Author: Editor

Speaking from the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK, Islam Elkonaissi of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK discusses how pharmacists play an important role in the introduction and effective utilization of new drugs for pancreatic cancer. Mr Elkonaissi highlights how meetings such as BOPA aid in this process.

Exciting clinical updates for lung and pancreatic cancer were presented at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK. In this interview, Islam Elkonaissi of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, gives a summary of the highlights from these sessions, including novel immunotherapies and the role of pharmacists in championing these.

In this presentation from the ‘Looking Closely at New Therapeutic Options for Hepatocellular Carcinoma’, Dr. Bruno Daniele discusses the latest advances in translational medicine for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Earn CME credit for a related activity at the following location: http://elc.imedex.com/ELC/Specialty-Search.aspx?search=gastrointestinal © 2017 Imedex, LLC.

In this presentation from the ‘Looking Closely at New Therapeutic Options for Hepatocellular Carcinoma’, Dr. Jordi Bruix discusses novel treatment approaches for patients with advanced, unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Earn CME credit for a related activity at the following location: http://elc.imedex.com/ELC/Specialty-Search.aspx?search=gastrointestinal © 2017 Imedex, LLC.

In this presentation from the ‘Looking Closely at New Therapeutic Options for Hepatocellular Carcinoma’, Dr. Luigi Bolondi discusses the latest advancements in locoregional therapy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Earn CME credit for a related activity at the following location: http://elc.imedex.com/ELC/Specialty-Search.aspx?search=gastrointestinal © 2017 Imedex, LLC.

Joseph M. Connors, MD from British Colombia Cancer Agency discusses the progress that has been made combatting Hodgkins lymphoma and a more effective recipe new analyses and insights for treatments at the 2017 American Society of Hematology.

Robert Z. Orlowski, MD from MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses further research in Multiple Myeloma and adapting to a minimal residual disease driven approach at the 2017 American Society of Hematology.

John M. Burke, MD from Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers discusses new conjugate CD 79 and relapsed refractory B-Cell at the 2017 American Society of Hematology.

Aziz Nazha, MD from the Cleveland Clinic discusses predicting Survival Myelodysplastic Syndrome and using the Random Survival Forest Algorithm at the 2017 American Society of Hematology.

Alok Khorana, MD from the Cleveland Clinic discusses studies in 2018 and CASSINI and Apixaban for the prevention of VTE at the 2017 American Society of Hematology.

Sattva S. Neelapu MD, from MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses beyond ZUMA-1 and evaluating Axi-Cel efficacy at the 2017 American Society of Hematology.

Robert Z. Orlowski, MD, PhD, from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses multiple myeloma studies for 2018 data from daratumumab with carfilzomib, lenalidomide etc at the 2017 American Society of Hematology.

The production of novel anti-cancer treatments has taken cancer therapy to a point that was previously unimaginable. Here, Jeff Evans, MD from the University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK talks us through innovations in anti-cancer therapies and clinical trials at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK. Prof. Evans touches upon the potential future treatment methods and the opportunity to use more personalized treatments.

Joseph M. Connors, MD from British Colombia Cancer Agency discusses results of the Echelon-1 Trial and new chemotherapy that is a combination of brentuximab vedotin, and AVD at the 2017 American Society of Hematology.

When helping patients through their treatment, CRUK and Macmillan Cancer Support act as fantastic allies for pharmacists. In this interview, Jackie Lewis, BPharm, MRPharmS, PhD of Lewis Pharmacy, Devon, UK describes the key resources offered by CRUK and Macmillan Cancer Support, and their success in providing helpful information for healthcare professionals, which can then be passed onto patients. This video was recorded at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK.

Jackie Lewis, BPharm, MRPharmS, PhD of Lewis Pharmacy, Devon, UK discusses the evolution of cancer care in community pharmacies. Dr Lewis explains how communication between primary and secondary care is improving with enhanced cancer care approaches and discusses the opportunity for pharmacists to administer specific drug treatments, such as monoclonal antibodies. This video was recorded at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK.

As the demand on healthcare services increases, novel and innovative ways to meet that demand need to be created. In this interview, Jeff Evans, MD from the University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK explains how pharmacists are essential in clinical trials and the subsequent delivery of new therapies, and the future of pharmacist-led clinics and services. This interview was recorded at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK.

Speaking from the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK, Jackie Lewis, BPharm, MRPharmS, PhD of Lewis Pharmacy, Devon, UK discusses how community pharmacists can support cancer patients both during and post-treatment, and the cross-talk between secondary and primary care. Dr Lewis highlights the importance and relevance of meetings like BOPA for community pharmacists in the enhancement of their work.

Aziz Nazha, MD from the Cleveland Clinic discusses algorithm picks relevant variables and variables help predict survivability with myelodysplastic syndromes at the 2017 American Society of Hematology.

There are now many drugs available for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL); however, there is only limited data regarding the best order and combination to administer them in. Here, Matthew Davids, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, discusses the factors that can be used to determine what therapeutic agent is the best choice. Dr Davids covers sequencing to detect specific mutations, such as those in the TP53 and IGHV genes. He also highlights what variables should be considered in patients without these more well-characterized mutations. This video was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH)…

The optimal treatment for younger patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) depends on a number of factors, including what was given as the frontline treatment. Speaking from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, Matthew Davids, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, discusses the options available to this group on patients. Dr Davids covers the prospect of continuing chemoimmunotherapy, the agents he typically advises, alternative options and what he predicts to be the case in the future.

