Here are a few highlights of cancer research news that have recently caught my attention:

• In a head-to-head clinical trial comparing standard chemotherapy with the immunotherapy drug nivolumab, researchers at Johns Hopkins found that on average patients treated with nivolumab lived 3.2 months longer than those receiving chemotherapy. Results of the trial have been published in NEJM.

• The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) recently announced the publication of the ESMO Magnitude of Clinical Benefits Scale, a tool to assist oncologists in assessing effective cancer medicines for their patients. Read more about this tool in Annals of Oncology.

• Using a 3D printer, a group of international scientists have successfully created a three dimensional model of a cancerous tumor. Read more in ScienceDaily.com.

• A recent trial conducted by researchers at the University of Colorado showed a decline in stress for caregivers of cancer patients treated with stem cell transplantation. Their intervention, PEPRR, PsychoEducation, Paced Respiration and Relaxation is discussed in more detail in the journal Bone Marrow Transplantation.

• The National Cancer Institute announced NCI-MATCH (Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice), a nationwide research trial that will sort patients into treatment groups based on genetic mutations in their tumors, rather than by cancer type. Recruitment for the trial will begin in July.

Please feel free to contact Marisol Hernandez to share any comments.