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Latest Stories
Podcast
In this week's episode of The Cancer Letter Podcast, Paul Goldberg, editor and publisher, and Sara Willa Ernst, reporter, go on a trip into the world of federal health policy surrounding psychedelic medicine.
Regulatory News
Earlier this year, Joe Rogan, host of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, sent a text to President Donald Trump.
Trials & Tribulations
On May 30, GRAIL reported the full results of the NHS-Galleri trial in an oral presentation at the ASCO Annual Meeting.
Trials & Tribulations
The NHS-Galleri trial presented at ASCO was the largest, prospective, randomized trial of a multicancer early detection test (MCED) to date. The study enrolled approximately 143,000 asymptomatic adults (ages 50-77) and was the first of its kind to assess clinical utility of an MCED test for cancer screening.
News Analysis
FDA has issued a draft guidance to reduce unnecessary animal testing in nonclinical safety assessments for some cancer pharmaceuticals.
Cancer Policy
An analysis by Stand up for Science found that the White House Office of Management and Budget’s recently proposed rule, “Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance,” if finalized, could result in termination of nearly 50% of active clinical research studies.
Cancer Policy
Asal SayasSen. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced a bill that requires NIH to develop a national strategy to address the rise of cancer in younger adults.
In Brief
Ian E. Krop was named section chief of Medical Oncology and Hematology and deputy director for Clinical Affairs for Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital.
In Brief
Veena Shankaran, co-director of the Hutchinson Institute for Cancer Outcomes Research at Fred Hutch Cancer Center,was awarded the newly established Lert Family Endowed Chair. A gastrointestinal cancer specialist, she is also a professor at Fred Hutch and UW Medicine.
In Brief
University of California San Diego Moores Cancer Center has received a five-year, $25 million Cancer Center Support Grant from NCI.
In Brief
Researchers from the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have been awarded a $3.2 million grant from NIH to develop advanced imaging and surgical strategies aimed at improving outcomes for patients with glioblastoma, a fast-growing and aggressive brain tumor.
In Brief
Kara Marshall, assistant professor of neuroscience and a McNair Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine, received the 2026 McKnight Scholar Award from the McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience.
In Brief
The St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences achieved institutional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Clinical Roundup
The ASCERTAIN-V phase I/II clinical trial, which evaluated the first all-oral regimen of decitabine-cedazuridine plus venetoclax in patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia who are ineligible for intensive induction chemotherapy, demonstrated favorable response rates and survival with expected myelosuppressive effects.
Clinical Roundup
Talvey (talquetamab-tgvs), a GPRC5D bispecific antibody, in combination with Darzalez Faspro (daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj) with or without pomalidomide demonstrated significant reduction in the risk of disease progression or death of up to 72% and clinically meaningful reduction of up to 53% in the risk of death compared to the standard regimen of Darzalez Faspro, pomalidomide, and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, according to the results of the investigational phase III MonumenTAL-3 study.
Clinical Roundup
Jaypirca (pirtobrutinib), a non-covalent Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor, plus a two-year venetoclax and rituximab regimen versus venetoclax and rituximab in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 45% (HR=0.55 [95% CI, 0.40-0.75]; p=0.0001), according to the results of the phase III BRUIN CLL-322 trial. The study met its primary endpoint of independent review committee-assessed progression-free survival.
Clinical Roundup
Vispa-cel, an off-the-shelf CD19-targeted CAR-T cell therapy, produced durable long-term responses in patients enrolled in the ANTLER phase I clinical trial for relapsed or refractory B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with the potential to bring the benefit of cell therapy to patients who lack curative options.
Clinical Roundup
An experimental antibody treatment that binds to a protein known as PCDH7 shrank tumors in preclinical models of non-small cell lung cancer, even those resistant to a targeted therapy, a study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers showed. This discovery could eventually lead to a new class of drugs to treat NSCLC and potentially other cancers.
