Author: Editor

Targeted Therapies Forum 2022, Breakout Session: In this video Dr. Angel Qin explains what EGFR+ lung cancer is. We thank our sponsors for this year’s support! #Novartis #Janssen #Blueprintmedicine #TakedaOncology #Astrazeneca #LillyOncology #genentech For more, please visit http://cancerGRACE.org/. To join the conversation, visit https://cancergrace.org/forum.

Targeted Therapies Forum 2022: In this video Drs. Desai, Kim, and Florez discuss whether side effects of TKIs decrease over time. We thank our sponsors for this year’s support! #Novartis #Janssen #Blueprintmedicine #TakedaOncology #Astrazeneca #LillyOncology #genentech For more, please visit http://cancerGRACE.org/. To join the conversation, visit https://cancergrace.org/forum.

Targeted Therapies Forum 2022: In this video, Drs. Preeshagul, Florez, Hirsch, and Kim discuss what it means when a patient with stage 4 ALK+ disease develops L1196M while taking Loratinib. We thank our sponsors for this year’s support! #Novartis #Janssen #Blueprintmedicine #TakedaOncology #Astrazeneca #LillyOncology #genentech For more, please visit http://cancerGRACE.org/. To join the conversation, visit https://cancergrace.org/forum.

Targeted Therapies Forum 2022: In this video, Dr. Chul Kim discusses how to treat the rare percentage of patients with EGFR+ disease who develop pneumonitis and can no longer take Erlotinib. We thank our sponsors for this year’s support!#genentech Novartis #Janssen #Blueprintmedicine #TakedaOncology #Astrazeneca #LillyOncology #genentech For more, please visit http://cancerGRACE.org/. To join the conversation, visit https://cancergrace.org/forum.

Targeted Therapies Forum 2022: In this video Dr. Narjust Florez addresses the complicated question of progression for a patient with stage 4 ALK+ disease who developed new lesions after reducing Alectinib. We thank our sponsors for this year’s support! #Novartis #Janssen #Blueprintmedicine #TakedaOncology #Astrazeneca #LillyOncology #genentech For more, please visit http://cancerGRACE.org/. To join the conversation, visit https://cancergrace.org/forum.

Targeted Therapies Forum 2022: In this video Dr. Aakash Desai presents Dr. Chul Kim response to a patient who is concerned their nodularities on Alectinib are pneumonitis. We thank our sponsors for this year’s support! #Novartis #Janssen #Blueprintmedicine #TakedaOncology #Astrazeneca #LillyOncology #genentech For more, please visit http://cancerGRACE.org/. To join the conversation, visit https://cancergrace.org/forum.

Targeted Therapies Forum 2022: In this video Dr. Isabel Preeshagul presents Dr. Fred R. Hirsch response to a patient who switched to Osimertinib from Erlotinib and saw disease progression. We thank our sponsors for this year’s support! #Novartis #Janssen #Blueprintmedicine #TakedaOncology #Astrazeneca #LillyOncology #genentech For more, please visit http://cancerGRACE.org/. To join the conversation, visit https://cancergrace.org/forum.

Targeted Therapies Forum 2022: In this video Drs. Isabel Preeshagul and Narjust Florez, discuss treatment of a patient diagnosed with EGFR mutated NSCLC that metastasized to the brain. We thank our sponsors for this year’s support! #Novartis #Janssen #Blueprintmedicine #TakedaOncology #Astrazeneca #LillyOncology #genentech For more, please visit http://cancerGRACE.org/. To join the conversation, visit https://cancergrace.org/forum.

Targeted Therapies Forum 2022: In this video Drs. Aakash Desai and Narjust Florez, discuss how she approaches oligoprogression with mutations other than EGFR. We thank our sponsors for this year’s support! #Novartis #Janssen #Blueprintmedicine #TakedaOncology #Astrazeneca #LillyOncology #genentech For more, please visit http://cancerGRACE.org/. To join the conversation, visit https://cancergrace.org/forum.

Targeted Therapies Forum 2022: In this video Drs. Isabel Preeshagul and Chul Kim, discuss if side effect symptoms mean a patient is responding better to treatment? We thank our sponsors for this year’s support! #Novartis #Janssen #Blueprintmedicine #TakedaOncology #Astrazeneca #LillyOncology #genentech For more, please visit http://cancerGRACE.org/. To join the conversation, visit https://cancergrace.org/forum.

Targeted Therapies Forum 2022: Dr. Aakash Desai, Hematology/Oncology Fellow, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, and Dr. Fred R Hirsch, Executive Director, Center for Thoracic Oncology at Mount Sinai; Joe Lowe and Lewis Price Professor of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine; Associate Director, Biomarker Discovery for TCI, Questions and answers morning session. In this video, Dr. Fred Hirsch briefly examines if DNA or RNA is better for NGS. We thank our sponsors for this year’s support! #Novartis #Janssen #Blueprintmedicine #TakedaOncology #Astrazeneca #LillyOncology #genentech For more, please visit http://cancerGRACE.org/. To join the conversation, visit https://cancergrace.org/forum.

Targeted Therapies Forum 2022: Dr. Aakash Desai, Hematology/Oncology Fellow, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, and Dr. Fred R Hirsch, Executive Director, Center for Thoracic Oncology at Mount Sinai; Joe Lowe and Lewis Price Professor of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine; Associate Director, Biomarker Discovery for TCI, Questions and answers morning session. In this video, Dr. Fred Hirsch discusses which patients should receive NGS. We thank our sponsors for this year’s support! #Novartis #Janssen #Blueprintmedicine #TakedaOncology #Astrazeneca #LillyOncology #genentech For more, please visit http://cancerGRACE.org/. To join the conversation, visit https://cancergrace.org/forum.

For this year’s post-ASCO Lung Cancer panel discussion, Drs. H.Jack West, Oncologist with City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Founder and President of GRACE, Christine Lovly, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, and Dr. Alfredo Addeo, Medical Oncologist, department of Oncology at the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), discuss the most current and emerging treatment information recently presented at ASCO. Drs. West, Lovly, and Addeo review key information from 2023 ASCO on lung cancer developments, including the results of several trials. In this video, Drs. West, Lovly, and Addeo discuss adding immunotherapy to chemotherapy for patients with mesothelioma.…

For this year’s post-ASCO Lung Cancer panel discussion, Drs. H.Jack West, Oncologist with City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Founder and President of GRACE, Christine Lovly, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, and Dr. Alfredo Addeo, Medical Oncologist, department of Oncology at the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), discuss the most current and emerging treatment information recently presented at ASCO. Drs. West, Lovly, and Addeo review key information from 2023 ASCO on lung cancer developments, including the results of several trials. In this video, Drs. West, Lovly, and Addeo discuss whether adding a PARP inhibitor is beneficial to…

For this year’s post-ASCO Lung Cancer panel discussion, Drs. H.Jack West, Oncologist with City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Founder and President of GRACE, Christine Lovly, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, and Dr. Alfredo Addeo, Medical Oncologist, department of Oncology at the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), discuss the most current and emerging treatment information recently presented at ASCO. Drs. West, Lovly, and Addeo review key information from 2023 ASCO on lung cancer developments, including the results of several trials. In this video, Drs. West, Lovly, and Addeo examine treatment options for patients with EGFR+ disease, who…

For this year’s post-ASCO Lung Cancer panel discussion, Drs. H.Jack West, Oncologist with City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Founder and President of GRACE, Christine Lovly, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, and Dr. Alfredo Addeo, Medical Oncologist, department of Oncology at the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), discuss the most current and emerging treatment information recently presented at ASCO. Drs. West, Lovly, and Addeo review key information from 2023 ASCO on lung cancer developments, including the results of several trials. In this video, Drs. West, Lovly, and Addeo look at data on Sunvozertinib’s use against EGFR Exon…

For this year’s post-ASCO Lung Cancer panel discussion, Drs. H.Jack West, Oncologist with City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Founder and President of GRACE, Christine Lovly, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, and Dr. Alfredo Addeo, Medical Oncologist, department of Oncology at the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), discuss the most current and emerging treatment information recently presented at ASCO. Drs. West, Lovly, and Addeo review key information from 2023 ASCO on lung cancer developments, including the results of several trials. In this video, Drs. West, Lovly, and Addeo look at tumor treating fields for lung cancer, and…

Colorectal cancer is a growing concern, and its incidence among younger individuals, known as young-onset colorectal cancer (yoCRC), has been on the rise. This alarming trend has prompted researchers to delve deeper into the factors contributing to this phenomenon. One study, titled “Metabolomic Differences in Young-Onset versus Average-Onset Colorectal Adenocarcinoma,” focuses on identifying metabolomic disparities between yoCRC and average-onset CRC (aoCRC) to shed light on the underlying causes and potential exposure risks associated with yoCRC. Metabolomics, a cutting-edge field of study, examines the unique chemical fingerprints present in cellular metabolism. By analyzing metabolites in plasma, this study aims to uncover…

KEY TAKEAWAYS Bispecific antibodies, such as talquetamab, represent a transformative shift in cancer treatment, offering the potential to target two antigens simultaneously and more effectively involve the immune system in the fight against cancer. Talquetamab, a first-in-class GPRC5DxCD3 bispecific antibody, has shown promising results in the MonumenTAL-1 trial, even among heavily pretreated patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Ribociclib, a CDK4/6 inhibitor, is a groundbreaking drug for the treatment of breast cancer. It works differently from bispecific antibodies, but its advent represents another leap forward in cancer therapeutics. Combination therapies, involving drugs like ribociclib and bispecific antibodies, could be a powerful…

For this year’s post-ASCO Lung Cancer panel discussion, Drs. H.Jack West, Oncologist with City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Founder and President of GRACE, Christine Lovly, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, and Dr. Alfredo Addeo, Medical Oncologist, department of Oncology at the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), discuss the most current and emerging treatment information recently presented at ASCO. Drs. West, Lovly, and Addeo review key information from 2023 ASCO on lung cancer developments, including the results of several trials. In this video, Drs. West, Lovly, and Addeo discuss the CheckMate 9LA study, and treatment regimen options…

For this year’s post-ASCO Lung Cancer panel discussion, Drs. H.Jack West, Oncologist with City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Founder and President of GRACE, Christine Lovly, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, and Dr. Alfredo Addeo, Medical Oncologist, department of Oncology at the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), discuss the most current and emerging treatment information recently presented at ASCO. Drs. West, Lovly, and Addeo review key information from 2023 ASCO on lung cancer developments, including the results of several trials. In this video, Drs. West, Lovly, and Addeo discuss their questions surrounding adjuvant immunotherapy. For more, please…

For this year’s post-ASCO Lung Cancer panel discussion, Drs. H.Jack West, Oncologist with City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Founder and President of GRACE, Christine Lovly, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, and Dr. Alfredo Addeo, Medical Oncologist, department of Oncology at the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), discuss the most current and emerging treatment information recently presented at ASCO. Drs. West, Lovly, and Addeo review key information from 2023 ASCO on lung cancer developments, including the results of several trials. In this video, Drs. West, Lovly, and Addeo discuss the Keynote 671 study, which examined the use…

For this year’s post-ASCO Lung Cancer panel discussion, Drs. H.Jack West, Oncologist with City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Founder and President of GRACE, Christine Lovly, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, and Dr. Alfredo Addeo, Medical Oncologist, department of Oncology at the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), discuss the most current and emerging treatment information recently presented at ASCO. Drs. West, Lovly, and Addeo review key information from 2023 ASCO on lung cancer developments, including the results of several trials. In this video, Drs. West, Lovly, and Addeo discuss potential flaws with the ADAURA trial, but also…

For this year’s post-ASCO Lung Cancer panel discussion, Drs. H.Jack West, Oncologist with City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Founder and President of GRACE, Christine Lovly, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, and Dr. Alfredo Addeo, Medical Oncologist, department of Oncology at the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), discuss the most current and emerging treatment information recently presented at ASCO. Drs. Drs. West, Lovly, and Addeo discuss the ADAURA trial, which studied patients with resected or resectable stage IB-IIIA EGFR+ NSCLC who were given Tagrisso. In this video, Drs. West, Lovly, and Addeo discuss the ADAURA trial, which…

For this year’s post-ASCO Lung Cancer panel discussion, Drs. H.Jack West, Oncologist with City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Founder and President of GRACE, Christine Lovly, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, and Dr. Alfredo Addeo, Medical Oncologist, department of Oncology at the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), discuss the most current and emerging treatment information recently presented at ASCO. Drs. West, Lovly, and Addeo review key information from 2023 ASCO on lung cancer developments, including the results of several trials. In this video, Drs. West, Lovly, and Addeo discuss the FANSS study, which screened Asian never-smoking women…

KEY TAKEAWAYS: Ribociclib, a CDK4/6 inhibitor, is a promising drug in the treatment of early-stage and metastatic breast cancer, particularly when used in combination with endocrine therapy. The NATALEE study underscores the efficacy of Ribociclib, demonstrating a significant reduction in disease recurrence. Despite potential side effects, Ribociclib contributes to improved survival rates and quality of life for breast cancer patients. Future studies aim to explore the long-term outcomes of Ribociclib and potential combination therapies, illuminating new paths in breast cancer treatment. With advancements like Ribociclib, the future of breast cancer treatment looks promising, bringing hope to patients worldwide. Breast cancer…

Lung cancer screening has emerged as an essential tool in identifying the disease at its early stages, when it is most treatable. However, despite the potential benefits, screening rates for lung cancer remain alarmingly low across the United States. The Importance of Lung Cancer Screening for Early Detection Lung cancer screening aims to identify lung cancer in its initial stages, even before symptoms manifest, through the use of various diagnostic tests. Challenges Faced in Lung Cancer Screening Rates Across the US Despite the proven benefits of lung cancer screening, there are several challenges that hinder widespread implementation. Low awareness among…

Clinical trials, as many are aware, often face numerous failures. Countless molecules are tested before finding a successful one. Anju, as a company, is dedicated to utilizing technology to safely expedite clinical trials with maximum information, validation, and efficacy. Their objective is to ensure both quick failures and successful outcomes in order to bring exceptional products to market. Laurence Birch, Chief Executive Officer of Anju, discusses how Anju works closely with oncology sponsors and contract research organizations (CROs), collaborating hand in hand to accelerate trials safely. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly accelerated the use of technology, particularly in the field…

Gliomas are a complex group of brain and spinal cord tumors that start from glial cells, which are cells that support the health of the nervous system. Gliomas can range in severity, with the term “high-grade gliomas” often used to describe the most aggressive and dangerous forms of this cancer. High-grade gliomas are noted for their rapid growth and their proclivity to infiltrate surrounding brain tissue, making them a significant challenge to treat. A specific type of high-grade glioma that you may have heard about is Glioblastoma, which is the deadliest type of brain cancer. A promising study, titled “Safety…

BRAF V600E colon cancer is a subtype of colorectal cancer characterized by a specific genetic mutation known as BRAF V600E. This mutation plays a crucial role in the development and progression of the disease, making it a topic of significant interest in the field of oncology. In recent years, targeted therapy has emerged as a groundbreaking approach in treating various types of cancer, including BRAF-mutated colorectal cancer. Unlike traditional chemotherapy, which affects both healthy and cancerous cells, targeted therapy focuses on specific genetic or molecular abnormalities within cancer cells, aiming to inhibit their growth and spread. One notable clinical trial…

TROPiCS-02 Trial: The TROPiCS-02 trial showcases the potential of Sacituzumab Govitecan, a Trop-2 directed antibody-drug conjugate, as a promising treatment for HR+/HER2– metastatic breast cancer. Improved Survival Rates: The trial results demonstrate a significant improvement in overall survival rates for patients treated with Sacituzumab Govitecan. A New Approach: The trial represents a novel approach in treating metastatic breast cancer by targeting Trop-2, a cell surface protein overexpressed in several cancers. Navigating the complex world of oncology can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to understanding the myriad of treatment options available. One critical area of focus is Metastatic Breast Cancer…

Dr. Jack West, MD, an associate professor in medical oncology focused on thoracic oncology at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles, addresses the highlights of ASCO 2023 lung cancer. He discussed his top five abstracts in the field. The first abstract was the ADAURA trial, which showed improved overall survival with adjuvant osimertinib in EGF mutation-positive resectable disease. The second abstract was Keynote 671, which explored perioperative chemo with pembrolizumab in lung cancer patients. Keynote 789, the third abstract, was a trial of chemo with pembrolizumab for patients with acquired resistance to EGF mutation-positive disease. …

