PATINA Breast Cancer Trial Leads to an FDA Approval

The US Food and Drug Administration has recently approved palbociclib (IBRANCE®, manufactured by Pfizer Inc.) for use in combination with trastuzumab, with or without pertuzumab, and endocrine therapy. This approval is for the maintenance treatment of adults with HR-positive, HER2-positive locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer, following initial induction treatment. For further details, read the FDA’s press release.

The effectiveness of this treatment was evaluated in the randomized phase 3 PATINA trial, conducted globally by Alliance Foundation Trials, LLC. PrECOG, LLC was one of several research groups that supported this significant trial. Angela M. DeMichele, MD, MSCE (University of Pennsylvania), serves as the PrECOG co-principal Investigator for the PATINA study (PrE0111) and a co-author of the published results in the New England Journal of Medicine.

ENDURANCE Results in NEJM Garner Widespread Interest

The randomized phase 3 multiple myeloma trial ENDURANCE (E1A11) is a hot topic of discussion across the scientific and patient communities following published results in the New England Journal of Medicine. This significant trial found more toxicity and no survival benefit from lenalidomide maintenance given until disease progression compared to stopping after 2 years in newly diagnosed standard-risk patients who did not undergo a stem cell transplant. The results provide evidence to change clinical practice, according to trial leaders Shaji Kumar, MD, and Vincent Rajkumar, MD.

“The results of this trial are paradigm-shifting, given the current practice of continuous therapy until progression, and should pave the way for future trial designs to incorporate a defined duration of treatment for the majority of myeloma patients. Fixed duration treatment can significantly reduce healthcare costs, especially given the improving survival of patients with myeloma,” said Dr. Kumar. Read the ECOG-ACRIN press release.

Along with extensive discussions on social media, there was significant news coverage across various sources. Examples include Targeted Oncology, The ASCO Post, Cancer Network, MedicalXpress, and MedPage Today. The International Myeloma Foundation also released an announcement.

"For patients, maintenance therapy is not just another medication. It becomes part of everyday life. One of the most common questions patients ask is how long treatment should continue. ENDURANCE provides patients and physicians with evidence to help guide shared decisions about the benefits and burdens of long-term maintenance therapy," said Yelak Biru, a survivor of multiple myeloma and member of ECOG-ACRIN's Cancer Research Advocates Committee and Myeloma Committee.

ASCO Podcast Features Results of Smoking Cessation Study

In the latest episode of the Journal of Clinical Oncology Podcast, host Davide Soldato, MD, discusses what he refers to as a “groundbreaking trial” with guests Elyse Park, PhD (Massachusetts General Hospital), and Jamie Ostroff, PhD (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center). These investigators led ECOG-ACRIN’s Smokefree Support Study 2.0 (EAQ171CD), which recently demonstrated that a comprehensive and sustained treatment strategy for tobacco dependence, delivered during cancer treatment, doubled smoking cessation rates among cancer patients in community settings.

This innovative randomized trial was supported by the National Cancer Institute and included 37 clinical sites in the NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP). The findings of the study are published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, a journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

Listen to the episode on the ASCO website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

Mitch Schnall Interviewed on AI Agents for Patient Intake

Recently, ECOG-ACRIN group co-chair Mitchell D. Schnall, MD, PhD, who is the senior vice president for data and technology solutions at Penn Medicine, was interviewed by MedCity News about an innovative AI-powered approach for primary patient care. He discussed how Penn Medicine is testing a technology that uses AI-powered agents as “team members” to gather patient intake information before visits. This process helps determine the type of care they need and transforms the information into a structured summary for the clinician. Dr. Schnall said the goal is “to provide additional time for the provider and patients to discuss management options and for a better quality visit.” To learn more, read the article.

Save the Date for the Fall Group Meeting

Mark your calendar for our Fall 2026 Group Meeting, to occur in person at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown from Tuesday, October 20-Thursday, October 22. Sessions will likely begin early in the morning on Tuesday and end by mid-afternoon on Thursday (subject to change). Additional details will be available when registration opens in late August. Look for an email to all ECOG-ACRIN members when registration opens. As usual, the meeting is open to researchers and staff affiliated with member institutions, ECOG-ACRIN patient advocates, industry representatives, and other invited individuals.