There are now many effective therapies to choose from for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Thus, a recent area of therapeutic development in CLL is the creation of time-limited regimens and curative treatment plans. In this interview, Matthew Davids, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, discusses the Phase II study of ibrutinib plus FCR as a frontline therapy for CLL patients (NCT02251548), with the exciting aim of improving cure rates in low- and high-risk patients. Dr Davids provides an overview of the impressive results regarding response rate, response depth and MRD negativity. He also highlights exciting future plans for…

Richters transformation remains a challenge in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). In this interview, Matthew Davids, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, discusses the key approaches being developed to address this issue, include immunotherapy and chemosensitivity enhancement. Dr Davids discusses promising recent and ongoing studies in these areas, including those investigating immune checkpoint inhibitors and venetoclax. This video was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA.

John M. Burke, MD from Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers discusses Atezolizumab + Bendamustine & Obinutuzumab and no major safety signals in follicular lymphoma at the 2017 American Society of Hematology.

Targeted therapies have revolutionized the treatment of cancer; however, under the selective pressures exerted by these therapies, tumor cells with mutations conferring resistance will gradually dominate, leading to relapse. Gilteritinib, a novel FLT3/AXL inhibitor, has emerged as a highly effective drug for the treatment of FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in clinical trials. Now, researchers and clinicians are keen to determine what the mechanisms of resistance to this drug will be. Speaking from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, Dr Levis discusses an abstract that he presented at the meeting, which analyzed…

TAK-659 is a novel FLT3 inhibitor in the initial trial stages for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Interestingly, TAK-659 also inhibits SYK, a target that is more common in the treatment of B-cell malignancies. In this interview, Mark Levis, MD, PhD, of Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, discusses the pharmacokinetics and promising preliminary results of the Phase I trial of this agent (NCT02323113) in patients with relapsed or refractory AML. This video was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA.

Although our knowledge of the underlying genetic causes of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and their consequent molecular results has progressed drastically over the past decade, there is still much to learn. In this interview, Mark Levis, MD, PhD, of Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, discusses his highlights in this regard from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA. Speaking from the meeting, Dr Levis highlights abstracts investigating how DNMT3 mutations work and follow-up data from the RATIFY study of midostaurin (NCT00651261).

In patients whose cancer is primarily caused by a specific mutation, tests which enable the determination of variant allele frequency (VAF) provide a useful means to assess the depth of treatment response relative to mutational burden. In this insightful interview, Mark Levis, MD, PhD, of Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, discusses the assays that his group developed to measure VAF in patients with FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which utilize next-generation sequencing and capillary electrophoresis. These assays were used in a subpopulation from the CHRYSALIS study (NCT02014558), which tested the FLT3 inhibitor gilteritinib, with results presented at the…

Robert Z. Orlowski, MD, PhD, from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses combinations well tolerated in multiple Myeloma and that benefits are better when compared to lenalidomide alone at the 2017 American Society of Hematology.

Sattva S. Neelapu, MD, from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses how Axi-Cel is a milestone for treating B-Cell Lymphoma and the paradigm shift for future B-Cell Lymphoma treatment at the 2017 American Society of Hematology.

Alok Khorana, MD of the Cleveland Clinic discusses the prevalence and consequences of VTE and increased chance of fatality and admissions to the hospital at the 2017 American Society of Hematology.

Joseph M. Connors, MD, FRCPC from The BC Cancer Agency Research Centre discusses checkpoint inhibitors in Hodgkin’s lymphoma and immune system manipulation and car-t cells at the 2017 American Society of Hematology.

Although great strides have been made in cancer treatment and diagnosis, in many types of cancer these aspects are still underdeveloped. In this interview, Julia Schnabel, PhD, of Kings College London, London, UK, discusses how the latest cancer imaging methods could help understand a cancer at an earlier stage, identifying the best treatment course quickly, saving time and money spent on ineffective therapies, ideally before symptoms even appear. This interview was recorded at the 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference, held in Liverpool, UK.

There is a constant need for new knowledge discovery in cancer biology; we do not yet fully understand the underlying mechanisms or behaviors of cancer. Speaking from the 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference, held in Liverpool, UK, Julia Schnabel, PhD, of Kings College London, London, UK, discusses how trained neural networks have aided in reducing the workload in cancer imaging analysis, as well as in other fields, helping to uncover trends and extrapolate data where it would be too arduous for a human.

Modern machinery learning techniques allow for the processing of large quantities of cancer images, at a much faster rate than could be done manually. However, as Julia Schnabel, PhD, of Kings College London, London, UK, explains here, to unlock this potential there is the problem of manually producing a large enough database for the modern machinery to learn and process new data from. This interview was recorded at the 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference, held in Liverpool, UK.

Artificial neural networks that can process information have existed for a long time. However, in recent years greater computing power has allowed for the creation of deep learning convolutional neural networks (CNNs), which are capable of processing much larger data sets and producing more sophisticated results. Speaking from the 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference, held in Liverpool, UK, Julia Schnabel, PhD, of Kings College London, London, UK, discusses the advent of these deep learning neural networks and how they came about.

Although there are few data sets available to researchers in cancer imaging compared with other fields, experts are able to make the most of the data they have available, as explained in this interview with Julia Schnabel, PhD, of Kings College London, London, UK. Prof. Schnabel touches upon the modern machinery learning techniques used, such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs), which have a close to human-level of performance for analyzing tumor images. This interview was recorded at the 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference, held in Liverpool, UK.

When studying patient data, many fields of cancer medicine will have large databases containing information from tens of thousands of patients to draw conclusions from. Here, Julia Schnabel, PhD, of Kings College London, London, UK, explains that this is not the case in cancer imaging. Rather, they focus on the quality of available datasets and use machinery that can glean a lot of information from single patient scans. This interview was recorded at the 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference, held in Liverpool, UK.

The immunoscore is a predictive tool that looks at a cancer patients adaptive immunity to predict survival and recurrence, amongst other uses. In this interview, Jerome Galon, PhD, of Cordeliers Research Center, Paris, France, gives an overview of how a low immunoscore, indicating a cold tumor with few immune cells in it, can be changed through treatments such as immunotherapy or anti-EGFR therapies to stimulate immune activity inside the tumor, and increase the patients immunoscore. This video was recorded at the 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference, held in Liverpool, UK.

An immunoscore is an evaluative test of a cancer patients adaptive immune activity towards their tumor, and can predict survival, recurrence and treatment response. Here, Jerome Galon, PhD, of Cordeliers Research Center, Paris, France, describes how the immunoscore could be used on tumor biopsies before, during and after a course of treatment to evaluate the efficacy of the therapy and monitor the patients wellbeing. This video was recorded at the 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference, held in Liverpool, UK.

The immunoscore is a predictive tool that scores cancer patients based on an evaluation of their adaptive immunity. In this interview, Jerome Galon, PhD, of Cordeliers Research Center, Paris, France, who helped develop the immunoscore, gives an overview of its current usage in the risk stratification of colon cancer patients in Europe, in addition to its potential in other types of cancer and as a predictive biomarker of treatment responses. This video was recorded at the 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference, held in Liverpool, UK.

It is important that we have accurate models for the risk stratification of cancer patients, in order to determine how best to treat them. Here, Jerome Galon, PhD, of Cordeliers Research Center, Paris, France, gives an overview of the immunoscore, an immunological assay that his team developed, which allows for the risk quantification of cancer patients based on adaptive immunity. The immunoscore has proven to be a useful predictor of survival and recurrence of cancer, and may eventually be used by many centers around the world. This video was recorded at the 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference, held…

There are many ways of predicting cancer recurrence and survival; these include pathology-based tests, such as tumor grade, molecular markers, such as mutations, and the TNM staging classification. However, the recently developed immunoscore, which evaluates cancer recurrence and survival through analysis of the patients adaptive immunity, has recently shown to be a more powerful predictor than all of these, as explained here by Jerome Galon, PhD, of Cordeliers Research Center, Paris, France, at the 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference, held in Liverpool, UK.

In recent years, the interest of the scientific community in the immune system as it relates to cancer has greatly increased, with the advent of immunotherapies being used as cancer treatments. In this interview, recorded at the 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference, held in Liverpool, UK, Jerome Galon, PhD, of Cordeliers Research Center, Paris, France, gives an introduction to his talk at the conference, the immunoscore, an evaluation of the immune response to cancer and the tumor microenvironment.

Knowledge is evolving regarding numerous clinical aspects of immune thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP), and there remains significant variability in clinical practice patterns for its management. This activity features ITP experts James Bussel, MD and Nichola Cooper, MD sharing their insights about data recently released in either abstract or full publication form pertaining to pharmacotherapy for ITP, with a focus on the use of thrombopoietin (TPO) receptor agonists. Earn CME credit for this activity at the following location: http://elc.imedex.com/ELC/Specialty-Search.aspx?search=Hematology © 2017 Imedex, LLC.

In this Key Insights activity, Drs. Corey J. Langer, MD and Joshua Bauml discuss the key take-home points from the 22nd Annual Perspectives in Thoracic Oncology meeting held November 17-18, 2017 in New York. Earn CME credit for this activity at the following location: http://elc.imedex.com/ELC/Specialty-Search.aspx?search=lung © 2017 Imedex, LLC.

Recent developments in research allowing for the DNA analysis of formalin-fixed samples have allowed for greater accessibility to tumor sample data, removing the limitation of only being able to analyze fresh samples. In this interview, Andrew Beggs, FRCS (Gen), PhD, of the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK, discusses his groups contribution to the advancement of the DNA analysis of formalin-fixed materials through exome sequencing. Dr Beggs also highlights the potential of single cell sequencing and the benefits that it would bring to advancing our understanding of tumor biology. This video was recorded at the 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI)…

Proton beam therapy is a high energy, localized form of radiation therapy that has the potential to greatly improve the treatment of certain types of cancer. In this interview, Adrian Crellin, MB, BChir, MA, FRCP, FRCR, of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK, gives an overview of the UKs new NHS-funded proton beam centers, the first of which is set to open in 2018. He discusses the main issues that they will deal with early on, namely identifying the patient cohorts for which the treatment is still cost-effective over conventional radiotherapy; and the lessons learnt from the commercial model…

Recent research has demonstrated that a lot of information about a cancer can be elucidated from a formalin-fixed sample, as opposed to having to use a fresh or frozen sample, as was previously the case when investigating tumor DNA. In this interview, recorded at the 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference, held in Liverpool, UK, Andrew Beggs, FRCS (Gen), PhD, of the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK, discusses why these formalin-based advancements are so important, and why they will bring great benefits to laboratories and hospitals throughout the country.

With the NHS opening two high energy proton beam centers next year, optimism is high in the medical community for the benefits that this could bring to many cancer patients over the coming years. However, as explained here by Adrian Crellin, MB, BChir, MA, FRCP, FRCR, of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK, there is still a high degree of uncertainty regarding the dosage and biological quirks of the treatment, especially when integrated with other drugs, and so the proper evaluation of proton beam therapy under academic contexts is essential for the safety of patients. This video was recorded…

Even though the UKs first high energy proton beam centers are yet to open, it is critical to look forward and see where the field should be moving in the coming years. In this insightful interview, recorded at the 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference, held in Liverpool, UK, Adrian Crellin, MB, BChir, MA, FRCP, FRCR, of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK, gives a forecast of how the field may advance in the short term, with improvements to the technology and a better understanding of where the treatment should be indicated. Dr Crellin also speculates on the…

The NHS is opening its first two high energy proton beam therapy centers in 2018 and 2020, at great financial cost, after many years of lobbying from the medical community. However, speaking from the 2017 National Cancer Research Institue (NCRI) Conference in Liverpool, UK, Adrian Crellin, MB, BChir, MA, FRCP, FRCR, of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK, hypothesizes that these years convincing the government to invest may have allowed the UKs entry into the proton beam therapy field to come at the perfect time. Dr Crellin highlights great recent advancements in the technology used in the treatment, which…

The dissemination and sharing of scientific knowledge is key to improving healthcare practices on a national and international scale. In this interview, filmed at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK, Islam Elkonaissi of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK emphasizes the importance and utility of meetings such as BOPA, highlighting a change that his center made based on information learned at the event.

Novel immunotherapies have great potential to improve the survival of cancer patients; however, new treatments must be introduced in a regulated manner in order to plan for anticipated, and unanticipated, side effects. Here, Islam Elkonaissi of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK describes the crucial role pharmacists will serve in the introduction of immunotherapies for cancer. This video was recorded at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK.

The early diagnosis of cancer is key to survival; however, with the many demands upon the NHS this can be challenging. Speaking from the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK, Graeme Betts from the Regional Manager Health Professional Engagement Programme, Cancer Research UK, UK discusses the current landscape of cancer diagnosis and survival in the UK. Topical points covered include the survival rates of cancer patients in the UK vs. other developed nations, and the aims of CRUK in terms of cancer diagnosis and survival rates.

CRUK is well known for scientific research; however, it also employs other channels to transition the results of this research into the clinic. In this interview, Graeme Betts from the Regional Manager Health Professional Engagement Programme, Cancer Research UK, UK discusses the Facilitator programme run by CRUK, in which facilitators collaborate with healthcare professionals to optimize cancer care and outcomes. This video was recorded at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK.

The CRUK Facilitator programme is collaborating with community pharmacists to provide training and resources. In this interview, Gillian Phillips from Cancer Research UK, Glasgow, UK discusses the case of the collaboration between CRUK and NHS Lanarkshire pharmacists, with the aim of spreading knowledge of cancer screening programmes. This interview was recorded at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK.

The earlier cancer is diagnosed, the higher the chance of recovery. At the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK, Gillian Phillips from Cancer Research UK, Glasgow, UK discusses how to improve cancer patient outcomes. Ms Phillips also provides an overview of the Facilitator programme run by CRUK, which works with a range of healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, to ensure early cancer diagnosis and cancer prevention.

Immunotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an exciting area, with clinical trials, including those that are first-in-human, showing promising results. Here, Marina Konopleva, MD, PhD, from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, provides an update on a range of these trials, including response rates and toxicities. Dr Konopleva covers the trial of the bispecific CD3xCD123 DART, flotetuzumab (NCT02152956); a next-generation CD123-targeting CAR T-cell therapy (NCT02159495); and the antibody-drug conjugate IMG9N77, which targets CD33 (NCT02674763). This video was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA.

There were impressive updates on venetoclax combination studies for elderly acute myeloid leukemia (AML) that are progressing at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA. Speaking from the meeting, Marina Konopleva, MD, PhD, from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, discusses the studies, including the combination of venetoclax with azacitidine/decitabine (NCT02203773), low-dose cytarabine (NCT02287233), and cobimetinib and idasanutlin (NCT02670044). Dr Konopleva explains the exciting data so far, highlighting the utility of these new treatments, which are much needed for elderly AML, where treatment options are very limited.

E-selectin is involved in the progression of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), playing a key role in angiogenesis, thus making it a therapeutic target. In this interview, Marina Konopleva, MD, PhD, from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, discusses the results of the clinical trial of the E-selectin inhibitor GMI-1271 in combination with high-dose cytarabine for relapsed/refractory and newly diagnosed elderly AML (NCT02306291). Excitingly, this drug has now been granted FDA breakthrough therapy designation. This video was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA.

In this exciting interview from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, Maria-Victoria Mateos, MD, PhD, of the University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain, discusses the GEM-CESAR study (NCT02415413). This trial investigates a curative strategy for high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM), consisting of induction with carfilzomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone (KRd), followed by HDT-ASCT, consolidation with KRd and maintenance with Rd. Dr Mateos discusses the logic behind this strategy, the results of the study in terms of progression to MM, response rates, MRD, overall survival and the safety profile of the regimen.

SYK, which directly binds to and activates FLT3, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of B-cell malignancies, making it a promising therapeutic target. Speaking from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, Dr Pratz discusses the study he presented (NCT02323113), which investigated TAK-659, an oral dual SYK/FLT3 inhibitor, for relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Keith Pratz, MD, of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, covers the promising suppression and clinical responses achieved so far, in FLT3-mutated and FLT3-unmutated patients.

There have been great advances in the targeting of FLT3 for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in recent years, many of which were discussed at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA. Here, Keith Pratz, MD, of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, discusses the promising results of a Phase I study of the oral FLT3/AXL inhibitor gilteritinib (ASP2215) in combination with standard induction and consolidation chemotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed AML, which he presented at the meeting. Dr Pratz covers response and remission rates, tolerability, and the next steps for the study.

FLT3 ITD acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is associated with high rates of relapse, after which prognosis is very poor. Thus, the improvement of initial therapy for this group of patients is crucial. In this interview, Keith Pratz, MD, of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, discusses the results of a study investigating the outcomes of patients with FLT3 ITD AML, in order to identify which treatment strategies lead to the most favorable outcomes. Factors considered included the role of chemotherapy (cytarabine), targeted agents (TKIs) and MRD status pre- and post-transplant. This video was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH)…

There are now several novel drugs targeting the protein kinase FLT3 in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Here, Keith Pratz, MD, of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, discusses the clinical implications of these new agents and why they may provide an advantage over current treatments. This video was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA.

Recent data have suggested that chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients, in particular those with mutated immunoglobulin heavy chain genes, can have prolonged responses to FCR chemoimmunotherapy. In this interview, Jennifer Brown, MD, PhD, from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, dicusses the ecouraging results of a Phase II clinical trial (NCT02251548) investigating whether adding ibrutinib to the classic fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and rituximab (FCR) regimen would significantly improve the complete remission and minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity status of patients with CLL. Dr Brown also details the expansion of this trial folllowing its promising results. This video was recorded at the…

Ibrutinib is associated with a range of side effects, including increased bruising, TKI ecchymosis, low-grade bleeding and hemorrhage. This has led to further studies attempting to clarify the risks of ibrutinib. Here, Jennifer Brown, MD, PhD, from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, provides us with an overview of the results of an analysis of the incidence and risk factors for adverse events in patients treated with ibrutinib. The four randomized trials analyzed included three chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) trials and a mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) trial. This video was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual…

A range of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) research was presented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA. Speaking from the meeting, Dr Barrientos gives us an overview of the CLL updates, focusing on the different classes of therapy available and our growing knowledge of how they affect patient outcomes. Jacqueline Barrientos, MD, of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, covers the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) or venetoclax as a salvage treatment, TKI intolerance and the experimental oral PI3K delta inhibitor, umbralisib.

Despite the combination of ibrutinib and rituximab not significantly affecting progression-free survival in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), many groups are testing ibrutinib combination regimens. Here, Jacqueline Barrientos, MD, of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, discusses the results of ibrutinib combinations for CLL that were presented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA. Dr Barrientos highlights the combination of ibrutinib with obinutuzumab and venetoclax. She also explains how she thinks ibrutinib combination therapy for CLL will be utilized in the future and why good ibrutinib combinations are so…

The targeted agent ibrutinib has been tested as a first-line monotherapy in elderly chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in the RESONATE-2 trial (NCT01722487); however, within CLL, it has not been tested in combination or in younger patients. Here, Jacqueline Barrientos, MD, of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, discusses the Phase III E1912 trial (NCT02048813), which is investigating the combination of ibrutinib and rituximab vs. classic fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and rituximab (FCR) for CLL. Dr Barrientos provides an update on the highly-anticipated trial and highlights how the results will aid in the determination of whether newer, targeted agents are better…

Decitabine, a DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitor, which is given to patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), is classically administered intravenously. Now, ASTX727, an oral combination of decitabine and the cytidine deaminase inhibitor (CDAi) cedazuridine (E7727), is in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of MDS (NCT02103478). Here, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, MD, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, discusses the results of the study so far compared with traditional decitabine treatment, and highlights the benefits of an oral version of this treatment. This video was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and…

Clinical access to new technologies, such as next-generation sequencing (NGS), can revolutionize the treatment of cancer. In this interview, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, MD, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, eloquently highlights the potential of NGS for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Dr Garcia-Manero emphasizes the power of this tool for predictive screening, among a range of other utilities. This video was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA.

Pracinostat is a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor that has demonstrated very promising efficacy in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Here, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, MD, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, gives us an update on the follow-up analysis of the Phase II trial of the drug in combination with azacitidine in elderly patients with AML. Dr Garcia-Manero also discusses the Phase III trial of pracinostat for AML, which is currently recruiting. This video was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA.

In cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) miR-155 has been shown to be upregulated. Here, Christiane Querfeld, MD, PhD, of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, discusses an antogomir being developed to target this variance. MRG-106, an inhibitor of miR-155, is in Phase I trials (NCT02580552) in patients with CTCL, in addition to other lymphoid malignancies. Speaking from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, Dr Querfeld discusses the initial results and progression of this study.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have now entered the treatment landscape for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). In this interview, Christiane Querfeld, MD, PhD, of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, discusses a Phase I/II clinical trial of a PD-L1 inhibitor for CTCL. Dr Querfeld covers the response rates and what these indicate for the treatment of CTCL with immune checkpoint inhibitors. This video was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA.

CAR T-cell therapies have exhibited strong and durable responses in several hematological malignancies thus far. Now bb2121, an anti-BCMA CAR T-cell product, is demonstrating impressive responses in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM). In this interview, Yi Lin, MD, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, discusses the latest results of the ongoing CRB-401 trial (NCT02658929) of bb2121 for MM. Dr Lin covers the promising progress, response rates, response durability, MRD status and safety data from the trial so far. She also highlights the long-term follow-up and FDA breakthrough treatment designation of the product. This video was recorded at the American Society…

For CAR T-cell therapy to become mainstream, the management of related toxicities needs to be addressed. Speaking from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, Yi Lin, MD, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, discusses data being presented at the meeting for an additional cohort of the ZUMA-1 study (NCT02348216), investigating the use of tocilizumab for prophylaxis of the primary side effects of axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel; KTE-C19). Dr Lin highlights the results of this treatment in regards to reducing the severity and/or incidence of cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity. This video was…

Immunotherapy for lymphoid malignancies progressed dramatically in 2017, with FDA approval of two CAR T-cell products, axicabtagene ciloleucel and tisagenlecleucel. In this interview, Yi Lin, MD, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, discusses future clinical trials that are planned for CAR T-cells. Dr Lin highlights the potential of innovative strategies, including utilizing novel technologies, to produce the next generation of CAR T-cells. She also emphasizes the need for and promise of managing CAR T-cell therapy-related toxicities.