Abemaciclib, a CDK4 & 6 inhibitor, has shown a sustained benefit in invasive disease-free survival in high-risk EBC, as seen in the monarchE trial. While effective, abemaciclib does have side effects, and these can be more pronounced in older patients. Diarrhea, fatigue, and neutropenia are among the common adverse events. Older patients require careful monitoring. They may require more frequent surveillance and early intervention to manage adverse events, particularly those above 75 years of age. The monarchE trial represents a significant step forward in the fight against breast cancer. Its results offer an evidence-based approach to improving patient outcomes. Individualized…

Thromboembolism are highly prevalent and burdensome in patients with cancer. Risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) varies widely across specific cancer patients. The ability to predict risk of cancer-associated VTE is critical because for an optimal thromboprophylaxis strategy. This means targeting high-risk patients with cancer and avoiding prophylaxis in cancer patients at low risk for VTE. @sngilani

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is a serious condition, and the current standard treatment involves a combination of Ibrutinib and Obinutuzumab (IO). A new treatment approach, the combination of Ibrutinib, Venetoclax, and Obinutuzumab (IVO), shows promising results in clinical trials, potentially paving the way for a new standard in CLL treatment. The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on patients with CLL, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive disease management and prevention measures. Expert insights, such as those provided by Brian Hill MD, provide valuable context and understanding of the rapidly evolving field of CLL treatment. The potential to achieve undetectable minimal…

Welcome to our in-depth exploration of a topic of big importance in the field of oncology: Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC). Prostate cancer is a prevalent form of cancer in men around the world. The American Cancer Society predicts that in the United States alone, there will be approximately 288,300 new cases of prostate cancer in 2023, making it an important topic for awareness and research. The prostate, a small gland that produces seminal fluid in men, can sometimes become the breeding ground for malignant cells, leading to prostate cancer. It can manifest with various symptoms such as: Difficulty in…

Prithvi Bose, an associate professor in the Department of Leukemia at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, focuses on Myeloproliferative neoplasms and specifically addresses the management of anemia in myelofibrosis. Anemia is a common and significant clinical presentation that poses a burden on both patients and the healthcare system. Approximately one-third of myelofibrosis patients present with anemia, and eventually, all patients develop anemia. Anemia has been recognized as an unfavorable prognostic factor and is included in various prognostic models for myelofibrosis. The severity of anemia impacts survival, and transfusion requirements also affect prognosis. Current approaches to managing anemia in…

Today we talk about a topic that has been stirring considerable interest in the oncology field, promising an innovative approach to tackling Grade 2 glioma, a type of slowly progressive malignant brain tumor. When it comes to understanding what is the Indigo trial?, we need to delve into the complex world of oncology, genetics, and drug development. At its core, the Indigo Trial is a phase 3 clinical study testing the efficacy of an experimental drug called Vorasidenib in patients with residual or recurrent grade 2 glioma with an IDH1/2 mutation. The trial has been designed to assess whether this…

Refractory multiple myeloma remains a significant challenge in the field of oncology, necessitating innovative therapeutic strategies. Mezigdomide, a novel oral cereblon E3 ligase modulator, exhibits potential in treating RRMM due to its unique mechanism of action. The SUCCESSOR-2 trial, comparing MeziKd vs Kd, promises valuable insights into the efficacy and safety of mezigdomide. When it comes to navigating the intricacies of oncology, refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) presents a significant hurdle. Multiple myeloma (MM), a cancer of plasma cells, usually responds well to initial treatment, leading to remission. However, in many instances, the disease recurs, becoming more resistant to the standard…

Pembrolizumab plus Lenvatinib, individually known for their robust anti-cancer mechanisms, when combined, show significant promise in treating advanced renal cell carcinoma. The KEYNOTE-581 trial revealed significant improvements in survival outcomes with pembrolizumab/lenvatinib, demonstrating its potential as a first-line treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma. However, potential immune-mediated adverse reactions and other complications linked to this treatment combination require careful monitoring and management. The promising results of this study also hint at potential applications of this drug combination for other types of cancer, but more extensive research is needed. Despite the potential side effects, the combination of pembrolizumab and lenvatinib signals…

In ASCO 2023, the highly anticipated results of the Adora study were unveiled, providing valuable insights into the efficacy and impact of adjuvant osimertinib in patients with resected stage one to stage three non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study presented the final overall survival data, complementing the previously reported disease-free survival data from 2020. The findings, which were presented in the plenary session, shed light on the remarkable potential of osimertinib in improving patient outcomes and redefining treatment approaches for NSCLC. The Adora Study The Adora study was designed to investigate the efficacy of adjuvant osimertinib in patients with resected…

…Metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) continues to be a significant health challenge worldwide. Despite advancements in treatment methods, the prognosis for patients with mCRC remains poor, with a 5-year survival rate of only 14% according to the American Cancer Society.Current treatment options such as regorafenib or trifluridine-tipiracil offer limited benefits, emphasizing the urgent need for innovative therapeutic approaches.One such promising avenue of research involves the use of novel multi-kinase inhibitors (MKIs) in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies. This article will delve into an ongoing phase 3 clinical trial named STELLAR-303, which is assessing the efficacy and safety of a…

Vorasidenib (AG-881) is a promising targeted therapy for gliomas with IDH1 or IDH2 mutations. This novel approach could potentially revolutionize glioma treatment, reducing side effects and improving outcomes. Gliomas, specifically Grade 2 gliomas, are a complex group of brain tumors with varying prognoses depending on factors like the IDH1 or IDH2 mutation status. The INDIGO trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Vorasidenib for treating Grade 2 gliomas. Initial results show improved overall survival and progression-free survival. The insights from Karan Dixit MD during ASCO 2023 offer a detailed look into the potential of Vorasidenib and the hope it presents…

FOTIVDA is Aveo’s marketed product for treating advanced renal cell carcinoma, primarily used as a later line agent in the management of metastatic disease. The ongoing TiNivo-2 study aims to compare the efficacy of FOTIVDA alone, administered at its approved dose, with FOTIVDA in combination with nivolumab, a checkpoint inhibitor developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb. The study is expected to complete accrual soon, with results anticipated within the next year or year and a half.With LG’s support, Aveo has embarked on exploring the potential of FOTIVDA in other indications through sponsored studies and investigator-initiated trials. They are particularly interested in investigating…

Sotorasib, as demonstrated by the CodeBreaK 200 study, is a promising treatment for patients with KRAS G12C-mutated advanced NSCLC, with superior progression-free survival and an overall response rate compared to docetaxel. Biomarkers play an integral role in determining the path of personalized medicine, offering a glimpse into a future where cancer treatment is custom-made according to each patient’s genetic makeup. The CodeBreaK 200 study is a significant milestone in oncology research, but the journey doesn’t end here. Continuous research promises further breakthroughs to improve outcomes for NSCLC patients. As we delve into the era of precision medicine, targeted therapies are…

Vorasidenib, an oral, brain-penetrant, dual inhibitor of mutant IDH1/2 enzymes, shows promise in treating grade 2 gliomas. The INDIGO trial, a phase 3 study, demonstrates the clinical benefit of vorasidenib, significantly improving progression-free survival compared to placebo. This research paves the way for the rise of personalized medicine in oncology, highlighting the role of targeted therapies in managing cancer. The potential impact on grade 2 glioma treatment is significant, with vorasidenib offering a novel treatment option that may improve patient prognosis and quality of life. The future of glioma treatment seems promising, with vorasidenib’s success encouraging continued research and development…

…The battle against cancer has led to a myriad of innovations in oncology, with each new breakthrough providing a beacon of hope for those grappling with this often devastating disease.One such innovation is fruquintinib, a promising drug that has emerged in the realm of targeted cancer therapy.This article is focus on the specifics of fruquintinib and its role in the much-discussed FRESCO-2 study.Developed to be highly selective and potent, fruquintinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) designed to block the vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs) -1, -2, and -3, known to play pivotal roles in tumor angiogenesis. The inhibition…

Infigratinib, an FGFR1-3 inhibitor, has shown promise as an adjuvant therapy for invasive urothelial carcinoma. The FDA has approved infigratinib (Truseltiq) for the treatment of previously treated, FGFR2 fusion or other rearrangement-positive cholangiocarcinoma. Urothelial carcinoma is a common form of urinary tract cancer. When invasive, it can lead to serious health complications. FGFR3 alterations are common in invasive urothelial carcinoma and may serve as significant biomarkers for patient stratification and targeted therapy. The PROOF 302 study suggests infigratinib could significantly improve disease-free survival in patients with FGFR3-altered invasive urothelial carcinoma. Pembrolizumab is another valuable treatment option for urothelial carcinoma, providing…

Constantinos Savva, MD, M.Sc., PGDip, MRCP, SCE, from the University of Southampton conducted a study on the effects of metformin, a commonly used diabetes medication, on the immune cell composition within breast cancer tumors. The study aimed to investigate whether metformin could modulate immune cell dysfunction caused by chronic inflammation in breast cancer patients. The researchers conducted two separate peri-surgical window studies, one in Dundee (with 29 patients) and another in Oxford (with 31 patients). They analyzed tissue samples using immunohistochemistry to identify specific immune cell markers before and after metformin treatment. The densities of immune cell infiltrates were quantified…

Michael Chuong, MD, from Baptist Health has conducted a Phase 2 trial on the use of ablative MRI-guided stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) combined with tumor treating fields (TTF) for the treatment of locally advanced pancreas cancer. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of this novel approach in improving outcomes for patients with this challenging disease. Pancreas cancer is known for its aggressive nature and limited treatment options, particularly in locally advanced cases where the tumor has spread to nearby tissues and organs. Traditional treatment approaches such as surgery and chemotherapy have shown limited success in achieving…

Philip McCarthy, MD, from Roswell Park Cancer Institute provided an overview of CAR T-cell therapy, focusing on its application in multiple myeloma. CAR T-cell therapy involves genetically modifying T-cells to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) that recognizes a specific antigen on tumor cells, such as BCMA (B-cell maturation antigen). The therapy takes advantage of the cytotoxic potential of T-cells to kill tumor cells in an antigen-dependent manner. The first clinical trial of CAR T-cell therapy was conducted in patients with resistant chronic lymphocytic leukemia in 2011. Since then, the therapy has shown promise in multiple myeloma, particularly in patients…

Cody Peer, PhD, from the National Institutes of Health, is conducting a randomized research study comparing the dosing intervals of two drugs, nivolumab and pembrolizumab, in patients with locally advanced or metastatic cancers. The study aims to determine if these drugs can be administered less frequently than the currently approved dosing schedule. The primary outcome measure of the study is the noninferiority of extended interval dosing compared to standard dosing. The researchers will evaluate the drug trough levels in the blood and categorize patients as either successful or unsuccessful based on achieving drug trough levels above the target concentration of…

Manojkumar Bupathi, MD, from the Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers, conducted a study to evaluate the effectiveness of sacituzumab govitecan (SG) in patients with locally advanced (LA) or metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC) based on the expression of trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (Trop-2). The study aimed to determine if Trop-2 expression levels could predict response to treatment. Trop-2 is a glycoprotein that is often highly expressed in various cancers, including urothelial cancer. SG is an antibody-drug conjugate that specifically targets Trop-2. It has been approved by the FDA for use in patients with LA unresectable or mUC who have previously received…

KEYNOTE-716 trial brings to light the impressive efficacy of pembrolizumab as an adjuvant therapy for stage IIB or IIC melanoma. Pembrolizumab significantly reduces the risk of disease recurrence or death, offering a promising treatment strategy for high-risk melanoma patients. Despite some side effects, pembrolizumab presents a manageable safety profile, making it a viable long-term treatment option. These compelling findings bolster the potential role of immune checkpoint inhibitors in various stages and types of cancer. Melanoma cancer, a potentially deadly form of skin cancer, is a global concern, with its incidence rates steadily on the rise over the past decades. As…

Anthony Stein, MD, from the City of Hope, has conducted a first-in-human study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a new treatment called CD123 NK Cell Engager SAR443579 in patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (R/R AML), B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or high-risk myelodysplasia. The study aimed to assess the drug’s ability to activate natural killer (NK) cells and target cancer cells expressing the CD123 antigen. SAR443579 is designed to engage both NKp46 and CD16a receptors on NK cells, forming a cytolytic synapse with CD123-positive tumor cells. This interaction leads to the activation of NK cells, resulting…

The Impact of ASCO 2022 on Oncology In the ever-evolving field of oncology, ASCO 2022 stands out as a landmark event, showcasing the latest advancements and research findings in cancer care. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting provides a global platform for researchers, practitioners, and patients alike to share insights, learn from each other, and push the boundaries of our understanding of cancer. ASCO is an internationally acclaimed congregation, highlighting cutting-edge scientific research and fostering collaboration among global oncology stakeholders. The ASCO 2022 meeting played host to a multitude of studies, spanning various aspects of cancer research.…

Majid Jaberi-Douraki, PhD from Kansas State University, and Shahzad Raza, MD from the Cleveland Clinic, conducted a study to evaluate global disparities in multiple myeloma (MM) through data mining of the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). The study aimed to assess adverse events (AEs) associated with FDA-approved MM drugs from 2003 to 2022 and stratify patient data based on age, sex, and geographical regions. The researchers analyzed data from 381,378 MM patients across North America (NA), Europe (EU), Asia (AS), Africa (AF), Oceania (OC), and Latin America & the Caribbean (LA), sourced from 129 countries. They focused on AEs…

Manojkumar Bupathi, MD, MS, from Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers, conducted a safety analysis on cohort 1 of the TROPHY-U-01 phase 2 study. The study evaluated the use of sacituzumab govitecan (SG) in patients with metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC) who had experienced disease progression after receiving platinum-based chemotherapy and a checkpoint inhibitor (CPI). The safety analysis specifically focused on the UGT1A1 status of the patients. The study included a total of 113 patients who were administered SG as a treatment for mUC. UGT1A1 is a gene responsible for the metabolism of irinotecan, a component of SG. Variations in the UGT1A1 gene…

Ismael Rodriguez Rivera, MD, Medical Oncologist and Clinical Investigator from NEXT Oncology, has conducted a groundbreaking study on a novel therapeutic approach for patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors. The study, titled “CBX-12-101: A first-in-human study of CBX-12, an alphalex peptide drug conjugate (PDC) in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors,” focuses on evaluating the safety and efficacy of CBX-12, an innovative alphalex peptide drug conjugate. The study conducted by Dr. Rodriguez Rivera represents the first time CBX-12 has been administered to human subjects. Alphalex peptide drug conjugates (PDCs) are a new class of targeted therapeutics designed to…

Advanced Urothelial carcinoma, primarily affecting the urinary system, is a typically aggressive cancer with limited treatment options. Pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug, has shown promise as an effective monotherapy for advanced urothelial carcinoma. The KEYNOTE-045 and KEYNOTE-361 trials demonstrated the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab irrespective of the histological subtype of urothelial carcinoma. Despite the limitations in these trials, the findings hold substantial implications for the treatment of advanced urothelial carcinoma, potentially paving the way for personalized cancer therapy. Ongoing research and clinical trials are necessary to further establish the full potential of pembrolizumab and explore other emerging therapies. The complex…

Erika Hamilton, MD, a preeminent expert from the Sarah Cannon Research Institute, has recently conducted a study evaluating the efficacy and safety of adjuvant abemaciclib combined with endocrine therapy (ET) in patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative, node-positive, high-risk early breast cancer (EBC), with a focus on analyzing the results based on age groups. The study, known as monarchE, aimed to provide valuable insights into the treatment outcomes of this specific patient population. In the monarchE study, Dr. Hamilton and her team enrolled a diverse group of patients diagnosed with HR-positive, HER2-negative, node-positive EBC, which is considered a high-risk subtype. The patients…

Nadia Harbeck, MD, PhD, from the University of Münster, recently conducted a primary outcome analysis of the multicenter randomized PreCycle trial, evaluating the impact of CANKADO PRO-React eHealth support on patients with HR+ HER2- metastatic breast cancer receiving palbociclib and endocrine therapy. The primary objective of the study was to assess the effect of eHealth support on the time to deterioration of quality of life in these patients. The PreCycle trial included a total of 234 patients who were randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group. The intervention group received the CANKADO PRO-React eHealth support in…

Roy Herbst, MD, PhD, from the Yale Cancer Center and Yale School of Medicine, presented a groundbreaking abstract at the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. The abstract, titled “Final ADAURA OS Analysis Reinforces Adjuvant Osimertinib as a Standard of Care for Patients With Stage IB to IIIA EGFR-Mutated Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer,” highlights the significant impact of adjuvant osimertinib in the treatment of patients with EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in stages IB to IIIA. The study presented by Dr. Herbst is based on the results of the ADAURA trial, which is a randomized, double-blind,…

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) is a complex and aggressive form of lung cancer, but developments in treatments and therapies provide a beacon of hope. The LUNAR Phase 3 Clinical Trial by Novocure has shown significant and clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival for NSCLC patients when TTFields therapy is added to standard pharmacological therapies. Novocure’s Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy is a ground-breaking approach in cancer treatment, using electric fields to selectively target and kill cancer cells, sparing healthy ones. Continuous research and clinical trials are key to better understanding NSCLC, improving treatments, and increasing life expectancy for patients.…

Brexucabtagene autoleucel (Tecartus) is a ground-breaking CAR T-cell therapy for the treatment of relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma. The ZUMA-2 trial demonstrated the high efficacy of brexucabtagene autoleucel, which led to its accelerated approval by the FDA. Real-world studies like the CIBMTR subgroup analysis continue to validate the efficacy of brexucabtagene autoleucel across diverse patient populations and treatment lines. Direct insights from leading experts like Dr. Swetha Kambhampati at ASCO 2023 provide an in-depth understanding of brexucabtagene autoleucel’s real-world outcomes. The use of brexucabtagene autoleucel in earlier lines of therapy may yield higher complete response rates. Ongoing research and…

Caicun Zhou, MD, PhD – Tongji University Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital Sunvozertinib established itself as the leading targeted therapy for NSCLC patients with EGFR Exon20ins mutations, demonstrating unprecedented response rates and potential for first-line treatment. Sunvozertinib, a targeted therapy, has emerged as a “Best-in-Class” treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with EGFR Exon20 insertion (Exon20ins) mutations, which typically have poor outcomes. The drug has shown remarkable efficacy, with an objective response rate (ORR) of 60.8% in the second-line setting and beyond. Additionally, sunvozertinib demonstrated a high ORR of 77.8% in treatment-naive patients, indicating its potential as a superior…

Ian Krop, MD, PhD – Yale University This study conducted an age-specific pooled analysis of trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (mBC) using data from the DESTINY-Breast01, -02, and -03 trials. The analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of T-DXd across different age groups. The results provide valuable insights into the use of T-DXd in HER2-positive mBC patients of varying ages.

Ian B. Walters, MD – Portage Biotech Inc The IMPORT-201 study investigates the use of IMM60, a novel iNKT agonist, in combination with pembrolizumab for advanced melanoma and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Preclinical studies have shown promising results, including tumor regression and immune activation. Initial results from the phase 1 portion of the study demonstrate that IMM60, as monotherapy and in combination with pembrolizumab, is well-tolerated and shows potential in inducing positive treatment responses, warranting further investigation in heavily pretreated patients.

Jonathan David Tward ,MD, PHD, FASTRO – University of Utah A study using the Prolaris test shows that it can accurately predict the personalized absolute benefit and number-needed-to-treat (NNT) for patients receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) added to radiation therapy (RT) in newly diagnosed prostate cancer. By assessing the clinical cell-cycle risk (CCR) score, the study determined that patients with CCR scores above a prespecified multimodality treatment threshold (MTT) had a higher absolute benefit of ADT treatment (8.2% with NNT=12) compared to those below the MTT (0.86% with NNT=116). These findings provide valuable insights for personalized decision-making regarding the use…

Nicholas Robert, MD – Chief Medical Officer of Ontada Nicholas J. Robert, the chief medical officer at Ontada, is responsible for enhancing the clinical focus and expertise of the organization, ensuring the highest scientific standards and clinical relevance in studies, real-world data offerings, and educational programs, building on his extensive experience as a practicing oncologist and his previous role as VP, Medical Affairs at Ontada overseeing the development of real-world evidence studies and consortium protocols. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is known to have a higher incidence in African American women compared to European American women and is associated with…

Majid Jaberi-Douraki, PhD -Kansas State University and Shahzad Raza, MD – Cleveland Clinic This study analyzed data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) to evaluate global disparities in multiple myeloma (MM) and drug toxicity trends. The analysis of adverse events (AEs) associated with FDA-approved MM drugs revealed variations in AE incidence based on age, sex, and geographical regions. Disparities were observed in specific AEs such as cardiotoxicities, vascular toxicities, nephrotoxicity, peripheral neuropathies, secondary neoplasms, and respiratory tract neoplasms, which may be influenced by factors like genetics, dosing/regimen, comorbidities, age, and sex. These findings highlight the importance of further…

Scott T Tagawa, MD, MS, FASCO, FACP – Weill Cornell This study explores the use of a combination therapy, involving both alpha and beta radioligands, for prostate-specific membrane antigen-targeted radionuclide therapy (PSMA-TRT) in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. The preliminary phase I results indicate the feasibility and safety of combining the alpha-radiolabeled antibody 225Ac-J591 with the beta-radioligand 177Lu-PSMA I&T. Promising efficacy outcomes, such as PSA decline and favorable circulating tumor cell changes, are observed, and further evaluation will be conducted in the phase II portion of the study.

Qing Zhou, MD – Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute Preliminary data from a phase I/II study of KL590586, a next-generation selective RET inhibitor, show promising results in patients with RET-altered solid tumors. The drug demonstrated good tolerability and substantial clinical activity, including in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with resistance to first-generation inhibitors and those with brain metastases. These findings support the advancement of KL590586 to pivotal studies for further evaluation.

Ari Rosenberg, MD – University of Chicago The DEPEND trial investigated the use of neoadjuvant nivolumab, paclitaxel, and carboplatin followed by response-stratified chemoradiation in locoregionally advanced HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The study aimed to determine the feasibility of this treatment approach and assess its impact on long-term toxicities. The results showed that neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy with nivolumab led to deep responses, and response-adapted chemoradiation was associated with favorable survival and locoregional control. Additionally, the expression of PD-L1 was found to be predictive of a deep response to neoadjuvant therapy.

by: Niels Van de Donk, MD, Amsterdam UMC Teclistamab, a B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) x CD3 bispecific antibody, continues to show promising results in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) based on long-term follow-up from the MajesTEC-1 study. After approximately 2 years of follow-up, patients treated with teclistamab achieved deep and durable responses, with a median progression-free survival of 12.5 months and a median duration of response of 24 months. These findings support teclistamab as a safe and effective off-the-shelf BCMA bispecific therapy for RRMM patients.

Glenn Hanna, MD – Dana-Farber The combination of BCA101 and pembrolizumab as first-line therapy in patients with recurrent, metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) shows promising anti-tumor activity, especially in HPV-negative patients, with manageable side effects. These dose expansion results highlight the potential of this combination treatment and support the need for further investigation. The study, funded by Bicara Therapeutics and conducted in collaboration with Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, demonstrates the clinical potential of BCA101 and pembrolizumab in this patient population (Clinical trial information: NCT04429542).

Omid Hamid, MD – The Angeles Clinic This phase 1/2 study evaluated the combination therapy of retifanlimab, INCAGN02385 (Anti–LAG-3), and INCAGN02390 (Anti–TIM-3) in patients with advanced solid tumors. The study aimed to determine the optimal doses, safety, and efficacy of these monoclonal antibody combinations. Initial results showed that the doublet and triplet regimens were well tolerated, with no significant new side effects observed. Further evaluation of the optimal doses is ongoing, with a focus on first-line treatment for melanoma. Clinical trial information can be found under NCT04370704.

Laure-Anne Teuwen, MD, PhD from Antwerp University Hospital, and Joanna Young, DO, FACP from Blue Ridge Cancer Care examined the endpoints evaluated in phase 3 randomized clinical trials (RCTs). The objective of phase 3 RCTs is to demonstrate clinically meaningful benefits for patients. The researchers conducted a systematic analysis of ASCO22 abstracts from phase 3 RCTs, focusing on primary, secondary, interim, updated, and subgroup analyses. They excluded posthoc, exploratory, biomarker, and retrospective analyses of RCTs. The analysis identified a total of 166 RCTs, with 93 trials involving 50,781 enrolled patients and 73 trials expected to enroll 52,098 patients. The majority…

Patrizia Giannatempo, MD, from the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, has conducted extensive research on the impact of histology on the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab (pembro) monotherapy for advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC) in the phase 3 KEYNOTE-045 and KEYNOTE-361 trials. Urothelial carcinoma is the most common type of bladder cancer, and advanced cases are challenging to treat. The KEYNOTE-045 trial was a landmark study evaluating the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab compared to chemotherapy as a second-line treatment for advanced UC. The results of this trial demonstrated that pembrolizumab significantly improved overall survival and had a favorable safety…

Prof. Arun Azad, MBBS, PhD from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, has recently conducted a Phase 3 clinical trial called TALAPRO-2. The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a combination therapy consisting of talazoparib (TALA) and enzalutamide (ENZA) as a first-line treatment for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who have homologous recombination repair (HRR) gene alterations. Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer is an advanced form of prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body and no longer responds to hormonal therapies. Homologous recombination repair gene alterations are genetic mutations that impair the ability of cancer…

Monique Hartley-Brown, MD, MMSc, from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, conducted a significant clinical study called “SUCCESSOR-2” that focused on the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). This Phase 3 study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of a combination therapy called MeziKd (mezigdomide, carfilzomib, and dexamethasone) versus the standard therapy of carfilzomib and dexamethasone (Kd). Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer that affects plasma cells in the bone marrow. While there have been significant advancements in treatment, RRMM remains a challenging condition to manage. Therefore, exploring new therapeutic options is crucial to improving patient outcomes. The SUCCESSOR-2 study utilized…

Karan Dixit, MD, from Northwestern Medicine, delivered a compelling presentation during the Plenary Session at the recent conference on glioma research. His talk centered around the highly anticipated LBA1 INDIGO phase 3 trial, which holds significant promise for the treatment of glioma, a type of brain tumor. Glioma is a challenging and aggressive form of brain cancer that poses substantial difficulties in treatment and management. Existing treatment options often fall short in providing long-term benefits, highlighting the critical need for novel therapeutic strategies. The INDIGO phase 3 trial aims to address this issue by investigating the efficacy and safety of…

Rona Yaeger, MD, an eminent oncologist from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, is currently involved in a significant clinical trial called A022004, conducted by the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. This trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of consolidation-targeted adjuvant therapy using encorafenib and cetuximab compared to usual care for patients diagnosed with stage II/III BRAF V600E colon cancer. Stage II/III colon cancer refers to cancer that has spread beyond the inner lining of the colon into the surrounding tissues or nearby lymph nodes. BRAF V600E is a specific mutation found in the BRAF gene, which is associated with…

Ticiana Leal, MD, from the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, has conducted a randomized, phase 3 study called LUNAR, investigating the efficacy of Tumor Treating Field (TTFields) therapy combined with standard of care (SOC) in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) who have experienced platinum failure. The study aimed to evaluate whether the addition of TTFields therapy to SOC could improve overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) compared to SOC alone in this patient population. TTFields therapy is a novel treatment modality that involves the use of electric fields to disrupt cancer cell division, thereby inhibiting…

Petros Grivas, MD, PhD, an expert in urothelial carcinoma (UC) research at the University of Washington, has made significant contributions to the understanding of fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) alterations in the context of PROOF 302, a phase III clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of infigratinib (BGJ398) as adjuvant therapy for invasive UC patients. Invasive UC is a type of bladder cancer that has spread beyond the inner layer of the bladder. The treatment landscape for UC has evolved rapidly in recent years, with the discovery of FGFR3 alterations offering new therapeutic opportunities. FGFR3 is a receptor protein that…

Sara Tolaney, MD, a renowned researcher from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has recently conducted a groundbreaking study that has been recognized by our editorial team for its significant contribution to the field of breast cancer treatment. The study focuses on the final overall survival (OS) analysis from the phase 3 TROPiCS-02 trial, which evaluated the efficacy of sacituzumab govitecan (SG) in patients with hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative (HR+/HER2–) metastatic breast cancer (mBC). Metastatic breast cancer, characterized by the spread of cancer cells to other parts of the body, remains a challenging condition to treat effectively. In recent years, targeted therapies have shown…

Jason Luke, MD, FACP, a renowned medical professional affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), recently conducted a comprehensive analysis of the phase 3 KEYNOTE-716 study, focusing on the comparison between pembrolizumab and placebo as adjuvant therapy in stage IIB or IIC melanoma patients. The study’s final analysis examined distant metastasis-free survival, a crucial endpoint in evaluating the efficacy of adjuvant therapies. Melanoma, a type of skin cancer, can progress to advanced stages, leading to distant metastasis and reduced survival rates. Adjuvant therapies aim to prevent or delay cancer recurrence after surgical removal of the primary tumor, potentially…

Swetha Kambhampati, MD from the City of Hope talks about the ASCO 2023 abstract about Mantle Cell Lymphoma Real-World Outcomes of Brexu-cel A CIBMTR Subgroup Analysis by Prior Treatment.

The phase 3 FRESCO-2 study evaluated the efficacy and safety of fruquintinib, a novel targeted therapy, in patients with advanced colorectal cancer. As part of the study, an analysis was conducted to assess the adverse events of special interest associated with fruquintinib treatment. Cathy Eng, MD, FACP, FASCO, from Vanderbilt Health, played a pivotal role in this analysis. The findings of the study provide valuable insights into the safety profile of fruquintinib and its potential as a treatment option for patients with advanced colorectal cancer. The FRESCO-2 study enrolled a large cohort of patients with advanced colorectal cancer who had…

Ferdinandos Skoulidis, MD, PhD, from the MD Anderson Cancer Center, presented the results of biomarker subgroup analyses from the phase 3 CodeBreaK 200 trial. The study evaluated the efficacy of sotorasib compared to docetaxel in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring the KRAS G12C mutation, a common genetic alteration in lung cancer. The CodeBreaK 200 trial enrolled patients with previously treated KRAS G12C-mutated NSCLC, which represents a subset of patients with limited treatment options. The study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of sotorasib, a targeted therapy designed to inhibit the abnormal signaling caused by the…

J. Randolph Hecht, MD from UCLA Health is conducting a phase 3 clinical trial called STELLAR-303 to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a novel multi-kinase inhibitor (MKI) called XL092 in combination with atezolizumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI), compared to regorafenib in patients with previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The trial aims to address the limited treatment options available for patients who have progressed after front-line chemotherapy. The prognosis for patients with mCRC is generally poor, with a 5-year survival rate of only 14%. While regorafenib and trifluridine-tipiracil are approved for third-line or later treatment, the survival benefit…

Corina Dutcus, MD from Eisai Inc provided a summary of the findings from a clinical trial evaluating the combination of KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) and LENVIMA (lenvatinib) as a first-line treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The primary analysis of the study demonstrated a significant improvement in progression-free survival and a meaningful improvement in overall survival, response rate, and complete response rate compared to the standard treatment, Sunitinib. These positive results led to the approval of the KEYTRUDA plus LENVIMA combination as an established standard of care option for first-line RCC. With an additional two years of follow-up, the final pre-specified…

This is a deep dive into the groundbreaking NAPOLI-3 Trial, a study that has generated significant interest and discussion in the medical community. Particularly among oncologists specializing in pancreatic cancer. In this article, we will delve into the complexities and outcomes of this notable study, shedding light on its potential implications for the future of pancreatic cancer treatment. The NAPOLI-3 Trial’s focus is on advanced pancreatic cancer, a disease notorious for its aggressive nature and limited treatment options. The study compared the efficacy and safety of three different treatment regimens (each with their own distinct benefits and drawbacks): NALIRIFOX FOLFIRINOX…

Adam Brufsky, MD, PhD from the University of Pittsburgh discussed the higher risk of recurrence in certain breast cancer patients and the need for additional therapies beyond hormonal therapy and chemotherapy. He highlighted that hormone receptor-positive (HR-positive), HER2-negative breast cancer represents about 60-70% of all breast cancer cases, and approximately 20% of all breast cancer patients would be considered for additional therapies. The NATALEE trial evaluated the addition of Ribociclib, a CDK4/6 inhibitor, to hormonal therapy for adjuvant treatment in patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative early-stage breast cancer. The study included patients with stage 2 and stage 3 breast cancer who…

Omid Hamid, MD from The Angeles Clinic & Research Institute reports on the best Cutaneous Treatments from ASCO 2023 and the future of this disease state.