Clinical Roundup
A pilot project reveals that 84% of participants had a positive experience using a newly developed online tool created by the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology called the Participant Engagement Portal. Alliance created PEP to foster direct connection between cancer researchers and the individuals who volunteer for clinical studies. The goal was to make it easier for patients and clinicians to share information, deliver trial updates, and self-report on social risk factors.
Clinical Roundup
Children and adolescents undergoing cancer treatment should no longer be encouraged to rest whenever possible.
Drugs & Targets
FDA has approved Ambelvist (gadoquatrane), an intravenous macrocyclic gadolinium-based contrast agent indicated for contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging to detect and visualize lesions with abnormal vascularity in the central nervous system and non-CNS body regions in adult and pediatric patients, including term neonates.
Drugs & Targets
FDA has accepted for review Genentech’s supplemental Biologic License Application for their immunotherapy drug atezolizumab (Tecentriq) for the treatment of patients with stage 3 colon cancer with deficient deoxyribonucleic acid mismatch repair.
Drugs & Targets
FDA is warning providers about the interruptions in the supply of stereotactic breast biopsy needles because of recent supplier issues. The manufacturing disruption in supply of these devices is expected to impact patient care and may require adjustments to the clinical management of patients indicated to undergo a breast biopsy.
Podcast
This Pride Month, Peter F. Garrett appeared on The Cancer Letter Podcast to talk about what his experience during the HIV/Aids crisis has taught him about effective healthcare communication and advocacy.
The White House Office of Management and Budget has published a “Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance,” a proposed rule that seeks to fundamentally redraw the ground rules for all federally funded research. On the other side are America’s scientists who aren’t just crying foul—they are readying for a political fight.
Capitol Hill
On June 9, the House Appropriations Committee passed its version of the fiscal year 2027 spending bill for Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.
Last week, Wafik El-Deiry, a cancer researcher at Brown University, showed up at a Senate hearing to talk about what he sees as dangers of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Trials & Tribulations
In 1989, I stood in front of the AIDS Memorial Quilt on a hot summer afternoon on the National Mall in Washington DC.
Sponsored
The oncology field is confronting three forces simultaneously.
Cancer Policy
NIH has published a request for information on its proposed policy that would cap the number of research project grants, or RPGs, for which an individual can simultaneously serve as principal investigator or multi-principal investigator.
Cancer Policy
Judge Leo Sorokin, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, struck down a new policy under the Trump administration that tacks on a $100,000 fee for H1-B visas, which allows foreign nationals in “specialty occupations” to live and work in the U.S. The fee was previously $5,000 to $10,000.
In Brief
Ozgur Sahin was named co-leader of the Cancer Biology & Immunology Program at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. Sahin joins Sophie Paczesny in that role.
In Brief
Torben Schiffner has joined the Wistar Institute’s Vaccine & Immunotherapy Center.
In Brief
Valsamo (Elsa) Anagnostou, Jordan D. Berlin, and Olisaemeka Ogbue were named as the recipients of The ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group annual scientific awards.
In Brief
Stanford has unveiled plans to build an integrated clinical care and research center in Redwood City, CA. The institution plans to submit its formal updated project description to the city and host informational community webinars.
In Brief
City of Hope broke ground on a new Pathology and Radiation Oncology Building designed to expand cancer treatment capacity and streamline care delivery in Los Angeles County.
In Brief
The University of Chicago was awarded $66 million in renewal funding from NCI to support the NRG Oncology Statistics and Data Management Center, which provides expertise in biostatistics, data management, and operational support for national clinical trials.
In Brief
The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center has been granted a six-year, $5 million grant from NCI.
In Brief
Tai R. (Terry) Shin established a systemwide research award at the University of Illinois, also establishing a named chair at the Cancer Center at Illinois (Urbana) and a named directorship at the University of Illinois Cancer Center (Chicago).
In Brief
Thyme Care announced the expansion of its Next Chapter Care survivorship program to more than 15,000 members, addressing a challenge that often receives less attention in cancer care: what happens after treatment ends.
