Although little is currently known about the mechanisms of resistance to venetoclax, researchers are constantly looking for new drugs that can be used in case of resistance or intolerance to drugs such as venetoclax, ibrutinib or obinutuzumab. Speaking from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition, held in Atlanta, GA, John Gribben, MD, DSc, FRCP, FRCPath, FMed Sci, of the Barts Cancer Institute, London, UK, spoke to us about venetoclax resistance, and described some exciting drugs currently in development for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
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In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), venetoclax has established itself as one of the most effective monotherapies in certain contexts. Speaking from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition, held in Atlanta, GA, John Gribben, MD, DSc, FRCP, FRCPath, FMed Sci, of the Barts Cancer Institute, London, UK, spoke to us about the biggest updates in CLL being talked about at the conference. These include the MURANO trial (NCT02005471), and other studies investigating the most effective venetoclax combinations, primarily aiming to achieve a deep, durable remission, and only requiring a fixed duration of therapy, rather than indefinite…
Venetoclax and ibrutinib are two relatively new drugs being used for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and although studies are suggesting them to be more effective than conventional chemotherapies in certain contexts, concerns remain surrounding their cost, particularly if used in combination. However, as explained here by John Gribben, MD, DSc, FRCP, FRCPath, FMed Sci, of the Barts Cancer Institute, London, UK, an effective combination therapy of a shorter duration may be cheaper than years of an inferior treatment; researchers must find the clinical contexts where investing in these treatments will bring about the most benefit for patients.…
Social media platforms, such as Twitter, are a staple of the modern world and facilitate communication between people from all over the globe. Here, Raul Cordoba, MD, PhD, of Fundacion Jimenez Diaz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain, outlines the benefits of using social media as a hematologist, for networking with and getting second opinions from fellow professionals. This interview was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition, held in Atlanta, GA.
CAR T-cell therapy has emerged as a highly promising cancer treatment in recent years, with patient’s own cells being modified to aid their immune system to fight the disease. However, as explained here by Raul Cordoba, MD, PhD, of Fundacion Jimenez Diaz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain, CAR T-cell technologies are currently only being used fully in the USA. This means that European patients undergoing CAR T-cell therapy must wait for their cells to be sent to the USA, modified and then sent back, which can often be too long a wait for patients. This interview was recorded at the American…
As age increases, the likelihood of a patients with hematological malignancies having further complications and comorbidities increases. Speaking from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition, held in Atlanta, GA, Raul Cordoba, MD, PhD, of Fundacion Jimenez Diaz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain, discusses the Geriatric Assessment in Hematology (GAH) scale, which is a tool used to predict mortality and direct the treatment of elderly patients with multiple myeloma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia or high risk myelodysplastic syndromes.
Immunotherapy has been a primary area of focus in lymphoma research in recent years, with treatments looking to stimulate and bolster the patients immune system to figh cancer. In this interview, Raul Cordoba, MD, PhD, of Fundacion Jimenez Diaz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain, gives an overview of CAR T-cells and new monoclonal antibodies, two of the most relevant immunotherapies currently in development for treating lymphoma. This interview was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition, held in Atlanta, GA.
In this activity, Congress Chair Dr. Morton Coleman and CLL Session Co-Chair Dr. Richard R. Furman discuss highlights of the second day of Lymphoma & Myeloma 2017: An International Congress on Hematologic Malignancies held in October. Topics of discussion were focused on best practices and emerging data regarding CLL management, including: the changing role of chemotherapy in CLL, best use of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors, and managing adverse events associated with newer CLL therapies. Earn CME Credit for a related activity: http://elc.imedex.com/ELC/Specialty-Search.aspx?specialty=Hematology © 2017 Imedex, LLC.
In this Key Insights activity, Congress Chair Dr. Morton Coleman and Lymphoma Session Co-Chair Dr. John Leonard discuss highlights of the third day of Lymphoma & Myeloma 2017: An International Congress on Hematologic Malignancies held in October. Topics of discussion were focused on best practices and emerging data regarding lymphoma management, including: CAR-T therapy, how to improve upon use of R-CHOP, best use of PET scans to guide therapy selection, new therapies for indolent and aggressive lymphomas, and emerging data on EZH2 inhibitor therapy. Earn CME Credit for a related activity: http://elc.imedex.com/ELC/Specialty-Search.aspx?specialty=Hematology © 2017 Imedex, LLC.
Updates from the highly anticipated Phase III MURANO study (NCT02005471) in relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) were presented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA. In this interview, John Seymour, MBBS, PhD, of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre & The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, discusses the results from first released data of the primary analysis of MURANO, which he presented as a late-breaking abstract at the meeting. Read more about the results here: https://ash.confex.com/ash/2017/webprogram/Paper109076.html
In this Key Insights activity, Drs. Morton Coleman and Ruben Niesvizky discuss highlights of the first day of Lymphoma & Myeloma 2017: An International Congress on Hematologic Malignancies held in October. Topics of discussion were focused on best practices and emerging data regarding myeloma management, including: measuring minimal residual disease; current and investigational regimens for indication, consolidation, and maintenance; outcomes with the addition of monoclonal antibodies; and the role of CAR-T therapy. Earn CME Credit for a related activity: http://elc.imedex.com/ELC/Specialty-Search.aspx?specialty=Hematology © 2017 Imedex, LLC.
There has historically been less novel agents being tested and moving into the clinic for AML. Now, there has been a wave of promising trials. Speaking from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, Naval Daver, MD, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, discusses the results of the ongoing Phase II study (NCT02397720) of nivolumab plus azacytidine in patients with relapsed AML or frontline elderly AML. Dr Daver emphasizes the impact of the good response rates seen, even in elderly salvage patients. Additionally, Dr Daver provides an overview…
Venetoclax combinations have shown excellent results in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), but are now, excitingly, displaying fantastic preliminary outcomes in acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). In this interview, Naval Daver, MD, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, discusses the results of the Phase Ib study (NCT02670044), which is now moving into Phase II. Dr Daver highlights how the trial was in elderly patients with R/R AML, which is arguably the highest risk group, and has still shown promising durable response rates. He then discusses the next stage of testing, including the dose and possible addition of…
Although a key skill of nursing is communication with patients and the multidisciplinary team, ensuring good communication channels within and across nursing teams is also essential. Speaking from the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017, held in Harrogate, UK, Elizabeth Lank, of Ascot, UK, discusses the benefits of investing time for nurses to meet together and share their expertise, highlighting how this enables them to develop their skills further. She gives examples of how this has occured at the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the feedback of the nurses at this center.
Nursing is a demanding job, with the many responsibilities and patients meaning that nurses are often under considerable time pressure. Speaking from the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017, held in Harrogate, UK, Elizabeth Lank, of Ascot, UK, gives an overview of her workshop at the conference, where she focused on getting nurses to find the time to talk to each other about professional problems.
Immunotherapies can come with a range of toxicities that require the appropriate management by acute oncology services. In this interview, Liz Gifford of the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK, discusses new immunotherapy-related toxicity management guidelines for healthcare professionals. This video was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK.
As novel immunotherapies are introduced into practice, centers need to implement new protocols and educate staff in order to ensure a successful adoption. Speaking from the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK, Liz Gifford of the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK, discusses the processes and experience of immunotherapy introduction in Southampton.
Immunotherapies can induce a range of common, as well as rare, side effects. These may be difficult for healthcare professionals to spot if they have not observed them previously. In this interview, Liz Gifford of the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK, discusses some of the rarer toxicities that can be seen in cancer patients. This video was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK.
Collating data and communicating center experiences is essential to ensure that the best standard of care is provided to patients across geographical boundaries. In this interview, Liz Gifford of the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK, discusses the Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy Dataset (SACT) practical workshop run at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK. She highlights the importance of this in terms of the good management of the toxicities of emerging immunotherapies.
Dr. Susanne Osanto discusses the use of chemotherapy plus androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for newly diagnosed men with advanced stage prostate cancer.
There are many intricacies surrounding the introduction of biosimilars. Here, Simon Cheesman, BPharm, MRPharmS from University College London Hospital (UCLH), London, UK discusses some of these issues, including whether patients need to be re-consented for treatment, the attitudes of health care professionals towards the adoption of biosimilars and the essential role pharmacists will serve. This interview was recorded at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK. This content has been supported by Napp Pharmaceuticals through an unrestricted educational grant to Magdalen Medical Publishing. The company has had no influence on the production of the…
“During the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium for cancer care pharmacy in Glasgow, UK, Simon Cheesman, BPharm, MRPharmS from the University College London Hospital (UCLH) , London, UK, discusses how they have introduced biosimilar rituximab into clinical practice at UCLH. He shares the key considerations when making the switch and emphasizes the pharmacist role in driving things forward, as well as summarising the data they have obtained so far in hematological malignancies. This content has been supported by Napp Pharmaceuticals through an unrestricted educational grant to Magdalen Medical Publishing. The company has had no influence on the…
“During the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium for cancer care pharmacy in Glasgow, UK, Simon Cheesman, BPharm, MRPharmS from the University College London Hospital, London, UK, describes the role of pharmacists in the integration of biosimilars into clinical practice based on his experience of biosimilar rituximab. This content has been supported by Napp Pharmaceuticals through an unrestricted educational grant to Magdalen Medical Publishing. The company has had no influence on the production of the content.”
“Peter Johnson, BA, MB BChir, MA, MRCP, MD, FRCP from Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK, summarises the challenges of cancer research during the BOPA 2017 annual symposium in Glasgow. He discusses cancer genomics and how this research can be intergrated into treatment decisions in the clinic. Molecular screening is particularly challenging as a large amount of patients need to be screened, whereas many of these patients won’t benefit from some of the new treatments. In addition, he talks about the constantly evolving treatment landscape in oncology with new treatment clases coming into practice, pharmacists will have a key role in…
David Irvine from the Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK outlines his presentation on cellular advances in hematological oncology given at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK. Dr Irvine describes the areas of development and the associated challenges that have arisen in recent years.
Having academics who also work in the clinic has a wide range of benefits. In this interview, Naomi Farrington, PhD, of the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK, emphasizes the mutual benefits of having clinicians working in research and researchers working in clinical areas. This video was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK.
Elderly cancer patients are likely to have comorbidities and more complex treatment needs, which can result in certain treatments not being offered to them. In order to determine the optimal treatment for these patients, specialized tools and services can be utilized. Speaking from the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK, Naomi Farrington, PhD, of the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK, highlights examples of services that can improve the care of older cancer patients. Dr Farrington highlights Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA), the Geriatric Oncology Liaison Development (GOLD) team at Guys and St Thomas…
Elderly patients comprise the majority of cancer cases; however, they are often overlooked in many facets of oncology research and care. In this interview, Naomi Farrington, PhD, of the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK, discusses the key challenges facing older people with cancer, including being less likely to be offered certain treatments and a lack of communication. This video was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK.
Pharmacists have an excellent knowledge of drugs and are an essential part of the multidisciplinary healthcare team. Excitingly, they are now becoming increasingly involved in the management and care of patients. In this interview, Michael Mawhinney of Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK, discusses the expanding role of the pharmacist, including prescribing and clinical assessments. This video was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK.
Nurses have a high level of contact with individual patients, which enables them to have a unique perspective on their emotional and practical needs. Speaking from the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK, Michael Mawhinney of Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK, discusses the importance of the nurse across all aspects of patient care, highlighting their role in patient education. He also highlights the importance of the pharmacist in patient-facing roles.
The official recommendations are that patients taking oral systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT) receive the same level as care as those receiving intravenous SACT in a hospital setting. However, this poses many logistical challenges. In this interview, Michael Mawhinney of Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK, discusses his review of this issue, which was presented at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK.
