Brielle Benyon, Assistant Managing Editor for 

®, has been with MJH Life Sciences since 2016. She has served as an editor on both 

. Brielle is a graduate from The College of New Jersey. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, CrossFit and wishing she had the grace and confidence of her toddler-aged daughter. 

Follow Brielle on Twitter @Brielle_Benyon.

Brielle Benyon

Scott Cunningham / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter — who served as the country’s commander in chief from 1977 to 1981 — died at 100 years old, making him the longest-living president in American history.

“My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and unselfish love,” Chip Carter, Jimmy Carter’s son, said in a statement on his death from the Carter Center. “My brothers, sister and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.”

Carter’s care put a spotlight on the immunotherapy drug, Keytruda (pembrolizumab), which was approved 11 months before his diagnosis of metastatic melanoma in August 2015. After receiving surgery for a mass on his liver and then radiation to treat the brain metastases, Carter went on to receive Keytruda, a monoclonal antibody that works by helping the immune system find and fight cancer.

In December 2015, the former president announced that there were no signs of the original cancer, nor any signs of new ones on a brain MRI. In an August 2016 interview with NBC News, Carter said, “A year ago, I didn’t think I was going to live for two or three weeks. … I was putting on kind of a false, optimistic face.”

In Recent Decades, Immunotherapy Extended Advanced Melanoma Survival from Months to Years

In a story posted on NBC News, Dr. Suresh Ramalingam, executive director of the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, where Carter was treated at the time, noted that he and his colleagues were “immensely grateful” for his efforts in raising awareness around immunotherapy.

“When we see patients like President Carter beat their cancer, that is the positive reinforcement that drives us to do even better,” Ramalingam said.

In February 2023, Carter opted to undergo hospice care, a service for individuals who are at the end of their life, with the goal of providing comfort, reducing pain and addressing physical and psychological needs for both patients and providers. Carter’s wife, Rosalynn Carter, who had dementia, also entered hospice care in November 2023, before her death on Nov. 19.

The Carter Center, a nonprofit established by the former president and his wife, Rosalynn, announced on Feb. 18, 2023, “After a series of short hospital stays, former US President Jimmy Carter today decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention. He has the full support of his family and his medical team.”

Many people across social media and via public comments have made statements on Carter’s death.

“With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless and always advocate for the least among us,” President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said in a joint statement. “He saved, lifted and changed the lives of people all across the globe.”

President-elect Donald Trump also commented on Truth Social by writing, “The challenges Jimmy faced as president came at a pivotal time for our country, and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”

For more news on cancer updates, research and education, don’t forget to 

Articles

Jimmy Carter, the longest-living U.S. president, passed away at 100. His battle with metastatic melanoma highlighted the effectiveness of Keytruda, an immunotherapy drug. After treatment, Carter announced cancer remission in 2015. His case raised awareness about immunotherapy's potential in cancer treatment. In 2023, Carter chose hospice care, focusing on comfort in his final days. His death prompted tributes from global leaders, acknowledging his contributions to peace, human rights, and healthcare. The Carter Center continues his legacy of humanitarian efforts and advocacy for the underserved.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter called attention to the immunotherapy drug Keytruda, which was used to successfully treat his cancer. 

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter Dies at 100

Patients with metastatic solid tumors who underwent comprehensive genome profiling to determine the best targeted treatment strategy tended to have improved outcomes compared with those who received standard of care, according to findings from the phase 2 ROME trial presented at the 

2024 European Society for Medical Oncology Congress

Per the National Cancer Institute, the cancer genome describes the DNA, gene expression, proteins and molecular features of cancer cells. Now, cancer therapies exist that target certain cancer cell characteristics, so by knowing about the genome, clinicians can more accurately predict which treatment regimens may be most successful for an individual patient.

Targeted therapy based on genomic profiling can improve outcomes for patients with metastatic solid tumors.

Patients who underwent comprehensive genome profiling and targeted therapy had higher response rates, longer progression-free survival, and longer overall survival compared to those who received standard of care.

Immunotherapy showed promising results for patients with high tumor mutational burden (hTMB).

Targeted therapy was generally well-tolerated with fewer severe side effects compared to standard of care.