The Phase I/II trial ZUMA-1 (NCT02348216) was pivotal for CAR T-cell development. In this interview, Yi Lin, MD, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, highlights how this led to FDA approval of the anti-CD19 second-generation CAR T-cell product, axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel; KTE-C19), for refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Dr Lin then discusses the exciting long-term follow-up data of this study. This video was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA.

The ground-breaking PRECISION-Panc project aims to speed up scientific discovery to improve the survival rates of patients with pancreatic cancer. In this interview at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK, Derek Grose, MBChB, MRCP, FRCR, MD of the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow, UK provides an overview of the project, including its aims, work and exciting recent publications on the discovery of pancreatic adenocarcinoma subtypes. He highlights how this project has the potential to improve the time scale of testing, thus providing clinically applicable results, such as those from whole genome…

The imminent pancreatic cancer trial PRIMUS001 (ISRCTN75002153) has the potential to personalize therapy for patients with pancreatic cancer. In this interview Derek Grose, MBChB, MRCP, FRCR, MD of the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow, UK at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK provides an overview of the design and aims of the trial, in addition to the mutated pathway in the patients recruited.

This is an exciting time for pancreatic cancer research, with advances in immunotherapy, genomic sequencing and druggable targets. What the next 10 years may look like for pancreatic cancer research is discussed by Derek Grose, MBChB, MRCP, FRCR, MD of the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK. In particular, he discusses the need for improving and speeding up clinical trials for this patient group moving forwards.

There is a necessity for further clinical trials and research into pancreatic cancer in order to improve patient outcomes. In this video Derek Grose, MBChB, MRCP, FRCR, MD of the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow, UK provides an overview of the typical prospects of patients with pancreatic cancer in terms of treatment options and survival, as well as managing expectations. This interview was recorded at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK.

Although progress has been made in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, further research is required to identify novel therapeutic options to improve the outlook of patients with this cancer. In addition, quality of life must be considered when selecting the optimal treatment. In this interview Derek Grose, MBChB, MRCP, FRCR, MD of the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow, UK discusses the current treatment landscape for pancreatic cancer and progression that has been made in this area, including the transition from single agent to triplet chemotherapy, and the advent of second line therapy trials. He also discusses quality vs.…

How can patients navigate between treatment options with all of the recent breakthroughs in myeloma therapy? Dr. Guilherme Perini, a Brazilian hematologist, joined Patient Power at the 2017 American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting to inform myeloma patients what testing should be done and what to discuss with their doctor in order to receive the most suitable treatment for their condition. Tune in to find out the latest from this myeloma expert.

Where is lymphoma treatment today? Stay in the know with Brazilian hematologist Dr. Guilherme Perini as he discusses advances in treatment from the 2017 American Society of Hematology meeting. He also shares the challenges lymphoma patients in Brazil face in gaining access to new lymphoma therapies. Watch now to learn the latest from this lymphoma expert.

The landscape of myeloma care is constantly evolving with the development of new research and treatment. While advances in myeloma therapies are exciting and beneficial, some patients feel overwhelmed making treatment decisions between all the available options. Myeloma patient Jack Aiello leads a discussion with Dr. Robert Orlowski of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Dr. Noopur Raje of Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center as they help decipher which type of therapy is appropriate for different conditions. They also consider the role of a transplant amidst new medicines, and the impact they have on attaining minimal residual…

What have researchers discovered about ROR1 and its role in targeted CLL therapies? Andrew Schorr hosts coverage from the 2017 American Society of Hematology (ASH) conference to learn about the latest innovations in CLL research and treatment. Tune in to hear Dr. Michael Choi, from the UCSD Moores Cancer Center, discuss ROR1 and its innovative role in targeted therapies for CLL. He also shares new approved treatments and opportunities for patients to get involved with clinical trials currently being conducted.

Can todays medicines be used together to treat CLL more effectively? CLL expert Dr. Michael Choi of UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center joins Patient Powers Andrew Schorr at the 2017 American Society of Hematology (ASH) conference. Dr. Choi provides an update on current medicines and discusses promising combination therapies for CLL, including research into combining ibrutinib (Imbruvica) and venetoclax (Venclexta).

Where do things stand now with personalizing myeloma therapy to a patients genetic profile? At the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 conference in Atlanta, Esther Schorr speaks with Dr. Gareth Morgan, Director of the UAMS Myeloma Institute, about new oncogenes in myeloma. They also discuss the importance of testing at the time of myeloma diagnosis to set a treatment plan. Watch for this top myeloma experts take on the latest myeloma research.

The first relatively long-term CAR T-cell trial follow-up data came out at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA. Speaking from the meeting, Tanya Siddiqi, MD, of the City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, discusses the ZUMA-1 (NCT02348216) study of the anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel; KTE-C19). Dr Siddiqi discusses the long-term data thus far on remission, response durability and toxicity.