Dr. Monica Niger, from Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, provided a summary of the NALIRIFOX vs FOLFIRINOX vs gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel study. Pancreatic cancer is known for its aggressive nature and limited effective treatment options. The standard first-line chemo therapies have been FOLFIRINOX and nab-paclitaxel. The NAPOLI-3 trial, the first positive Phase 3 trial since 2013, demonstrated that NALIRIFOX, a triple regimen, outperformed gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel in improving overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) for pancreatic cancer patients. However, since NALIRIFOX is similar to FOLFIRINOX in terms of regimen and potential effects, the researchers wanted to understand the comparative…

Dr. Katherine Peters from Duke University Medical Center discussed the current treatments and their limitations for low-grade glioma patients with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutations. These treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, but they can cause neurologic injury, bone marrow suppression, toxicities, fertility issues, and cognitive dysfunction, leading to a decline in quality of life. IDH1 and IDH2 mutations were discovered in 2009 and were found to confer a prognostic advantage and drive the development of gliomas. The latest World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines in 2021 incorporated these mutations into the integrated diagnosis for patients, considering their impact on outcomes…

High-grade gliomas represent a significant burden in neuro-oncology, affecting thousands of individuals worldwide each year. Gliomas, a form of brain cancer, have been the subject of intense research, with scientists and clinicians striving to improve survival rates and patient outcomes. Now, there is a game-changer in the field: Ruxolitinib. With the advent of innovative therapeutic strategies such as Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, like Ruxolitinib, there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon. As David M. Peereboom, MD, explained in his recent interview at ASCO 2023, “the JAK/STAT pathway, when it’s dysregulated, stimulates the growth of lots of different types…

“Correction: The mPFS is not 34 months but 34%.” Carolina Schinke, MD from the UASM Health provided insights into the MonumenTAL-1 study, focusing on the bispecific antibody talquetamab as a potential treatment option for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Talquetamab has two domains—a GPRC5D-targeting domain for myeloma cells and a CD3 receptor for T-cells, connecting the two and enabling T-cell recognition and attack against myeloma cells. The inclusion criteria for the study required patients with pre-treated relapsed multiple myeloma who had at least three prior lines of treatment, including exposure to an IMIT protosome inhibitor and CD38 antibody. The study consisted of…

Introduction to Locally Advanced Breast Cancer Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer diagnosed in women worldwide. It’s a condition that comes in many forms and stages, each with its own set of characteristics, treatment options, and prognoses. One such stage that requires our attention and understanding is locally advanced breast cancer. The term LABC or locally advanced breast cancer is a term used to describe cancer that is larger in size, generally greater than 5 cm, and may have spread to nearby tissues such as the skin or chest wall, or to lymph nodes within…

Dr. Timothy Cloughesy, a prominent physician from UCLA Health, conducted the INDIGO clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of Vorasidenib, an IDH inhibitor, in patients with IDH mutant low-grade glioma. The primary endpoint of the trial was progression-free survival (PFS). The results of the trial demonstrated a significant difference in PFS between the placebo and treatment groups. In the placebo group, tumors started to grow significantly within 11 months, while the treatment group experienced a median PFS of 27 months. This stark contrast indicated the effectiveness of Vorasidenib, supported by the P-values and hazard ratios. The trial also underwent…

Dr. Brian Hill, MD, PhD, from the Cleveland Clinic presented a study conducted through the Alliance and US cooperative groups, including ECOG and SWOG, called the A041702 study. This randomized phase 3 trial focused on previously untreated CLL patients over the age of 70. The study aimed to determine whether the addition of Venetoclax to Ibrutinib and Obinutuzumab would improve progression-free survival through a response-adapted use of Venetoclax for one year of therapy. The study compared two treatment arms. In the standard arm, patients received Ibrutinib and Obinutuzumab for one year, with Ibrutinib continued afterward. In the experimental arm,…

In this study, the researchers evaluated the use of standard of care (SOC) ciltacabtagene autoleucel in a patient population and compared it to the outcomes observed in the CARTITUDE-1 clinical trial. They found that a significant percentage of patients (57%) in the study population would have been ineligible for participation in the trial. The most common reasons for ineligibility were cytopenias, oligo or non-story disease, organ dysfunctions, poor ECOG performance status, prior BCMA exposure, and the presence of plasma cell leukemia. The overall response rate (ORR) in the study population treated with SOC cilta-cel was 89%, with a complete…

Dr. David Peereboom from Cleveland Clinic conducted a phase one clinical trial called CRUX to investigate the efficacy and safety of ruxolitinib, an inhibitor of the JAK/STAT pathway, in treating high-grade glioma patients. The JAK/STAT pathway, when dysregulated, promotes the growth of various cancer cells, including gliomas. The trial enrolled 60 patients, predominantly male, with a median age of 60 years. Patients were stratified based on their MGMT promoter methylation status, a biomarker associated with treatment response. Patients with methylated MGMT promoters received radiation, temozolomide, and ruxolitinib, while those with unmethylated MGMT received radiation and ruxolitinib alone. The…

In this article, we dive deep into one of the potential advancement in the the evolving realm of medical science – the introduction of a drug called Triapine. Researchers have been relentlessly seeking solutions that can offer better treatment modalities and improved patient outcomes. This pursuit is particularly significant in the case of locally advanced cervical and vaginal cancers, where survival rates are still lower than desired. Currently, the standard treatment for these cancers is cisplatin-based chemoradiation (CRT). However, recent advances have sought to incorporate additional therapies to improve treatment outcomes. This drug was investigated in a clinical trial named…

Head and neck cancer, collectively termed Head and Neck Cancer (HNC), is a group of biologically similar cancers that start in the mouth, nose, throat, larynx, sinuses, or salivary glands. Now, there is a new chance to defeat HNC: Enfortumab Vedotin. Globally, HNC is a significant health concern, accounting for an estimated 932,000 new cases and causing 467,000 deaths in 2020. A stark reality is the poor prognosis for patients with recurrent or metastatic HNC, where the median survival rate is less than one year. Currently, the first line of treatment for HNC often includes platinum-based chemotherapy and immunotherapy with…

Dr. Jessica Geiger from Cleveland Clinic presented an abstract at ASCO 2023 highlighting the potential of Enfortumab vedotin as a novel therapeutic option for head and neck cancer (HNC) patients with recurrent metastatic disease who have failed standard frontline treatments. This patient population faces a significant unmet need, as current treatments have limited efficacy. Enfortumab vedotin, an antibody drug conjugate, targets the Nectin-4 protein expressed in a majority of HNC patients and delivers intracellular chemotherapy to destroy cancer cells. The EV-202 study, a phase 2, single-arm, multi-cohort trial, enrolled heavily pretreated HNC patients who had exhausted standard treatment options…

Dr. Atulya Khosla discussed the “Saved by the Scan” public service advertising program initiated by the American Lung Association (ALA) and Baptist Health South Florida (BHSF). The program aimed to address low lung cancer screening rates among high-risk populations, particularly racial and ethnic minorities, with a focus on Hispanics in South Florida. To tackle this issue, the program utilized a multipronged approach, employing both traditional and digital communication modalities. Traditional methods included posters, billboards, and news channels, while newer channels such as social media and emails were also utilized. Approximately 130,000 emails were sent, with a 27% open rate…

Dr. Suneel Kamath from the Cleveland Clinic – Young onset colorectal cancer (yoCRC) has been increasing over the past few decades, and the reasons behind this rise are still not well understood. Dr. Suneel Kamath and his team conducted a study using metabolomics to gain insights into the underlying factors contributing to yoCRC. Metabolomics is a field that examines the breakdown products of the body’s metabolism, including genetic and environmental influences. The study involved patients from two biobanks at Cleveland Clinic. One biobank consisted of patients with early-stage colorectal cancer, while the other included patients with colorectal liver metastases.…

by Hope Rugo, MD – UCSF Dr. Hope S. Rugo is a highly respected oncologist and professor of medicine specializing in breast oncology at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she serves as the Director of Breast Oncology and Clinical Trials Education. The phase 3 CAPItello-291 trial evaluated the combination of Capivasertib (C) and Fulvestrant (F) in patients with aromatase inhibitor (AI)-resistant HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer (ABC), focusing on the characterization and management of common adverse events (AEs). The trial demonstrated that adding C, a potent pan-AKT inhibitor, to F resulted in…

Locally advanced cervical cancer is a significant disease affecting young women, and the standard treatment options have not seen substantial improvements since 1999. The addition of cisplatin chemotherapy to radiation therapy became the standard of care, resulting in a 5-year survival rate of approximately 60% for patients with locally advanced disease. However, there is still a need for further advancements to enhance patient outcomes. Dr. Sudah Amarnath discusses, the NRG-GY006 clinical trial aimed to improve the outcomes for patients with locally advanced cervical or vaginal cancer by incorporating the ribonucleotide reductase inhibitor, triapine, into the cisplatin-based chemoradiation (CRT) regimen.…

Advanced Angiosarcoma (AS) is a rare and aggressive form of cancer that forms in the lining of blood vessels and lymph vessels. Characterized by rapid growth and high potential for metastasis, this disease presents unique challenges to medical professionals and patients alike. As per the American Cancer Society, angiosarcoma accounts for only a small fraction of all sarcomas, yet its impact is significant. The journey of treating advanced angiosarcoma remains full of obstacles. One of this obstacles is the limited amount of treatment options, especially after taxane chemotherapy. Taxanes, a class of drugs commonly used in the treatment of many…

In this enlightening interview, esteemed Oncologist Gary Schwartz, MD discusses the promising development and potential of Cabozantinib plus Nivolumab as a therapeutic approach in advanced Angiosarcoma. Drawing from his extensive experience and recent clinical trials, Dr. Schwartz delves into the efficacy and safety profile of this potent combination. He shares insights on how this regimen has shown substantial improvements in response rates and progression-free survival, and its potential role in reshaping the treatment landscape for patients with advanced Angiosarcoma. The interview concludes with a discussion on future directions, emphasizing the importance of continued research to unlock the full potential of…

ASCO 2023 Press Briefing June 6, 2024 with Julie Gralow, MD ASCO Chief Medical Officer

Join us in an insightful interview with renowned oncologist Dr. Emrullah Yilmaz, MD, PhD, as he discusses the potential of BCA101, a promising therapeutic candidate for Squamous Cell Cancer treatment. Dr. Yilmaz, with his wealth of knowledge and experience in the field, breaks down the science behind BCA101, its ongoing clinical trials, and its future implications in the fight against cancer. If you’re seeking a deep understanding of the latest advancements in cancer treatment, this conversation is not to be missed. Dive into this intriguing discussion and discover the potential of BCA101 in revolutionizing oncology.

Squamous Cell Cancer, also known as squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells arising in the squamous cells, which make up the majority of the skin’s upper layers (epidermis). This form of skin cancer is known to affect millions of people globally each year. Being the second most common type of skin cancer, it is a health condition that can’t be ignored. The visual appearance of squamous cell cancer varies, but it most often occurs as a rough, scaly, and flat patch that can bleed if bumped or injured. At times, it can also present as…

The results of the CRUX study, which focused on the safety and feasibility of the JAK stat inhibitor Ruxolitinib in newly diagnosed high-grade glioma patients, discussed by Dr. Manmeet Ahluwalia, were presented at ASCO 2023. High-grade gliomas, particularly those with unmethylated MGMT, have poor outcomes despite advancements in surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. The effectiveness of Temozolomide, an oral chemotherapy, is limited in these patients, providing only a 21-day advantage in glioblastoma cases. Moreover, combining new therapies with Temozolomide often leads to increased toxicity. The CRUX trial took a two-pronged approach. In the first arm, Ruxolitinib was combined with radiation…

Dr. Javier Cortes discussed the PHERGain clinical study is a phase 2 trial focused on the potential deescalation of chemotherapy in the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer. The trial utilizes a novel design that adapts the treatment approach based on early metabolic response and subsequent pathological response. This strategy aims to minimize the use of chemotherapy while maintaining effective outcomes. Trastuzumab, a targeted therapy, is known to bind to the HER2 protein. Pertuzumab, another targeted therapy, has shown promise in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. It has been approved for use in metastatic and early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer. When…

At the (ASCO) 2023 conference, Dr. Manmeet Singh Ahluwalla discussed, researchers presented the final trial report on a phase 1 study called EQUILIBRIUM. The study investigated the combination of a BTK inhibitor called Ibrutinib, along with Temozolomide and radiation therapy, in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma tumors. Glioblastoma is a type of brain tumor that has historically had poor prognosis, with patients typically surviving only 14 to 16 months on average, despite advancements in surgery, radiation, and medical therapy. The use of Temozolomide has shown limited benefits in patients with an unmethylated MGMT phenotype, which led to a shift…

HPV Advances: Jill Meyer-Lippert, Dr. Jared Weiss, and Dr. Mary Cooley give an in-depth examination of HPV+ head and neck cancer, including vaccination, treatment options, and managing side effects.In this video, Dr. Jared Weiss discusses how incurable head and neck cancer is generally found, and recent data on life expectancy.Thank you to our sponsors: Merck and Genentech.For more, please visit http://cancerGRACE.org/. To join the conversation, visit https://cancergrace.org/forum. Music Name: Adventure (Bensound.com)Music License Code: LOW8T565IZ6YTXSH

Brain metastases, or secondary brain tumors, occur when cancer cells spread from their original site to the brain. This devastating complication affects around 10-30% of adults with cancer, making it a significant concern in cancer management. One of the greatest challenges in dealing with brain metastases is distinguishing between radiation necrosis and tumor progression post-radiation therapy, a scenario that has been a conundrum for physicians worldwide. Traditional diagnostic methods, including MRI, have limitations when it comes to identifying recurrent brain metastases. The breakthrough we’ve been hoping for may be on the horizon. Thanks to a recent study known as PURSUE.…

Decoding Recurrent Brain Metastases: The Power of 18F-Fluciclovine PET This discusses the challenges in detecting recurrent brain metastases and the potential of 18F-Fluciclovine PET as a diagnostic tool. Brain metastases occur when cancer cells spread from their original site to the brain and effect around 10-30% of adults with cancer. Distinguishing between radiation necrosis and tumor progression post-radiation therapy is a significant challenge for physicians. Traditional methods like MRI have limitations in identifying recurrent brain metastases due to similarities in appearance between radiation necrosis and tumors. The PURSUE study explores the use of 18F-Fluciclovine PET, a novel…

The medical field is abuzz with the exciting announcement of Novartis reporting positive topline results for the NATALEE trial (Phase 3). This pivotal study evaluates the CDK4/6 inhibitor ribociclib marketed as Kisqali in treating early breast cancer, heralding a new era in the field. The primary end point of the study, invasive disease-free survival, was successfully met, indicating a significant step forward in breast cancer treatment. The full results from this study will soon be presented at an upcoming scientific meeting and submitted to regulatory bodies, including the FDA. This innovative trial, named NATALEE, enrolled patients with stage II and…

iFrame is not supported! Lung Cancer: My Top 5 Abstracts to See in Lung Cancer at ASCO 2023 Jack West MD By Jack West, MD, associate professor in medical oncology, focused on thoracic oncology at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center Hello, I’m Dr. Jack West, and I’m an associate professor in medical oncology, focused on thoracic oncology at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Los Angeles area, where I also work as a clinical lead for a program called Access Hope that delivers remote case reviews, education and support for patients with cancer who are…

Lung Cancer: My Top 5 Abstracts to See in Lung Cancer at ASCO 2023 By Jack West, MD, associate professor in medical oncology, focused on thoracic oncology at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center Dr. Jack West, an associate professor in medical oncology specializing in thoracic oncology at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, discussed his top five abstracts from the lung cancer sessions at ASCO 2023. The first abstract he highlighted was a late-breaking abstract (LBA3) presented by Dr. Roy Herbst on the overall survival benefit of the ADAURA trial. ADAURA tested adjuvant Osimertinib versus placebo in…

Bladder Cancer Test: Does GALEAS Bladder aid in the early detection of bladder cancers? Prof. Bryan Dr. Ward Professor Richard Bryan and Doug Ward, PhD, Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham GALEAS Bladder is a DNA based diagnostic urine test for bladder cancer, and it relies upon the targeted deep sequencing of mutations in the most commonly mutated genes in bladder cancer, 23 genes, and in total, within those genes, the test is seeking to identify up to 451 single nucleotide variants. A positive test is signified by any one (or more) of those single nucleotide…

