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Hudson, Melissa M

0000-0001-6984-2407

Mayo Clinic

St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN.

Citations 3

Management of Cancer During Pregnancy: ASCO Guideline
Loren, Alison W. , Lacchetti, Christina , Amant, Frédéric , Carey, Lisa A. , Christian, Nicole , Clark, Caroline C. , Dizon, Don S. , Hudson, Melissa M. , Maués, Julia , Peterson, Erika, Prowell, Tatiana M. , Raab, Rachel, Saeed, Hina , Watson, Katie, Yadav, Siddhartha , Carey, Lisa A , Christian, Nicole , Clark, Caroline , Dizon, Don S , Henry, Melissa , Hudson, Melissa M , Maues, Julia , Prowell, Tatiana M , Rogers, Jane E , Sekeres, Mikkael A , Taylor, Jolyn S , Van Loon, Katherine , Wallace, W Hamish , Yadav, Siddhartha , Partridge, Ann H , Amant, Frederic , Cardonick, Elyce H. , Rogers, Jane E. , Sekeres, Mikkael A. , Loon, Katherine Van , Partridge, Ann H.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | December 11, 2025 | Volume: 44 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 200-251

10.1200/jco-25-02115 Get It

ASCO Guidelines provide recommendations with comprehensive review and analyses of the relevant literature for each recommendation, following the guideline development process as outlined in the ASCO Guidelines Methodology Manual . ASCO Guidelines follow the ASCO Conflict of Interest Policy for Clinical Practice Guidelines . Clinical Practice Guidelines and other guidance (“Guidance”) provided by ASCO is not a comprehensive or definitive guide to treatment options. It is intended for voluntary use by clinicians and should be used in conjunction with independent professional judgment. Guidance may not be applicable to all patients, interventions, diseases or stages of diseases. Guidance is based on review and analysis of relevant literature, and is not intended as a statement of the standard of care. ASCO does not endorse third-party drugs, devices, services, or therapies and assumes no responsibility for any harm arising from or related to the use of this information. See complete disclaimer in Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 (online only) for more. PURPOSE To provide guidance on the recommended management of cancer in pregnant patients. METHODS A multidisciplinary Expert Panel convened and conducted a systematic review of the literature. RESULTS The systematic review identified 450 eligible studies. Much of the evidence consisted of observational data, case series, and case reports. RECOMMENDATIONS Management of cancer during pregnancy should be grounded in a values-based informed-consent process outlining maternal and fetal risks and anticipated benefits. Diagnostic evaluation should follow the as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) principle, with timing of diagnostic studies individualized based on urgency of cancer detection, potential dangers of delay, and the balance of risks to both the pregnant patient and her embryo or fetus. Due to significant risk of harm to the developing embryo and/or fetus, systemic therapy should be deferred until the second trimester. Methotrexate, hormonal therapies, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–targeted agents, vascular endothelial growth factor and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors, antibody-drug conjugates, and all cellular therapies are contraindicated during pregnancy, regardless of gestational age. For patients who wish to continue their pregnancy, delivery should be planned at or after 37 weeks, with the final chemotherapy dose scheduled 2-4 weeks before birth. Referral to psychosocial support services is essential to address emotional and practical challenges, reduce distress, and support shared decision making. Additional information is available at www.asco.org/survivorship-guidelines .
Investigation of DNA Damage Response Genes Validates the Role of DNA Repair in Pediatric Cancer Risk and Identifies SMARCAL1 as a Novel Osteosarcoma Predisposition Gene
Oak, Ninad , Chen, Wenan , Blake, Alise K. , Harrison, Lynn , O’Brien, Martha A., Previti, Christopher , Balasubramanian, Gnanaprakash, Hirsch, Steffen , Penkert, Judith , Jones, Barbara C. , Schramm, Kathrin , Nathrath, Michaela , Witt, Olaf , Li, Jiaming , Ness, Kirsten K. , Kratz, Christian P. , Armstrong, Greg , Autry, Robert J. , Nichols, Kim E. , Armstrong, Gregory T. , Blake, Alise , Hirsch, Steffen , Penkert, Judith , Jones, Barbara C , Nathrath, Michaela , Pajtler, Kristian W , Jones, David T W , Witt, Olaf , Dirksen, Uta , Li, Jiaming , Sapkota, Yadav , Ness, Kirsten K , Guenther, Lillian M , Kratz, Christian , Wang, Zhaoming , Hudson, Melissa M , Wu, Gang , Nichols, Kim E , Sharma, Richa , O'Brien, Martha, Maaß, Kendra K. , Pajtler, Kristian W. , Jones, David , Sapkota, Yadav , Pfister, Stefan M. , Wang, Zhaoming , Hudson, Melissa M. , Wu, Gang , Sharma, Richa

Journal of Clinical Oncology | October 9, 2025 | Volume: 43 | Issue: 36 | Pages: 3833-3843