The right balance of T-cell expansion needs to be achieved in order to obtain the optimal response to CAR T-cell therapy. To enable this, an increased understanding of the factors that affect the response is required. Here, Tanya Siddiqi, MD, of the City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, discusses her presentation on what pre-infusion patient characteristics and biomarkers were found to affect response in the TRANSCEND-NHL-001 trial (NCT02631044) of the anti-CD19 CAR T-cell product JCAR017 for aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). This video was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in…

Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) is a relatively well-described toxicity of CAR T-cell therapy. However, their may be delayed manifestations of CRS, such as disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and macrophage activation syndrome (MAS). In this interview, Nirali Shah, MD, of the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, discusses what her group observed in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) following anti-CD22 CAR T-cell infusion. Dr Shah highlights the fact that we are only just starting to understand the interplay between these factors. In addition, she discusses the need to identify additional therapies to treat these side effects. This…

With CAR T-cell therapy, similarly to traditional chemotherapy, the use of a single agent will not remain effective in treating a cancer, and thus multi-agent regimens are needed. Speaking from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, Nirali Shah, MD, of the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, discusses an exciting upcoming clinical trial, which plans to combine anti-CD22 and anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapies for patients with B-cell malignancies.

CAR T-cell therapy development is progressing across a wide range of hematological malignancies, with the results highly anticipated in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) following the exciting results seen in lymphoma. In this interview, Nirali Shah, MD, of the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, provides us with an update from the ALL group of on the ongoing Phase I clinical trial of anti-CD22 CAR T-cells for B-cell malignancies (NCT02315612). This agent is particularly exciting, as it is the first CAR T-cell product that is active in ALL which does not target CD19. Dr Shah touches upon whether…

An exciting new CAR T-cell product, which targets SLAMF7 (CS1, CD319), is displaying exciting preliminary results against multiple myeloma (MM) cells. In this interview, Sattva Neelapu, MD, from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, discusses its underlying design and mechanism of action, as well as the results of tests performed so far in vitro, in vivo and on patient-derived MM cells. This video was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA.

A major concern surrounding novel therapeutics is their safety, which must be characterized thoroughly. Here, Sattva Neelapu, MD, from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, discusses the safety data regarding the anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel; KTE-C19) from the long-term follow-up of the ZUMA-1 trial (NCT02348216). Dr Neelapu covers what the most common adverse events were, when they occurred and their reversibility. This video was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA.

The latest CAR T-cell data was highly anticipated at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA. Speaking from the meeting, Sattva Neelapu, MD, from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, describes the data he presented on the long-term follow-up of the ZUMA-1 study (NCT02348216) of the anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel; KTE-C19) for patients with refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has been receiving buzz as a promising treatment for cancer patients. So which CAR T-cell treatments are currently approved? Dr. David Maloney, Medical Director of the Bezos Family Immunotherapy Clinic at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, joins Patient Power at the 2017 American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting in Atlanta to explain. Dr. Maloney discusses how this approach works, the long-term durability of the treatment and progress in managing potential side effects.

Whats the latest information about MPN treatment and research? As part of our ASH 2017 coverage, Dr. John Crispino and Dr. Angela Fleischman, Joined Patient Power to share what they learned at this years annual meeting in Atlanta. Both researchers in the condition of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), they discussed treatment advances, particularly related to JAK inhibitors and interferon, the study of somatic mutations and how these learnings will aid in the development of future medicines. Tune in now to learn more from these MPN experts.

What does the future of treatment for mantle cell lymphoma look like? From the 2017 American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting, Dr. Michael Wang discussed the modern approach to therapy and recently approved medicines. He also shared his research goals and his dedication to The University of Texas at MD Andersons Mantle Cell Lymphoma Program of Excellence as well as the B-Cell Lymphoma Moon Shot Program. Watch now for Dr. Wangs expert opinion and hopes for the future of mantle cell lymphoma treatments.

Whats the latest news on CAR-T cell therapy from the American Society Hematology (ASH) conference 2017 as we report on location from Atlanta? Expert Dr. Jon Arnason, from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, shares new research released, which diseases the treatment can be used for, and when its appropriate to use. Tune in to hear how the clinical advances made in CAR-T cell therapy will impact patients with blood-related cancer.

As part of our coverage of the 2017 American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting in Atlanta, Dr. Srdan Verstovsek, an MPN expert and researcher from MD Anderson Cancer Center, provides an update on the latest news from the conference. Dr. Verstovsek provides details about a new treatment being studied for anemia in patients with myelofibrosis as well as the two-year results of a European study of interferon for polycythemia vera (PV) treatment. Tune in to learn more.

Will flow be the method used for myeloma treatment in the long term? Does transplant still have a role in myeloma? Will liquid biopsies replace bone marrow biopsies? At the 2017 America Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting, a roundtable of esteemed myeloma experts, including Dr. Carol Ann Huff from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Sagar Lonial of Emory University School of Medicine and Dr. Suzanne Lentzsch from New York Presbyterian Hospital/ Columbia University Medical Center, weigh in on the breaking news and the expansion of the treatment armamentarium in and implications for different disease status. Host Jenny…

Whats the latest in mantle cell lymphoma research? Esther Schorr, on location at the 2017 American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting, discusses new developments in treatment for mantle cell lymphoma with expert, Dr. Peter Martin from Weill Cornell Medicine. Tune in to find out what exciting advances in research have been made and how it will impact mantle cell lymphoma patients. Get email alerts | http://www.patientpower.info/alerts Subscribe on YouTube | http://www.youtube.com/patientpower Like on Facebook | http://www.fb.com/patientpower.info Follow on Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/patientpower Follow on Google+ | http://www.google.com/+patientpowerinfo

As part of our coverage from the 2017 American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting, A super panel of MPN experts Dr. Mark Heaney, Dr. Rami Komrokji, Dr. Ruben Mesa, Dr. Jamile Shammo, as well as Andrew Schorr, gathered to discuss the latest news and developments related to research and treatment of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). The experts all shared their perspective on the headlines from this years meeting, including updates on JAK inhibitors in development, news on interferon, diagnostic testing, the story that somatic mutations tell, and the overwhelming interest in the study of MPNs. Get email alerts | http://www.patientpower.info/alerts…