Bladder cancer test called “GALEAS Bladder” is a DNA-based diagnostic urine test designed to aid in the early detection of bladder cancer. Developed by Professor Richard Bryan and Dr. Doug Ward from the Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences at the University of Birmingham, the test targets the most commonly mutated genes in bladder cancer, analyzing 23 genes and identifying 400 to 451 single nucleotide variants. Compared to the current method of detecting bladder cancer, which involves outpatient flexible cystoscopy, the GALEAS Bladder test has shown similar or slightly better accuracy. Flexible cystoscopy has a sensitivity and specificity of…

iFrame is not supported! Pembrolizumab combined with CG0070. How can this help patients with NMIBC? Roger Li Roger Li, MD – Genitourinary Oncologist – Moffitt Cancer Center It’s my pleasure to talk to you today about the updated results from the CORE1 trial combining Cretostimogene Grenadorepvec and Pembrolizumab, and the BCG unresponsive CIS containing MIBC setting. As everyone knows, there has been a lack of efficacious bladder sparing, for this disease space with only Pembrolizumab monotherapy, and Nadofaragene Firadenovec-vncg (Adstiladrin) approved in the setting. So we set out to test whether or not the combination of crease imaging, which…

The Roger Li, MD discussed the updated results from the CORE1 trial, which explored the combination of Cretostimogene Grenadorepvec (CG0070), an oncolytic adenovirus, and Pembrolizumab in patients with BCG unresponsive carcinoma in situ (CIS) containing muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). The study enrolled patients who had previously received an adequate amount of BCG treatment and had recurrent CIS-containing tumors. The standard treatment for such patients is radical cystectomy, but those who refused or were ineligible for the procedure were included. Exclusion criteria involved autoimmune disease, steroid use, and small bladder capacities. The treatment regimen consisted of intravesical CG0070 induction therapy administered…

iFrame is not supported! Molecule RRx-001 Receives Fast Track Designation From the FDA – EpicentRx By Tony Reid, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, EpicentRx and Bryan Oronsky, MD, PhD, Chief Development Officer, EpicentRx Thank you so much. It’s great to be able to get together with you again and share our recent data. This is actually very critical for us as a company. In late March, the FDA granted us fast track designation for our lead molecule RRx-001. This molecule is very interesting. It’s basically a designer molecule with direct anti-inflammatory activity. It inhibits NLRP3 and also has the interesting…

Molecule, RRx-001, has received fast track designation from the FDA. RRx-001 is a designer molecule with direct anti-inflammatory activity and is known to inhibit NLRP3, upgrade NRF2, and release nitric oxide, which has vascular dilating and anti-inflammatory properties. The FDA granted fast track designation based on the PREVLAR study, which showed a substantial reduction in oral mucositis, a severe side effect of chemotherapy and radiation, in head and neck cancer patients. RRx-001 is unique in its ability to inhibit the inflammatory process through its direct and selective inhibition of NLRP3. This sets it apart from other therapies on the…

Head and Neck Cancer: Discussion on Endocrine Oncology Research Innovations – Moffitt Moffitt Cancer CenterHost: Caitlin McMullen, MD, Member, Department of Head and Neck-Endocrine OncologyPanelists:Kedar Kirtane, MDAssistant Member, Department of Head and Neck-Endocrine Oncology Sarimar Agosto Salgado, MDAssistant Member, Department of Head and Neck-Endocrine Oncology Barb Wampler, RNPatient Navigator Welcome, everyone! Thank you so much for taking the time to be here this evening. I’m Dr. Kayla McMullen, a head and neck surgeon and member of the Department of Head and Neck Endocrine Oncology here at Moffitt. I’m excited to introduce my colleagues to you in just a moment.…

Ovarian Cancer Treatment: What to Watch for In New and Novel Trials Shannon Westin MD By Shannon Westin, MD, MPH from MD Anderson Cancer Center I’m so excited to be here. I love these virtual meetings, but I miss seeing all of you in person. I hope to be, uh, actually at the actual meeting next time. But without further ado, I’m really excited to review quite a bit of data with you today. I think that we’ve got lots of information and lots of exciting things. It’s really going to dovetail nicely with Dr. Cabelli’s talk. So, without delaying…

Breast Cancer Treatment: How is Biology’s Integration into the Clinic Transforming Healthcare? Hope Rugo By Hope Rugo, MD, FASCO, Professor, Medicine at Professor, Department of Medicine (Hematology/Oncology); Director, Breast Oncology and Clinical Trials Education; and Medical Director of Cancer Infusion Services, UCSF Good afternoon. Welcome to UCSF Department of Medicine Grand Rounds. I’m Bob Walker, Chair of the Department of Medicine at UCSF. I’m really thrilled today to introduce our speaker and topic. The topic is “New Directions in the Treatment of Breast Cancer: Bringing Biology to the Clinic and Back.” The speaker is Hope Rugo, who is a Professor…

iFrame is not supported! Spatial Biology: Lunaphore’s COMET Portfolio Becomes the First Complete and Inclusive Solution Déborah Heintze By Déborah Heintze, MSBME, Co-Founder & CMO at Lunaphore We have our COMET instruments available on the market for a year. These are fully automated, high-performing instruments. To further enhance our portfolio, we have introduced reagents and software solutions. Our goal is to provide our customers with a one-stop-shop solution. Our aim is to ensure that everyone can have the best experience in spatial biology. We are striving to make the experience as easy as possible. To achieve this, we have introduced…

Lunaphore, COMET™ portfolio, spatial biology, end-to-end solution, universal solution, breakthrough technology, researchers, clinicians

A new CAR T-cell therapy strategy has shown significant effectiveness against small cell lung cancer, according to a preclinical study conducted by Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Read more about the potential breakthrough in small cell lung cancer treatment here. CAR T-cell therapy, small cell lung cancer, preclinical study, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, breakthrough, treatment, effectiveness

iFrame is not supported! CAR T-Cell Therapy: Promising Results Against Small Cell Lung Cancer Renier Brentjens MD By Reiner Brentjens, MD, PhD from Roswell Comprehensive Cancer Center The basic platform on which we have been working for over two decades involves taking a patient’s own immune cells, T-cells, and genetically engineering them in the laboratory to express what we termed 15 years ago a CAR T-cell or chimeric antigen receptor. A modified T-cell and a CAR are like Frankenstein-like molecules made up of a binding domain usually derived from a monoclonal antibody and the signaling domain of a T-cell receptor.…

iFrame is not supported! Breyanzi: CAR T-cell Therapy Gets Positive CHMP Opinion for R/R Large B-Cell Lymphoma Manali Kamdar MD By Manali Kamdar, MD from University of Colorado In March of this year, Bristol Myers Squibb announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) had approved the use of Breyanzi, also known as Lisocabtagene Maraleucel, for the treatment of adult patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, high-grade B-cell lymphoma, primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, and follicular lymphoma grade 3B who had relapsed within 12 months of completing or were refractory to…

Manali Kamdar, MD from University of Colorado Bristol Myers Squibb has received a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency’s CHMP for their CAR T cell therapy, Breyanzi (lisocabtagene maraleucel), as a treatment option for patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma who have undergone one prior therapy. Breyanzi, CAR T-cell therapy, positive CHMP opinion, R/R large B-cell lymphoma, Manali Kamdar, MD, University of Colorado, European Medicines Agency, chimeric antigen receptors, CD19 cells, TRANSFORM study, autotransplant, salvage chemotherapy, event-free survival, progression-free survival, overall response rate, complete response rate

Ethnic Minorities: Empowering to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening Through Community Outreach Kimlin Ashing PhD By Kimlin Tam Ashing, PhDProfessor, Department of Population Sciences, City of Hope Community outreach and engagement are truly at the heart of the work we do because we know that cancer disparities exist and persist. One way to address this issue is by engaging with community leaders, who are trusted informants and gatekeepers in the community and can help address the burden of cancer and its disparities. What were the main objectives of your research, and how did you go about achieving them? One of…

Cell Death: Drug Combo Restores Signaling Ability of Leading Treatment for Blood Cancer Christina Glytsou PhD By Christina Glytsou, PhDAssistant Professor at Rutgers University In this study, we focused on acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a type of blood cancer where the bone marrow produces a large number of abnormal blood cells. AML is the most common form of leukemia in adults and is responsible for over 11,000 deaths per year in the United States. Treating AML is challenging, as fewer than one-third of those affected live longer than five years after diagnosis. For decades, treatment options for this disease have…

Gamma Delta: Two Phase 1 INDs Approved Announces Jeff Liter CEO Luminary Therapeutics By Jeff Liter, MBS, CEO of Luminary Therapeutics We currently have two Phase 1 INDs approved: one for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and the other for multiple myeloma. The CAR we’re using for these therapies is very unique and novel, as we are using a ligand-based CAR instead of a single-chain CAR. Our CAR is called a BAFF CAR, which has three different antigen receptors (T-cell receptors). We designed this CAR construct to overcome the primary reason for relapse in many blood tumors, which is antigen escape. In fact,…

SOX9: Can this protein enable a molecular reversal that could lead to colorectal cancer? Nilay Sethi MD By Nilay Sethi, MD, PhD Assistant Professor at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute SOX9 (gene) is a developmental transcription factor that is usually active in the stem cell compartment of colon tissue. However, when cancer initiates with the loss of APC (the most common first mutation in colon cancer), levels and expression of SOX9 increase. This is what cancer prefers, and we have elucidated the reasons for this in our recent study. How does the SOX9 protein enable molecular time travel, and what does…

CAR T-cell: Advances in Adoptive Therapies for Targeting Heterogeneity in mCRPC Lupita Lopez By Lupita Lopez, BS Ph.D. candidate at the City of Hope Campus There are two distinct subtypes of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (MCRPC): prostate adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine prostate cancer. At City of Hope, under the leadership of Dr. Priceman, we are studying the targeting of PSCA with a PSCA CAR, which would target prostate adenocarcinoma. My focus is on combining this approach with targeting CEA in neuroendocrine prostate cancer. The literature suggests that up to 20% of MCRPC can be NEPC in nature, but we have observed…

Polatuzumab Vedotin: How can the POLARIX trial help us comprehend DLBCL? Connor Johnson MD By P. Connor Johnson, MD My name is Connor Johnson, and I am the medical oncologist at the Center for Lymphoma in the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. It is my privilege today to discuss the POLARIX trial, which potentially changes the standard of care for the treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, the most common lymphoma. The key takeaways from this talk are to review the current standard of care for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and to recognize the significance of the POLARIX Phase III,…

Diabetes Cancer: Racial Disparities In Prevention An Epidemiological Perspective By Gaole Song By Gaole Song, DrPH From the City of Hope So far, for my research, I’m very interested in cancer prevention, cancer promotion, and also diabetes prevention from an epidemiological perspective. Cancer and diabetes are both serious public health issues in California State and Los Angeles County. Cancer is a leading cause of death in Los Angeles, and diabetes ranks sixth. These two diseases are very important, and both have obesity as an important cancer risk factors. Minority patients have a higher risk of developing cancer and diabetes…

Tafasitamab: Final Results of Five-Year Safety and Efficacy Study (Phase II L-MIND) Prof. Kalakonda By Professor Nagesh Kalakonda Thank you for this opportunity to talk about the L-MIND study. The study itself was initiated in 2016 and targeted relapsed refractory patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. It was an open-label phase 2 study conducted in 10 countries and at 39 sites. The study was specifically targeted towards patients who were not eligible for an autologous stem cell transplantation, either with one previous line of therapy or multiple previous lines of therapy. This represents a population with an unmet need and…

Focal Adhesion Kinase: Can Adding Fibroblasts and C-X-C Chemokine Help With Suppression? Arsen Osipov MD By Arsen Osipov, MD In our study, we wanted to further investigate specific proteins in the tumor microenvironment of pancreatic cancer to understand their implications, particularly in a unique subset of patients. As we all know, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a very treatment-resistant tumor, and this is due to many mechanisms of resistance, mainly related to the tumor microenvironment, which is very dismal and immunosuppressive. One protein that our lab is interested in is focal adhesion kinase, a non-receptor protein tyrosine kinase that is abundantly…

Cancer Drug Research: Expanded Phase 1 Program to the Dallas Area Anthony Tolcher MD By Anthony Tolcher, MD One of the challenges that we all face right now is we are in this golden age of drug development where there’s so many new molecules being developed and we probably don’t have enough proficient and high quality phase 1 sites in the United States, Europe, and probably the world. So the issue here is that we are developing in our network multiple sites where we have professional phase 1 programs and clinics so that patients can access them through referral…

CD70: How Does ALLO-316 Eliminate or Destroy Malignancies in the TRAVERSE Trial? Samer Srour, MB ChB, MS By Samer Srour, MB ChB, MSs So the ALLO-316 is, it’s very novel agent to treat, kidney cancer and hopefully will expand to other cancers. It’s first of all, it’s take CAR T-cell Therapy antigen receptor, T-cell engineered treatment. The CAR T-cell therapy is groundbreaking right now and practice changing for those similar malignancies. We have FDA approved products for these malignancies. We are trying to pass on on this success for these solid tumors. And that’s where it comes to idea to…

Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy: A Longitudinal Study Conner Johnson MD By Conner Johnson, MD Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is an immunotherapy treatment that has transformed the landscape for those with relapsed refractory hematologic malignancies. It is a treatment where we take white blood cells from a patient and create an autologous product that is an altered version of T-cells, which express an antigen receptor targeting the cancer. Then, those cells are rein-fused back into the patient. This treatment is approved in the relapse refractory setting for certain subtypes of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and acute lymphoblastic leukemia.…

Lisaftoclax (APG-2575): In CLL / SLL Treatment: Safety and Efficacy as Monotherapy or Combined with Acalabrutinib or Rituximab Matthew Davids By Matthew Davids, MD, MMSc So this is a brand new drug called Lisaftoclax, which is a BCL-2 inhibitor. BCL-2 inhibitors have also been developed, of course, like Venetoclax in the past, but this is a newer BCL-2 inhibitor that we’ve only seen very minimal data for in the past. There was a all-comer study of different hematologic malignancies small group of patients were presented last year. One of the things that was noted in that early phase one experience…

Trimodality: In addition to Trastuzumab for HER2+ Esophageal Adenocarcinoma: NRG Oncology RTOG 1010 Phase III Trial Lisa Kachnic MD By Lisa Kachnic, MD, FASTRO Good afternoon. Today I’m going to discuss the patient reported outcomes from NRG Oncology RTOG 1010 that I was delighted to talk about at our recent ASTRO Radiation Oncology meeting. And, NRG Oncology RTOG 1010 was a phase 3 randomized trial and it evaluated the addition of Trastuzumab or Herceptin the monoclonal antibody used to treat HER2+ receptor cancers, such as breast or metastatic stomach, and that was added to trimodality treatment of HER2 over expressing…

Acalabrutinib (AVO): A Promising New Triplet Treatment Option for High-Risk CLL Patients Phase 2 Study Results Matthew Davids By Matthew Davids, MD, MMSc This is a phase 2 investigator initiated clinical trial of a triplet regimen for the frontline treatment of CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia). And the 3 drugs are all FDA-approved already, including acalabrutinib. Venetoclax and Obinutuzumab, we call this the AVO (Acalabrutinib, Venetoclax, Obinutuzumab) study. And these drugs although approved in other combinations, are not approved together. So ours is one of the first studies to look at this triplet combination. We had actually previously published a paper…

Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: How Can the ASAP Trial Help Relapsed or Refractory AML? Johannes Schetelig By Prof. Dr. med. Johannes Schetelig So I’m going to tell you about the ASAP trial. This was not a trial about a new compound. It was a trial about a strategy, how to bring patients to a transplantation. Patients who either failed chemotherapy due to relapse of AML or poor response of the first induction of chemotherapy and had an intermediate or high risk genetic risk profile have a clear indication for transplantation. The question was, as we addressed in this trial, how…

Treatment Patterns and Overall Survival (OS) Among Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Treated in the US Community Oncology Setting: A Real-World Retrospective Ontada Observational Study by: Ira Zackon, MD – USOncology Network So our study is a retrospective we call descriptive study, really looking at treatment patterns and improve patient outcomes with myelodysplastic syndromes or MDS. So this is leveraging the data within the electronic health record called Ontada, which is within USOncology. 1,400 physicians taking care of advance cancer care patients So again, reflective of the community based real world setting and it’s a large database with over 1,400…

Idecabtagene Vicleucel Shows Effectiveness and Safety in High-Risk Multiple Myeloma Patients Krina Patel MD By Krina Patel, MD, MSc So this trial is looking at ide-cel, or Idecabtagene Vicleucel, which is a CAR T-cell against BCMA, and it’s already been FDA-approved in a relapse-refractory setting for multiple myeloma patients. However, we have high risk patients in multiple myeloma that don’t really fit the same trajectory of disease control the way our standard risk patients do. And so those patients can’t wait to get these novel therapies in fifth line, which is where it’s approved. So this trial was actually looking…

