, meat, and produce. The study from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet been made public in the United States and was leaking after being presented at a scientific conference in Helsinki, Finland, last week.
3. A study published in Environmental Health found that drinking California tap water over a lifetime increases the risk of cancer. Specifically, between 2011 and 2015, contaminants found in California public water systems could contribute to approximately 15,500 cancer cases over the course of a lifetime.
4. Researchers have recently found a compound that can eradicate drug-resistant glioblastoma-initiating cells. This compound, discovered by a collaborative group of Hokkaido University, FUJIFILM Corporation, and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology scientists, could potentially be used to eradicate refractory tumors with minimal toxicity.
5. The World Health Organization (WHO) said electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products do not help reduce cancer. The seventh WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic also said that these products are “not harmless” and should be considered for regulation as harmful products.
6. A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that indoor tanning bed exposure may trigger a specific genetic mutation, BRAF V600E, associated with melanoma and contribute to younger age at diagnosis.
7. The drug combination of niraparib (ZEJULA) and pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA) shows promising antitumor activity in patients with advanced metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, according to a study published in JAMA Oncology.
8. A study published in Cancer Research found that gut bacteria can play a role in breast cancer metastasis. Researchers from the University of Virginia Cancer Center found that disrupting the microbiome of mice caused hormone receptor-positive breast cancer to become more aggressive and spread.
9. Radiation exposure from computed tomography scans is associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer and leukemia, according to a study published in JNCI Cancer Spectrum.
10. Active ingredients found in sunscreens are absorbed into the bloodstream at levels that exceed the FDA recommended threshold without a government safety inspection, according to a study by the FDA that was published in JAMA.