According to a new study, lower doses of approved immunotherapy for malignant melanoma can give better results against tumours, while reducing side effects. This is reported by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. “The results are highly interesting in oncology, as we show that a lower dose of an immunotherapy drug, in addition to causing significantly fewer side effects, actually gives better results against tumours and longer survival,” says last author Hildur Helgadottir, a researcher at the Department of Oncology-Pathology at Karolinska Institutet, who led the study. The traditional ...

Road crossings need to slow down to allow people with mobility issues and older pedestrians enough time to use them, research has indicated.  The time interval of crossings in the UK is more than two seconds shorter than people with reduced mobility need, according to a new study by researchers at the Universities of Bath, Birmingham and Exeter.   Led by Dr Max Western from the University of Bath Centre for Motivation and Behaviour Change, the study found that just 1.5% of older adults with ...

MIAMI, FLORIDA (EMBARGOED UNTIL DEC. 7, 2025, AT 6:00 P.M. EST) – Patients undergoing treatment for lymphoma often experience adverse side effects that can be so severe that they stop or slow treatment. But a new study shows that a virtual program focusing on diet and exercise is a feasible strategy for minimizing the side effects of cancer therapies and increasing treatment retention.   Early findings from the LIFE-L study will be presented on behalf of the multidisciplinary team by Melissa Lopez, Ph.D., RDN, at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting in Orlando. Lopez is a postdoctoral ...

Insect pupae hiss like snakes for defense. A Kobe University team now reveals the mechanisms, opening the door to further studies involving predator reactions to defensive sounds. Just as you would shout or make noise to drive off a perceived threat, some insects have been known to produce defensive sounds. Some moths, for example, have been observed producing sounds to ward off predators at multiple developmental stages; pupal sound production has so far been attributed mainly to physical friction between body parts. “We became interested in this topic when ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 7, 2025) In a new trial, patients newly diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) fared significantly better with a combined regimen of azacitidine and venetoclax compared with conventional induction chemotherapy. The azacitidine–venetoclax combination (known as aza-ven) is the standard of care for older adults who are not fit enough for intensive chemotherapy. The trial is the first to test the superiority of this regimen to intensive induction chemotherapy, the current standard for fit patients. “Our study met ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 7, 2025) In a new trial, patients with follicular lymphoma had a significantly higher response to treatment and a nearly 80% reduction in the risk of death or disease progression if they received epcoritamab in addition to the standard second-line regimen versus the standard regimen alone. The study is the first reported randomized controlled trial to test a bispecific antibody combination in follicular lymphoma and suggests the combination could offer an effective alternative to chemotherapy that can be safely administered on an outpatient basis. Based on the study results, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved epcoritamab with ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 7, 2025) A chemotherapy-free combination treatment outperformed a combination of targeted therapy and chemotherapy among patients with Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in a new study. The phase III trial, which included adult patients with no upper age limit, is the first formal comparison of the efficacy and safety of these two approaches in newly diagnosed patients with Ph+ ALL. Researchers say the findings offer reassurance that chemotherapy can be omitted without detrimental effects and suggest that a chemo-free targeted agent and immunotherapy combination could become the new standard of care for this patient group. “The chemo-free approach ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 7, 2025) Pirtobrutinib, a non-covalent Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, met the primary endpoint for non-inferiority in terms of overall response rate in the first head-to-head comparison with ibrutinib, a covalent BTK inhibitor. Based on the study results, researchers suggest pirtobrutinib shows promise as initial BTK inhibitor therapy, including in the frontline setting, for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). Non-covalent BTK inhibitors were initially developed to overcome resistance to covalent ...

University of Cincinnati researchers will present research at the 67th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition Dec. 6 to 9 in Orlando. Phase 1 data testing new CLL treatment encouraging  A class of drugs called BTK inhibitors have become a standard treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic leukemia (SLL). However, the prevalence of new resistance mutations has created  a need for new treatments in patients with relapsed CLL who progressed through approved standard of care options, said the Cancer Center’s Zulfa Omer, MD. “This is an area of unmet need, with current options providing ...

MIAMI, FLORIDA (EMBARGOED UNTIL DEC. 6, 2025, AT 2:00 P.M. EST) – Treatment with an immune and cancer cell-targeting antibody therapy eradicates residual traces of the blood cell cancer multiple myeloma, according to interim results from a clinical trial conducted by researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The findings will be presented Dec. 6, 2025, at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting in Orlando. None of the 18 patients who completed up to six cycles of treatment with the antibody linvoseltamab had detectable disease on highly sensitive tests. This preliminary ...

Article Summary: Researchers found that DNA’s shape matters. When its loops break, cancer can start. Based on a new concept of architectural tumor suppression, researchers used proteins that organize DNA to also help prevent lymphoma. Artificial intelligence helped reveal the changes that could guide future treatments. MIAMI, FLORIDA (EMBARGOED UNTIL DEC. 6, 2025, AT 9:50 A.M. EST) – Cancer isn’t just about broken genes—it’s about broken architecture. Imagine a city where roads suddenly vanish, ...

Article Summary ACCESS study reveals patients can safely receive stem cell transplants from unrelated donors with multiple genetic mismatches. A protective regimen acts as a “bridge,” preventing complications and boosting survival rates. Findings could make transplants accessible to nearly all patients with blood cancers, regardless of ancestry. Study will be presented at ASH Dec. 8 and will also be highlighted in a special ASH press briefing Dec. 6 at 8:30AM EST. MIAMI, FLORIDA (EMBARGOED UNTIL DEC. 6, 2025, AT 8:30AM) – For years, the ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) A new study shows that giving the chemotherapy drug cyclophosphamide after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, a curative treatment for common types of blood cancer, can make the procedure safe and effective even when donors and recipients are unrelated and have extensive genetic mismatches. Historically, genetic compatibility has played a primary role in identifying matched donors; these results suggest that many patients who need a transplant could now have access to a much broader pool of potential donors and expect outcomes comparable to those from fully matched donors. The study found that one-year survival was similar whether patients received ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) According to a new trial, patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) show comparable outcomes whether they receive a single-agent treatment indefinitely or a combination treatment for a fixed period of time. The study is the first prospective trial to directly compare these two approaches. With a median follow-up of nearly three years, the results show these approaches are essentially equivalent in terms of risk of death or disease progression. “As clinicians, we often assume ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) Sensitive tests designed to detect very small numbers of remaining leukemia cells after treatment, known as measurable residual disease (MRD), may provide an early and reliable indicator of long-term outcomes for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to a new study from the HARMONY Alliance. The study is the first to evaluate MRD as a potential measure of treatment efficacy and outcome prediction in the context of AML. The results suggest that MRD could help refine how physicians assess treatment response and personalize post-remission care. The findings may also help regulators determine whether MRD can serve as an intermediate ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) In a new trial, patients with B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) who had no evidence of remaining cancer cells after prior treatment, experienced comparable outcomes whether they received chemotherapy-based conditioning or total body irradiation (TBI), the standard conditioning regimen used before hematopoietic cell transplantation. The findings could allow more patients to avoid TBI and its associated long-term side effects. The study is the first to test the use of chemotherapy-based conditioning in patients with no evidence of measurable residual disease (MRD) through next-generation-sequencing ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) Nearly a third of families with children receiving chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) – the most common pediatric cancer – develop serious financial difficulties during their child’s treatment, including losing 25% or more of their household income and struggling to cover the costs of basic living expenses such as housing, food, and utilities. “To our knowledge, this is the first study in pediatric oncology to examine the financial impact associated with cancer treatment by measuring household material hardship and income loss over ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) Within a year of initiation, a multidisciplinary project to improve screening and treatment for iron deficiency in pregnancy resulted in a sixfold rise in screening rates for iron deficiency in pregnant patients, a 20-fold rise in the number of intravenous (IV) iron infusions, and a significant improvement in median hemoglobin levels. “Screening rates went from 10% to over 60% within a year,” said lead author Richard Godby, MD, a hematologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “Two-thirds of pregnant patients screened were found to be iron deficient, indicating that this is a very common, but readily fixable problem.” Women ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) Treatment with intravenous (IV) iron significantly improved survival and increased hemoglobin levels in patients with iron-deficiency anemia who were hospitalized for an acute bacterial infection, according to an analysis of data from more than 85,000 patients.  “Our data show that it is safe to give IV iron to patients who have both iron-deficiency anemia and an acute bacterial infection, and that, compared with untreated patients, those treated with IV iron have better overall survival and higher hemoglobin levels,” said lead author Haris Sohail, MD, a fellow in hematology-oncology at Charleston Area Medical ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) Compared with white patients, Black patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were on average more than five years younger at diagnosis, more than 30% more likely to die of their disease, and more than 20% more likely to die of any cause, according to an analysis of data conducted over a 34-year period and supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) is a component of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Among patients with a mutation in their cancer cells that is generally associated with more favorable outcomes from AML treatment, survival for Black patients was ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) A new study finds that only one in three patients visiting emergency departments (EDs) for severe pain associated with sickle cell disease received appropriate opioid-based pain-relieving medications within the first hour as recommended by the American Society of Hematology (ASH) and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).    Based on data from several hundred medical centers across the United States, the research represents the first large, national study to assess guideline adherence across diverse EDs. It shows substantially ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) Taking the sickle cell drug hydroxyurea during or shortly before pregnancy does not appear to cause specific issues in newborns, according to the first prospective study of pregnancies involving hydroxyurea exposure. Since there may yet be undocumented effects, the authors still recommend discontinuing the drug before pregnancy, if possible. However, the findings offer reassurance that hydroxyurea exposure may not cause harm when unplanned pregnancies occur or when the drug is the only or best option ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) Patients who underwent hematopoietic cell transplantation for sickle cell disease saw high rates of survival without disease symptoms and low rates of severe side effects or complications years after their procedure, according to a new study. The study included over 1,000 patients, representing the largest and most comprehensive analysis of long-term transplant outcomes to date in people living with sickle cell disease. “A majority of patients in this cohort are alive; the transplant worked so they no longer show symptoms of their sickle cell disease, and most have had no late effects post-transplant,” said lead study author Elizabeth Stenger, ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) The first study assessing the real-world commercial roll-out of gene therapies for sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia offers lessons learned to inform best practices as manufacturers and medical centers prepare to meet growing demand for gene therapies in the coming years. “Gene therapy requires system-level coordination and close collaboration across patients, treatment centers, payers, and manufacturers,” said study author Joanne Lager, MD, chief medical officer at Genetix Biotherapeutics Inc. “The demand for these one-time durable gene ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) Preliminary results from two trials of the gene therapy exagamglogene autotemcel (exa-cel) suggest the therapy offers an effective cure for beta-thalassemia and sickle cell disease in children younger than 12. Researchers say the therapy’s potential to offer a cure at an early age – before organ damage accumulates – could make exa-cel even more beneficial in children than adults. “All younger patients with sufficient follow-up met the primary endpoint of being transfusion independent in those with beta thalassemia and free of vaso-occlusive crises for those with sickle cell disease,” said ...