The debate at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK, focused on highlighting the importance of different areas of cancer nursing, including research. In this video, Michael Mawhinney of Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK, who was representing research in the debate, eloquently discusses the benefits of research to cancer nursing.
Dr. Jack West reviews the implications, both encouraging and potentially detrimental, of a recent FDA approval for broad genomic (NGS) testing of all solid tumors, ushering in a new era of growing precision medicine and molecular oncology.
This is a very exciting time for multiple myeloma (MM) research, with advances in a range of areas from new endpoints, to novel therapies and imaging. In this video, an overview of these updates are given by Gareth Morgan, MD, FRCP, FRCPath, PhD of UAMS Myeloma Institute, Little Rock, AR, Nina Shah, MD of UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco, CA and Leif Bergsagel, MD from the Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ following day 2 of the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK. The coverage of MRD at the meeting, including its impact on future clinical trial design, is discussed. The panel…
Model systems, including patient specimens and murine organisms, are very important for multiple myeloma (MM) research. Speaking from the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK, Larry Boise, PhD, from Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, Kenneth Shain, MD, PhD, from the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, Marta Chesi, PhD, from the Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ and Enrique Ocio, MD, PhD, from the University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain, discuss the advantages and uses of their respective model systems. The speakers cover the ability to manipulate genomes, observe how MM develops and can be treated…
There is a plethora of therapies available for multiple myeloma (MM). In this insightful panel discussion at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK, Ivan Marques Borrello, MD from John Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, Hearn Cho, MD, PhD from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY and Tuna Mutis, MD, PhD from the VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands, discuss the current state of immunotherapy for MM and what the future holds. They share their thoughts on combination therapies, creating more broadly applicable therapies, checkpoint inhibitor trials and bispecific antibodies.
There are currently many exciting novel therapeutics and combination therapies undergoing clinical trials for use in multiple myeloma (MM) patients. These are explored in an intriguing panel discussion by Thomas Martin, MD from UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, Larry Boise, PhD from Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, Christoph Driessen, MD, PhD from Kantonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland and Constantine Mitsiades, MD, PhD from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK. These therapeutics target an array of promising genes, pathways, super-enhancers and transcription factors. The panel reference venetoclax, nelfinavir,…
A key finding of a recent Bloodwise study into the specific needs of hematological cancer patients highlighted the importance of access to a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS). However, with busy wards and high staff turnovers in certain locations, the availability of these nurses is stretched. In this interview, Lena Elkman of Bloodwise, London, UK, discusses a new E-learning tool for the training of hematology-oncology nurses, emphasizing the benefits that this will have for both nurses and the patients that they care for. This video was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK.
Immunotherapy is a growing treatment area for cancer, with a lot of hype in the mainstream media. In this interview, recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017, held in Harrogate, UK, Elaine Vickers, PhD, of Science Communicated Ltd, Manchester, UK, explains why this may not be a good thing, as many patients may get their hopes up when these treatments are only suitable for a small subset of cancer patients.
Immunotherapy has received a lot of coverage as a revolutionary cancer treatment, in both the medical community and in the mainstream media, and it is likely that this trend will continue in the coming years. In this interview, Elaine Vickers, PhD, of Science Communicated Ltd, Manchester, UK, explains how this will affect cancer nurses, in terms of knowledge of the immune system and the mechanism of action of these drugs to be able to answer their patients’ queries and concerns. This interview was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017, held in Harrogate, UK.
In recent years, molecular tests have emerged that can help provide information about cancers, such as determining what type of therapy is likely to be most effective. In this interview, Elaine Vickers, PhD, of Science Communicated Ltd, Manchester, UK, discusses the expanding field of personalized medicine, and how it relates to cancer nursing in terms of nurses interacting with their patients. This video was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017, held in Harrogate, UK.
Dr. Jack West reviews data on the FDA-approved combination of dabrafenib/trametinib for patients with BRAF V600E mutation-positive advanced NSCLC, as published by Planchard & colleagues in Lancet Oncology.