In Brief
Editor and Publisher Paul Goldberg, Associate Editor Jacquelyn Cobb, Reporter Claire Marie Porter, and Director of Operations Katie Goldberg were named finalists in SPJ’s Washington D.C. Chapter’s annual Dateline Awards at the National Press Club June 9.
In Brief
The National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation has named Reporters Claire Marie Porter and Sara Willa Ernst finalists of the 2026 Trade Journalism awards.
Clinical Roundup
The phase III frontMIND trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of tafasitamab (Monjuvi/Minjuvi), a humanized Fc-modified cytolytic CD19-targeting monoclonal antibody, and lenalidomide added to R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone; Tafa-Len-R-CHOP) versus R-CHOP alone as a first-line treatment for adults with previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma or high-grade B-cell lymphoma, has produced positive results.
Clinical Roundup
One of the most detailed maps to date of meningioma—the most common brain tumor in adults—reveals how the tumor’s surrounding environment helps drive disease behavior and patient outcomes, according to new research from Mayo Clinic.
Drugs & Targets
FDA added bemotrizinol to the list of permitted sunscreen active ingredients, marking the first new active ingredient added to the over-the-counter sunscreen monograph since the late 1990s.
Podcast
The oncology community is still riding the high of the success of daraxonrasib—the first drug to show real promise in treating metastatic pancreatic cancer. The drug doubled overall survival for patients in the phase III RASolute-302 trial.
Clinical
A note for historians: On April 21, 2026, pancreatic cancer finally began to budge.
Trials & Tribulations
Those of us who have devoted our careers to treating recalcitrant cancers know the heartbreak of walking alongside an individual facing an advanced diagnosis. We not only shoulder the clinical responsibility, but also the emotional weight that accompanies every step of that journey as each patient’s story becomes connected to our own.
The White House Office of Management and Budget has released a 412-page proposal that inserts political appointees into all stages of reviewing and awarding of federal research grants.
If you believe in the miraculous healing power of ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, and the harm from vaccination for HPV and COVID-19, you’ve got a powerful friend in Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), chair of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
In a poignant keynote punctuated with anecdotes about grief, American Society of Clinical Oncology’s immediate past president Eric Small emphasized that the annual conference is not just about scientific discovery, but about a responsibility to translate discoveries into better outcomes for cancer patients globally.
Sponsored
One of the greatest challenges in cancer immunotherapy is finding the rare immune cells, called tumor-reactive T cells, whose job it is to recognize and eliminate tumor cells.
Cancer Policy
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released a guidance for states on how to implement Medicaid work requirements that will go into effect nationwide on Jan. 1, 2027.
Cancer Policy
Friends of Cancer Research announced the election of Richard Pazdur to the organization’s board of directors.
In Brief
Mina Sedrak, director of the UCLA Center for Cancer and Aging and director of Cancer Control and Survivorship Research at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Vijaya Raj Bhatt professor and medical director of the Leukemia Program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, were selected to serve as co-chairs of the Cancer in the Older Adult Committee for The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology.
In Brief
Labcorp and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology will collaborate on a national, multicenter clinical trial for patients newly diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
In Brief
Advocate Health and Lind, an AI-powered clinical reserch platform, are partnering to help connect more cancer patients to clinical trials.
In Brief
OpenEvidence announced an integration of ASCO Guidelines, figures, and flowcharts into the OpenEvidence model.
In Brief
Katrina Armstrong, Columbia University executive vice president for health and biomedical sciences, Columbia University Irving Medical Center CEO, and dean of the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, will transition from her current roles to launch the Vagelos Institute for Basic Biomedical Research, a collaboration between Roy and Diana Vagelos and the University.
In Brief
Jian Liu, Miho Iijima, Mikayla Chen, Thu Le, and Tanae Lewis were named to the Jayne Koskinas Ted Giovanis Foundation for Health and Policy Scholars Program, which is focused on cellular influence on health and disease.