“The mutational model guided by comprehensive genomic profiling and molecular tumor board activities could adapt to overcome some limitation of previous [treatment] models and allow for the selection of more effective targeted therapies,” study author, Dr. Andrea Botticelli of the Sapienza Universita di Roma in Rome, Italy, said in a presentation of the findings.

Four hundred patients were involved in the study: 200 were randomly assigned to undergo targeted therapy as determined by comprehensive genomic profiling and discussions from a molecular tumor board of experts, while the other 200 underwent standard of care. The most common cancer type in the study population was colorectal (16%), followed by breast (10%), gastric (9%), glioblastoma (9%) and biliary tract cancers (9%).

“The role of molecular tumor board was to combine all the available information, both clinical information and genomic information in order to define the most effective and safe therapy or combination strategy,” Botticelli explained.

The most frequently occurring targetable genomic alterations (specific cancer characteristics that have drugs available to target them) were: hTMB (34%), PIK3CA/AKT/PTEN (19%), ERBB2 (14%), FGFR (8%) and MSI (4%). The following targeted therapies were prescribed: Yervoy (ipilimumab) plus Opdivo (nivolumab), which was prescribed to 37% of patients in the genome-tested group; ipatasertib (16%); Pemazyre (pemigatinib; 8%); Kadcyla (T-DM1; 8%); and Tecentriq (atezolizumab) plus ipatesertib (6%).

Findings showed that the overall response rate (ORR; percentage of patients whose disease shrunk or disappeared after treatment) was 17% in the targeted treatment group, compared with 9.5% in the standard-of-care group.

Average progression-free survival (PFS), which describes the time patients live without their disease getting worse, was 3.7 months and 2.8 months in the targeted treatment and standard-of-care group, respectively. At 12 months, PFS rates were 22% and 7% for those who had targeted therapy an those who had standard of care, respectively.

Further, median overall survival (OS), which tracks how long patients live before death of any cause, was 9.2 months versus 7.6 months in the targeted and standard-of-care groups, respectively. The 12-month OS rates were 41.5% and 38%. OS results, however, were not statistically significant, meaning that the researchers could not say for sure that one treatment method is better than the other. Additionally, 52% of patients in the standard-of-care group crossed over to the targeted treatment group.

The researchers also conducted an exploratory analysis of patients with a hTMB/microsatellite stable disease receiving immunotherapy as a targeted treatment. The median PFS in this group was 3.6 months, with a 12-month PFS rate of 32.7%. This was better than the standard-of-care group that had a median PFS of 2.8 months and a 6.4% 12-month PFS.

Study data also showed that the incidence of severe or worse (grade 3 or higher) side effects was lower in the targeted therapy group at 35%, compared to 40% for the standard care group.

“The ROME trial demonstrated that a mutational-based treatment approach based on the (Molecular Tumor Board) discussion of (comprehensive genomic profiling) results may significantly improve ORR and PFS compared to (standard of care) in pretreated patients with metastatic solid tumors, particularly with immunotherapy,” the researchers wrote in their abstract.

For more news on cancer updates, research and education, don’t forget to 

subscribe to CURE®’s newsletters here.

Patients with metastatic disease whose cancers were tested and treated for specific mutations tended to have better outcomes than those given the standard of care. 

Targeted Therapy Outperforms Standard Care in Metastatic Solid Cancers

From open abdominal surgery to laparoscopic surgery, there are many surgical approaches to consider for patients with gynecologic cancer. 

For patients with gynecologic cancers, opting for minimally invasive surgery may be a key treatment approach, an expert explained during the CURE® Educated Patient® Gynecologic Cancers Summit. However, there are many pros and cons to weigh before choosing treatment.

Traditionally, surgery has played a large role in gynecologic cancers such as ovarian, uterine and cervical cancers, explained Dr. Jessica Parker during the Summit, but it’s important for patients to understand several surgical approaches that are used.

Parker is an assistant professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Indiana University School of Medicine.

“The historic approach that we would always use in surgery was an open or an abdominal approach whereby we make a large incision, open up the patient's abdomen and perform our surgery that way,” she explained.

Meanwhile, minimally invasive surgery is defined as a surgical approach that helps limit the amount of damage to patients’ bodies with smaller incisions (surgical cuts) than open surgery, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Types of Minimally Invasive Surgeries in Gynecologic Cancers

There are three different ways to approach minimally invasive surgery, Parker said. They are:

Vaginal approach (not commonly done in gynecologic oncology)

Laparoscopic surgery is when small incisions are made and a camera is inserted to view inside the body, Parker explained. Through these small incisions, the surgeon is able to manipulate the surgical instruments to perform the surgery.