10.1200/jco-25-01114 Get It

PURPOSE Recent studies reveal that 5%-18% of children with cancer harbor pathogenic variants in known cancer-predisposing genes. However, DNA damage repair (DDR) genes, which are frequently somatically altered in pediatric tumors, have not been systematically examined as a source of novel cancer-predisposing signals. METHODS To address this gap, we interrogated 189 DDR genes for presence of germline predisposing variants (PV) among 5,993 childhood cancer cases and 14,477 adult noncancer controls (discovery cohort). PV were determined using a tiered approach incorporating ClinVar annotations, InterVar classification, and in silico tools (REVEL, CADD, and MetaSVM). Using logistic and firth regression, we identified genes with PV statistically enriched in the germline of children with tumors and replicated findings among 1,497 additional childhood cancer cases across three independent cohorts. RESULTS Analysis across all cases with cancer revealed enrichment of TP53 PV. Cancer-specific analyses confirmed known associations including germline TP53 PV in adrenocortical carcinoma, high-grade glioma (HGG), and medulloblastoma (MB), PMS2 in HGG and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), MLH1 in HGG, BRCA2 in NHL, and BARD1 in neuroblastoma. In addition, four novel associations were uncovered, including BRCA1 in ependymoma, SPIDR in HGG, SMC5 in MB, and SMARCAL1 in osteosarcoma (OS). Importantly, the SMARCAL1 :OS association was significant in the discovery (6/230, 2.6%, false discovery rate [FDR] logistic = 0.0189) as well as all three replication cohorts (Childhood Cancer Survivor Study: 8/275, 2.9%; P Fisher < .0001; Cancer Predisposition Syndrome-German Childhood Cancer Registry: 4/135, 3%, P Fisher = .002; Individualized Therapy for Relapsed Malignancies in Childhood: 4/217, 1.8%, P Fisher = .012). The remaining wild-type SMARCAL1 allele was deleted in three of four OS tumors with available data. CONCLUSION Our study confirms the relevance DDR genetic variation in pediatric cancer risk and establishes SMARCAL1 as a novel OS predisposing gene, providing insights into tumor biology and creating opportunities to optimize care for patients with this challenging tumor.
A Randomized Phase IIb Study of Low-dose Tamoxifen in Chest-irradiated Cancer Survivors at Risk for Breast Cancer
Palomares, Melanie R. , Hageman, Lindsey , Chen, Yanjun , Landier, Wendy , Smith, Kandice, Umphrey, Heidi , Reich, Caroline A., Zamora, Kathryn , Armenian, Saro H. , Bevers, Therese B. , Henderson, Tara O. , Korde, Larissa A. , Melin, Susan A., Merajver, Sofía D. , Overholser, Linda , Pruthi, Sandhya , Wong, F. Lennie , Landier, Wendy , Smith, Kandice , Zamora, Kathryn W , Armenian, Saro H , Hudson, Melissa M , Garber, J. E. , Bhatia, Smita , Blaes, Anne , Hodgson, David , Hudson, Melissa M. , Garber, Judy E.

Clinical Cancer Research | December 3, 2020 | Volume: 27 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 967-974

10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-20-3609 Get It

Abstract Purpose: Low-dose tamoxifen reduces breast cancer risk, but remains untested in chest-irradiated cancer survivors—a population with breast cancer risk comparable with BRCA mutation carriers. We hypothesized that low-dose tamoxifen would be safe and efficacious in reducing radiation-related breast cancer risk. Patients and Methods: We conducted an investigator-initiated, randomized, phase IIb, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial (FDA IND107367) between 2010 and 2016 at 15 U.S. sites. Eligibility included ≥12 Gy of chest radiation by age 40 years and age at enrollment ≥25 years. Patients were randomized 1:1 to low-dose tamoxifen (5 mg/day) or identical placebo tablets for 2 years. The primary endpoint was mammographic dense area at baseline, 1 and 2 years. IGF-1 plays a role in breast carcinogenesis; circulating IGF-1 and IGF-BP3 levels at baseline, 1 and 2 years served as secondary endpoints. Results: Seventy-two participants (low-dose tamoxifen: n = 34, placebo: n = 38) enrolled at a median age of 43.8 years (35–49) were evaluable. They had received chest radiation at a median dose of 30.3 Gy. Compared with the placebo arm, the low-dose tamoxifen arm participants had significantly lower mammographic dense area (P = 0.02) and IGF1 levels (P &lt; 0.0001), and higher IGFBP-3 levels (P = 0.02). There was no difference in toxicity biomarkers (serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, lipids, and antithrombin III; urine N-telopeptide cross-links) between the treatment arms. We did not identify any grade 3–4 adverse events related to low-dose tamoxifen. Conclusions: In this randomized trial in chest-irradiated cancer survivors, we find that low-dose tamoxifen is effective in reducing established biomarkers of breast cancer risk and could serve as a risk-reduction strategy.