The mainstay treatment for hormone receptor positive metastatic breast cancer focuses on varying methods to reduce estrogen receptor signaling. Unfortunately, resistance to such therapies ultimately develops. The search for mechanisms of resistance to hormonal therapy has focused primarily on growth factor pathways and networks, while pathways involving cell cycle regulation seem less influential. In this issue of The American Journal of Hematology/Oncology^®, a peer-reviewed resource for oncology education and the official journal of Physician’s Education Resource^®, LLC, Filipa Lynce, MD and Claudine Isaacs, MD, provide a review on palbociclib, the first CDK 4/6 inhibitor to receive regulatory approval. In their manuscript, they also discuss other CDK 4/6 agents currently in development.
 
Understanding the role of antiangiogenesis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has led to novel insights and the development of many antiangiogenic strategies. Agents target the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/VEGF receptor pathway, a key mediator of tumor survival, migration, and mobilization, and broadly fall into 2 categories: neutralizing monoclonal antibodies and small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Benjamin Levy, MD, Jean Lee, MD, and Daniel Becker, MD, review their clinical experience with these therapies in advanced NSCLC and discuss future implications and strategies associated with this approach.
 
Our understanding of the pathophysiology and clinical behavior of multiple myeloma continues to evolve. The review offered by Sikander Ailawadhi, MD, highlights some of these landmark changes. In his manuscript, he notes the ways we see multiple myeloma and discusses others that are still evolving and that will surely impact the future of patients with this disease, which is so far considered incurable by most.
 
The role of nutrition and cancer is an interesting topic. Dr. Beatrice Edwards’ article about vitamin D explores its role in the development of cancer. Vitamin D is a precursor of the potent steroid hormone calcitriol. In turn, calcitriol is associated with beneficial anticancer effects. She writes that it may be advisable to screen patients with cancer who are at high risk for vitamin D deficiency, and clinicians should identify and treat those patients with vitamin D deficiency.

The CME this month focuses on the advances in Hodgkin lymphoma, with insights provided by Steven M. Horwitz, MD. Dr. Horwitz discusses recently approved and investigational treatment strategies.

Michael J. Hennessy, Sr
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer