UpToDate® and Oncology Times are collaborating to present select newly released UpToDate Oncology content synopses, such as the examples below. UpToDate is the premier evidence-based, clinical support resource used by oncology professionals and healthcare practitioners worldwide to make informed clinical decisions at the point of care. Please note that the examples below are accurate as of the month/year indicated next to each topic excerpt. To ensure you are accessing the most current clinical information, subscribe to UpToDate. For a limited time, you can receive an additional 30 days added to an annual or longer personal subscription term when you visit go.uptodate.com/ot30 and enter promo code OT30. This offer is valid through January 31, 2026. Postmastectomy radiation in breast cancer (November 2025) Trials are evaluating radiation after mastectomy in patients with breast cancer. In a randomized trial in 1,607 patients with intermediate-risk breast cancer, chest wall radiation did not improve overall survival or disease-free survival and only modestly improved chest wall recurrences.1 However, by design, the radiation fields in this trial did not include the regional nodes, which are typically included in postmastectomy radiation fields. As such, these results do not alter our practice of offering postmastectomy radiation, including the regional nodes, to those with involved lymph nodes. Izalontamab brengitecan (iza-bren) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (November 2025) The investigational antibody-drug conjugate izalontamab brengitecan (iza-bren) is being evaluated in patients with recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) who have progressed on both platinum-based chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors.2 In a randomized trial in 386 such patients, iza-bren, compared with chemotherapy, improved both progression-free survival (8.4 vs. 4.3 months) and overall response rates (55% vs. 27%). Grade ≥3 adverse events were higher with iza-bren (80% vs. 62%). We await regulatory approval and longer-term data prior to incorporating iza-bren into standard practice. Behavioral therapy for dyspnea in patients with lung cancer (October 2025) Exposure-based behavioral therapies enhance patient symptom management and provide biofeedback to lessen anxiety. In a trial among 45 patients with lung cancer who had at least moderate dyspnea, patients receiving an exposure-based cognitive-behavioral dyspnea treatment had greater improvement in dyspnea-related functioning, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and mental health-related quality of life at 10 weeks compared with those receiving standard of care.3 In patients with chronic dyspnea, behavioral therapies can augment other treatments and may improve symptoms and quality of life. Ivonescimab plus chemotherapy in advanced squamous non-small cell lung cancer (October 2025) Trials are evaluating novel checkpoint inhibitors in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In a randomized trial in patients with advanced squamous NSCLC, the combination of chemotherapy and ivonescimab, an investigational bispecific antibody targeting programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), improved progression-free survival relative to chemotherapy and the anti-PD-1 antibody tislelizumab (11.1 vs. 6.9 months), irrespective of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) status.4 We await regulatory approval prior to integrating this combination into routine clinical care. Sevabertinib in advanced HER2-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (October 2025) Several novel agents are under study in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-mutant advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including sevabertinib, an oral, reversible anti-HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor. In an open-label study including 209 patients, sevabertinib was associated with a response rate of 64% and progression-free survival (PFS) of 8.3 months among previously-treated patients who had not received HER2-targeted therapy; a response rate of 38% and PFS of 5.5 months among patients previously treated with anti-HER2 therapy; and a response rate of 71% among treatment-naive patients (PFS-immature).5 The most frequent adverse event was diarrhea (in 84%-91%), with Grade ≥3 diarrhea occurring in 5% to 23%. Sevabertinib does not have regulatory approval; further study is needed. Disclaimer: This content is provided for reference purposes only and represents a portion of an UpToDate topic. This content is only accurate as of the date it was published. You may not rely on the above content, or any information cited here as being applicable to specific patient circumstances. All topics are continuously updated as new evidence becomes available and subject to our peer-review process. To ensure you are accessing the most current clinical information, subscribe to UpToDate today at go.uptodate.com/ot30 or sign into your existing UpToDate account if you are a current subscriber.
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A 2025 study studied this question.
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