For robotic surgery, Parker noted that surgeons use a 3-dimensional camera to perform the surgery, which means surgeons are “able to further do even a little bit more robotically.”

The vaginal approach includes going through the vagina to perform the surgery and remove organs of interest, she said.

“This is done less commonly in gynecologic oncology or female cancer surgery, just due to the need to access things that are a little bit higher up than you can access only through the vagina, but this is used sometimes for certain indications,” Parker noted.

Pros and Cons: Open Surgery Versus Minimally Invasive Surgery

Parker discussed the advantages and disadvantages of each form of surgery, depending on the cancer type.

She noted that an advantage of having an open abdominal surgery is that there’s increased visibility for surgeons, especially for hard-to-see areas that cameras can’t access. With open surgery, surgeons are also able to increase their dexterity and movement of the tissue, meaning they can more easily identify where the cancer is located, she explained. Because of these advantages, she said, open abdominal surgery is the default surgical approach for patients with gynecologic cancers.

Of note, Parker also explained that if surgeons tried a laparoscopic or robotic surgical approach, but it didn’t work, open abdominal surgery is the next step.

Nevertheless, that still “comes at a cost,” Parker said, emphasizing that a main disadvantage to open abdominal surgery is typically having a large up-and-down incision made.

“Although, sometimes we can make one, and that’s side-to-side or sort of a bikini cut, if you will,” she said. “If you have a larger up-and-down incision, you have to think of the cosmetic side effects of that. We also think there are things, such as a longer recovery time and a longer hospital stay that’s associated with these open and abdominal surgeries.”

Because of these significant disadvantages, Parker added that minimally invasive surgeries have been on the rise most recently. Advantages of minimally invasive surgeries in general, according to Parker, include:

Decreased time spent in the hospital (often leaving on the same day)

Still, there are disadvantages of minimally invasive surgeries that must be considered, too, Parker noted. Parker said these general disadvantages include:

Decreased access and visibility in certain cancers

Doctors may be concerned if they are unable to feel the cancer with their hand — there is a risk of leaving some of the cancer behind

For ovarian masses, there’s a risk of potential popping of those masses causing the tumor to spill out

“In certain circumstances, we would not recommend proceeding with a minimally invasive approach, and that's really individualized and based on the surgeons and the patient’s specific characteristics,” Parker explained. “And of course, the cost comes into play as well, especially with robotic surgery.”

Surgery Approaches Depending on Cancer Type

For patients with ovarian cancer, the surgical approach is commonly open abdominal surgery, Parker said, especially for people whose cancer is advanced.

“What I mean by advanced disease is when a patient has a tumor that has spread outside of that organ,” she explained. “For example, in ovarian cancer, if there’s a tumor that’s spread to other organs within the abdomen, then we would consider that to be advanced disease.

“In that case, there are benefits to being able to directly feel the tissue and feel for any tumor that might be hiding from us or in places that were unable to see very well with just a camera inside of the abdomen.”

If patients previously received systemic treatment, such as chemotherapy before surgery, and their tumor shrank, then a minimally invasive surgery may be an appropriate option.

The minimally invasive surgical approach is just as good as open surgery for patients with uterine cancer, Parker said, according to research. However, there is still a caveat to this type of surgery.

“Historically, if we didn’t think we could get a very large uterus out through the small incisions that we're making, we will perform what's called a morcellation procedure, where, essentially, we cut that uterus up into smaller strips in order to be able to remove it through the smaller incisions,” explained Parker. “That is no longer recommended due to the small but present risk of having a type of uterine cancer called a sarcoma.”

So, patients with uterine cancer commonly undergo open abdominal surgery or an approach where the uterus itself is placed into a closed-bag system. In the closed-bag system approach, the tumor is removed via morcellation within the bag system to reduce the potential spread of the tumor cells in the abdomen, Parker noted.

Surgical approaches for cervical cancer are not as common because there is “much less likelihood that someone might be a candidate for surgery,” Parker explained. She noted that treatment options of radiation and chemotherapy are often considered instead.

