Author: Editor

From the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) in Houston, TX, Srdan Verstovsek, MD, PhD, from the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, notes the key biological and clinical characteristics that enable the earlier detection of AML. Monitoring symptoms of patients with characteristics such as anemia, low platelet count, and splenomegaly, would allow the early therapeutic intervention that could prevent the surprise of the more debilitating blastic phase in AML. Prof. Verstovsek strongly recommends following patients every 3-6 months for any changes in pattern of platelets and blasts to allow for the most effective treatment and improve chances of survival…

Myeloproliferative neoplasms, a group of blood disorders, have debilitating effects on patients, including shortening life expectancy and lowering the quality of life. From the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) in Houston, TX, Srdan Verstovsek, MD, PhD, from the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, brings light upon a subgroup of patients that undergo an accelerated phase whereby they transition from chronic to acute myeloid leukemia. Prof. Verstovsek stresses a vital need to intervene in this transition phase, suggesting prognostic factors such as a low percentage of blasts and platelets that can be observed. Treatments are also discussed in this…

Matt Campbell MD, MS Assistant Professor Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology UT MD Anderson Cancer Center asks the question why does immunotherapy not work for everyone? What are the predictors of success? Can patients be cured with these agents?? at the Kidney Cancer Association National Patient and Caregiver Conference Chicago, IL September 22, 2018

Mayer Fishman, MD PhD Dept. of GU Oncology Moffitt Cancer Center Dept. of Oncologic Sciences, USF Morsani College of Medicine discusses novel therapies are on the horizon for metastatic renal cell carcinoma? 2019 and beyond at the Kidney Cancer Association National Patient and Caregiver Conference Chicago, IL September 22, 2018

Chung-Han (Joe) Lee, MD/PhD Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center discusses Novel combinational therapies: Is the increased toxicity worth the possibility of increased benefit? at the Kidney Cancer Association National Patient and Caregiver Conference Chicago, IL September 22, 2018

Pavlos Msaouel, MD, PhD Assistant Professor Genitourinary Medical Oncology The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses Systemic treatment options for patients with metastatic non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma at the Kidney Cancer Association National Patient and Caregiver Conference Chicago, IL September 22, 2018

Amishi Y. Shah, MD Assistant Professor Genitourinary Medical Oncology MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses the best agents for second line and beyond in the treatment of metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma at the Kidney Cancer Association National Patient and Caregiver Conference Chicago, IL September 22, 2018

Michael R. Harrison, MD Associate Professor of Medicine Duke University Medical Center Duke Cancer Institute discusses What is the best front line treatment for metastatic ?clear cell RCC in 2018? at the Kidney Cancer Association National Patient and Caregiver Conference Chicago, IL September 22, 2018

VITALY MARGULIS MD ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR UROLOGIC ONCOLOGY of UT Southwestern discusses NEOADJUVANT THERAPY PRIOR TO SURGERY at the Kidney Cancer Association National Patient and Caregiver Conference Chicago, IL September 22, 2018

Eric A. Singer, MD, MA, FACS Assistant Professor of Surgery and Radiology Director, Kidney Cancer Program Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey discusses The Role of Cytoreductive Nephrectomy in the Treatment of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma at the Kidney Cancer Association National Patient and Caregiver Conference Chicago, IL September 22, 2018

Susan Demo, Ph.D of Calithera discusses Why should I participate in a clinical trial?? Whats in it for me? at the Kidney Cancer Association National Patient and Caregiver Conference Chicago, IL

Currently, out of all FLT3 inhibitors, only midostaurin is FDA-approved for use in patients with acute myeloid lymphoma (AML). From the Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting, held in Houston, TX, Amir Fathi, MD, MPH, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, emphasises that although midostaurin is a good FLT3 inhibitor, it lacks in selectivity and potency. In the RATIFY clinical trial (NCT00651261), however, Dr Fathi reports that midostaurin can enhance survival in AML patients when combined with 7+3 chemotherapy. Other FLT3 inhibitors such as crenolanib, gilteritinib, and quizartinib are not yet FDA- approved, but are undergoing testing in an…

The IDH1 and IDH2 metabolic enzymes are mutated in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), prompting the pharmaceutical development of specific mutant IDH enzyme inhibitors; ivosidenib and enasidenib, respectively. From the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO 2018) Annual Meeting in Houston, TX, Amir Fathi, MD, MPH, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, highlights findings from clinical trials that used ivosidenib and enasidenib in a relapsed and refractory setting involving patients with AML. Dr Fathi reports a good overall median survival in Phase I and Phase II data, with these drugs providing a twenty percent rate of complete remission, even…

In the last 15 years, there has been a revolution in our understanding of the pathogenesis of acute myeloid lymphoma (AML), as new genetic mutations have been discovered. Amir Fathi, MD, MPH, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, stresses the significance of such mutations as targets for treatment, with some mutations even having prognostic implications. Dr Fathi gives the example of FLT3 mutations, which lead to worse prognosis in patients with AML because of their propensity for relapse. In the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting, held in Houston, TX, Dr Fathi discusses the potential applications of other…

Achieving measurable residual disease (MRD) negativity after completing therapy is an early indicator of overall survival. Presently, MRD testing is only permitted in clinical trials, however, Barbara Eichhorst from the University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany, states that there is beneficial use for MRD in routine testing. Discussing recent findings from a clinical trial with a longer follow-up, Prof. Eichhorst reports data showing that MRD-negative patients who come out of treatment continue to remain MRD negative. from the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting, held in Houston, TX, Prof. Eichhorst highlights the importance of using MRD testing routinely to…

From the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) in Houston, TX, Barbara Eichhorst from the University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany, discusses ongoing trials investigating CAR T-cell therapy in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Due to a defect in the patients’ T-cells, there was less success for in the beginning of CAR T-cell treatment. Recent results from trials however, show that when administering the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib beforehand, CAR T-cell retransfusion becomes more successful. Results of better tolerance of neurotoxicity and cytokine release syndrome show promising potential for CAR T-cells. Prof. Eichhorst talks about the future of treatment of CLL,…

Triple combination therapy is the administration of obinutuzumab, ibrutinib, and venetoclax in a sequential order. Barbara Eichhorst from the University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany, discusses an interesting Phase I trial in which the triple combination therapy was delivered to patients who have relapsed from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). From the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting in Houston, TX, Prof. Eichhorst also reports her latest randomised trial using triple combination therapy in high-risk patients with CLL that have TP53 mutation or deletion, comparing the efficacy of this treatment to chemoimmunotherapy.

Barbara Eichhorst from the University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany, presents results from clinical trials testing an intensive fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, rituximab (FCR) regime on young patients with CLL, 50% of who are still in remission. Despite promising progress from the study, it is still not known whether these patients will relapse in the future. Venetoclax is often prescribed after chemoimmunotherapy and ibrutinib fail as earlier treatments. However, Prof. Eichhorst reports clinical trials where abandoning chemoimmunotherapy prolongs the sequence of treatment in patients. Other challenges for medication over chemoimmunotherapy are the higher costs in studies, as well as patients stopping treatment due…

Jose A. Karam, MD, FACS Associate Professor Departments of Urology and Translational Molecular Pathology at MD Anderson discusses What are my options if my cancer comes back in my kidney, where the kidney was, or in the lymph nodes near the kidney? How good are the treatments? at the Kidney Cancer Association National Patient and Caregiver Conference Chicago, IL September 22, 2018

Philippe E. Spiess, M.D., MS, FRCS(C), FACS Senior Member, Department of GU Oncology Senior Member, Department of Tumor Biology Assistant Chief of Surgery Moffitt Cancer Center Professor of Urology, University of South Florida discusses The Role of Metastasectomy in the Treatment of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma at the Kidney Cancer Association National Patient and Caregiver Conference Chicago, IL September 22, 2018

Naomi B Haas MD, Director of Kidney and Prostate Cancer Clinical Programs Abramson Cancer Center September 22, 2018 at the Kidney Cancer Association National Patient and Caregiver Conference Chicago, IL discusses Adjuvant Therapy for Locally Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma: Status in 2018

E Jason Abel, MD FACS University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health discusses the Management and Outcomes in the treatment of Locally Advanced Renal Tumors at the Kidney Cancer Association National Patient and Caregiver Conference Chicago, IL September 22, 2018

Brian Shuch, MD Associate Professor of Urology Director, Kidney Cancer Program Alvin & Carrie Meinhardt Endowed Chair in Kidney Cancer Research discusses the Treatment of the Incidental Renal Mass: What are my options and which one is best? at the Kidney Cancer Association National Patient and Caregiver Conference Chicago, IL September 22, 2018

In this session, Thomas Habermann, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MI, chairs a discussion with Bjoern Chapuy, PhD, MD, from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, and Nicolas Ortonne, MD, PhD, of Henri Mondor University Hospital, Créteil, France. The group explore actionable genetic signatures for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. This discussion was recorded at the International Workshop on Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (iwNHL) 2018 meeting, held in Nice, France.

Immunotherapy is at the forefront of research into novel treatments for lymphoma. Here, John Gribben, MD, DSc, FRCP, FRCPath, FMed Sci, of Barts Cancer Institute, London, UK, Stephen Ansell, MD, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MI, and Robert Chen, MD, from the Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, discuss this exciting topic. The experts explore the use, limitations and future of immune checkpoint regulators in NHL. In addition, important differences between the use of immunotherapies in solid vs. hematological malignancies are covered. This video was recorded at the International Workshop on Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (iwNHL) 2018 meeting,…

The International Workshop on Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (iwNHL) 2018 meeting held in Nice, France, presented an array of exciting new data in NHL. Here, John Gribben, MD, DSc, FRCP, FRCPath, FMed Sci, of Barts Cancer Institute, London, UK, discusses the highlights of day 1 of the meeting with Stephen Ansell, MD, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MI, and Catherine Bollard, MBChB, MD, FRACP, FRCPA, from the Children’s National Health System, Washington, DC. Some of the topics explored by the experts include enhancing T-cell response, expediting our knowledge of biomarkers, and the development of new combination regimens to target different populations…

Here, John Gribben, MD, DSc, FRCP, FRCPath, FMed Sci, of Barts Cancer Institute, London, UK, chairs a discussion with Anas Younes, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, NY, and Caron Jacobson, MD, from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, on the key news from day 2 of the International Workshop on Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (iwNHL) 2018 meeting, held in Nice, France. The experts explore precision medicine and bridging treatment to CAR T-cell therapy; exciting strategies include combinations with polatuzumab vedotin or ibrutinib pre-treatment. A highlighted consideration is how prior treatment with common drugs affect later T-cell collection…

CAR T-cells are a hot topic right now, with huge potential for transforming the treatment of various hematological malignancies, including lymphoma. Here, David Maloney, MD, PhD, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, chairs a discussion on the current landscape of CAR T-cell therapy in lymphoma at the International Workshop on Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (iwNHL) 2018 meeting, held in Nice, France. They are joined by Jim Kochenderfer, MD, from the National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, Steve Schuster, MD, from the University of Pensylvania, Philadelphia, PA, and William Go, MD, PhD, from Kite Pharma Inc., Santa Monica, CA. Along with…

Dr. Gerard Silvestri, Medical University of South Carolina, discusses the use of PET scans in lung cancer workup.