It is critical that cancer patients report the side effects of their treatments, whether chemotherapy or immunotherapy, as early as possible to avoid the worsening of illness and further complications. However, there have been many reports of patients delaying reporting the side effects of treatment to their care team. Speaking from the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017, in Harrogate, UK, Catherine Oakley, PhD, of Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, discusses why this may be the case and how to combat it, highlighting the importance of a holistic approach to nursing, in order to…
With age being the biggest risk factor for cancer, and an ageing population in the UK, the NHS is having to treat an increasing number of elderly cancer patients who are living for longer. In this interview, Antonia Lannie, PhD, from the School of Nursing & Midwifery at the University of Dundee, Dundee, UK, gives an overview of the contributors to a more complex pathology in these patients, and discusses what constitutes good patient care in these contexts. This interview was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017, held in Harrogate, UK.
Recent studies presented at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK have identified multiple exciting new treatment combinations for multiple myeloma. In this interview, Alberto Rocci, MD from Central Manchester University Hospital, Manchester, UK highlights the benefits these could have on patient survival, their tolerability and the potential created for tailoring treatment to the individual. Moving forward, Dr Rocci discusses improving the accessibility and funding of these drugs. This content has been supported by Napp Pharmaceuticals through an unrestricted educational grant to Magdalen Medical Publishing. The company has had no influence on the production…
The data from several recent monoclonal antibody clinical trials for multiple myeloma (MM), which are producing very exciting results, was presented at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK. In this interview, Alberto Rocci, MD from Central Manchester University Hospital, Manchester, UK discusses the current CASTOR (NCT02136134) and ELOQUENT-2 (NCT01239797) Phase III clinical trials, which are investigating the addition of monoclonal antibodies to traditional treatment regimens for relapsed refractory MM. Dr Rocci gives a summary of the treatment combinations, results in high-risk cytogenetics groups and the toxicity profiles of the drugs. This content has…
The ongoing TOURMALINE-MM1 study (NCT01564537), a Phase III placebo-controlled clinical trial for relapsed refractory multiple myeloma, has produced very positive response results, even in patients with high-risk cytogenetics a result, which, if validated, is unprecedented. Alberto Rocci, MD from Central Manchester University Hospital, Manchester, UK discusses these results and the toxicity profile of the novel oral triplet combination treatment used, which includes ixazomib. This interview was recorded at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK. This content has been supported by Napp Pharmaceuticals through an unrestricted educational grant to Magdalen Medical Publishing. The company…
There have been promising preliminary results from the ongoing ASPIRE study (NCT01080391), a Phase III clinical trial for patients with relapsed refractory multiple myeloma. From the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK, Alberto Rocci, MD from Central Manchester University Hospital, Manchester, UK gives an overview of the study, an update on the results so far and discusses the toxicity profile of the treatment, which includes carfilzomib. This content has been supported by Napp Pharmaceuticals through an unrestricted educational grant to Magdalen Medical Publishing. The company has had no influence on the production of the…
Alberto Rocci, MD from the Central Manchester University Hospital, Manchester, UK discusses the encouraging data from recent clinical trials, looking to add novel agents to existing drug combinations for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Dr Rocci explains that by adding on novel agents, it may be possible to improve depth of response, progression-free survival and even overall survival. This interview was recorded at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK. This content has been supported by Napp Pharmaceuticals through an unrestricted educational grant to Magdalen Medical Publishing.The company has had no influence on the…
Exciting advances in our knowledge of the epigenetics of multiple myeloma (MM) have recently been made. Speaking at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK, Suzanne Lentzsch, MD, PhD from Columbia University, New York, NY, Brian Walker, PhD from the UAMS Myeloma Institute, Little Rock, AR and Wee Joo Chng, MB ChB, PhD, FRCP (UK), FRCPath (UK), FAMS from the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore, Singapore, discuss the highlights of the work that they presented in this area, developments in the field and identify key topics that are set to progress rapidly. Topics covered include panobinostat, a non-selective HDAC inhibitor,…