Cancer Today’s Winter 2025-2026 Issue: Delaying Stem Cell Transplants in Multiple Myeloma, Emerging Treatments for Brain Metastases, and More
Jim Pass was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2020. After receiving radiation to his spine for a tumor that caused temporary paralysis, the 56-year-old had a choice to make. He could receive an autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT), a standard treatment for multiple myeloma where a person has their stem cells collected, frozen, and then infused back into their own body. Or, his doctor told him, he could enroll in a clinical trial where he would receive a four-drug regimen that is often used as part of induction therapy prior to ASCT. If the four-drug regimen eliminated the cancer, Pass could push off having a stem cell transplant for as long as his cancer remained at bay.
Hoping to avoid an extended hospital stay and the toxicity of high-dose chemotherapy that comes with ASCT, Pass opted for the clinical trial. “If I did the clinical trial, I could keep working, and I’d still have the option of a stem cell transplant if I needed it later,” he said. The four-drug regimen wiped out all signs of his cancer—a status known as minimal residual disease negative—and Pass has been in remission since August 2022.
Pass’ story is highlighted in the latest issue of Cancer Today and shows how multiple myeloma treatments are driving deeper remissions and allowing some patients the choice to delay stem cell transplants. Focusing on these real-life patient experiences, Cancer Today, a magazine and online resource published by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), provides reliable, evidence-based information for cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers. The latest issue also explores topics like the challenges of financial toxicity in young patients and targeted treatments that have limited side effects.
Targeted Treatments for Brain Metastases
For example, approximately 200,000 people in the United States each year will have cancer that spreads to the brain. A few decades ago, people with brain metastases generally had one standard treatment: whole-brain radiation. Today, however, targeted treatments, such as antibody-drug conjugates and stereotactic radiosurgery, offer additional options that can limit cognitive problems that often accompany whole-brain radiation. “We no longer assume that everything must be managed with radiation alone,” Nancy Lin, MD, a breast oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, told Cancer Today. “Instead, we are combining systemic therapies with local treatments, including surgery and radiation, in ways that are thoughtful and evidence based.”
The Challenges of Financial Toxicity
In another story, Cancer Today details how young adults diagnosed with cancer often complete treatment only to find themselves facing other obstacles: debt and outstanding medical bills. About half of survivors ages 18 to 39 report experiencing severe financial toxicity, which is more than any other age group. The reasons are multifaceted: Young adults may not have savings to rely on and may be interacting with the health care system for the first time. Additionally, they face decades of follow-up care—and the accompanying bills. “Certainly, every study that I have evaluated shows that [financial toxicity] is worse in this population and may be, more importantly, more durable in this population,” Fumiko Chino, MD, a radiation oncologist at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, told Cancer Today.
Support and Practical Information for Cancer Patients
In this issue, Cancer Today also features rectal cancer survivor Manju George, MVSc, PhD, who uses her cancer research training to explain the intricacies of treatment to fellow patients. After her diagnosis, George found encouragement on Colontown, an online support community for people with colorectal cancer. She then began breaking down complex concepts in easily understandable terms for fellow patients online. George has created patient-focused courses and workshops, and she is now the scientific director of Colontown’s parent organization, the Paltown Development Foundation. “To be able to walk with someone when they are at their most scared and vulnerable and to provide some assistance that’s of value has felt very impactful,” George told Cancer Today.
Cancer Today’s latest issue also provides practical information for patients, including analysis of a study that found people who needed to stop taking immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer still experienced long-term benefits from the treatment. Articles also offer advice for how caregivers can proactively manage stress and describe how dancing the tango can help alleviate peripheral neuropathy in breast cancer survivors. Plus, William G. Nelson, MD, PhD, Cancer Today’s editor-in-chief and director of the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center in Baltimore, provides commentary about tests that help oncologists determine if a patient needs additional treatment after surgery.
The AACR offers Cancer Today free of charge to those affected by cancer. To view content from the winter 2025-2026 issue, visit Cancer Today’s website or read the digital edition.
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