Lymphoma treatment is focusing increasingly on novel agents with specific targets. At the International Workshop on Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (iwNHL) 2018 meeting, held in Nice, France, Laurie Sehn, MD, of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, chaired a panel discussion on novel targets and agents in lymphoma. Targets discussed included Syk-JAK, BTK, MCL-1, BCL2, and XPO1. Demethylating agents, polatuzumab combinations, umbralisib combinations, and the optimal therapies for double-and triple-hit diffuse large B-cell lymphoma were also explored. The speakers in this discussion were John Kuruvilla, MD, FRCPC, from the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Canada, and Kieron Dunleavy, MD, from George…

Somatic mutations can be used to inform diagnosis and prognosis, but they are also useful targets for novel therapies. Valeria Santini, MD, of the University of Florence, Florence, Italy, explains which mutations are receiving the most focus as therapeutic targets in myelodysplastic syndromes in this interview from the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting in Houston, TX. She discusses the potential for transforming outpatient treatment with oral therapies targeting IDH1, IDH2, and spliceosome genes. She also points to JAK inhibitors as useful therapies for patients with JAK1 or JAK2 mutations.

While myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) represent a heterogeneous set of pathologies, a large proportion of MDS show similarity in somatic mutations. In this interview, which took place at the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting in Houston, TX, Valeria Santini, MD, of the University of Florence, Florence, Italy, discusses how these mutations can be used to inform diagnosis and prognosis. She speaks about a collaborative project working to show correlations between different somatic mutations and disease progression, and uses TP53 mutations as an example of mutations associated with poor prognoses in MDS. Improved understanding of how somatic mutations affect…

If resistance occurs to second generation TKIs in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients, what is the next best option? Here, Giuseppe Saglio, MD, of the University of Turin, Turin, Italy, explores this important question. He highlights what data from the ENESTnd (NCT00471497) and ENEST1st (NCT01061177) trials have shown in terms of resistance occurence, before discussing the issue of intolerance. This interview was recorded at the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting held in Houston, TX.

Venetoclax monotherapy has yielded disappointing results in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) because resistance develops along with the propagation of MCL1-expressing clones. Here, Marina Konopleva, MD, PhD, of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, discusses different ways to inhibit MCL1 expression and overcome venetoclax resistance. These include direct MCL1 inhibition, MAPK inhibition, MDM2 inhibition, and CDK9 inhibition. Prof. Konopleva evaluates and compares these approaches. This video was recorded at the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting in Houston, TX.

Alexander Perl, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, discusses the effectiveness of drugs currently on the market to treat acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting, held in Houston, TX. Dr Perl explains how the FLT3 inhibitors midostaurin and quizartinib have improved the overall survival of AML patients, and protect against relapse better than standard therapy. With tolerable side effects, he excitedly disccusses the the future of AML treatments which do not affect the patient’s day to day life.

FCR chemoimmunotherapy is most effective in the IGVH mutated, non-17p deletion chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patient subgroup. With the advent of novel drugs in the field however, Nitin Jain, MD, from the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, believes that this therapy could be improved upon. In this interview, recorded at the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting in Houston, TX, he discusses the rationale behind, and results from, his trial (NCT02629809) investigating the effect of iFCG, a combination therapy including ibrutinib, fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and obinutuzumab. Boasting minimal residual disease negativity rates of over 90%, this treatment option…

While CAR T-cells are an approved therapy option in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the research in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is somewhat behind. In this video, recorded at the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting in Houston, TX, William Wierda, MD, PhD, of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, gives an overview of the current data, explaining how CAR T-cell therapy appears to be less effective in CLL than in other diseases. He discusses how their potency in this disease might be improved, potentially via the addition of ibrutinib, and highlights…

Speaking from the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting in Houston, TX, Valeria Santini, MD, of the University of Florence, Florence, Italy, discusses a new concept in the pathophysiology of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS): that inflammation can be an effective indicator for MDS and its progression. She explains how cytokine S100A9, involved in inflammatory processes, triggers paraptosis and ineffective erythropoiesis, and can be used as a marker for MDS diagnosis and progression. Dr Santini speaks about detection methods for this process, highlighting confocal microscopy of the bone marrow and flow cytometry to measure S100A9 directly, and finally suggests that…

The ENESTop trial (NCT01698905) investigated treatment-free remission (TFR) in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) after discontinuing nilotinib, following the acheivement of a deep molecular response. Here, Timothy Hughes, MD, FRACP, FRCPA, of the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia, gives us an update on the exciting results of the trial and their implications. In particular, Prof. Hughes highlights how many patients who fail to maintain TFR can restart treatment and regain a deep response once more. This video was recorded at the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting in Houston, TX.

Speaking from the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting in Houston, TX, Rob Pieters, MD, PhD, of Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands, discusses current research and drug developments to treat mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) rearranged acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Prof. Pieters states that numerous epigenetic abnormalities were discovered in MLL rearranged ALL, hence the market for drugs to modify these abnormalities has expanded. He highlights a few drugs that are currently being studied including demethylating agents such as azacitidine as well as monoclonal antibodies blinatumomab and inotuzumab.

Speaking from the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting in Houston, TX, Simon Rule, MD, from Plymouth University, Plymouth, UK, outlines the current standards of care for both young and elderly patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). He highlights some current trials which are attempting to bring drugs like ibrutinib to the frontline setting. He also discusses a particularly exciting area of the field: the potential to create a risk-adapted approach for MCL management by targeting patients with P53 mutations with an aggressive therapy of allogenic stem cell transplant. While this therapy can only be tolerated by young…

EZH2 mutations are associated with a poor prognosis in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). In this video, recorded at the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting in Houston, TX, Rashmi Kanagal-Shamanna, MD, of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, discusses her work investigating the role of EZH2 mutations in MDS pathology. She highlights genetic and clinical correlates of EZH2 mutations, including an increased likelihood of multilineage dysplasia and chromosome 7 alterations, concluding that EZH2 has a tumor suppressor role in MDS.

Providing us with insight into a trial not yet published, Pierluigi Porcu, MD, from Jefferson Hospital, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PN, discusses his teams investigation into potential molecular biomarkers of response in mice induced to overexpress cytokine IL-15. Dr Porcu uses tipifarnib, a farnesyltransferase inhibitor which targets the RAS pathway, to treat the induced cutaneous T-cell lymphoma developed in the mice. Currently, he is focusing on looking for biomarkers of response from these animal trials. This video was recorded at the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting in Houston, TX

First line therapies for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) have developed beyond the historic approach of giving all patients FCR chemoimmunotherapy. In this video, recorded at the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting in Houston, TX, Nitin Jain, MD, from the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, discusses how drugs like ibrutinib have transformed the first line therapy landscape. He also explains how improved understanding of genetic links to disease progression has allowed doctors to target patients with specific therapies, using the example of IGVH mutated patients, who respond exceptionally well to FCR. Finally, he touches on how physicians…

While venetoclax is widely used in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) to good effect, previous studies have suggested that the drug does not yield such good results in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In this video, recorded at the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting in Houston, TX, Marina Konopleva, MD, PhD, of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, discusses several recent trials (NCT02203773, NCT02287233) that explored the efficacy of venetoclax in combination with hypomethylating agents or low-dose cytarabine in elderly, untreated AML patients. The results were positive, and Prof. Konopleva finishes by suggesting future implications for these data.

Giuseppe Saglio, MD, of the University of Turin, Turin, Italy, discusses the benefits of second generation TKIs for the frontline treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). These more potent inhibitors have reduced the rate of disease progression, being able to suppress certain clones that are resistant to imatinib. Dr Saglio highlights how these TKIs induce fast and deep responses; a very important property, even in low-risk patients. This interview was recorded at the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting held in Houston, TX.

Speaking from the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting, held in Houston, TX, David Steensma, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, discusses the current treatment landscape for lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), as well as future directions for therapy. Dr Steensma highlights how the majority of low-risk MDS patients are treated with hematopoietic growth factors or lenalidomide, although certain patients will respond to immunosupressants and hypomethylating agents. He expresses his hopes for the potential of luspatercept, a recombinant fusion protein, as well as oral hypomethylating agents, the telomerase inhibitor imetelstat and splicing inhibitors.

At the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting, held in Houston, TX, Alexander Perl, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, gives us an update on the recent developments in FLT3 inhibitors for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Dr Perl explains how midostaurin, an older generation FLT3 inhibitor, has a relatively low potency. This has fueled the development of highly selective treatments, such as quizartinib and gilteritinib, which are highly potent and have increased selectivity to FLT3 mutations.

CAR T-cells have the potential to revolutionize the field of hematological oncology, however despite impressive efficacy data from CAR T products, some patients develop resistance, have poor outcomes, or high toxicity. As John Rossi, MS, from Kite Pharma Inc., Santa Monica, CA explains in this video, identifying the characteristics of these patients is crucial to informing treatment planning for specific patient groups. He discusses how identifying patients at risk of toxicity can mean high-risk patients are placed under surveillance, while low-risk individuals are able to receive therapy on an outpatient basis. He highlights how features of the tumor microenvironment and…

Axicabtagene ciloleucel, an anti-CD19 CAR T-cell product, has shown impressive efficacy in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma already. In this video, recorded at the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting held in Houston, TX, John Rossi, MS, from Kite Pharma Inc., Santa Monica, CA, highlights clinical trials in the ZUMA series which are targeting a variety of B-cell malignancies and leukemias with axicabtagene ciloleucel. He also discusses KITE 585, an anti-BCMA CAR T product which is being tested at Phase 1 (NCT03318861) in multiple myeloma.

Speaking from the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting held in Houston, TX, John Rossi, MS, from Kite Pharma Inc., Santa Monica, CA, presents updated data from the pivotal ZUMA-1 trial (NCT02348216), which used CAR T-cell therapy axicabtagene ciloleucel to treat diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and other B-cell lymphomas. The results from this trial are promising, with an overall response rate of 82%. The strong and durable response observed in a heavily pretreated patient group whose prognosis would otherwise be extremely poor is remarkable, and though significant neurological toxicities were experienced, early intervention meant that they were tolerated…

Christopher Gibson, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, discusses the multiple uses of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in the management of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Using NGS, clonal evolution can be monitored as the sequencing technique will be able to pick up on new mutations in response to treatment. Dr Gibson states a downfall of its use being time as follow-ups are needed in order to monitor leukemic mutations in patients. Dr Gibson also touches upon the importance of minimal residual disease (MRD) analysis in combination with genomic techniques when monitoring patients with leukemic mutations. This was recorded at the…

Nathan Fowler, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, discusses the use of minimal residual disease (MRD) as a biomarker for lymphoma. Speaking from the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting in Houston, TX, Dr Fowler gives an overview of current trials looking at circulating tumor DNA show promising results as circulating tumor DNA can monitor patients disease and predict the likelihood of relapse before it occurs. He emphasizes that MRD markers could largely impact a patients course of therapy whilst acting as an alternative to scans and reducing the risk of radiation…

Speaking from the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting, held in Houston, TX, Christopher Gibson, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, compares next-generation sequencing (NGS) to older methods such as sanger sequencing (SGS). Although SGS can still be used for more specific single gene testing, on a larger scale, Dr Gibson states that NGS is more cost effective.

Speaking from the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting in Houston, TX, Meletios Dimopoulos, MD, of the University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece, discusses two clinical trials whose results have huge implications for bringing daratumumab into everyday clinical practice for multiple myeloma (MM). The ALCYONE trial (NCT02195479) recently demonstrated the superiority of bortezomib-melphalan-prednisone (VMP) with daratumumab over VMP alone for newly diagnosed MM, making VMP with daratumumab a new standard of care. Depending on the results of another trial exploring whether daratumumab improves outcome with lenalidomide and dexamethasone, this drug may become a frontline standard in…

Speaking at the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting in Houston, TX, Nathan Fowler, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, discusses the increasing need for biomarkers to identify a patients stage of disease, thus determining whether they are more likely to be cured in the future. Dr Fowler highlights that routine scans, currently used to monitor patients, are associated with a risk of radiation, and so in order to successfully identify a patients cure rate and likelihood to relapse, biomarkers are in need of development.

Meletios Dimopoulos, MD, of the University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece, gives an overview of the OPTIMISMM trial (NCT01734928) at the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting in Houston, TX. This trial compared progression free survival (PFS) of dexamethasone/bortezomib and a triplet of dexamethasone, bortezomib and pomalidomide in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) that have previously been treated with lenalidomide. The positive PFS data from the triplet regimen, even in patients who have acquired resistance to lenalidomide, suggests a positive future for this therapy.

DNA sequencing approaches such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) have been found to be particularly useful when diagnosing cancers. These results can then be used to influence therapeutic decisions before the patient begins treatment. At the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting, held in Houston, TX, Christopher Gibson, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, discusses the strengths and limitations of NGS in practice. Dr Gibson highlights the fact that numerous factors such as the patient’s white blood cell count and age must be taken into consideration when using NGS.

Patients that relapse or are resistant to treatments are classified as high-risk in follicular lymphoma. Here, Nathan Fowler, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, discusses how best to identify high risk patients and how to improve their outcome in the long term. Dr Fowler states that currently, there is no biomarker to identify those at risk of relapse, however there are studies being conducted in order to detect one. He also explores the idea of novel targeted therapies such as PI3K inhibitors and CAR T-cell therapy, and how they could potentially improve survival rates…

In this interview, recorded at the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting in Houston, TX, Meletios Dimopoulos, MD, of the University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece, gives an update on multiple myeloma (MM) bone disease, and focuses on imaging techniques and new treatment approaches. Dr Dimopoulos highlights the best imaging modalities for disease identification and monitoring, including low-dose CT, PET-CT, and magnetic resonance imaging. In the field of treatment, he discusses the drawbacks of bisphosphonates and speaks about a trial (NCT01345019) comparing denosumab and zoledronic acid in treating skeletal-related events.

Christopher Gibson, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, discusses the reliability of next-generation sequencing (NGS) at the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting, held in Houston, TX. Dr Gibson explains that results from NGS have been reliable as the mutations seen are those that are present in Acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Dr Gibson also questions the relevance on the results and how this is entirely dependent on expert interpretation.

Recent approvals in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have increased the treatment options available for patients with this disease, leading to improved clinical outcomes. However, there is no single treatment strategy that can be applied to all patients with HCC. Hence, it creates an unmet educational need for establishing the best practice and standard of care for patients with HCC to provide the best chance of survival. In this webcast, Dr. Ghassan Abou-Alfa and a panel of HCC experts elucidate best practices for the incorporation of emerging agents and treatment strategies into your clinical practice. Earn CME for this activity: https://www.naccme.com/program/2018-a62801-2

BCMA is an exciting therapeutic target for multiple myeloma (MM). Here, Yi Lin, MD, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, discusses current trials of CAR T-cell products that are targeting BCMA, and their data so far. She highlights that the patient population who have received this therapy so far have been heavily pre-treated and have limited therapeutic options. Dr Lin also discusses future strategies to futher improve CAR T-cell therapy. This interview took place at the Myeloma 2018 meeting, held in San Diego, CA.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is at the forefront of immunotherapeutic developments, including T-cell therapies and bispecific antibodies. Here, our expert panel discuss BCMA and SLAMF7 targeting CAR T-cells, bispecific T-cell engaging antibodies, and recent clinical trials in these areas. From the Myeloma 2018 meeting in San Diego, CA, Andrzej Jakubowiak, MD, PhD, from the University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL chairs a discussion with James Kochenderfer, MD, of the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, and Adam Cohen, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

Understanding the mechanisms of drug resistance in multiple myeloma (MM) is vital in order to improve treatment. In this comprehensive discussion, the genomics, proteomics and signatures of therapy resistance in MM are covered, in addition to proteasome inhibitor, IMiD and CD38 resistance. Sagar Lonial, MD, of the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, chairs a discussion with Brian Van Ness, PhD from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, Florian Bassermann, MD, PhD, from the Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany, and Anja Seckinger, MD, of the University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. This video was recorded at the Myeloma…

Ivan Borrello, MD, of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, discusses the role of the microenvironment in multiple myeloma (MM) with Bruno Paiva, PhD, from the University of Navarra, Navarra, Spain, and Marta Chesi, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, at the Myeloma 2018 meeting in San Diego, CA. They highlight the importance of developing treatments that work beyond the tumor and impact the microenvironment and more specifically the immune microenvironment.

Is measurable residual disease (MRD) ready for prime time in multiple myeloma (MM)? Gareth Morgan, MD, PhD, FRCP, FRCPath, of UAMS Myeloma Institute, Little Rock, AR, chairs a discussion with Jens Lohr, MD, PhD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, Angela Dispenzieri, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, Ola Landgren, MD, PhD, of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY. Speaking from the Myeloma 2018 meeting, held in San Diego, CA, the experts discuss this exciting topic.

Keith Stewart, MB, ChB, of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, rounds up the Myeloma 2018 meeting, held in San Diego, CA, with Thomas Martin, MD, from UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, and Florian Bassermann, MD, PhD, from the Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany. Drug resistance was a key topic for the day, seeing presentations on resistance to proteasome inhibitors and IMiDs, and CD38 sensitivity. Immunotherapy, particularly CAR T-cell therapy, was another major focus for the days discussions, with mixed opinions on how this novel therapy should placed in therapy sequencing. All were in agreement though, that Myeloma…

The experts at the Myeloma 2018 meeting in San Diego, CA, discussed the successes, challenges and future outlook for CAR T-cells in multiple myeloma (MM), considering the question of where CAR T-cells will be best placed in therapy sequencing. Exploring this intriguing question, David Siegel, MD, PhD, of the John Theurer Cancer Center, Hackensac, NJ, chairs a dicussion with Andrew Spencer, MBBS, FRACP, FRCPA, DM, of Alfred Hospital, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, and Ravi Vij, MD, MBA, of Washington University Medical School, St. Louis, MO.

From the Myeloma 2018 meeting, held in San Diego, CA, the experts discuss novel targets in multiple myeloma (MM), including BRD4, Pykfvye and MCL1, and induced protein degradation, such as that via PROTAC. Faith Davies, MD, MRCP, MRCPath, of UAMS Myeloma Institute, Little Rock, AR, chairs the discussion with Leif Bergsagel, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, Robert Orlowski, MD, PhD, of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, and Keith Stewart, MB, ChB, of the Mayo Clinic. Dr Bergsagel discussed the already known targets in MM which still do not have a drugs specific for them. Dr Stewart…

The progression to multiple myeloma (MM) in patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) needs to be understood in order to prevent and manage the condition to the best of our ability. Topical themes covered by the experts in this panel discussion include whether we are ready to treat SMM outside of trials, new mouse models of progression, the role of the immune system in this disease transition, and epigenetic modifications in MM. At the Myeloma 2018 meeting in San Diego, CA, Larry Boise, PhD, of Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, chairs…

In this exciting discussion, the experts explore the prevocative question of ‘is precision medicine a bust in multiple myeloma?’ Topics discussed include the limitations and future potential of precision medicine, the impact of 1q copy number on prognosis and the level of BRAF mutation needed for response to inhibitors. Rafael Fonesca, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, chairs this discussion with Dirk Hose, MD, of University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, Faith Davies, MD, MRCP, MRCPath, FRCPath, of UAMS Myeloma Institute, Little Rock, AR, and Jeffrey Wolf, MD, of UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA, at…

From the Myeloma 2018 meeting, held in San Diego, CA, Gareth Morgan, MD, PhD, FRCP, FRCPath, of UAMS Myeloma Institute, Little Rock, AR, chairs a discussion with Jens Lohr, MD, PhD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, Angela Dispenzieri, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, Ola Landgren, MD, PhD, of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY. The experts discuss a range of topics including advanced methods of detecting and monitoring measurable residual disease (MRD), such as single cell RNA sequencing, protein-based detection in the peripheral blood using mass spectrometry, and the highly sensitive VDJ sequencing.

Keith Stewart, MB, ChB from the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, is joined by Kenneth Anderson, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, and Sagar Lonial, MD, of the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, to share their highlights from day 1 of the Myeloma 2018 meeting, held in San Diego, CA. Hear their thoughts on precision medicine, immunotherapy, genomics, epigenetics, novel agents and more.

CAR T-cells are an exciting new therapeutic area in multiple myeloma (MM). Here, the experts discuss the current landscape of this novel therapy in MM, including exploratory targets; with not all convinced that BCMA is the optimal target. Furthermore, the cost vs. value of CAR T-cell therapy is explored, with several types of payment systems proposed. Chaired by David Siegel, MD, PhD, of the John Theurer Cancer Center, Hackensac, NJ, the dicussion includes Andrew Spencer, MBBS, FRACP, FRCPA, DM, of Alfred Hospital, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, and Ravi Vij, MD, MBA, of Washington University Medical School, St. Louis, MO. This…

CRISPR technology is being used to define mechanisms of multiple myeloma (MM) drug resistance. Here, Constantine Mitsiades, MD, PhD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, discusses his group’s work in this exciting area, investigating Cereblon pathway-mediated resistance to thalidomide and its derivatives, lenalidomide and pomalidomide. He concludes by highlighting what can be done in future trials to select patients who do not have this resistance. This interview took place at the Myeloma 2018 meeting, held in San Diego, CA.

Treatment of advanced Hodgkin lymphoma has evolved dramatically in the last 10 years, especially with the introduction of PET-response adapted treatment and the introduction of novel agents. Martin Hutchings, MD, PhD from the Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark discusses the latest advances and how they have changed the way we treat advanced Hodgkin lymphoma. This video was recorded at the EBMT 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Lisbon, Portugal.

Florent Malard, MD, PhD, of Saint Antoine Hospital, Paris, France, discusses potential measures to improve the outcome of transplantation at the 2018 European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EMBT) Annual Meeting, held in Lisbon, Portugal. He emphasizes the need for further research into the impact of NKT cells on the complications of transplantation, namely graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). Dr Malard also discusses his teams analysis comparing the use of anti-thymocite globulin (ATG)-based in vivo depletion and CD34 selected grafts with ex vivo depletion in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with GvHD.

Here, Steven Pavletic, MD, MS, from the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, outlines areas of improvement for treating chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), the future therapeutic landscape, and encourages patient enrollment in clinical trials to help further knowledge. Dr Pavletic was speaking from the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Lisbon, Portugal.

Here, Steven Pavletic, MD, MS, from the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, outlines areas of improvement for treating chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), the future therapeutic landscape, and encourages patient enrollment in clinical trials to help further knowledge. Dr Pavletic was speaking from the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Lisbon, Portugal.

By understanding the pathogenesis of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), treatments can be better targeted to improve patient outcomes. In this video, Steven Pavletic, MD, MS, from the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, talks about targeting T-cell, B-cell and APC activation to treat chronic GvHD, in order to derive alternative therapies to corticosteroid treatment. Dr Pavletic was speaking from the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Lisbon, Portugal.

By understanding the pathogenesis of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), treatments can be better targeted to improve patient outcomes. In this video, Steven Pavletic, MD, MS, from the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, talks about targeting T-cell, B-cell and APC activation to treat chronic GvHD, in order to derive alternative therapies to corticosteroid treatment. Dr Pavletic was speaking from the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Lisbon, Portugal.

Here, Steven Pavletic, MD, MS, from the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, discusses the previous management of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), with the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib having been approved for the treatment of patients with chronic GvHD. From the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Lisbon, Portugal, Dr Pavletic also outlines the biology of the disease and how its understanding has been improved significantly with recently conducted research.

In this video, Steven Pavletic, MD, MS, from the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, speaks at the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Lisbon, Portugal, and outlines the salvage therapy options for steroid-refractory chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD).

From the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Lisbon, Portugal, Steven Pavletic, MD, MS, from the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, discusses the diagnostic approach for chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD).

Steven Pavletic, MD, MS, from the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, gives an overview of the management of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) from the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Lisbon, Portugal.

Treating aplastic anemia (AA) with transplantation in a pediatric population is deemed relatively complicated, according to Régis Peffault de Latour, MD, PhD, of Saint Louis Hospital, Paris, France. He states that in children with no siblings, the toxicity levels for transplantation of an unrelated match is low. He highlights how a lack of immunosuppression before transplantation could be beneficial for patients under the age of 20, as they will not experience prolonged neutropenia. Dr Peffault de Latour also mentions that for older patients suffering from AA, treatments such as cyclosporin are preferred over transplantation due to toxicity. He also explains…

Régis Peffault de Latour, MD, PhD, from Saint Louis Hospital, Paris, France, discusses the main challenges in managing patients with idiopathic aplastic anemia. He identifies three key challenges, including the place of receptor agonists, transplantation in elderly patients, and upfront match-unrelated transplantation in the pediatric population. Dr Peffault de Latour highlights the numerous studies being conducted worldwide in order to overcome the transplantation problems in these populations. This interview was recorded at the 2018 European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal.

From the 2018 European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting, held in Lisbon, Portugal, Régis Peffault de Latour, MD, PhD, of Saint Louis Hospital, Paris, France, discusses the treatments currently available for treating paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). He states how classic PNH can be treated effectively with complement blockers, thus transplant tends to not be an option. However, with PNH associated with aplastic anemia, transplantation is the only curative treatment available with minimal toxicities and a successful outcome.

Speaking from the 2018 European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting, held in Lisbon, Portugal, Fermin Sanchez-Guijo, MD, PhD, of the Hospital Clínico Universitario de Salamanca, Salmanca, Spain, speaks to us about the Joint Accreditation Committee of the International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) and the EBMT – JACIE. As March 2018 marked the 20th anniversary of this committee, Dr Sanchez-Guijo highlights the important work of JACIE, particularly with an array of new cellular therapy options.

In this interview, recorded at the 2018 European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, Andrés Ferreri, MD, of IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy, outlines the difficulties of treating double-hit lymphoma, a rare but aggressive disease.

Speaking from the 2018 European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, Andrés Ferreri, MD, of IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy, describes the difficulties associated with treating high-risk patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

Dividing patients into subgroups for different therapies can often be quite difficult. In this interview, recorded at the 2018 European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, Andrés Ferreri, MD, of IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy, outlines the difficulties that still exist today with regards to classifying patients as high-risk, and mentions improvements that must be made in geriatric cases to improve the efficacy of treatment in the elderly.

Speaking from the 2018 European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, Abdul Hamid Bazarbachi, from the American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, discusses the key topics from the conference and highlights his top picks.

In this video, Andrew Armstrong, MD, from Duke University, Durham, NC, talks about the potential of the PROSPER (NCT02003924) and SPARTAN (NCT01946204) Phase III trials for nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. From the 2018 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, held in San Francisco, CA, Dr Armstrong points to limitations with current therapy, and how research into osteomimicry can help develop treatments that aim to cure bone metastases in these patients, rather than merely delaying the symptoms.

From the 2018 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, held in San Francisco, CA, Andrew Armstrong, MD, from Duke University, Durham, NC, highlights the need for novel therapies targeting plasticity pathways in particular, in order to treat bone metastases in patients with prostate cancer. Dr Armstrong also outlines potential predictive biomarkers, including DNA defects in PARP inhibitors and androgen receptor defects.

Bone metastases are present in the majority of patients with prostate cancer and are the main cause of mortality in these patients. Here, Andrew Armstrong, MD, from Duke University, Durham, NC, discusses the role of osteomimicry in the formation of bone metastases, and the challenges concerning their treatment. From the 2018 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, held in San Francisco, CA, Dr Armstrong outlines potential research pathways for exploration.

Speaking from the 2018 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco, CA, Peter Black, MD, of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CA, outlines the development of systemic therapy for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

From the 2018 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, held in San Francisco, CA, Elizabeth Plimack, MD, from Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, introduces the key trials in progress at her center, including a treatment allocation study for patients with muscle-invasive localized bladder cancer, which features a combination of cystoscopy and tumour genomics to reduce the number of patients undergoing cystectomy. In addition, Dr Plimack also highlights a trial testing the combination of nivolumab and axitinib for kidney cancer (NCT03172754). Finally, she discusses a study looking to sensitize bladder cancer patients that are refractory to PD-1 inhibiton using guadecitabine (NCT03179943).

Here, Francesco Montorsi, MD, from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy, speaks at the 2018 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, held in San Francisco, CA, about how the outcome of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) could potentially be improved, with promising emerging data on novel therapies. Prof. Montorsi speaks about his experience as a physician, and how both patients with localized renal cancer and those with aggressive disease tend to have a poor prognosis, which highlights the need for novel drug studies that could improve patient outcomes. Prof. Montorsi concludes that drugs which target the immune system have been particularly effective…

Speaking from the 2018 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, held in San Francisco, CA, Michael Atkins, MD, of Georgetown University, Washington, DC, outlines the changing landscape of kidney cancer, explaining the therapies at the forefront of the field right now. Dr Atkins highlights immuno-oncology combinations, mentioning a number of checkpoint inhibitors and VEGF inhibitors, including ipilimumab, nivolumab, atezolizumab, bevacizumab, cabozantinib, lenvatinib, everolimus, axitinib, avelumab, and sunitinib.

At the Genitourinary Cancers Symposium 2018 in San Francisco, CA, recent therapeutic developments for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) were discussed by Jeanny Aragon-Ching, MD, FACP, of Inova Schar Cancer Institute, Falls Church, VA. She spoke about the changes in practice and therapy, highlighting the rise of systemic therapies such as VEGF inhibitors. Dr Aragon-Ching explains how immunotherapy has always been a second-line treatment; however, with the results of recent trials, these therapies are seen as being increasingly effective. For example, the IMmotion151 randomized Phase III study of bevacizumab and atezolizumab vs. sunitinib for metastatic RCC (NCT02420821). Dr Aragon-Ching also mentions…

Dr. Jack West describes an emerging theme that the best outcomes for patients with lung cancer and likely other cancer are best served by receiving the best agents up front, a strategy that implies a value in integrating more treatments into early combos.

BCG immunotherapy is one of the primary treatment options for bladder cancer patients who are ineligible for cystectomy. However, some patients continue to have persistant high-grade disease long after treatment, prompting the development of new drugs such as atezolizumab. In this video, Peter Black, MD, of the University of British Colombia, Vancouver, Canada, discusses a clinical trial investigating the efficacy of atezolizumab in BCG-unresponsive bladder cancer (NCT02844816). This interview took place at the 2018 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco, CA.

Michael Atkins, MD, of Georgetown University, Washington DC, outlines the results of the study of VEGF inhibitor axitinib in combination with pembrolizumab for the first-line treatment of advanced renal cell cancer (NCT02133742). Dr Atkins goes onto explain the next steps required for this result to impact treatment, and eagerly awaits the results of the KEYNOTE-426 trial (NCT02853331). This interview took place at the 2018 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco, CA.

Elizabeth Plimack, MD, from Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, gives an overview of a study (NCT02133742) looking at pembrolizumab combined with axitinib for the first-line treatment of advanced kidney cancer. Speaking at the 2018 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, held in San Francisco, CA, Dr Plimack hopes this combination can become the new frontline standard of care in renal oncology.

The use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels as a diagnostic test for prostate cancer has significantly reduced mortality rates, as well as reducing the number of patients diagnosed with metastatic disease. In this video, Francesco Montorsi, MD, of Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy, explains that even though PSA diagnostic tests have become a vital tool in diagnosing prostate cancer, there are still numerous patients whose cancers progress to metastatic status, or who have high PSA levels and metastatic disease at first consultation. Prof. Montorsi states that in these situations, there is currently no cure aside from delaying disease progression.…

Treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer has evolved as medical knowledge has expanded. Jeanny Aragon-Ching, MD, FACP, from Inova Schar Cancer Institue, Falls Church, VA, explains how, previously, the single treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer was a radical cystectomy, where patients still did not have the best outcomes. She talks about the need to incorporate a multidisciplinary approach, including medical oncologists, surgeons and radiation oncologists, in order to reach the most suitable treatment choice. Dr Aragon-Ching stresses how finding the right biomarkers is necessary to deliver the best care. She highlights how immunotherapy treatments for muscle-invasive cancer are still experimental, yet…

Speaking from the 2018 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, held in San Francisco, CA, Michael Atkins, MD, of Georgetown University, Washington, DC, tells us about the potential benefits of combining immunotherapy drugs with VEGF inhibitors such as axitinib in patients with renal cancer.

From the 2018 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, held in San Francisco, CA, Francesco Montorsi, MD, from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy, debates the benefits of abiraterone compared to standard chemotherapy for treating patients with prostate cancer. Prof. Montorsi also highlights unnecessary biopsies, and how these could potentially be avoided using fusion techniques. Prof. Montorsi mentions that patients should be involved in their own management plans, and that their preference of therapy should be taken into consideration. He urges healthcare professionals to regularly keep up to date on novel therapies and changes in practice to provide the optimal care for patients.

In this video, Peter Black, MD, of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, speaks to us about the use of biomarkers to identify bladder cancer patients eligible for neoadjuvant therapy. Dr Black discusses three types of biomarkers currently under investigation, covering molecular subtypes, the COXEN model and alterations in specific DNA damage repair genes. This interview was recorded at the 2018 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco, CA.

Maria Teresa Bourlon, MD, MS, of Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico, discusses the link between chemotherapy and premature ageing, via the biomarker p16INK4a, in testicular cancer survivors at the Genitourinary Cancers Symposium 2018, held in San Francisco, CA. Although testicular cancer patients can be cured successfully with chemotherapy, they still suffer from the long-term effects of the treatment. The results of Dr Bourlons research show an increased expression of the p16INK4a senescence protein in patients exposed to chemotherapy. p16INK4a has been found to inhibit CDK4/6 and promote p53 degradation, essentially causing premature senescence.…

Jeanny Aragon-Ching, MD, FACP, of Inova Schar Cancer Institute, Falls Church, VA, discusses the differences in survival rates of non-urothelial bladder cancer patients at the Genitourinary Cancers Symposium 2018, held in San Francisco, CA. Dr Aragon-Ching discusses how rare non-urothelial bladder cancers are, considering how non-urothelial neoplasms account for less than 5% of bladder neoplasms. Her group studied the SEER database and found that, of the different types of non-urothelial bladder cancers, adenocarcinomas had the best outcome. Contrastingly, research suggests squamous cell carcinomas have the poorest outcome. Dr Aragon-Ching emphasizes the need to develop clinical trials specifically targeting these rare…

Speaking at the 2018 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, held in San Francisco, CA, Eugene Teoh, MBBS, MRCP, from the University of Oxford, Oxford, UK, introduces a pre-planned analysis of the FALCON trial (NCT02578940), which investigated the influence of 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT imaging for the management of prostate cancer patients considered for salvage curative therapy, following a first biochemical recurrence of the cancer. Dr Teoh discusses how the endpoint of the trial was determined by the percentage of patients with a change in their management plan. Results from the FALCON trial have shown promise, even in a population with low median prostate-specific antigen…

In this video, Elizabeth Plimack, MD, from Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, discusses the progress made in prostate, bladder and kidney cancer. There have been significant advances in immunotherapeutic options, particularly for the treatment of bladder and kidney cancers. Speaking from the 2018 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, held in San Francisco, CA, Dr Plimack mentions the challenges to overcome with non-responders and the different combinations that can be tested, particularly those including checkpoint inhibitors.

Dr. Jack West reviews general principles for how local therapies are increasingly appropriate for selected patients with advanced NSCLC, whether at initial management, for limited progression on systemic therapy, or as local consolidation therapy.

Silvia Novello, MD, PhD, of San Luigi Gonzaga University Hospital, Orbassano, Italy, discusses precision medicine at the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2018, held in Geneva, Switzerland. She explains how precision medicine relies upon molecular testing, biomarkers, and drug availability, and that the key issue to tackle is making drugs more widely available for the purposes of precision medicine across Europe.

Dr. Dan Goldstein reviews results of a trial of chemo regimen TIP (paclitaxel, ifosfamide, cisplatin) vs BEP (bleomycin, etoposide, cisplatin) for intermediate/poor risk germ cell tumors, with discussion of outcomes in patients with a p53 mutation.

Speaking from the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2018, held in Geneva, Switzerland, Silvia Novello, MD, PhD, of San Luigi Gonzaga University Hospital, Orbassano, Italy, discusses the logistical implications of implementing tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatments across different European countries. She highlights the differences in screening and treatment policies between countries, and explains how to improve these discrepancies in the future.

In this video, recorded at the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2018, held in Geneva, Switzerland, Nicolas Girard, MD, PhD, of Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France, discusses treatment sequencing for EGFR mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). He speaks about the wide range of TKIs and immune checkpoint inhibitors available, and how new research and clinical understanding will illuminate the best way to use these therapies in relation to other treatments such as chemotherapy.

In this video, recorded at the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2018, held in Geneva, Switzerland, Silvia Novello, MD, PhD, of San Luigi Gonzaga University Hospital, Orbassano, Italy, discusses how to optimize the treatment of ALK+ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with a special focus on how practitioners from different European countries may have to approach this problem differently. She touches on policy, drug availability, and certain clinical considerations which might alter the ideal treatment plan.

Silvia Novello, MD, PhD, of San Luigi Gonzaga University Hospital, Orbassano, Italy, discusses results from recent clinical trials exploring the efficacy of different tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) on ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2018, held in Geneva, Switzerland.

Several generations of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have now been produced and examined for the treatment of EGFR mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, Nicolas Girard, MD, PhD, of Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France, discusses the different TKI treatment options at the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2018, held in Geneva, Switzerland. He explores the varied benefits of gefitinib, erlotinib, afatinib and osimertinib, as well as the results of the FLAURA trial (NCT02296125), and the implications of these data on treatment sequencing.

Here, Khaled Ghanem, MD, from the American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, outlines the collaborative approach taken by his institution, local government and non-profit organisations to help deliver stem cell transplant therapy for patients with thalassemia. Dr Ghanem was speaking from the 2018 European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal.

In this video, Khaled Ghanem, MD, from the American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, encourages the use of social media, particularly Twitter, in order to facilitate communication between healthcare professionals. Speaking from the 2018 European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, Dr Ghanem outlines the advantages of social media, including being able to receive updates from key congresses such as the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition despite not being able to attend.

Here, Josep-Maria Ribera, MD, PhD, of Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain, discusses the potential of measurable residual disease (MRD) testing to determine treatment outcome in acute leukemias. From the 2018 European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, Prof. Ribera describes the treatment options for patients who are MRD positive, including immunotherapy and stem cell transplantation, and the ideal times for MRD testing during the treatment pathway.

Speaking from the 2018 European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, Khaled Ghanem, MD, from the American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, describes his experience of utilizing social media from a professional aspect in order to advance career development. Dr Ghanem points to the EBMTs dedication in supporting young physicians, having launched the EBMT Young Ambassador Program last year.

In this interview, Keith Kerr, MB, ChB, FRCPath, FRCPE, from the University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK, makes predictions on what important changes are likely to take place in the field of lung cancer testing within the next year, particularly focusing on changes in molecular testing regulation and the development of new molecular tests. This video was recorded at the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2018, held in Geneva, Switzerland.

An improved understanding of the disease biology of leukemia has driven personalized therapy that has helped lower the risk of relapse in patients. Here, Patrick Kiel, PharmD, BCOP, BCPS, of Indiana University Simon Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN, discusses a case study in which the patient was identified with PD-L1 expression and a BRAF V600E mutation, and how these identifications helped improve the treatment outcome. Dr Kiel was speaking at the 2018 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Annual Conference, held in Denver, CO.

Speaking from the 2018 European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) in Geneva, Switzerland, Dean Fennell, PhD, FRCP, of the University of Leicester, Leicester, UK, stresses the need for increased randomized controlled trials (RCTs) looking at immunotherapies for treating mesothelioma, to establish its efficacy for cost-benefit analysis. Prof. Fennell also talks about the potential of gene knockout, particularly of the BAP1 gene.

In this video, Dean Fennell, PhD, FRCP, of the University of Leicester, Leicester, UK, talks about delivering personalized therapy for patients with thoracic malignancies. From the 2018 European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) in Geneva, Switzerland, Prof. Fennell outlines potential targets such as EGFR, ALK and PD-L1 expression, and how developing tailored therapy can improve the outcomes of relapsed patients.

In this video, Dean Fennell, PhD, FRCP, of the University of Leicester, Leicester, UK, discusses upcoming therapeutic targets for mesothelioma and sarcomatoid carcinoma. Speaking at the 2018 European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) in Geneva, Switzerland, Prof. Fennell talks about the drugs bevacizumab and nintedanib for targeting angiogenesis, immunotherapeutic treatments including nivolumab, pembrolizumab and ipilimumab, and also potential targets for genetic therapy such as the ASS1 protein and the BAP1 gene.

The human papilloma virus (HPV) currently has no cure, with virtually all cases of cervical cancer being caused by HPV. Here, Judith Smith, PharmD, BCOP, CPHQ, FCCP, FISOPP, of UTHealth McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, discusses her findings looking at the nutritional supplement active hexose correlated compound, more commonly known as AHCC, that has shown promise in eradicating HPV. Dr Smith was speaking from the 2018 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Annual Conference, held in Denver, CO.       immune modulating, persistent high risk hpv, human papillomavirus, immune system, hpv infection, supplement ahcc, hpv infection in women

From the 2018 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Annual Conference, held in Denver, CO, Patrick Kiel, PharmD, BCOP, BCPS, of Indiana University Simon Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN, delivers the case for collaboration between pharmacists and how HOPA can be used as a teaching platform to inform healthcare professionals of the latest techniques, such as next-generation sequencing (NGS).

In this video, Judith Smith, PharmD, BCOP, CPHQ, FCCP, FISOPP, of UTHealth McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, delivers advice to pharmacists who wish to begin a career in clinical research. Speaking from the 2018 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Annual Conference, held in Denver, CO, Dr Smith stresses the importance of having a passion for undertaking research to overcome the challenges faced when going down this career path.

In this video, Patrick Kiel, PharmD, BCOP, BCPS, of Indiana University Simon Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN, describes how identifying molecular aberrations can help personalize therapy for patients with certain cancers. Speaking from the 2018 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Annual Conference, held in Denver, CO, Dr Kiel stresses the need for more clinical trials to bring about further clinical advancements.

The importance of the clinical pharmacy specialist is often understated. Here, Judith Smith, PharmD, BCOP, CPHQ, FCCP, FISOPP, of UTHealth McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, describes how these specialists play a key role in improving patient outcomes through advancing clinical research in areas such as quality improvement research. Dr Smith was speaking from the 2018 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Annual Conference, held in Denver, CO.

Speaking from the 2018 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Annual Conference, held in Denver, CO, Judith Smith, PharmD, BCOP, CPHQ, FCCP, FISOPP, of UTHealth McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, discusses the importance of interweaving pharmacy research within clinical practice, and the role that HOPA plays in encouraging engagement and collaboration within pharmacy research in order to improve drug administration.

Richard Stone, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, talks about the latest advances that have been made in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), including recent drug approvals after numerous years of testing and our increasing understanding of the pathophysiology of this disease. This interview took place at the 2018 European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting, in Lisbon, Portugal.

Fermin Sanchez-Guijo, MD, PhD, of Hospital Clínico Universitario de Salamanca, Salmanca, Spain, speaks to us about the role of mesenchymal stem cells in hematopoietic progenitor cell engraftment and the associated risks with this treatment, namely GvHD. This interview was recorded at the 2018 European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting, held in Lisbon, Portugal.

Speaking from the 2018 European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, Ernst Holler, MD, of University Hospital Regensberg, Regensberg, Germany, briefly outlines the mechanisms behind GvHD, before describing research currently being undertaken to decrease the risk of this condition developing and improve its management.

Anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) is immunosuppressive antibody that has been around for >30 years, which is used to prevent graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and the rejection of transplanted tissue. In this interview, Jaap Jan Boelens, MD, PhD, from UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands, speaks about the results of his study investigating the pharmacokinetic profile of ATG in 500 cancer patients that received stem cell transplantation. This video was recorded at the 2018 European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting, held in Lisbon, Portugal.

Speaking from the 2018 European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting, held in Lisbon, Portugal, Genovefa Papanicolaou, MD, from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, speaks about novel vaccines that are being developed for the treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) in cancer patients receiving stem cell transplants.

Martin Hutchings, MD, PhD from Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark, discusses current first-line treatment options in Hodgkin lymphoma at the European Blood and Marrow (EBMT) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Lisbon, Portugal. He also speaks about novel agent therapies, and their potential for changing the treatment landscape in the future.

In this video, recorded at the 2018 European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, Denis Claude Roy, MD, FRCP, of the University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada, discusses the practicality of implementing his technique for eradicating GvHD after haploidentical stem cell transplant by selectively killing active donor T-cells. This technique would be easily translated to an everyday clinical setting, as Dr Roy explains.

Denis Claude Roy, MD, FRCP, of the University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada, is involved in developing a technique for eradicating the risk of GvHD in haploidentical stem cell transplant recipients by selectively killing the donor cells that react to host cells. In this video, recorded at the 2018 European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, he discusses the wide-reaching potential for this technology, as well as considerations for donor matching.

Speaking from the 2018 European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, Denis Claude Roy, MD, FRCP, of the University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada, discusses an innovative new photodynamic technique that eliminates the activated T-cells which can cause GvHD in haploidentical stem cell transplant recipients. This process has potential applications across a huge range of hematological malignancies.

Antonio Almeida, MD, PhD, of the Instituto Português de Oncologia Francisco Gentil, Lisbon, Portugal, gives an overview of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) pathophysiology at the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Lisbon, Portugal.

Speaking from the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2018, held in Geneva, Switzerland, Matti Aapro, MD, of the Clinique de Genolier, Genolier, Switzerland, discusses the hot topics in lung cancer today. He speaks about lung cancer screening, improved surgical techniques, and the increasing precision and efficacy of radiotherapy.

New lung cancer therapies are constantly being developed and approved. Indeed, the new treatments on the market have rendered chemotherapy increasingly redundant. Matti Aapro, MD, of the Clinique de Genolier, Genolier, Switzerland, spoke to us about this exciting new treatment landscape at the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2018, held in Geneva, Switzerland. He discusses TKIs, immunotherapy, and the importance of continued adherence to guidelines and good scientific practice in the face of so many potential treatments.

Decreasing tobacco intake is a key goal for reducing the incidence of lung cancer. In this video, recorded at the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2018, held in Geneva, Switzerland, Matti Aapro, MD, of the Clinique de Genolier, Genolier, Switzerland, discusses new initiatives being implemented by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to decrease tobacco usage. The key incentive involves increasing cigarette prices, which has been shown to be highly effective; however, Dr Aapro also highlights the fact that in certain countries, such as China, a greater effort is required to effectively reduce smoking.

With the approval of new therapies that are restricted based on PD-L1 expression, there are many different assays to test for this. In this interview, Keith Kerr, MB, ChB, FRCPath, FRCPE, from the University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK, discusses whether these tests are equivalent in terms the patients that are selected to receive the therapy and whether their clinical outcomes are the same. This interview was conducted at the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2018, held in Geneva, Switzerland.

Lung cancer screening is an exciting and debated topic. Here, Mamta Ruparel, MBBS, MRCP, of University College London, London, UK, discusses the current data and logistical considerations associated with lung cancer screening at the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2018, held in Geneva, Switzerland.

Mamta Ruparel, MBBS, MRCP, of University College London, London, UK, discusses the current data and guidelines associated with the finding of pulmonary nodules in lung cancer screening. She explains the relevance of this topic in the clinical setting, and suggests ways to improve the techniques used. This video was recorded at the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2018, held in Geneva, Switzerland.

In recent years, there has been a massive increase in the number of different immunotherapeutic agents that can be used in the treatment of cancer. In this interview, Giorgio Scagliotti, MD, PhD, from the University of Turin, Turin, Italy, discusses why it is important that patients are only receiving the most appropriate therapy for their specific form of cancer, in terms of side-effects and the high cost of many of these drugs. This interview was conducted at the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2018, held in Geneva, Switzerland.

Speaking from the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2018, held in Geneva, Switzerland, Giorgio Scagliotti, MD, PhD, from the University of Turin, Turin, Italy, provides an overview of recent trial data concerning the immunotherapy of non-oncogene addicted non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Dr Scagliotti emphasizes the importance of exploring combinations of immunotherapy and other treatment modalities in a clinical setting.

Speaking from the 2018 European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) in Geneva, Switzerland, Federico Capuzzo, MD, PhD, of AUSL della Romagna, Ravenna, Italy, talks about how overall survival has improved in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the problems associated with this increase in survival.

In this interview, Federico Capuzzo, MD, PhD, of AUSL della Romagna, Ravenna, Italy, discusses novel therapies for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from the 2018 European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) in Geneva, Switzerland. Dr Capuzzo focuses on immunotherapy and targeted agents, and emphasizes the continued importance of defining the biological characteristics of NSCLC, particularly PD-L1 expression.

Many infections can occur in cancer patients who are immunocompromised after receiving a stem cell transplant. In this interview, Genovefa Papanicolaou, MD, from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, speaks about the current and future developments in the treatment of a particularly dangerous viral infection, cytomegalovirus (CMV). This interview was conducted at the 2018 European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting, held in Lisbon, Portugal.

In this interview, Keith Kerr, MB, ChB, FRCPath, FRCPE, from the University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK, makes predictions on what important changes are likely to take place in the field of lung cancer testing within the next year, particularly focusing on changes in molecular testing regulation and the development of new molecular tests. This video was recorded at the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2018, held in Geneva, Switzerland.

Speaking from the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2018, held in Geneva, Switzerland, Keith Kerr, MB, ChB, FRCPath, FRCPE, from the University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK, describes the increasing complexity of the role of pathologists in the field of lung cancer, with an increasing number of assays required for appropriate treatment selection.

Dr. Daniel Goldstein summarizes findings of a trial presented at ASCO 2018 by Dr. Kellolumpu-Lehtinen, assessing the benefit of adjuvant docetaxel for patients after radiation for patients with high or intermediate risk localized prostate cancer.

Dr. Daniel Goldstein reviews data on the positive predictive value of PET PSMA imaging in patients with biochemically relapsed prostate cancer, as presented by Wolfgang Fendler & colleagues at ASCO 2018.

Dr. Daniel Goldstein considers new data by Clarke & colleagues on a combination of the PARP inhibitor olaparib with abiraterone for molecularly unselected metastatic prostate cancer, along with providing a context of results from similar prior research.

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In this video, Robin Foà, MD, from the University of Rome, Rome, Italy, discusses the impact of age on patients with Ph+ or Ph-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This video was recorded at the 2018 European School of Hematology (ESH) Clinical Updates on Acute Leukemias, held in Budapest, Hungary.

Oliver Ottmann, MD, FRCPath, of Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK, raises the issue of slow progression of clinical trials in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and the factors that play a part. Speaking from the 2018 European School of Hematology (ESH) Clinical Updates on Acute Leukemias, held in Budapest, Hungary, Prof. Ottmann alludes to the lack of funding that presents a particular challenge regarding this topic.

Speaking from the 2018 European School of Hematology (ESH) Clinical Updates on Acute Leukemias, held in Budapest, Hungary, Oliver Ottmann, MD, FRCPath, of Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK, gives an overview of the potential of improved techniques for detecting measurable residual disease (MRD) in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), including next-generation sequencing and digital droplet PCR.

Here, Robin Foà, MD, from the University of Rome, Rome, Italy, discusses the potential of a chemotherapy-free strategy for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Speaking from the 2018 European School of Hematology (ESH) Clinical Updates on Acute Leukemias, held in Budapest, Hungary, Prof. Foà points to that fact patients have achieved remission, and even measurable residual disease (MRD) negativity.

Speaking from the 2018 European School of Hematology (ESH) Clinical Updates on Acute Leukemias, held in Budapest, Hungary, Robin Foà, MD, from the University of Rome, Rome, Italy, talks about the clinical approach when treating patients with Ph+ or Ph-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

In this video, Oliver Ottmann, MD, FRCPath, of Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK, discusses the importance of allogeneic transplant in different populations of patients with Ph-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). From the 2018 European School of Hematology (ESH) Clinical Updates on Acute Leukemias, held in Budapest, Hungary, Prof. Ottmann also emphasizes the areas for improvement in measurable residual disease (MRD) testing.

Oliver Ottmann, MD, FRCPath, of Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK, points to the need for improving the methodology of measurable residual disease (MRD) testing in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Prof. Ottmann outlines the key areas of research in leukemia his laboratory has currently been focusing on. This video was recorded at the 2018 European School of Hematology (ESH) Clinical Updates on Acute Leukemias, held in Budapest, Hungary.

Prakash Satwani, MD, of Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, speaks to us about the true cost of bone marrow transplant ,and highlights potential alterations to the process and alternative options to increase the affordability of treatment. This interview was recorded at the 2018 European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal.

In this video, Daniel DeAngelo, MD, PhD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, talks about how novel immunotherapeutic options could reduce the high rate of refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that has resulted from the use of multiple chemotherapeutic agents. Dr DeAngelo describes the aim to identify patients who are at high risk of relapse from standard therapy, and to incorporate immunotherapeutic options within their induction therapy. This video was recorded at the 2018 European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal.

Speaking from the 2018 European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, Daniel DeAngelo, MD, PhD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, outlines the range of novel therapies on the horizon for treating relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), including monoclonal antibody-drug conjugates and CAR T-cells.

John P. Fruehauf, MD, UC Irvine Health, Looks at Data from Combination Studies | ASCO 2019 Will Show The Role of New Combinations at MOASC 2018

Fa-Chyi Lee, MD, UC Irvine Health, talks about Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Rectal Cancer | Possibly Use Single-Agent Capecitabine at MOASC 2018

Edward L. Nelson, MD, UC Irvine Health talks about hoe RET Inhibitors May Be Approved this Year | Systems-Based Approach to Molecular Derangements at MOASC 2018

Yung Lyou, MD, UC Irvine Health, talks about Keynote 61 Trial | See if Pembrolizumab Can be Moved to the 2nd-line Setting at MOASC 2018

John P. Fruehauf, MD, UC Irvine Health, explains New Treatment for Melanoma is Working Everywhere | Working For Metastatic Disease in Brain and Body at MOASC 2018

Nataliya Mar, MD, UC Irvine Health, talks about Emerging New Agents for Urothelial Carcinoma | Immunotherapies in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Patients at MOASC 2018

John P. Fruehauf, MD, UC Irvine Health, Looks at Combinations of Therapies | Combine Targeted BRAF Agents with Immunotherapy at MOASC 2018

Fa-Chyi Lee, MD, UC Irvine Health, talks about a possible Better Approach in the Next 1-2 Years | For RAS or BRAF Mutated Colorectal Cancer at MOASC 2018

Edward L. Nelson, MD, UC Irvine Health talk about PI3-Kinase Inhibitors Do Not Work in Tumor Agnostic Way | Targeted Therapeutics Toward HER2 Do Not Always Work at MOASC 2018

John P. Fruehauf, MD, UC Irvine Health, explains Practice-Changing Impact of Presented Data | Durability to the Benefit of Immunotherapy at MOASC 2018

Rita Sanghvi Mehta, MD, UC Irvine Health, talks about Improving Survival in Stage 4 Breast Cancer | S0226 Showed That Patients Could Have Improved Survival at MOASC 2018.

John P. Fruehauf, MD, UC Irvine Health, explains What to do with Stage 3 Disease | Which is a Better Agent with BRAF or IO Therapy at MOASC 2018

Nataliya Mar, MD, UC Irvine Health, talks about Phase 1 Urothelial Carcinoma Data Presented | Combination Therapies in Renal Cell Carcinoma at MOASC 2018

Speaking from the 2018 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Annual Conference, held in Denver, CO, Christine Walko, PharmD, BCOP, FCCP, of the Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, discusses the important roles that pharmacists could play in the personalized treatment of cancer patients, and why this is valuable for both patients and clinics.

In this interview, David DeRemer, PharmD, BCOP, FCCP, of the University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, discusses mid-career changes that pharmacists typically undergo, and the things that they can do to to help facilitate these career transitions. This interview was conducted at the 2018 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Annual Conference, held in Denver, CO.

In this interview, Christine Walko, PharmD, BCOP, FCCP, of the Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, speaks about the Moffitt Cancer Centre and their patients. Dr Walko then describes how they implemented molecular testing at the center. This video was recorded at the 2018 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Annual Conference, held in Denver, CO.

Speaking from the 2018 European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, Daniel Wolff, MD, PhD, of the University Hospital of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany, talks about the developments that have been made in treating chronic GvHD and highlights areas for future progress.

Speaking from the 2018 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Annual Meeting, held in Denver, CO, Jill Kolesar, PharmD, MS, BCPS, FCCP, of the University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, explains the role of a molecular tumor board, a group of experts in all areas of medicine, including pharmacists, oncologists, geneticists and bioinformaticians.

Dr. Daniel Goldstein reviews data by Drs. Gulley & colleagues on PROSTVAC vaccine in metastatic prostate cancer & discusses the implications of trials that fail in phase III despite looking extremely favorable in phase II studies.

The European Medicines Agency have announced their recommendation to restrict the use of pembrolizumab and atezolizumab to the first-line treatment of urothelial cancer patients with high PD-L1 expression. Here, Thomas Powles, MBBS, MRCP, MD, from Barts Cancer Institute, London, UK, explains the reasoning behind this development, and shares his insights on why this is a positive movement towards more personalized treatment for patients. This interview was recorded at the American Society of Oncology (ASCO) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Chicago, IL.

The ABACUS trial (NCT02662309), an investigator-initiated Phase II study investigating the safety and efficacy of two cycles of neoadjuvant atezolizumab in T2-T4a transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder prior to cystectomy, has shown that PD-L1 expression plays an important role in the efficacy of this drug. Complete response rates were seen to increase to 40% in the PD-L1 positive subgroup compared to 16% in the biomarker negative population. In this interview, Thomas Powles, MBBS, MRCP, MD, from Barts Cancer Institute, London, UK, discusses these results at the American Society of Oncology (ASCO) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Chicago, IL. The…

In this video, recorded at the American Society of Oncology (ASCO) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Chicago, IL, Ross Camidge, MD, PhD, of the University of Colorado, Denver, CO, gives his highlights from the conference. He discusses the novel agents he thinks show the most potential in the field of lung cancer, as well as some studies with poor outcomes.

In this video, recorded at the American Society of Oncology (ASCO) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Chicago, IL, Susan Peterson, PhD, of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, outlines the key findings from her study exploring the effect of mobile and sensor vital monitoring for head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy (NCT02253238). She discusses the implications of using technology in this setting, and looks forward to suggest future directions for this research.

With the positive results from recent trials like SPARTAN (NCT01946204) and PROSPER (NCT02003924), it is likely that drugs typically associated with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), such as enzalutamide and apalutamide, will be shifted forward in treatment strategies to be used in non-metastatic patients. Speaking from the American Society of Oncology (ASCO) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Chicago, IL, Stephane Oudard, MD, PhD, of Georges Pompidou Hospital, Paris, France, discusses the implications such a change would have on the overall treatment landscape of prostate cancer, as well as the role of imaging in establishing treatment plans.

Speaking from the American Society of Oncology (ASCO) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Chicago, IL, Ross Camidge, MD, PhD, of the University of Colorado, Denver, CO, gives an update on the Phase III ALEX trial (NCT02075840), which compared ALK inhibitors alectinib and crizotinib as first-line therapies for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In addition to alectinib, Dr Camidge discusses the second-generation ALK inhibitors brigatinib, ensartinib and lorlatinib.

In this video, recorded at the American Society of Oncology (ASCO) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Chicago, IL, Robert Figlin, MD, of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, discusses the importance of sequential therapies in kidney cancer treatment. Immunotherapies and targeted agents are both mentioned, along with advice for practitioners who do not specialize in kidney cancer.

Speaking from the American Society of Oncology (ASCO) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Chicago, IL, Peter Fasching, MD, from University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany, comments on the importance of the development of therapies that can overcome resistance to hormone therapy, so that the use of chemotherapy for the treatment of breast cancer can be minimized.

In this video, recorded at the American Society of Oncology (ASCO) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Chicago, IL, Susan Peterson, PhD, of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, discusses her recent trial that used mobile and sensor technology to identify symptom burden and dehydration risk in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment (NCT02253238).

After promising efficacy data from the TROPIC trial (NCT00417079), cabazitaxel was approved for use in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) post-docitaxel therapy. Until now, however, safety data for this drug have been lacking, as Stephane Oudard, MD, PhD, of Georges Pompidou Hospital, Paris, France, explained at the American Society of Oncology (ASCO) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Chicago, IL. In this interview, he discusses the retrospective FUJI study, which used real world data to show that cabazitaxel is not only effective, but also safe, in this setting. Prof. Oudard emphasizes the relevance of these results to daily clinical practice.

Ross Camidge, MD, PhD, of the University of Colorado, Denver, CO, discusses single target therapies in thoracic oncology and beyond at the American Society of Oncology (ASCO) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Chicago, IL. He speaks about ROR-gamma, a master controller drug with the potential to revolutionize the treatment landscape.

Robert Figlin, MD, of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, gives an update on the ADAPT trial (NCT01582672), which investigates autologous dendritic cell vaccine therapy plus the standard of care for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and compares these data to results from the CARMENA trial (NCT00930033). This video was recorded at the American Society of Oncology (ASCO) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Chicago, IL.Robert Figlin, MD, of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, gives an update on the ADAPT trial (NCT01582672), which investigates autologous dendritic cell vaccine therapy plus the standard of care for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC),…

In this interview, Peter Fasching, MD, from University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany, discusses the design and the initial safety results of the Phase III RIBECCA trial (NCT03096847) investigating the efficacy and safety of ribociclib with letrozole for HR+ metastatic or advanced breast cancer. Dr Fasching then compares their results with the previous MONALEESA-2 (NCT01958021) and MONALEESA-3 (NCT02422615) studies, which also focused on the use of ribociclib for breast cancer. This video was recorded at the American Society of Oncology (ASCO) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Chicago, IL.

Rita Sanghvi Mehta, MD, UC Irvine Health, talks about Avoiding Chemotherapy in Subset of Patients | TAILORx Uses Scoring Method – Oncotype DX at MOASC 2018.

Yung Lyou, MD, UC Irvine Health, talks about Weighing Judgment Before Giving Ramucirumab | Ramucirumab is Viable Choice After REACH-2 Results at MOASC 2018

Edward L. Nelson, MD, UC Irvine Health says to Enroll Patients in Umbrella or Basket Trials | PI3-kinase Did Not Pan Out in NCI-MATCH Trial at MOASC 2018

Drs Jared Weiss and Joshua Bauml discuss advances in treatment for head and neck cancer from ASCO 2018.