Odronextamab: Promising Results in Treating Relapsed/Refractory Follicular Lymphoma: Findings from Phase II Study ELM-2 Tae Min Kim MD By Tae Min Kim, MD, PhD Our clinical trial is using the CD20xCD3 bispecific antibody and a monoclonal antibody targeting the follicular lymphoma cells in the second line failure setting. Our clinical trial shows the very highest complete response rate so far with doable and deep responses in the refractory and relapsed follicular lymphoma patient. What is the standard of care in this disease state, and why did you choose to pursue this clinical trial? Yes, approximately, and regarding the relapse…

REGN5458: A Trial for Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma a BCMAxCD3 Bispecific Antibody Naresh Bumma MD By Naresh Bumma, MD – Ohio State University – The James The current stage for multiple myeloma treatment has changed very drastically in the last few years, with drugs such as anti-CD38 antibodies (bispecific antibodies), IMiDs, and chromosome inhibitors being used earlier and earlier. And that has led to a need for novel therapies that use novel, newer agents to treat multiple myeloma. B-cell maturation agent, or BCMA, has come up as one of these targets on the plasma cell that has been utilized to treat…

Zanubrutinib Outperforms Ibrutinib in Treating Relapsed/Refractory CLL/SLL Mehrdad Mobasher MD By Mehrdad Mobasher, MD, MPH The ALPINE study was a phase 3 clinical trial done in relapsed/refractory CLL and SLL (small lymphocytic leukemia). This is the final analysis of PFS of this study. This study now shows Zanubrutinib (brand name(s) BRUKINSA a tyrosine kinase inhibitor) demonstrates superior progression-free survival. Compared to standard Ibrutinib, in the past we had presented interim analysis of overall response rate, and Zanubrutinib had already shown superiority of overall response rate. Zanubrutinib has other indications that we have FDA approved, globally we have more than in…

Open Label Phase III TIGeR-PaC Interim Data Observes 6-Month Median Survival Benefit: RenovoGem (Intra-Arterial Gemcitabine) Versus IV Gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment By Michael Pishvaian, MD, PhD With positive outcomes, do you see any other tumor types where RenovoGem should be studied and could potentially make an impact? The other thing that’s interesting is that if this study proves positive, ultimately, it really will affirm the idea that delivering local therapy to a tumor can enhance the overall survival for patients even while they’re receiving integrated systemic therapy. And we’ve seen this in other cancer types, with for…

Open Label Phase III TIGeR-PaC Interim Data Observes 6-Month Median Survival Benefit: RenovoGem (Intra-Arterial Gemcitabine) Versus IV Gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment By Micheal Pishvaian, MD, PhD How does this data compare to what you have seen, historically, in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer? Locally advanced pancreatic cancer is really a stage of cancer that has only been defined in the last maybe 10 or 15 years. If you look back to the early 2000s, and certainly before then, many of the patients with what we would now define as locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer, were lumped…

Renal Cell Carcinoma Trials: Guidelines and Eligibility According to ASCO-FCR: An Overview of RCC Trials Anna Odell by Anna Odell, City of Hope – Friends of Cancer Research So essentially, ASCO, as well as, the Friends of Cancer Research, were concerned that certain characteristics of trials would be underrepresented in studies because of overly restrictive eligibility criteria. So at City of Hope, what we did is we took a handful of phase 1 through 3 trials in patients with urothelial cancer. And we took trials that ranged from June, 2012 to June, 2022, so a 10 year time span. And…

Renal Cell Carcinoma Trials: ASCO-FCR Guidelines for Renal Cell Carcinoma Trial Eligibility Ishann Sehgal by Ishann Sehgal, City of Hope – Friends of Cancer Research So my poster is about Eligibility Criteria Towards Retinal Cell Carcinoma, which is kidney cancer. And our results were that HIV positivity and Hepatitis B and C positivity were most exclusive to patient. And also that brain metastases and concurrent malignancies were very inclusive towards patients. What are questions you received from oncologists about your poster? So some of the questions were, what are next steps after this study and what we found was…

HER2 Low Breast Cancer: What Are the Latest Advancements in Novel Drug Antibody Conjugates for 2023? Yuan Yuan MD By Yuan Yuan, MD, PhD There have been so many exciting things in our field, most recently including antibody drug conjugates specifically Trastuzumab Deruxtecan a monoclonal antibody in the HER2 low disease had largely changed our view of breast cancer. We used to put breast cancer into three bucket of triple-negative, HER2-positive, and ER positive. Now the HER2 low actually removed the old barrier and then put them into HER2 low was non HER2 low, so that’s very exciting. The data…

Novel Therapies for Patients with Genetourinary Malignancies By: Rana R. McKay, MD – Medical Oncologist University of California San Diego During my presentation, I was discussing novel therapies for patients with genetic urinary malignancies. We went through a series of targeted therapies, immunotherapies, radio ligand therapies for patients with. State kidney and bladder cancer. To give a highlight, we talked about Belzutifan and renal cell carcinoma. Belzutifan is a HIF two alpha inhibitor that has shown great promise and is looking to see additional data in the future in urothelial cancer. We talked about the combination of pembrolizumab plus…

Lung Cancer EGFR: What Are The Latest Advanced Treatments in 2023? Insights from Ravi Salgia MD By Ravi Salgia, MD, PhD As I said, I’ve been in practice for a long time and I was on the East Coast and then the Midwest and the West Coast. The lung cancer population is different and we know on the West Coast. There are a lot of non-smokers and we know that there can be a lot of molecular alterations in lung cancer, so molecular alterations such as EGFR can happen, but there are many molecular alterations of EGFR, such as the…

Urothelial Cancer: What’s New in 2023? Targeted and Novel Therapies Nataliya Mar MD By Nataliya Mar, MD Good afternoon, everyone. It’s my pleasure to be the last speaker of the afternoon. So today, I thought, since we had so many wonderful speakers before me who went through so many clinical trials and the data, I thought that this would be a little bit different. And we’re going to zoom out a little bit from the clinical trial world and focus a little bit more on how oncology as a field evolved in the past 20 years, let’s say and…

Insights on Breast Cancer Treatment: Yuan Yuan, MD’s Discussion on Sacituzumab Govitecan and Other Novel Treatments By Yuan Yuan, MD, MPH Today we’re gonna take this chance to review breast cancer immunotherapy and novel drug antibody conjugates. This is my disclosure, so. So let’s, when we talk about breast cancer immunotherapy, we’re gonna start with triple negative breast cancer,no-brainer because triple negative breast cancer is currently the only space we have. FDA-approved immunotherapy now talks about a triple negative breast cancer. You all know that it’s a very challenging disease despite all the improvement we made so far. We’re still…

How effective is mosunetuzumab in treating lymphoma? – Elizabeth Budde, MD 2023 reviews new therapies By Elizabeth Budde, Md, PhD Thank you so much for the invitation. This is actually my first time joining the meeting and it’s been very exciting. I’m learning a lot about medical oncology and all the exciting new drugs. Now, some of the naturally, pretty similarly are also using the in the domain.. How do I get started? Oh, great. Yeah, so I was assigned the task to talk about novel regimens and agents in lymphoma. So it’s a switch from medical oncology, but I…

Lung Cancer Trials: Insights into Latest Clinical Trials in Thoracic Oncology – Expert Analysis from Ravi Salgia, MD By Ravi Salgia, MD, PhD Thank you. After that introduction, I think my time is over, we can take questions now. If I can have my first slide. So for today, it’s a whirlwind of a talk to talk about lung cancer and we’ve certainly come a long way, but I’ll try to emphasize EGFR, KRAS, ALK and immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer. Lung cancer, as is a quite devastating illness. I’ve been in practice for over 33 years now and…

Belzutifan and other Novel Therapies in Genitourinary Oncology 2023 By Rana McKay, MD – University of California San Diego We’re gonna start with kidney cancer and go through Belzutifan, Relatlimab, SRF-388 and the others that are listed here. Then we’ll go into. And finally urothelial cancer. This is gonna be a little bit of a whirlwind, splash on each of these drugs where they’re at. And then tie it all up at the end. Renal Cell Carcinoma 2023 Update So we’ll start with kidney cancer and first we’ll talk about Belzutifan. and it’s, I have to say it’s been amazing…

Gastrointestinal Malignancies Research Advancements: Insights from Farshid Dayyani, MD By Farshid Dayyani, MD, PhD Thank you so much for inviting me to this meeting. I was asked to give an overview of research in GI malignancies, and I made 200 slides. Then I realized we have 25 minutes. I practiced this morning. I can’t do it in 18 minutes, so it will be a very concise, here’s my disclosures. What I will try to do is I think I’ll show you very recent data, let’s say the past year or so, where I think the practice might change based on…

Health Inequity in Cancer Research: Examining and Uncovering the Disparities by Hala Borno MD By Hala Borno, MD What also energizes me is that while I was walking down here, I was smiling because I actually got married in this hotel about 10 years ago in the ballroom where the NAFFLE Conference is going on right now. It is just very interesting nostalgia that I was experiencing, but I am delighted to be here and very grateful for the invitation to speak with you. So today I’ll be talking about a topic that’s very near and dear to my heart,…

Leptomeningeal Disease: Phase 1 Trial of BBB-Penetrant HER2 Inhibitor in Metastatic Breast Cancer Nicholas McAndrew MD By Nicholas McAndrew, MD, MSCE DZD1516 is a is a new compound, it’s a new oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor that was designed by the company. When the company initially was developing this drug. They were seeking compounds that were going to be highly HER2 selective and blood-brain barrier penetrant. Because HER2 positive breast cancer is a high rate of CNS metastases, and so it remains 1 of the biggest challenges, although we do now have some compounds out on the market like Tucatinib and…

Polygenic Risk Score: Validation of a Breast Cancer Risk Prediction Model in a Large Prospective Cohort Thomas Slavin, MD By Thomas Slavin, MD When we think about polygenic risk score, it is fairly new. We are doing a lot of the innovation at Myriad. We’ve been doing a lot to restructure the company focused down on women’s health, oncology, mental We’re thinking very differently. We’re trying to be more collaborative, unique access and equity advancements and continue to innovate really heavily in that area. And this is really one of those examples where we saw amazing science going on in…

Endocrine Therapy: 70-Gene MammaPrint Test Predicts Benefit in Early-Stage Breast Cancer Laura Van ’t Veer By Laura Van ‘t Veer, MSC, PhD Breast cancer patients who are diagnosed with breast cancer that is endocrine sensitive. So those tumors that are estrogen receptor positive, their standard of treatment is 5 years of endocrine treatment, Tamoxifen or tyrosine kinase inhibitor. So recent trials have shown that an extension of that 5 years to 10 years benefits patients that which there’s some benefit in survival. But the question has been for some time, who benefits because it’s only a modest benefit and the…

NanoString: Intrinsic Subtypes and 21-Gene Assay Predict Recurrence in Early Stage HER2+ Breast Cancer from Saranya Chumsri MD By Saranya Chumsri, MD Breast cancer is a complex disease with many different subtypes that can impact treatment decisions and patient outcomes. HER2-positive breast cancer is a subtype that is characterized by the overexpression of the HER2 protein, and accounts for approximately 20% of all breast cancer cases. The North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) N9831 (Alliance) Trial was a large, randomized clinical trial that evaluated the use of chemotherapy and trastuzumab (Herceptin) in the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer. The…

Breast Cancer Index: Prospective Evaluation Insights from Kai Treuner PhD By Kai Treuner, PhD So the breast cancer index is a test that’s been developed for the extended endocrine decision making. So in particularly women that are hormone receptor positive that usually get 5 years of endocrine therapy at the 5 year point they have to face the question, is extension of that endocrine therapy beneficial for me or not? So that’s the answer that the BCI provides the breast cancer index we are providing a prognostic answer. So what is the risk of recurrence as well as the prediction…

PACE Trial: Palbociclib, Fulvestrant, and Avelumab in Endocrine Pre-treated Metastatic Breast Cancer Erica Mayer MD By Erica Mayer, MD So a very important standard of care for our patients with metastatic hormone receptor positive HER2-negative breast cancer is using a CDK4/6 inhibitor in combination with endocrine therapy. These are wonderful medicines and they provide great benefit for patients, however, eventually the cancer progresses and a big question has been, when is it time to change therapy? Do you change the, just the endocrine therapy and continue the CDK4/6 inhibitor, or is it time to stop the CDK4/6 inhibitor? So the…

Polygenic Risk Score: Validation of a Breast Cancer Risk Prediction Model in a Large Prospective Cohort Thomas Slavin, MD By Thomas Slavin, MD When we think about polygenic risk score, it is fairly new. We are doing a lot of the innovation at Myriad. We’ve been doing a lot to restructure the company focused down on women’s health, oncology, mental We’re thinking very differently. We’re trying to be more collaborative, unique access and equity advancements and continue to innovate really heavily in that area. And this is really one of those examples where we saw amazing science going on in…

Endocrine Therapy: 70-Gene MammaPrint Test Predicts Benefit in Early-Stage Breast Cancer Laura Van ’t Veer By Laura Van ‘t Veer, MSC, PhD Breast cancer patients who are diagnosed with breast cancer that is endocrine sensitive. So those tumors that are estrogen receptor positive, their standard of treatment is 5 years of endocrine treatment, Tamoxifen or tyrosine kinase inhibitor. So recent trials have shown that an extension of that 5 years to 10 years benefits patients that which there’s some benefit in survival. But the question has been for some time, who benefits because it’s only a modest benefit and the…

NanoString: Intrinsic Subtypes and 21-Gene Assay Predict Recurrence in Early Stage HER2+ Breast Cancer from Saranya Chumsri MD By Saranya Chumsri, MD Breast cancer is a complex disease with many different subtypes that can impact treatment decisions and patient outcomes. HER2-positive breast cancer is a subtype that is characterized by the overexpression of the HER2 protein, and accounts for approximately 20% of all breast cancer cases. The North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) N9831 (Alliance) Trial was a large, randomized clinical trial that evaluated the use of chemotherapy and trastuzumab (Herceptin) in the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer. The…

Breast Cancer Index: Prospective Evaluation Insights from Kai Treuner PhD By Kai Treuner, PhD So the breast cancer index is a test that’s been developed for the extended endocrine decision making. So in particularly women that are hormone receptor positive that usually get 5 years of endocrine therapy at the 5 year point they have to face the question, is extension of that endocrine therapy beneficial for me or not? So that’s the answer that the BCI provides the breast cancer index we are providing a prognostic answer. So what is the risk of recurrence as well as the prediction…

PACE Trial: Palbociclib, Fulvestrant, and Avelumab in Endocrine Pre-treated Metastatic Breast Cancer Erica Mayer MD By Erica Mayer, MD So a very important standard of care for our patients with metastatic hormone receptor positive HER2-negative breast cancer is using a CDK4/6 inhibitor in combination with endocrine therapy. These are wonderful medicines and they provide great benefit for patients, however, eventually the cancer progresses and a big question has been, when is it time to change therapy? Do you change the, just the endocrine therapy and continue the CDK4/6 inhibitor, or is it time to stop the CDK4/6 inhibitor? So the…

Open Label Phase III TIGeR-PaC Interim Data Observes 6-Month Median Survival Benefit: RenovoGem (Intra-Arterial Gemcitabine) Versus IV Gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment By Michael Pishvaian, MD, PhD Locally advanced pancreatic cancer has its own challenges because we’re really focused on trying to treat the tumor where it lies within the pancreas, while also treating the systemic micro metastatic disease that almost certainly is there. It’s also not usually a situation where we’re trying to get the patient to the point of operability. Unfortunately, we know that at least 85% of patients with locally advanced, unresectable pancreatic cancer, as…

Antibody-Drug Conjugate Advancements for Breast Cancer Treatment: Updates from SABCS 2022 by Leif Ellisen MD By Leif Ellisen, MD So antibody drug conjugates, or as I’ll refer to them, ADCs are a really important new class of drugs. They’re very complicated structure in that they have three distinct components. One is an antibody that binds to a target on the surface of the tumor cell. That antibody is linked or conjugated to what we call a “cytotoxic payload,” typically a chemotherapy like drug, and when it’s linked to the antibody, that chemotherapy drug is carried into the cell. When the…

Invasive Lobular Breast Cancer: Steffi Oesterreich Shares Insightful Learning Sessions Exploring ILBC at SABCS 2022 By Steffi Oesterreich, PhD So, I was very excited about increasing attention to special subtypes of breast cancer. There was actually a unique session, an educational session called Challenging Types of Breast Cancer: Lobular/Pleomorphic, and I was very excited because invasive lobular breast cancer, which affects approximately 10 to 15% of all breast cancers, received quite a bit of attention there. I think in prior years that didn’t happen so much here at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), so this was really…

