In this issue of The American Journal of Hematology/Oncology®, a peer-reviewed resource for oncology education and the official journal of Physicians’ Education Resource®, LLC, Heather J. Dalton, MD, and Robert L. Coleman, MD, discuss clinical trial evidence for the PARP inhibitor olaparib, which was approved in December 2014 as a fourth-line-and-beyond treatment for relapsed BRCA-mutated ovarian cancer. The article explores emerging phase II and III data and future directions for olaparib, including forthcoming clinical trials and methods to predict response and to expand the population of patients who can be treated with olaparib.

Conventional combined modality treatments for squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx often leave patients with long-term aftereffects that impair quality of life and escalate with the intensity of treatment. As an increasing number of cases are due to human papillomavirus and have a better prognosis compared with tobacco-related disease, Charles E. Rutter, MD, Zain A. Husain, MD, and Barbara A. Burtness, MD, discuss the de-intensification of treatment for the most-favorable-risk patients. Dean A. Shumway, MD, and Daniel A. Hamstra, MD, PhD, highlight the contribution of radiation as a part of multimodality therapy in prolonging survival in high-risk prostate cancer.

Saman Nematollahi, BS, Utkarsh H. Acharya, DO, and Ravitharan Krishnadasan, MD, present an illustrated case study of a 47-year-old woman with high-risk acute promyelocytic leukemia who developed a rare event of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA)-associated bone marrow necrosis. Jacob L. Hutchins, MD, presents evidence for improving patient outcomes through state-of-the-art pain control options in patients who undergo surgery for breast cancer.

In our CME article, Adam Brufsky, MD, PhD, associate chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology and director of the Comprehensive Breast Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, shares his clinical insight into the current and emerging treatment options in the neoadjuvant setting of breast cancer, and explains how this approach could accelerate drug development.

We hope you find this issue to be a rewarding educational experience. As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions, as well as article and commentary submissions.


Michael J. Hennessy
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer