Author: admin

At the 10th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC), held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from 9 to 11 March 2016, Fatima Cardoso, MD, from the Champalimaud Clinical Center, Lisbon, Portugal, discusses the collaboration between the European School of Oncology and Pfizer in the development of the Global Status of MBC: A Decade Report, an analysis of the global metastatic breast cancer landscape from 20052015. Despite showing areas of improvement, unmet needs were identified in patients with metastatic breast cancer, including the need for improved disease awareness, research and patient support. European Medical Journal Website: http://emjreviews.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/EMJReviews Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emjreviews

At the 10th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC), held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from 9 to 11 March 2016, Jeremy Thomas, MD, from Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, discusses the results of a central pathology review, including tumour type, histological grade and lymphatic invasion, of the SUPREMO trial, a randomised, global phase 3 clinical trial evaluating radiotherapy after mastectomy for patients with intermediate-risk breast cancer. European Medical Journal Website: http://emjreviews.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/EMJReviews Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emjreviews

At the 10th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC), held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from 9 to 11 March 2016, Andrew Evans, MRCP, FRCR, from the University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom, explains the opportunities and challenges associated with the use of imaging biomarkers to predict disease behaviour in patients with breast cancer. European Medical Journal Website: http://emjreviews.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/EMJReviews Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emjreviews

At the 6th European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC), held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 1316 April 2016, Martin Reck, MD, PhD, from LungenClinic Grosshansdorf, Grosshansdorf, Germany, discusses ASSESS, a trial of the utility of circulating-free tumor DNA in the plasma for the detection of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Dr. John Gribben, University of London, and Dr. Constantine Tam, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, join Patient Power Founder, Andrew Schorr, to discuss the current frontline treatment advances for CLL. Learn more about the results of the Resonate II trial, including survival advantages and durable control, as well as cumulative toxicity and cost. Get email alerts | http://www.patientpower.info/alerts Subscribe on YouTube | http://www.youtube.com/patientpower Like on Facebook | http://www.fb.com/patientpower.info Follow on Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/patientpower Follow on Google+ | http://www.google.com/+patientpowerinfo

The session was held in collaboration with EONS (European Oncology Nursing Society) and discussed the management of skin reactions due to radiotherapy

This session was held in collaboration with EONS (the European Oncology Nursing Society) and explores treatments options in case of malignant fungating wounds

This session was held in collaboration with EONS (European Oncology Nursing Society) and covers the specific difficulties health care professionals have to face when dealing with Teenagers or Young Adults with cancer.

At the 6th European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC), held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 1316 April 2016, Enriqueta Felip, MD, PhD, from Vall dHebron Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, Spain, discusses CheckMate 171, a multicenter phase 2 trial of nivolumab, an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody, in patients with stage IIIB/IV squamous cell non-small cell lung cancer who have received at least one prior systemic treatment.

Is there a positive correlation between the use of a JAK Inhibitor and stem cell transplant (SCT)? UK viewer, Peter, asks about the recommended use of a JAK inhibitor prior to having a SCT. MPN expert Dr. Naveen Pemmaraju from MD Anderson Cancer Center responds with a discussion of two studies on this subject and the role of SCT for MPN patients. Get email alerts | http://www.patientpower.info/alerts Subscribe on YouTube | http://www.youtube.com/patientpower Like on Facebook | http://www.fb.com/patientpower.info Follow on Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/patientpower Follow on Google+ | http://www.google.com/+patientpowerinfo

Toxicity as a Biomarker Frede Donkosov MD

At the 2016 Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), held in Valencia, Spain, Antonio Pagliuca, MD from King’s College Hospital, London, UK talks about the crucial role that nurses play in the fungal disease management.

At the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Europea n Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), held in Valencia, Spain, Catherine Bollard, MD, from Children’s National Health System, Washington, D.C., provides an overview of the toxicities, including cytokine release syndrome that correlates with both toxicity and efficacy, which can be observed in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who are undergoing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy.

At the 2016 Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), held in Valencia, Spain, Antonio Pagliuca, MD from King’s College Hospital, London, UK discusses isavuconazole for fungal disease treatment in leukemia patients. Isavuconazole has less toxicity than voriconazole and shows significant activity over mucormycosis. It has an oral and intravenous (IV) formulation which essential in treatments of sick patients.

At the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, held in Valencia, Spain, John Gribben, MD, from Barts Cancer Institute, London, UK, discusses how chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients could soon benefit from specific treatments based on CLL characterization and their disease biology.

Mohamad Mohty, MD, PhD, from Saint-Antoine Hospital, Paris, France, and President of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), talks about the IFM Spotlight session hosted at the 2016 Annual Meeting of EBMT, held in Valencia, Spain. This non-sponsored session covered the clinical trial IFM/DFCI2009 in multiple myeloma (MM), where the first interim results were presented by Prof. Mohty. Patients received an induction treatment with lenalidomide, bortozomib and dexamethasone (VRD), either followed by transplant and consolidation with VRD and maintenance with lenalidomide; or, no transplant, consolidation with VRD and maintenance with lenalidomide. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival…

At the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), held in Valencia, Spain, John Murray, a Nurse Clinician at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK, discusses the role of a good nursing care in the veno-occlusive disease (VOD) management. VOD is a rare complication with 80% mortality in severe cases. Recognition of symptoms, such as weight gain or right upper quadrant pain by nurses means that action can be taken and compications reduced.

At the 2016 Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), held in Valencia, Spain, Catherine Bollard, MD, from Children’s National Health System, Washington, D.C., explains some of challenges associated with multicenter trials of genetically modified T-cell immunotherapy, including the standardisation process of managing toxicities observed in patients following T-cell infusion.

At the 2016 Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), held in Valencia, Spain, Antonio Pagliuca, MD from King’s College Hospital, London, UK discusses antifungal prophylaxis in leukemia patients. With therapies focused mainly on disease relapse it is important to remember that morbidity and mortality of fungal disease is significant.

Ann Leen, PhD, from Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, US, provides an overview of virus-specific T cells from how they were first developed to the advances that have been made to date. Dr Leen describes how virus-specific T cell were first developed to target Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV), which are problematic in immunocompromised individuals. She further explains why virus-specific T cells are important for patients who are immunocompromised and how the spectrum of viruses that can be targeted, has been expanded to include adenoviruses, the BK virus, and human herpesvirus 6. According to Dr Leen, one of…

At the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), held in Valencia, Spain, John Murray, a Nurse Clinician at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK, discusses how to manage anxiety and fear in patients undergoing the bone marrow biopsy procedure. A detailed discussion helps patients understand the process and relax, despite uncomfort or pain. In some cases Entonox gas or intravenous midazolam can be used to reduce anxiety levels.

At the 2016 Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), held in Valencia, Spain, Gesine Bug, MD from University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt/Main, Germany discusses a clinical trial with 40 high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients treated with panobinostat and donor lymphocyte infusions (DLI). Promising results of the study showing that the combination of the two treatments has a potential to inhibit a disease relapse will be validated further in a randomised clinical trial next year.

Where do we stand in understanding and diagnosing prostate cancer? Patient Power founder, Andrew Schorr, visits with renowned expert Dr. William Catalona, from Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, to discuss advances in understanding prostate cancer. Get email alerts | http://www.patientpower.info/alerts Subscribe on YouTube | http://www.youtube.com/patientpower Like on Facebook | http://www.fb.com/patientpower.info Follow on Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/patientpower Follow on Google+ | http://www.google.com/+patientpowerinfo

Patient Power Founder and host, Andrew Schorr interviews CLL expert Dr. Richard Furman to discuss the evolving CLL treatment landscape, including the introduction of venetoclax (Venclexta) to the CLL armamentarium. Get email alerts | http://www.patientpower.info/alerts Subscribe on YouTube | http://www.youtube.com/patientpower Like on Facebook | http://www.fb.com/patientpower.info Follow on Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/patientpower Follow on Google+ | http://www.google.com/+patientpowerinfo

What new identifying factors are making a difference for lung cancer patients? Patient Power founder Andrew Schorr interviewed lung cancer expert Dr. Rebecca Heist, hematologist/oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, asking her opinion on the expanding armamentarium. Dr. Heist discusses multiple dynamics including targeted therapies, inhibitors, newly discovered targets, immunotherapies, and resistance therapies aimed at mutations. Get email alerts | http://www.patientpower.info/alerts Subscribe on YouTube | http://www.youtube.com/patientpower Like on Facebook | http://www.fb.com/patientpower.info Follow on Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/patientpower Follow on Google+ | http://www.google.com/+patientpowerinfo

Andrew Schorr asks lung cancer expert Dr. Rebecca Heist of Harvard Medical School to discuss the advances made in brain metastases treatments for lung cancer patients. Listen as Dr. Heist expresses her positive outlook: This is a time of incredible hope in lung cancer. There is so much research and progress being made. Get email alerts | http://www.patientpower.info/alerts Subscribe on YouTube | http://www.youtube.com/patientpower Like on Facebook | http://www.fb.com/patientpower.info Follow on Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/patientpower Follow on Google+ | http://www.google.com/+patientpowerinfo

At the 6th European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC), held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 1316 April 2016, Kenneth O’Byrne, MD, from Princess Alexandra Hospital, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia, discusses optimizing the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and movement towards personalized approaches for the treatment of patients with oncogene-addicted non-small cell lung cancer, including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-mutant patients.

At the 6th European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC), held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 1316 April 2016, David Carbone, MD, PhD, from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, provides an overview of the improvements in the treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) carrying the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangement, including ALK-targeted therapies with improved bloodbrain barrier penetrance and understanding of resistance mechanisms.

Roy Chemaly, MD, from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA, discusses the importance about educating stem cell transplant patients about the risk of tuberculosis and cytomegalovirus infections. Prof Chemaly describes why it is important to ask patients the right questions in order to establish whether they may have been exposed to tuberculosis (TB) in the past. Prof Chemaly also discusses the cytomegalovirus (CMV) and the risk it can pose to stem cell transplant recipients. According to Prof Chemaly it is important to make sure the patient understands the seriousness of these infections as it is…

Roy Chemaly, MD, from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA, provides an overview of a symposium on the role of immunodiagnostics for tuberculosis (TB) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) in hematopoietic cell transplant recipients held at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) in Valencia, Spain. Prof Chemaly describes how for around 100 years, there has only been one type of screening test for TB called the tuberculin skin test. However, immunocompromised patients and stem cell recipients do not react to the skin test. For the past 10 years, a…

At the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, held in Valencia, Spain, John Gribben, MD, from Barts Cancer Institute, London, UK, discusses how novel agents, like ibrutinib and idelalisib, lead to a reduction of allogeneic transplants in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). These new, effective treatments raise a question: Who are the patients and when allogeneic transplants should be offered?

At the 2016 Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), held in Valencia, Spain, Gesine Bug, MD from University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt/Main, Germany discusses deacetylase inhibitors, which inhibit acetylation of histones and several proteins important for cancer. These molecules need to be combined with demethylating agents or chemotherapy. They are orally available and can be used for maintenance therapy, in particular in patients after allogeneic transplantation.

At the 2016 Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), held in Valencia, Spain, Arno Mank, PhD from Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NL discusses EBMT efforts to standardise education of hematological and transplant nurses in Europe. Currently this process can take one or two years depending on educational systems of individual countries.

At the 6th European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC), held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 1316 April 2016, Don Gibbons, MD, PhD, from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, discusses a phase 1 expansion study evaluating the efficacy, safety and tolerability of durvalumab, a human IgG1 anti-programmed cell death-ligand-1 (PD-L1) antibody, combined with gefitinib for tyrosine kinase inhibitor-naïve patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Giovanni Martinelli, MD, from the University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy discusses the side-effects of inotuzumab ozogamicin, which targets CD22 in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients. According to Prof Martinelli, due to the specificity of the drug, severe side-effects are not to be expected. This means that the drug can also be given to eldery patients with acute leukemia. The majoriy of patients, 82%, responded very well to the drug according to Prof Martinelli. Recorded at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) in Valencia, Spain.

At the 2016 Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), held in Valencia, Spain, Gesine Bug, MD from University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt/Main, Germany discusses deacetylase inhibitors, which inhibit acetylation of histones and several proteins important for cancer. Deacetylase inhibitors can induces apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and differentiation. They also have effects on the immune system. Four deacetylase inhibitors have been approved by the FDA and used in patients with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) and Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) after transplant.

At the 2016 Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), held in Valencia, Spain, Arno Mank, PhD from Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NL discusses EBMT Nurses Group in Europe and the way this organisation is structured.

Roy Chemaly, MD, from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA, discusses the T-SPOT.TB assay for predicting tuberculosis (TB) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) in stem cell transplant patients. Prof Chemaly explains that is more robust and gives more accurate results compared to the available ELISA assay. According to Prof Chemaly, patients should be screened for TB and given treatment in order to prevent acute infection in the future. The next step for the T-SPOT.TB assay is to show that it can improve long-term outcomes for patients. For CMV, preliminary data shows that if there is a good…

Chiara Bonini, MD, from San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy, gives an overview of the progress that has been made in cell therapy. According to Dr Bonini, at this stage it is important to register data and really understand what is going on in terms of safety and efficacy. The European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) and the new EBMT Registry launched in Valencia, have an important role to play in these next steps according to Dr Bonini. Recorded at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) in Valencia, Spain.

Bruno Paiva, PhD, from the University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, gives an overview of his talk on whether or not there is a need to improve the assessment of response in relapsed myeloma. Dr Paiva talks about how overall response rates have improved in relapsed/refractory myeloma with the development of novel agents and a fraction of patients can achieve complete response (CR). The question is whether the response criteria need to be improved in relapsed myeloma. According to Dr Paiva, the data suggests that patients could benefit by improving response critera after incorporating minimal residual disease (MRD) techniques. Recorded at…

At the 2016 Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), held in Valencia, Spain, Arno Mank, PhD from Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NL gives an overview of key EBMT topics for nursing. These include mucositis, infection prevention, isolation procedures, and CVC lines.

At the 2016 Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), held in Valencia, Spain, Arno Mank, PhD from Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NL talks about the importance of collaboration as a key to successful nursing research. Nurses should talk to each other and communicate how they handle their patients. Dr Mank recommends avoiding the not-invented-here syndrome and excessive competition in order to advance the nursing research.

At the 10th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC), held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from 9 to 11 March 2016, Andrew Evans, MRCP, FRCR, from the University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom, discusses tumour parameters, including the size of peritumoural stiffness on 2D shear wave elastography (SWE), for predicting the response of a patient with breast cancer to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. European Medical Journal Website: http://emjreviews.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/EMJReviews Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emjreviews

At the 10th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC), held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from 9 to 11 March 2016, Isabel Rubio, MD, PhD, from Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain, explains that high response rates observed with neoadjuvant treatment in patients with breast cancer is enabling a trend towards breast conservative surgery. European Medical Journal Website: http://emjreviews.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/EMJReviews Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emjreviews

The bone marrow biopsy is used to diagnose and manage the treatment of a range of blood cancers. Here, John Murray, a Nurse Clinician at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK, discusses the changing role of nurses in bone marrow biopsies, and other related medical procedures. Approximately 20 years ago, nurses in the UK started having a more prominent role in patient management, including performing blood draws, medicine administration and bone marrow biopsy. In some centres in the UK, you will also find nurse performing bone marrow harvests. Although not as common in the rest of Europe, things are…

David Marks, MD, PhD, from the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK, provides an overview of the randomized Phase 3 clinical trial UKALL14 for adult acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). Two of the main questions the trial seeks to answer is whether rituximab improves survival of B-cell ALL and whether nelarabine improves survival of T-cell ALL. Dr Marks also talks about how the field is changing in regard to relapsed/refractory ALL. Recorded at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) in Valencia, Spain.

Roy Chemaly, MD, from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA, provides an overview of an symposium on the role of tuberculosis (TB) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) immunodiagnostics in hematopoietic cell transplant recipients. The theme of the symposium was to look at immunotesting, specifically the T-SPOT.TB and T-SPOT.CMV assays, and how they can help to better predict and diagnose TB and CMV in patients. Recorded at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) in Valencia, Spain.

Giovanni Martinelli, MD, from the University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy talks about blinatumomab for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Blinatumomab targets CD90 and works differently than inotuzumab, which targets CD22. According to Prof Martinelli, blinatumomab may be an especially promising treatment option for elderly patients who are not eligible for a transplant. Recorded at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) in Valencia, Spain.

At the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), held in Valencia, Spain, EBMT 2016 President Mohamad Mohty, MD, PhD, from Saint-Antoine Hospital, Paris, France, discusses the EBMT session focussing on difficult-to-treat patients in four diseases: multiple myeloma, mantle cell lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Sessions involved a state-of-the-art lecture on the use of monoclonal antibodies in the field of multiple myeloma, highlighting two new monoclonal antibodies: elotuzumab, which targets SLAMF7 and daratumumab, which targets CD38.

At the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, held in Valencia, Spain, Navneet Majhail, MD, from Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, discusses Twitter as a way to engage colleagues and stay up-to-date with the latest medical information from journals and organisations, including the EBMT, European Hematology Association (EHA), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).