Binimetinib: Combination Insights on the Treatment Strategy of Breast Cancer from SABCS 2022 Saranya Chumsri MD By Saranya Chumsri, MD This particular study is a phase 1/2 trial of Pembrolizumab in combination with Binimetinib (brand name MEKTOVI), which is a MEK inhibitor. So previous preclinical and clinical studies show that activation of the MAP kinase pathway is associated with a reduction in the tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, and when we use the MEK inhibitor in combination with the anti-PDL1, it’s actually synergistic in the clinical model, which led us to conduct this particular trial. Right now the current standard of…

Open Label Phase III TIGeR-PaC Interim Data Observes 6-Month Median Survival Benefit: RenovoGem (Intra-Arterial Gemcitabine) Versus IV Gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment By Michael Pishvaian, MD, PhD Locally advanced pancreatic cancer has its own challenges because we’re really focused on trying to treat the tumor where it lies within the pancreas, while also treating the systemic micro metastatic disease that almost certainly is there. It’s also not usually a situation where we’re trying to get the patient to the point of operability. Unfortunately, we know that at least 85% of patients with locally advanced, unresectable pancreatic cancer, as…

iFrame is not supported! Antibody-Drug Conjugate Advancements for Breast Cancer Treatment: Updates from SABCS 2022 by Leif Ellisen MD By Leif Ellisen, MD So antibody drug conjugates, or as I’ll refer to them, ADCs are a really important new class of drugs. They’re very complicated structure in that they have three distinct components. One is an antibody that binds to a target on the surface of the tumor cell. That antibody is linked or conjugated to what we call a “cytotoxic payload,” typically a chemotherapy like drug, and when it’s linked to the antibody, that chemotherapy drug is carried into…

iFrame is not supported! Invasive Lobular Breast Cancer: Steffi Oesterreich Shares Insightful Learning Sessions Exploring ILBC at SABCS 2022 By Steffi Oesterreich, PhD So, I was very excited about increasing attention to special subtypes of breast cancer. There was actually a unique session, an educational session called Challenging Types of Breast Cancer: Lobular/Pleomorphic, and I was very excited because invasive lobular breast cancer, which affects approximately 10 to 15% of all breast cancers, received quite a bit of attention there. I think in prior years that didn’t happen so much here at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS),…

iFrame is not supported! Binimetinib: Combination Insights on the Treatment Strategy of Breast Cancer from SABCS 2022 Saranya Chumsri MD By Saranya Chumsri, MD This particular study is a phase 1/2 trial of Pembrolizumab in combination with Binimetinib (brand name MEKTOVI), which is a MEK inhibitor. So previous preclinical and clinical studies show that activation of the MAP kinase pathway is associated with a reduction in the tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, and when we use the MEK inhibitor in combination with the anti-PDL1, it’s actually synergistic in the clinical model, which led us to conduct this particular trial. Right now…

Geneoscopy: Evaluating the Efficacy of a Non-Invasive Colorectal Cancer Screening Test: Findings from the CRC-PREVENT Phase 3 Trial Dr. David Lieberman By David Lieberman, MD The idea was to evaluate the efficacy of this Geneoscopy test to screen individuals age 45 and older for colorectal cancer. So, the basic principles of the study were that patients used the “Geneoscopy test”, that could be performed at home, to collect a stool-based diagnostic test. They were sent by express delivery and then to a laboratory, where they were analyzed. And then a key element of this study was that these patients…

Adipocyte Vaccine: Presents Promising Results for Patients with Breast Cancer at SABCS 2022 Nora Disis MD By Nora Disis, MD Obesity is a major problem and a major cause of cancer, and there’s a particular type of obesity called inflammatory obesity where patients develop metabolic dysfunction. This dysfunction is really mediated or caused by immune cells and the type of immune cells it’s caused by are CD8 T-cells. The CD8 T-cells begin to recognize immunogenic proteins in fat, and they proliferate and compete for limited resources in the body fat. They become dysfunctional, and this is one of the ways…

AI Risk Assessment: Sybil A Reliable Deep Learning Model for Predicting Future Lung Cancer Risk Dr. Florian Fintelmann By Florian Fintelmann, MD Sybil has not been used in other disease states. It was specifically developed to aid with the detection of lung cancer on low-dose chest CT, and those are chest CT exams that are performed specifically for lung cancer screenings, so all the data (sets) used to train, develop, tune, and test it were from low-dose chest CTs obtained specifically for lung cancer screening. Could you please explain to our viewers why Sybil has been chosen in this trial…

Antibody-Drug Conjugate Advancements for Breast Cancer Treatment: Updates from SABCS 2022 by Leif Ellisen MD By Leif Ellisen, MD So antibody drug conjugates, or as I’ll refer to them, ADCs are a really important new class of drugs. They’re very complicated structure in that they have three distinct components. One is an antibody that binds to a target on the surface of the tumor cell. That antibody is linked or conjugated to what we call a “cytotoxic payload,” typically a chemotherapy like drug, and when it’s linked to the antibody, that chemotherapy drug is carried into the cell. When the…

Invasive Lobular Breast Cancer: Steffi Oesterreich Shares Insightful Learning Sessions Exploring ILBC at SABCS 2022 By Steffi Oesterreich, PhD So, I was very excited about increasing attention to special subtypes of breast cancer. There was actually a unique session, an educational session called Challenging Types of Breast Cancer: Lobular/Pleomorphic, and I was very excited because invasive lobular breast cancer, which affects approximately 10 to 15% of all breast cancers, received quite a bit of attention there. I think in prior years that didn’t happen so much here at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), so this was really…

Binimetinib: Combination Insights on the Treatment Strategy of Breast Cancer from SABCS 2022 Saranya Chumsri MD By Saranya Chumsri, MD This particular study is a phase 1/2 trial of Pembrolizumab in combination with Binimetinib (brand name MEKTOVI), which is a MEK inhibitor. So previous preclinical and clinical studies show that activation of the MAP kinase pathway is associated with a reduction in the tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, and when we use the MEK inhibitor in combination with the anti-PDL1, it’s actually synergistic in the clinical model, which led us to conduct this particular trial. Right now the current standard of…

The Significance of ctDNA in Predicting Recurrence and Delaying Progression in Breast Cancer Patients Mridula George MD By Mridula George, MD Breast cancer is a complex disease that requires a timely and accurate diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and close monitoring of disease progression. Despite the advances in diagnostic and treatment modalities, disease recurrence and progression remain a significant concern for breast cancer patients. Therefore, identifying reliable biomarkers that can predict disease recurrence and monitor disease progression is crucial for improving patient outcomes. Cell-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has emerged as a promising biomarker in breast cancer. ctDNA is released into the…

iFrame is not supported! Geneoscopy: Evaluating the Efficacy of a Non-Invasive Colorectal Cancer Screening Test: Findings from the CRC-PREVENT Phase 3 Trial Dr. David Lieberman By David Lieberman, MD The idea was to evaluate the efficacy of this Geneoscopy test to screen individuals age 45 and older for colorectal cancer. So, the basic principles of the study were that patients used the “Geneoscopy test”, that could be performed at home, to collect a stool-based diagnostic test. They were sent by express delivery and then to a laboratory, where they were analyzed. And then a key element of this study…

iFrame is not supported! Adipocyte Vaccine: Presents Promising Results for Patients with Breast Cancer at SABCS 2022 Nora Disis MD By Nora Disis, MD Obesity is a major problem and a major cause of cancer, and there’s a particular type of obesity called inflammatory obesity where patients develop metabolic dysfunction. This dysfunction is really mediated or caused by immune cells and the type of immune cells it’s caused by are CD8 T-cells. The CD8 T-cells begin to recognize immunogenic proteins in fat, and they proliferate and compete for limited resources in the body fat. They become dysfunctional, and this is…

iFrame is not supported! AI Risk Assessment: Sybil A Reliable Deep Learning Model for Predicting Future Lung Cancer Risk Dr. Florian Fintelmann By Florian Fintelmann, MD Sybil has not been used in other disease states. It was specifically developed to aid with the detection of lung cancer on low-dose chest CT, and those are chest CT exams that are performed specifically for lung cancer screenings, so all the data (sets) used to train, develop, tune, and test it were from low-dose chest CTs obtained specifically for lung cancer screening. Could you please explain to our viewers why Sybil has been…

The Importance of ctDNA in Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Planning Mridula George MD By Mridula George, MD Breast cancer (e.g., metastatic breast cancer) is the most common cancer in women worldwide, and early detection and personalized treatment are crucial for improving patient outcomes. Recently, the use of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has emerged as a promising tool for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Initially, ctDNA (circulating tumor DNA) was mainly used in the metastatic setting, where it helped clinicians monitor disease progression and identify the most effective treatments. However, with the development of more sensitive assays, ctDNA…

iFrame is not supported! The Significance of ctDNA in Predicting Recurrence and Delaying Progression in Breast Cancer Patients Mridula George MD By Mridula George, MD Breast cancer is a complex disease that requires a timely and accurate diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and close monitoring of disease progression. Despite the advances in diagnostic and treatment modalities, disease recurrence and progression remain a significant concern for breast cancer patients. Therefore, identifying reliable biomarkers that can predict disease recurrence and monitor disease progression is crucial for improving patient outcomes. Cell-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has emerged as a promising biomarker in breast cancer. ctDNA…

Geneoscopy: Evaluating the Efficacy of a Non-Invasive Colorectal Cancer Screening Test: Findings from the CRC-PREVENT Phase 3 Trial Dr. David Lieberman By David Lieberman, MD The idea was to evaluate the efficacy of this Geneoscopy test to screen individuals age 45 and older for colorectal cancer. So, the basic principles of the study were that patients used the “Geneoscopy test”, that could be performed at home, to collect a stool-based diagnostic test. They were sent by express delivery and then to a laboratory, where they were analyzed. And then a key element of this study was that these patients…

Adipocyte Vaccine: Presents Promising Results for Patients with Breast Cancer at SABCS 2022 Nora Disis MD By Nora Disis, MD Obesity is a major problem and a major cause of cancer, and there’s a particular type of obesity called inflammatory obesity where patients develop metabolic dysfunction. This dysfunction is really mediated or caused by immune cells and the type of immune cells it’s caused by are CD8 T-cells. The CD8 T-cells begin to recognize immunogenic proteins in fat, and they proliferate and compete for limited resources in the body fat. They become dysfunctional, and this is one of the ways…

Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin Enhances Outcomes in Intermediate Risk AML Patients Receiving Standard Induction Therapy: ASH 2022 Study Results Eunice Wang MD By Eunice Wang, MD So many patients who have acute myeloid leukemia receive treatment based on their prognostic classification, usually favorable, intermediate, or poor risk. So for patients with favorable risk and for patients with adverse risks the treatment regimens are clearly very straightforward. For patients (AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia)) with intermediate risk, which represents about half of our nearly diagnosed patients who are fit and able to tolerate intensive chemotherapy, we give them a standard regimen 7+3. There is…

Lung Cancer Screening Program: Cedars-Sinai Implements a Streamlined Approach by Sara Ghandehari MD Sara Ghandehari, MD Cedars-Sinai is a non-profit hospital located in Los Angeles, California. They recently implemented a program aimed at increasing the frequency of lung cancer screening, which is currently very low. In this article, we will discuss Cedars-Sinai’s streamlined approach to lung cancer screening, the criteria used to identify eligible individuals, and how their program compares to other similar programs. According to Cedars-Sinai, the rate of lung cancer screening is very low. Nationally, only 6% of those who qualify for lung cancer screening are getting…

AI Risk Assessment: Sybil A Reliable Deep Learning Model for Predicting Future Lung Cancer Risk Dr. Florian Fintelmann By Florian Fintelmann, MD Sybil has not been used in other disease states. It was specifically developed to aid with the detection of lung cancer on low-dose chest CT, and those are chest CT exams that are performed specifically for lung cancer screenings, so all the data (sets) used to train, develop, tune, and test it were from low-dose chest CTs obtained specifically for lung cancer screening. Could you please explain to our viewers why Sybil has been chosen in this trial…

iFrame is not supported! The Importance of ctDNA in Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Planning Mridula George MD By Mridula George, MD Breast cancer (e.g., metastatic breast cancer) is the most common cancer in women worldwide, and early detection and personalized treatment are crucial for improving patient outcomes. Recently, the use of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has emerged as a promising tool for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Initially, ctDNA (circulating tumor DNA) was mainly used in the metastatic setting, where it helped clinicians monitor disease progression and identify the most effective treatments. However, with the development of…

iFrame is not supported! Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin Enhances Outcomes in Intermediate Risk AML Patients Receiving Standard Induction Therapy: ASH 2022 Study Results Eunice Wang MD By Eunice Wang, MD So many patients who have acute myeloid leukemia receive treatment based on their prognostic classification, usually favorable, intermediate, or poor risk. So for patients with favorable risk and for patients with adverse risks the treatment regimens are clearly very straightforward. For patients (AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia)) with intermediate risk, which represents about half of our nearly diagnosed patients who are fit and able to tolerate intensive chemotherapy, we give them a standard…

iFrame is not supported! Lung Cancer Screening Program: Cedars-Sinai Implements a Streamlined Approach by Sara Ghandehari MD Sara Ghandehari, MD Cedars-Sinai is a non-profit hospital located in Los Angeles, California. They recently implemented a program aimed at increasing the frequency of lung cancer screening, which is currently very low. In this article, we will discuss Cedars-Sinai’s streamlined approach to lung cancer screening, the criteria used to identify eligible individuals, and how their program compares to other similar programs. According to Cedars-Sinai, the rate of lung cancer screening is very low. Nationally, only 6% of those who qualify for lung…

Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin Enhances Outcomes in Intermediate Risk AML Patients Receiving Standard Induction Therapy: ASH 2022 Study Results Eunice Wang MD By Eunice Wang, MD So many patients who have acute myeloid leukemia receive treatment based on their prognostic classification, usually favorable, intermediate, or poor risk. So for patients with favorable risk and for patients with adverse risks the treatment regimens are clearly very straightforward. For patients (AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia)) with intermediate risk, which represents about half of our nearly diagnosed patients who are fit and able to tolerate intensive chemotherapy, we give them a standard regimen 7+3. There is…

Lung Cancer Screening Program: Cedars-Sinai Implements a Streamlined Approach by Sara Ghandehari MD Sara Ghandehari, MD Cedars-Sinai is a non-profit hospital located in Los Angeles, California. They recently implemented a program aimed at increasing the frequency of lung cancer screening, which is currently very low. In this article, we will discuss Cedars-Sinai’s streamlined approach to lung cancer screening, the criteria used to identify eligible individuals, and how their program compares to other similar programs. According to Cedars-Sinai, the rate of lung cancer screening is very low. Nationally, only 6% of those who qualify for lung cancer screening are getting…

The Significance of ctDNA in Predicting Recurrence and Delaying Progression in Breast Cancer Patients Mridula George MD By Mridula George, MD Breast cancer is a complex disease that requires a timely and accurate diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and close monitoring of disease progression. Despite the advances in diagnostic and treatment modalities, disease recurrence and progression remain a significant concern for breast cancer patients. Therefore, identifying reliable biomarkers that can predict disease recurrence and monitor disease progression is crucial for improving patient outcomes. Cell-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has emerged as a promising biomarker in breast cancer. ctDNA is released into the…

The Importance of ctDNA in Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Planning Mridula George MD By Mridula George, MD Breast cancer (e.g., metastatic breast cancer) is the most common cancer in women worldwide, and early detection and personalized treatment are crucial for improving patient outcomes. Recently, the use of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has emerged as a promising tool for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Initially, ctDNA (circulating tumor DNA) was mainly used in the metastatic setting, where it helped clinicians monitor disease progression and identify the most effective treatments. However, with the development of more sensitive assays, ctDNA…

Open Label Phase III TIGeR-PaC Interim Data Observes 6-Month Median Survival Benefit: RenovoGem (Intra-Arterial Gemcitabine) Versus IV Gemcitabine and Nab-paclitaxel for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment By Michael Pishvaian, MD, PhD Listen the to Audio Podcast: Stephanie Comello · David Lieberman, MD – Geneoscopy’s Colorectal Cancer Screening Test David Lieberman, MD – Geneoscopy’s Colorectal Cancer Screening Test Locally advanced pancreatic cancer has its own challenges because we’re really focused on trying to treat the tumor where it lies within the pancreas, while also treating the systemic micrometastatic disease that almost certainly is there. It’s also not usually a situation where we’re trying…

