Hematology & Oncology Highlights: Kidney Cancer Combo Approved, Chemo and Air Pollution, and More

Here are the top stories covered by DocWire News this week in the Hematology & Oncology section. This week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a combination therapy for renal cell carcinoma (RCC), a study found that chemotherapy-treated cancer survivors are more affected by air pollution, and a study assessed genomic predisposition to oncology-drug-induced cardiotoxicity.

The FDA approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda®) in combination with axitinib (Inlyta®) for the firstline treatment of advanced RCC. The approval was based on the pre-specified interim analysis of the randomized, multicenter, open-label, phase III pivotal KEYNOTE-426 trial. After a median follow-up of 12.8 months, overall survival was significantly improved in the pembrolizumab/axitinib combination cohort compared to sunitinib (Sutent®), resulting in a 47% reduction in the risk of death.

Air pollution significantly increases the risk of hospitalizations in childhood cancer survivors, according to a case-crossover study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The risk for respiratory hospitalization was significantly higher among survivors who received chemotherapy compared with those who did not have cancer. In addition, 90% of events occurred at three-day PM2.5 averages less than 35.4 µg/m³, which is the National Ambient Air Quality Standard 24-hour standard.

A new paper in Cardiovascular Research looks at genomic predisposition to oncology-drug-induced cardiotoxicity, which has been hinted at for decades but not rigorously explored. The researchers mentioned the importance and relative power of new human-inducted pluripotent stem cells technology, which they noted is uniquely suited to investigating the pharmacogenomics of chemotherapy-induced adverse cardiovascular effects by providing “a model with which to identify potential toxicities, examining the mechanism of toxicities, and identify and validate genetic determinants of susceptibility to toxicities.”

Current Health’s artificial intelligence (AI) wearable device that measures multiple vital signs has recently received FDA-clearance for patients to use at home. The wireless device, Current, measures a patient’s pulse, respiration, oxygen saturation, temperature, and mobility. Current provides physicians with real-time updates regarding their patient’s health, allowing them to handle complications promptly. The technology utilizes machine learning to analyze the data it collects to detect problematic changes in data.