After some recent studies, researchers have determined that for patients eligible for surgery, the open surgery approach is done.

Surgery for gynecologic cancers is a common form of treatment, but each surgical approach has its advantages and disadvantages for patients. 

Pros and Cons of Surgery Approaches in Gynecologic Cancers

When it comes to gynecologic cancers, there are many genes and factors that are considered when doctors bring treatment options to the table.

Gynecologic cancer is not a singular disease, but rather a group of malignancies — each of which has subtypes that vary by their molecular makeup. Knowing the disease subtype may lend insight to the ideal treatment, explained Dr. Michael D. Toboni.

Toboni is an assistant professor in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. At the recent CURE® Educated Patient® Gynecologic Cancers Summit, he discussed the molecular classification of ovarian, endometrial and cervical tumors.

“There are different factors and different genes that are expressed that allow us to give different treatments … which is why molecular classification is so important in this day and age,” Toboni said during his presentation.

Toboni explained that there are three different types of ovarian cancer. The most common one is epithelial ovarian cancer, which makes up approximately 95% of ovarian cancer cases, he said. This subtype of ovarian cancer originates on the surface cells of the fallopian tubes. Stromal ovarian cancers, however, come from the hormone-producing cells of the ovary, while gem cell cancers — which typically affect teenagers and women under the age of 30 — occur in the reproductive cells.

Genetics can play a major role in a person’s risk of developing ovarian cancer, Toboni mentioned.

“Approximately 25% of patients with ovarian cancer have a genetic mutation that led to the development of that cancer,” he said. “Specifically, BRCA1 and BRCA2 are the most common risk factors. BRCA1 has about a 40% risk of development of ovarian cancer, and BRCA2 has about a 20% risk.”

Patients who may be at risk should undergo cascade testing to determine if they have a BRCA mutation. If so, they may be able to undergo preventative surgeries to remove gynecologic organs and eliminate their risk for this type of cancer.

However, once someone is diagnosed, the most important type of molecular classification testing they should undergo is homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) testing.

“When we have a deficiency or we do not have homologous recombination, which what happens is we have an incorrect repair of the DNA, and that incorrect repair when it is replicated, can cause cancer to happen. The reason that cancer ends up happening is not because we're able to fix the double-strand break, but because we do so in a non-efficient way,” Toboni said.

The PARP enzyme, Toboni explained, is the “non-efficient way to fix the double-strand breaks.” Now there are drugs called PARP inhibitors that block PARP so that the cancerous DNA is not replicating at all, and the cell dies.

“So, what the PARP inhibitor is doing is stopping that enzyme from repairing your DNA in a poor way,” he said.

Similar to ovarian cancer, there can be genetic causes at the root of an endometrial cancer diagnosis. In this case, it is most commonly a condition called Lynch syndrome, which, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is a hereditary condition that predisposes people to colon, endometrial and other cancers.

Lynch syndrome-related cancer may have DNA mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) and microsatellite instability (MSI or MSI-H). dMMR occurs when DNA strands cannot be properly replicated, leading to mutations. These mutations result in MSI-H cancers.

“Those are common molecular classifications that we now have therapies for,” Toboni said.

, approved in August 2023 to be given in combination with chemotherapy, and 

When discussing cervical cancer, Toboni opened by stating that these cancers are 100% preventable thanks to the advent of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.

After a person receives a diagnosis of cervical cancer, it is important that clinicians test patients’ disease for their combined positive score (CPS), which is a way of measuring the number of PD-L1 cells.

PD-L1 is a protein that can be found on both normal and cancerous cells. According to the National Cancer Institute, it acts as a brake to stop the immune system from finding and attacking the cells.

Patients whose disease is PD-L1–positive tend to have the best outcomes with immunotherapy drugs that block the PD-L1 pathway.

“If you had a PD-L1 combined positive score above 1, you did very well if you received (Keytruda plus chemotherapy), in comparison to not receiving (Keytruda),” Toboni said.

After being diagnosed with a type of gynecologic cancer, it is essential for patients to understand the molecular makeup of their disease. 

Brielle Benyon

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter Dies at 100

Targeted Therapy Outperforms Standard Care in Metastatic Solid Cancers

Pros and Cons of Surgery Approaches in Gynecologic Cancers

Understanding Molecular Classifications of Gynecologic Cancers

Latest News