Elacestrant: FDA Grants Approval for Breast Cancer Treatment: Insights from Virginia Kaklamani By Virginia Kaklamani So after a patient’s cancer has progressed and and we’re talking about ER+ metastatic breast cancer in the first line setting, which we typically give a CDK4/6 inhibitor and endocrine therapy, we really don’t have a lot of good effective therapies. And the data that we’ve had since the use of CDK4/6 inhibitors has suggested a median PFS (progression-free survival) of anywhere between 3-5 months, with subsequent endocrine therapies. So this is why this field is extremely important in trying to find effective endocrine therapies…

iFrame is not supported! Elacestrant: FDA Grants Approval for Breast Cancer Treatment: Insights from Virginia Kaklamani By Virginia Kaklamani So after a patient’s cancer has progressed and and we’re talking about ER+ metastatic breast cancer in the first line setting, which we typically give a CDK4/6 inhibitor and endocrine therapy, we really don’t have a lot of good effective therapies. And the data that we’ve had since the use of CDK4/6 inhibitors has suggested a median PFS (progression-free survival) of anywhere between 3-5 months, with subsequent endocrine therapies. So this is why this field is extremely important in trying to…

FLEX Trial Breast Cancer: SABCS 2022 Mehran Habnibi MD Looking at Gene Mutations By Mehran Habibi, MD, MBA The new adjuvant hormone therapy and to treat the breast cancers that are estrogen positive in the US is not really something that we do a lot. So we do a lot of new adjuvant chemotherapies, but the new adjuvant hormone therapy has not really picked up. One of the reasons is that it takes quite some time for the hormone therapy to work and start to shrink the tumor to have a clinical response, around 3 months, sometimes 6 months or…

iFrame is not supported! FLEX Trial Breast Cancer: SABCS 2022 Mehran Habnibi MD Looking at Gene Mutations By Mehran Habibi, MD, MBA The new adjuvant hormone therapy and to treat the breast cancers that are estrogen positive in the US is not really something that we do a lot. So we do a lot of new adjuvant chemotherapies, but the new adjuvant hormone therapy has not really picked up. One of the reasons is that it takes quite some time for the hormone therapy to work and start to shrink the tumor to have a clinical response, around 3 months,…

Elacestrant: FDA Grants Approval for Breast Cancer Treatment: Insights from Virginia Kaklamani By Virginia Kaklamani So after a patient’s cancer has progressed and and we’re talking about ER+ metastatic breast cancer in the first line setting, which we typically give a CDK4/6 inhibitor and endocrine therapy, we really don’t have a lot of good effective therapies. And the data that we’ve had since the use of CDK4/6 inhibitors has suggested a median PFS (progression-free survival) of anywhere between 3-5 months, with subsequent endocrine therapies. So this is why this field is extremely important in trying to find effective endocrine therapies…

FLEX Trial Breast Cancer: SABCS 2022 Mehran Habnibi MD Looking at Gene Mutations By Mehran Habibi, MD, MBA The new adjuvant hormone therapy and to treat the breast cancers that are estrogen positive in the US is not really something that we do a lot. So we do a lot of new adjuvant chemotherapies, but the new adjuvant hormone therapy has not really picked up. One of the reasons is that it takes quite some time for the hormone therapy to work and start to shrink the tumor to have a clinical response, around 3 months, sometimes 6 months or…

Sacituzumab Govitecan: SABCS 2022 Sara Tolaney vs Chemo TROPiCS-02 By Sara Tolaney, MD What were the patient-reported outcomes from the TROPiCS-02 trial? So this year at San Antonio, we saw data from TROPiCS-02. This was a randomized phase 3 study that compared Sacituzumab Govitecan (SG), which is a novel antibody drug conjugate, to standard of care chemotherapy in patients with metastatic hormone receptor positive breast cancer. We’d seen results from this trial previously, initially at ASCO, we saw data regarding progression-free survival (PFS), demonstrating that Sacituzumab Govitecan (SG) led to an improvement in progression-free survival compared to chemotherapy in…

iFrame is not supported! Sacituzumab Govitecan: SABCS 2022 Sara Tolaney vs Chemo TROPiCS-02 By Sara Tolaney, MD What were the patient-reported outcomes from the TROPiCS-02 trial? So this year at San Antonio, we saw data from TROPiCS-02. This was a randomized phase 3 study that compared Sacituzumab Govitecan (SG), which is a novel antibody drug conjugate, to standard of care chemotherapy in patients with metastatic hormone receptor positive breast cancer. We’d seen results from this trial previously, initially at ASCO, we saw data regarding progression-free survival (PFS), demonstrating that Sacituzumab Govitecan (SG) led to an improvement in progression-free survival…

Sacituzumab Govitecan: SABCS 2022 Sara Tolaney vs Chemo TROPiCS-02 By Sara Tolaney, MD What were the patient-reported outcomes from the TROPiCS-02 trial? So this year at San Antonio, we saw data from TROPiCS-02. This was a randomized phase 3 study that compared Sacituzumab Govitecan (SG), which is a novel antibody drug conjugate, to standard of care chemotherapy in patients with metastatic hormone receptor positive breast cancer. We’d seen results from this trial previously, initially at ASCO, we saw data regarding progression-free survival (PFS), demonstrating that Sacituzumab Govitecan (SG) led to an improvement in progression-free survival compared to chemotherapy in…

Heterogeneity: SABCS 2022 Adrian Lee PhD Highlighted Research in Transcriptomics By Professor Adrian Lee How can heterogeneity in breast cancer metastasis highlighted research in transcriptomics help patients? So this year at SABCS (San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium) we learned a lot about the heterogeneity of breast cancer. It’s helped us to understand the heterogeneity, and there was lots of talks and posters on new techniques and allow us to unravel the molecular features that have gone wrong in breast cancer and that’s helping us then direct therapies to them, and many of the clinical trials are using these new targets…

iFrame is not supported! Heterogeneity: SABCS 2022 Adrian Lee PhD Highlighted Research in Transcriptomics By Professor Adrian Lee How can heterogeneity in breast cancer metastasis highlighted research in transcriptomics help patients? So this year at SABCS (San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium) we learned a lot about the heterogeneity of breast cancer. It’s helped us to understand the heterogeneity, and there was lots of talks and posters on new techniques and allow us to unravel the molecular features that have gone wrong in breast cancer and that’s helping us then direct therapies to them, and many of the clinical trials are…

Heterogeneity: SABCS 2022 Adrian Lee PhD Highlighted Research in Transcriptomics By Professor Adrian Lee How can heterogeneity in breast cancer metastasis highlighted research in transcriptomics help patients? So this year at SABCS (San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium) we learned a lot about the heterogeneity of breast cancer. It’s helped us to understand the heterogeneity, and there was lots of talks and posters on new techniques and allow us to unravel the molecular features that have gone wrong in breast cancer and that’s helping us then direct therapies to them, and many of the clinical trials are using these new targets…

Brentuximab: ASH 2022 Dr. Mitul Gandhi Updated Efficacy and Safety Results By Mitul Gandhi, MD What were the results of the safety and efficacy of Brentuximab brand name ADCETRIS, in patients with Hodgkin Lymphoma? So this is a multi-center, multi-part study. Taking patients in this particular part B, evaluating patients with stage 2 bulky hodgkin’s lymphoma and stage 3 and 4 hodgkin lymphoma. The existing standard of care represents a combination of ABVD Adriamycin, Bleomycin, Vinblastine, Dacarbazine, often with omission of Bleomycin after PET stratification after cycle 2. Along with the newer standard of care based on the ECHELON-1 data…

iFrame is not supported! Brentuximab: ASH 2022 Dr. Mitul Gandhi Updated Efficacy and Safety Results By Mitul Gandhi, MD What were the results of the safety and efficacy of Brentuximab brand name ADCETRIS, in patients with Hodgkin Lymphoma? So this is a multi-center, multi-part study. Taking patients in this particular part B, evaluating patients with stage 2 bulky hodgkin’s lymphoma and stage 3 and 4 hodgkin lymphoma. The existing standard of care represents a combination of ABVD Adriamycin, Bleomycin, Vinblastine, Dacarbazine, often with omission of Bleomycin after PET stratification after cycle 2. Along with the newer standard of care based…

Brentuximab: ASH 2022 Dr. Mitul Gandhi Updated Efficacy and Safety Results By Mitul Gandhi, MD What were the results of the safety and efficacy of Brentuximab brand name ADCETRIS, in patients with Hodgkin Lymphoma? So this is a multi-center, multi-part study. Taking patients in this particular part B, evaluating patients with stage 2 bulky hodgkin’s lymphoma and stage 3 and 4 hodgkin lymphoma. The existing standard of care represents a combination of ABVD Adriamycin, Bleomycin, Vinblastine, Dacarbazine, often with omission of Bleomycin after PET stratification after cycle 2. Along with the newer standard of care based on the ECHELON-1 data…

Odronextamab: ASH 2022 Won Seog Kim MD Prespecified Analysis ELM-2 in DLBCL By Won Seog Kim, MD How can Odronextamab help patients with Relapsed/Refractory (R/R) Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL)? I presented here the interim analysis data for the next one, monotherapy, in patients with relapsed refractory DLBCL, in general, in patients who had the prior two or more lines of treatment. The outcome is quite disappointing in this Odronextamab clinical trial. The expected survivor was less than several months, and with the cytotoxic agent, we cannot have good until now. So here we, I’m presenting the other next monotherapy…

iFrame is not supported! Odronextamab: ASH 2022 Won Seog Kim MD Prespecified Analysis ELM-2 in DLBCL By Won Seog Kim, MD How can Odronextamab help patients with Relapsed/Refractory (R/R) Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL)? I presented here the interim analysis data for the next one, monotherapy, in patients with relapsed refractory DLBCL, in general, in patients who had the prior two or more lines of treatment. The outcome is quite disappointing in this Odronextamab clinical trial. The expected survivor was less than several months, and with the cytotoxic agent, we cannot have good until now. So here we, I’m presenting…

Odronextamab: ASH 2022 Won Seog Kim MD Prespecified Analysis ELM-2 in DLBCL By Won Seog Kim, MD How can Odronextamab help patients with Relapsed/Refractory (R/R) Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL)? I presented here the interim analysis data for the next one, monotherapy, in patients with relapsed refractory DLBCL, in general, in patients who had the prior two or more lines of treatment. The outcome is quite disappointing in this Odronextamab clinical trial. The expected survivor was less than several months, and with the cytotoxic agent, we cannot have good until now. So here we, I’m presenting the other next monotherapy…

Phase 3 ITHACA Study Results: Latest Insights on Isatuximab presented from ASH 2022 discussed by Dr. Irene Ghobrial from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Isatuximab: ASH 2022 Irene Ghobrial Phase 3 Ithaca Study We presented in the American Society of Hematology (ASH). Several abstracts related to MGUS and smoldering multiple myeloma. Some of them about risk stratification, who should be treated for smoldering myeloma because we know that many people are diagnosed with MGUS and smoldering myeloma… Read Article Watch Video Listen to Audio MRD: ASH 2022 Ben Derman the MRD2STOP Guide The study that we have conducted or we’re currently…

Pembrolizumab’s approval in this setting does not mean clinical value for Adjuvant Therapy for Resected NSCLC By Jack West, MD Hi, I’m Dr. Jack West, and I’m a thoracic oncologist and associate professor at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Los Angeles area. I wanted to take a minute to talk about the very recent FDA approval of pembrolizumab in the adjuvant setting for to treat patients with resected stage 1B to stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer, and specifically how much or how little this FDA approval should translate to clinical use, or should we presume…

iFrame is not supported! Pembrolizumab’s approval in this setting does not mean clinical value for Adjuvant Therapy for Resected NSCLC By Jack West, MD Hi, I’m Dr. Jack West, and I’m a thoracic oncologist and associate professor at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Los Angeles area. I wanted to take a minute to talk about the very recent FDA approval of pembrolizumab in the adjuvant setting for to treat patients with resected stage 1B to stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer, and specifically how much or how little this FDA approval should translate to clinical use,…

Pembrolizumab’s approval in this setting does not mean clinical value for Adjuvant Therapy for Resected NSCLC By Jack West, MD Hi, I’m Dr. Jack West, and I’m a thoracic oncologist and associate professor at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Los Angeles area. I wanted to take a minute to talk about the very recent FDA approval of pembrolizumab in the adjuvant setting for to treat patients with resected stage 1B to stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer, and specifically how much or how little this FDA approval should translate to clinical use, or should we presume…

2023 ASH BCMA & Multiple Myeloma Updates with Slides by: Lisa Lee, MD – Assistant Professor — Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, UCI School of Medicine I wanna give you a quick update of the myeloma abstracts at ASH. And inevitably it’s gonna end up kind of focusing on the evolving saga over immunotherapies, because that’s the way that the field is heading. I have no conflicts of interest. So for those of you who treat myeloma, you know that we’re still plagued by this paradigm wherein we can’t tell patients that there’s a cure for their disease. Each subsequent…

ASH Meeting 2022 – Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation with Tacrolimus Updates By Stefan O. Ciurea, MD from UCI Health So I talked about a couple of abstracts from ASH presented ASH this year. And one of the most important probably was the late breaking abstract 4 with post transplantation Cyclophosphamide, Tacrolimus, and Mycophenolate Mofetil GVHD Prophylaxis randomized to tacrolimus (Tac) plus methotrexate (MTX) for patients with hematologic malignancies, ongoing transplantation with a reduced intensity condition regimen. This was a BMT CTN study 1703, and this study showed that GRFS GVHD-free relapse-free survival was significantly better. With Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide, Tacrolimus, and…

What ASH abstracts stood out to you most in multiple myeloma? By Lisa X. Lee, MD from UCI Health At ASH this year, it was all about immunotherapy for multiple myeloma. This year’s ASH came on the heels of two major approvals for BCMA directed CAR T, as well as our first approved BCMA bispecific. And I think, the question for people who treat myeloma is how can we improve upon these approved therapies? There were a lot of exciting abstracts and oral presentations on optimizing T-cell therapy, the cellular product itself. There are also interesting presentations on the sequencing…

Myelodysplastic Syndromes Treatment Update for 2023 By Deepa Jeyakumar, MD from UCI Health I think what’s very exciting is that in the past year we’ve seen multiple different agents that are available for patients, giving them more options for these difficult to treat diseases in low risk MDs. We have seen the initial results. With a telomerase inhibitor, which will hopefully prove beneficial in patients with lower risk MDs and complete transfusion independence, patients can spend less time in the infusion centers getting blood transfusions and more time outliving their lives. In higher risk MDs, there are multiple different options…

Zanubrutinib compared to ibrutinib in chronic lymphocytic leukemia By Elizabeth Brém, MD from UCI Health We focused basically on two major as abstracts from ASH this year. One of which was a late breaking abstract called the Aspen Study, which was Zanubrutinib versus Ibrutinib in treatment of CLL, which showed a progression-free survival benefit for Zanubrutinib, and actually led to a recent FDA approval for Zanubrutinib for treatment of CLL. And we also talked about the triangle study, which had been presented at the plenary, looking at whether or not we should incorporate Ibrutinib into our standard of care…

Women with recurrent miscarriage were treated with low molecular weight heparin versus usual pregnancy care By Zahra Pakbaz, MD from UCI Health Today was mainly MOASC Hematology Spotlight, and my session was about nonmalignant hematology. So I tried to summarize some of the abstracts which were presented at ASH. But because of, it’s a garden variety of diseases are all bunched up in non-cancer blood disorders. So I decided to pick the two benign hematology late breaking abstracts. One was about PNH (Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria) and the new development of an overall medication complement inhibitor and B factor, B inhibitor,…

ASH Meeting 2022 – Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation with Tacrolimus UpdatesBy: Stefan O. Ciurea, MD – Director, Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program University of California IrvineI was asked to talk about ab ASH updates and I selected 13 abstracts. I’m gonna go through them very fast if we’re already late. I have about 50 slides, first abstract I wanna talk about is this late breaking abstract, which is in fact first results from a randomized phase three trial done by BMT CTN. comparing two methods of GVHD prophylaxis with post transplantation, cyclophosphamide, Tacrolimus, MMF versus tacrolimus, methotrexate,…

iFrame is not supported! Inotuzumab and MRD Understanding the Importance of Targeted Therapy in Cancer Treatment Summarized from Van Huynh, MD’s video on MRD: 2023 ASH ALL Inotuzumab Update [Slides] – MOASC Hematological malignancies like acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (AML) are diseases that affects millions of people worldwide, and it is essential to have effective treatments that can target the specific type of cancer and its underlying genetic mutations. Targeted therapy is a type of cancer treatment that aims to inhibit the specific genetic mutations or proteins that drive the growth of cancer cells. In this article, we will explore the…