In Brief
Jason Chiang and Kyung Sung of the Department of Radiological Sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have received a $3.2 million, five-year grant from NCI to develop an artificial intelligence-enhanced imaging platform designed to improve yttrium-90 (Y90) radioembolization planning for patients with liver cancer.
Clinical Roundup
GRAIL Inc. presented more detailed results of the NHS-Galleri trial in an oral presentation at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting.
Clinical Roundup
An international phase III study showed that patients with relapsed multiple myeloma treated with teclistamab lived longer and remained in remission significantly longer than patients receiving standard therapies.
Clinical Roundup
Adding the investigational adenoviral-based viral immunotherapy aglatimagene besadenovec (alglatimagene, CAN-2409) to standard radiation therapy improved disease-free survival for patients with intermediate- or high-risk localized prostate cancer, according to the results of a multicenter clinical trial led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, and Brady Urological Institute.
Clinical Roundup
Further positive results from the phase III SERENA-6 trial showed camizestrant plus a cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor—palbociclib, ribociclib or abemaciclib—maintained its progression-free survival benefit with longer follow-up and delivered a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in second progression-free survival, demonstrating sustained benefit beyond initial treatment.
Clinical Roundup
OST-HER2 (OST31-164) achieved statistically significant benefit for treated patients in overall survival at the 2.5-year timepoint in the prevention or delay of recurrence in fully resected, pulmonary metastatic osteosarcoma (75% vs. 47%, p = 0.003).
Clinical Roundup
While treatment is often successful, bladder cancer has one of the highest rates of recurrence of any cancer: Following treatment, about 50% of patients develop tumors again within the next five years. This makes it one of the most expensive cancers for society to treat.
Clinical Roundup
A study by researchers at the American Cancer Society showed that between 2003 and 2023, nearly five million people in the United States lived in food deserts—places with no grocery stores. Most of these deserts are in poor and rural areas and in places where people rely on public transit. At the same time, the number of food swamps or areas with mostly restaurants/fast-food locations increased nationwide.
Drugs & Targets
FDA approved Imfinzi (durvalumab) in combination with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin for the treatment of adult patients with BCG-naïve, high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.
Drugs & Targets
FDA approved Decnupaz (pivekimab sunirine-pvzy) for the treatment of adult patients with BPDCN, an ultra-rare and aggressive hematologic malignancy with limited treatment options. The approval is supported by data from the phase I/II CADENZA trial, a global study evaluating the safety and efficacy of Decnupaz for BPDCN.
Drugs & Targets
The European Commission authorized an expanded label for Venclyxto (venetoclax) to include use in combination with acalabrutinib (with or without obinutuzumab) and use in combination with ibrutinib for the treatment of adult patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
NCI Trials
The National Cancer Institute approved the following clinical research studies last month.
Podcast
At the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, the plenary sessions are one of the main events. A handful of clinical research studies are chosen from the thousands that are presented at the conference to represent the biggest achievements from the field in the last year.
The Directors
Getting NCI clinical trials to the community has never been an easy task. Has it been getting simpler or more difficult in recent years?
Clinical
As complementary and alternative medicines continue to gain acceptance beyond the margins of cancer treatment, results from a recent study from Yale School of Medicine published in JAMA Network Open suggests that some patients using CAM with their mainstream therapy may, in fact, be substituting alternative medicine for allopathic interventions.
Trials & Tribulations
Across the United States, rural communities bear a disproportionate and growing burden of cancer mortality.
Sponsored
Theranostics, the pairing of a diagnostic imaging agent with a targeted radiopharmaceutical therapy, has moved from a niche corner of nuclear medicine into one of the most active areas of investment in oncology.
Cancer Policy
In a letter, sixty organizations representing cancer patients and providers are urging HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to maintain the integrity of the U.S. Preventive Task Force.
Cancer Policy
FDA has issued warning letters to eight retailers for selling unauthorized tobacco products, including nicotine pouches and dissolvable tobacco products.
Cancer Policy
The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee on May 28 approved the composition of COVID-19 vaccines for the 2026-2027 immunization season.
Cancer Policy
Pam Bondi, former U.S. attorney general, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Bondi received treatment and is in recovery, according to reports by Axios.
In Brief
Giulio Draetta was recently named chief strategy officer at Orionis Biosciences, a privately held, clinical stage life sciences company focused on discovery, design, and development of precision medicines for cancer and immune system-related disorders. Orionis is based in Boston and Ghent, Belgium.
In Brief
Baptist Health South Florida and the START Center for Cancer Research, the largest global network of fully dedicated, early-phase oncology clinical trial sites, announced plans to form a strategic collaboration.
Clinical Roundup
Teclistamab extends OS, deepens remissions in landmark trial published in NEJM and presented at ASCO
Patients with relapsed multiple myeloma treated with the immunotherapy teclistamab (TECVALI) lived significantly longer and remained in remission far longer than those receiving standard therapies, according to results from a major international phase III clinical trial published in The New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting.
Clinical Roundup
Physicians at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai are calling for updates to a widely used system that grades side effects from cancer treatments, warning that current criteria may misclassify the severity of skin-related toxicities and limit consistency across clinical trials.
Clinical Roundup
A dual-threshold model for measuring the pancreatic tumor marker serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) identified patients with pancreatic cancer who had high-risk disease despite having low CA19-9 levels because of a genetic variation that impairs their ability to produce this biomarker.
Clinical Roundup
When activated in ovarian cancer cells, the receptor for the body’s primary stress hormone alters the tumor environment in ways that blunt immune response, according to research led by UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Clinical Roundup
Large pieces of DNA can transfer directly between human cells, and the DNA can persist and change how the recipient cell functions, according to a study led by researchers at Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern.
Clinical Roundup
An artificial intelligence model may be able to translate a tumor’s complex genetic profile into predictions about how that cancer may respond to treatment, according to a study conducted by researchers at University of California San Diego.
Clinical Roundup
Scientists at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have developed a cytokine-armored CAR T-cell therapy that helps the immune system better attack aggressive brain tumors in mice while reducing dangerous side effects that have long limited immune-based treatments for glioblastoma, one of the deadliest and most treatment-resistant brain cancers.
Clinical Roundup
Illumina has developed a new, complete solution for molecular residual disease research based on whole-genome sequencing that will be distributed as a kit, with the aim of enabling more labs to adopt MRD detection for clinical research.
Drugs & Targets
FDA has approved pivekimab sunirine-pvzy (Decnupaz), a CD123-directed antibody and alkylating agent conjugate, for adults with blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm.
Drugs & Targets
FDA has approved Hepcludex (bulevirtide-gmod) injection to treat chronic hepatitis delta virus infection in adults without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis. Hepcludex is the first FDA-approved treatment for chronic HDV infection, a serious and life-threatening condition that can cause rapid development of liver fibrosis, liver cancer, liver failure, and even death.
Drugs & Targets
FDA has granted Fast Track designation to STX-0712, an investigational therapy in development for the treatment of relapsed or refractory chronic myelomonocytic leukemia.
Drugs & Targets
RenovoRx Inc. received an Orphan Drug Designation of oxaliplatin for the treatment of pancreatic cancer delivered via RenovoCath device.
Podcast
While every agency under HHS, particularly FDA, has seen historic leadership shakeups and massive cuts to personnel and funding over the course of the second Trump administration—NCI has been spared, even getting a small raise, under the direction of NCI Director Anthony Letai.
Top HHS officials last week called for a “moonshot” focused on the role of the microbiome in cancer.
Conversation with The Cancer Letter
As stirrings rise of a cancer “moonshot” focused on the relationship between the human microbiome and cancer, City of Hope’s Marcel van den Brink says this is the perfect time for such an influx of support.
NCI
NCI has been getting what seems to be less austere treatment compared to its NIH counterparts.
Capitol Hill
Esa M. Davis and John B. Wong have been fired from U.S. Preventive Services Task Force by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