John P. Fruehauf, MD, UC Irvine Health, explains how 50% of Melanoma Patients Develop Brain Metastases | BRAF-MEK & Immunotherapy Help Brain Metastases at MOASC 2018

Drs Jared Weiss and Joshua Bauml discuss advances in treatment for head and neck cancer from ASCO 2018.

Nataliya Mar, MD, UC Irvine Health, talks about Erdafitinib & Enfortumab Reached FDA Drug Designation | Will be Available in Clinics Within a Few Years at MOASC 2018

Rita Sanghvi Mehta, MD, UC Irvine Health, talks about Cyclin-Dependent Kinases to Endocrine Therapy | Adding CDK-46 inhibitors to Frontline or 2nd-Line Setting at MOASC 2018.

Drs Jared Weiss and Joshua Bauml discuss advances in treatment for head and neck cancer from ASCO 2018.

Charles Craddock, CBE, FRCP (UK), FRCPath, DPhil, of the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK, discusses the use of measurable residual disease (MRD) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Prof. Craddock covers the utility of MRD in determining risk of relapse following induction therapy. This video was recorded at the 2018 European School of Hematology (ESH) Clinical Updates on Acute Leukemias, held in Budapest, Hungary.

Alan Burnett, MD, FRCP, of Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK, discusses the use of measurable residual disease (MRD) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Prof. Burnett highlights its utility as an independent predictor of outcome and questions how much MRD could displace other risk scores, as well as it’s possible indication of chemosensitivity.

Charles Craddock, CBE, FRCP (UK), FRCPath, DPhil, of the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK, discusses the use of targeted vs. broader agents in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This interview was recorded at the 2018 European School of Hematology (ESH) Clinical Updates on Acute Leukemias, held in Budapest, Hungary.

Alan Burnett, MD, FRCP, of Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK, discusses the antibody-drug conjugate gemtuzumab ozogamicin for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Prof. Burnett covers the history of this drug, the challenges faced and the future of this therapy. This interview was recorded at the 2018 European School of Hematology (ESH) Clinical Updates on Acute Leukemias, held in Budapest, Hungary.

Speaking from the 2018 European School of Hematology (ESH) Clinical Updates on Acute Leukemias, held in Budapest, Hungary, Charles Craddock, CBE, FRCP (UK), FRCPath, DPhil, of the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK, discusses novel therapies that can be given in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) post-transplant to reduce the risk of relapse.

In this interview, Mark Levis, MD, PhD, of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, speaks about TP53-mutated myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and the results of the Phase Ib/II clinical trial (NCT03072043) headed by the MDS Clinical Research Consortium, which showed promising response rates for the treatment of this condition with the mutant p53 activator APR-246 when given in combination with azacitidine. This interview was recorded at the 2018 European School of Hematology (ESH) Clinical Updates on Acute Leukemias, held in Budapest, Hungary.

Charles Craddock, CBE, FRCP (UK), FRCPath, DPhil, of the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK, discusses how we can improve outcomes after transplant in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Prof. Craddock touches upon a range of avenues, including measurable residual disease, the optimal conditioning regimen and novel therapies. This video was recorded at the 2018 European School of Hematology (ESH) Clinical Updates on Acute Leukemias, held in Budapest, Hungary.

With the increased use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify mutations in patient’s own cancer cells, the off-label usage of non-approved drugs is on the rise. In this interview, Federico Capuzzo, MD, PhD, of AUSL della Romagna, Ravenna, Italy, discusses the reasons why, and in what situations, his practice uses drugs off-label to treat lung cancer. This video was recorded in the 2018 European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC), in Geneva, Switzerland.

Speaking from the 2018 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Annual Conference, held in Denver, CO, Ginah Nightingale, PharmD, BCOP, of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, discusses the importance of identifying chemotherapy drugs that cause cognitive impairment, and ensuring that physicians are aware of and can deal with these conditions. Dr Nightingale then speaks about the different types of patients that should be screened for cognitive impairment and what role pharmacists play in this testing.

Ginah Nightingale, PharmD, BCOP, of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, discusses why cognitive impairment as a result of chemotherapy is not screened for, as well as how this should be tested and its importance. This video was recorded at the 2018 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Annual Conference, held in Denver, CO.

There is increasing evidence to suggest that chemotherapy contributes to changes in cognition. In this interview, Ginah Nightingale, PharmD, BCOP, of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, describes the pathways through which chemotherapy may contribute to deficits in cognition in patients. This interview was recorded at the 2018 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Annual Conference, held in Denver, CO.

In this interview, Amy Pick, PharmD, BCOP, of Creighton University, Omaha, NE, speaks about different types of stressors for mid-career healthcare professionals, and specifically about what she believes to be the main stressor: the inflexibility of the work-family interface. This video was recorded at the 2018 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Annual Conference.

Speaking from the 2018 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Annual Conference held in Denver, CO, Amy Pick, PharmD, BCOP, of Creighton University, Omaha, NE, speaks about mid-career challenges that healthcare professionals face. She particularly focuses on career burnout, why it is important and methods that can be used to overcome it.

The American Society of Oncology (ASCO) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Chicago, IL, presented exciting updates in urothelial carcinoma. Here, Arlene Siefker-Radtke, MD, of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, discusses data for the antibody-drug conjugate enfortumab vedotin, which targets Nectin-4 (EV-101; NCT02091999).

VXM01 is an orally-administered vaccine that elicits a systemic T-cell response targeting VEGFR-2. Here, Wolfgang Wick, MD, from the German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany, discusses the results of the latest clinical trial investigating the use of this vaccine in patients with progressive glioblastoma who have failed radiochemotherapy with temozolomide. Treated patients demonstrated a direct response to the vaccine, and adverse events were minimal. The next step in this trial involves the use of a checkpoint inhibitor to further increase the efficacy of the vaccine. This interview was recorded at the American Society of Oncology (ASCO) 2018 Annual Meeting, held…

Arlene Siefker-Radtke, MD, of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, reviews treatment options for bladder cancer. She highlights how MVAC is still used today, with clinical trials failing to identify agents with improved activity over this therapy. New immune checkpoint inhibitors are producing durable response, but only a small fraction of patients respond to these drugs. Dr Siefker-Radtke eloquently provides her insight into the view that bladder cancer is comprised of multiple tumor types and predicts the future of urothelial carcinoma therapy. This interview was recorded at the American Society of Oncology (ASCO) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Chicago,…

Speaking from the American Society of Oncology (ASCO) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Chicago, IL, Wolfgang Wick, MD, of the German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany, discusses GAPVAC-101 (NCT02149225), the first-in-human trial of a highly personalized peptide vaccination for patients with newly diagnosed gliobastoma. The investigations have demonstrated that the Actively Personalized Vaccines (APVACS) vaccines are generally well tolerated, with only a few patients suffering adverse reactions, such as local dermal reactions to the immune stimulants and brain edema. Further investigations may lead to the development of new blueprints for trials in personalized medicine in the future.

Joseph Bubalo, PharmD, BCOP, BCPS, of Oregon Health and Science University Hospital, Portland, OR, speaking from the 2018 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Annual meeting, held in Denver, CO, talks about whether physician-assisted death could eventually evolve into unwarranted euthanasia in the United States.

Speaking from the 2018 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Annual Meeting, in Denver, CO, Joseph Bubalo, PharmD, BCOP, BCPS, of Oregon Health and Science University Hospital, Portland, OR, talks about the introduction of physician-aided death in the United States, its current statistics and its future outlook.

Arlene Siefker-Radtke, MD, of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, discusses the first results of the primary analysis of the Phase II BLC2001 study (NCT02365597) of erdafitinib in patients with metastatic or unresectable urothelial carcinoma with FGFR alterations. Notably, immune ‘cold’ patients were observed to respond well to erdafitinib. Dr Siefker-Radtke highlights interesting future directions for this research. This interview was recorded at the American Society of Oncology (ASCO) 2018 Annual Meeting, held in Chicago, IL.

In this video, recorded at the 2018 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Annual Meeting, in Denver, CO, Jeanne McCarthy-Kaiser, PharmD, BCOP, of the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, speaks to us about how pharmacists can help patients with problems outside of the clinic, such as easing the financial burden of treatment, and how educating a patient about their treatment will make them more likely to adhere to the regimen.

Speaking from the 2018 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Annual Conference, held in Denver, CO, Jeanne McCarthy-Kaiser, PharmD, BCOP, of the University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA, outlines the many roles pharmacists play for patients undergoing transplants, particularly relating to their pre- and post-transplant drugs.

Dr. Daniel Goldstein reviews data in genitourinary oncology from ASCO 2018, including a study of higher dose or prolonged duration of radium-223 (Xofigo) compared to standard dosing for 6 months with this agent in patients with metastatic prostate cancer.

Dr. Daniel Goldstein summarizes key data in genitourinary oncology from ASCO 2018, including new results on pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for metastatic prostate cancer, asking whether it could find a place as treatment for a subset of these patients.

Yung Lyou, MD, UC Irvine Health, talks about Selecting Patients for Adjuvant Pancreatic Treatment | Determine Who Has Better Performance Status at MOASC 2018

Fa-Chyi Lee, MD, UC Irvine Health, talks about the Major Impact from HIPEC is Insurance Reimbursement | Insurance Companies Feel Impact of Approval Rejection at MOASC 2018

Edward L. Nelson, MD, UC Irvine Health explains Number of Molecular Targets Are Overwhelming Practitioners | Practitioners Must Know What is Supported by Literature & Field at MOASC 2018

John P. Fruehauf, MD, UC Irvine Health, explains New Agents for BRAF-MEK Inhibition | Binimetinib/Encorafenib at MOASC 2018

Nataliya Mar, MD, UC Irvine Health, Addressing Non-Clear Cell Histology | Did Not Come Across Any Trials at MOASC 2018

Rita Sanghvi Mehta, MD, UC Irvine Health, explains High-Dose Fulvestrant Vs. Loading Dose | Loading Dose Prevents Early Progressions at MOASC 2018.

Yung Lyou, MD, UC Irvine Health, talks PRODIGE 24 Showed FOLFIRINOX has Benefits | FOLFIRINOX was Compared to Single-Agent Gemcitabine at MOASC 2018

Edward L. Nelson, MD, UC Irvine Health explains Whether to ReBiopsy a Tumor | Give Practitioners Understanding of Modalities at MOASC 2018

Fa-Chyi Lee, MD, UC Irvine Health, talks about the Negative Results from HIPEC Study | Surgery May Still Have Role at MOASC 2018