December 2021 Vol 7 No 6

In October 2021, the FDA approved a second indication for Tecartus (brexucabtagene autoleucel), a novel, genetically modified CAR T-cell therapy, for adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

In October 2021, the FDA approved Scemblix (asciminib) for patients with chronic-phase Ph-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) or CML associated with T315I mutation. Scemblix is a new type of drug that may improve outcomes over other therapies for some patients with CML.

In October 2021, the FDA approved the immunotherapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab), in combination with chemotherapy and with or without Avastin (bevacizumab), for patients with persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer and PD-L1 expression.

Oncology navigator Sharon Gentry, RN, MSN, explains the value of reaching out to your navigator. A large part of the navigator’s job is to answer questions related to patient care, from transportation and insurance coverage options to cultural concerns, and everything in between.

In November 2021, the FDA approved a new indication for the immunotherapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for adjuvant treatment (after surgery) of patients with renal-cell carcinoma that is at intermediate-high or high risk for recurrence.

Dr. Matthew Allaway is a testicular cancer survivor and a practicing urologist. He describes a new procedure he created to ease the difficulty of diagnosing prostate cancer, the most common cancer among men in the United States.

Grief Counselor Kelly Grosklags says that being authentic in a world that stigmatizes mental health and judges raw emotions can be lonely and alienating. She provides tips on how to deal with some of the feelings that come with the layers of loss and mourning.

At age 68, Dan Greene was told the intense pain in his abdomen was likely pancreatic cancer, until further testing determined he had stage IV stomach cancer. Joining a clinical trial gave him a second chance.

Many men hide their emotions and vulnerability in an effort to maintain a sense of manliness or power, but suffering in silence can have drastic implications for men’s health and make cancer treatment more difficult.