Patient Power founders Andrew and Esther Schorr are joined by MPN expert Dr. Naveen Pemmaraju of MD Anderson Cancer Center, as they discuss research news from the 2017 American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting in Atlanta. Georgia. CLL patient advocate Jeff and his wife Olga also join the panel to share their story. Get email alerts | http://www.patientpower.info/alerts Subscribe on YouTube | http://www.youtube.com/patientpower Like on Facebook | http://www.fb.com/patientpower.info Follow on Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/patientpower Follow on Google+ | http://www.google.com/+patientpowerinfo

Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD of Yale Cancer Center talks about EGFR inhibitor resistant patients and how EGFR antibodies may play a role. With over 20 years of experience in treating patients, Roy has seen that patients progressed in some way on these drugs. The data they have for the EGFR antibodies with chemotherapy may give them a hint on the role of these drugs to patients in the future, who might be resistant to EGFR inhibitors. This is, not only for wild-type patients, but also for mutant patients. Furthermore, he also emphasizes their theory can also be used for…

Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD of Yale Cancer Center discusses EGFR small molecules versus antibodies in combination antibodies better than small molecules. He explains that small molecules against EGFR versus antibodies work by different mechanisms and might have different activities. The antibodies against the epidermal growth factor receptor work outside the cell, help in preventing ligand binding of accurate receptor, internalize the receptor and eventually kick it out of commission. The data they have in combination with chemotherapy suggests that antibodies are much better than small molecules. Although the data that came from randomized trials is minimal, results for Necitumumab…

Jun J. Mao, MD of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center explains why oncologic supplements and diet correlative evidence is incomplete and how physicians should emphasize safety first. As an integrative oncology specialist, a lot of patients came to him and asked what kind of supplements to eat or diet to implement. However, he emphasizes that the evidence of this correlation is incomplete, and the best thing to keep in mind is Safety First. He notes that patients should select supplements and herbs that many not interact with the chemotherapy, radiotherapy and other therapy. Balanced diet or more plant-based diet is…

Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD of Yale Cancer Center discusses how the FLAURA data & Osimertinib result in high PFS as front-line agent compared to the standard erlotinib and gefitinib. Although the survival data are not yet mature, the result is quite compelling with a strong trend for overall survival. This suggests that with time there is a great probability that this trial will hit survival endpoint, as well. With the high PFS and good CNS penetration, this drug would be the front-line setting agent of choice. Its already been used in the United States at Yale University Cancer Center…

Jun J. Mao, MD of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center discusses how physical activity and fitness help lung cancer patients get better prognosis and better outcomes. Many patients, when diagnosed with cancer or beginning to start getting chemo, started to feel exhausted that it can get worse. The best advice the family might give is for the patient to slow down and take a rest. However, based on observational study of some trials, physical activity and cardiopulmonary fitness is associated with better mortality with a lung cancer. He also stresses out the counterintuitive thinking we have with fatigue. Many of…

Jim L. Mulshine, MD of Rush University talks about the 2015 lung cancer screening data from the American Cancer Society, why its low and what has been done to increase the number. In 2015, the total number of patients screened was only 300,000 for the whole year. This is not surprising as the process is rather complicated and people are still familiarizing how to implement it correctly, efficiently and sustainably. Furthermore, people didnt see it as an opportunity and there has been problems with communication. In addition, primary care community are focused on managing high blood pressure and diabetes and…

Jennifer S. Temel, MD of Mass General Hospital – Harvard Medical School explains how engaging patients talk about end of life care could actually cut costs. Dr. Temel says that the discussion of cost dont come in patient-clinician communication about the end of life care. However, data suggests that discussion of end of life care to patients actually helps them receive less costly care at the end of life. This discussion helps patients make informed decisions. They will less likely go to hospitals and emergency rooms and are more likely to receive less costly hospital services before they die.

Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD of Yale Cancer Center discusses lung cancer EGFR antibodies and where the research is going. His says that immunotherapy is all the rage these days, which is only working on about 20% of the patients. And, as a single-angle frontline, it is only using 50% or more PD-L1 positivity. Depending on the data that will emerge next year or so, EGFR antibodies might have a role, especially on the squamous FISH+ patients. So, clinicians could see the fact that there is another drug that can be used with chemotherapy and hopefully help patients with lung…

Jun J. Mao, MD of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center discusses the definition of integrative oncology which they published a special issue at the Journal of the National Cancer Institute Monographs. They defined integrative oncology as to bring natural products, mind, body therapies and lifestyle modification that are based on evidenced safety and potential effects of these to patients. In addition, it is also to integrate alongside conventional cancer treatment to optimal health and to empower patients to be active participants in the cancer care institute.

Jim L. Mulshine, MD of Rush University talks about computed tomography which can be used not just for lung cancer screening but for tobacco-related diseases as well. CT looks at the anatomical features of the lung where the collision of tobacco smoke going on, resulting to destruction of lung parenchyma, coronary artery occlusion and related cancers. In Europe, North America and even in Asia, CT scan is not just for lung cancer, but it is also for tobacco-related diseases. According to Dr. Mulshine, tobacco causes 50% of premature mortality in the developed world. So, if all these diseases can be…

Daniel A. Pryma, MD of the University of Pennsylvania highlights one common question – when should a patient have his first PET Scan for lung cancer. He explains that if you scan an image of nodules less than 8mm, its very unlikely to have a PET CT result that can change what you can do for the patient. With that, the best thing to do is wait and then do a Chest CT for the patient. Lung cancer occurs in nodules over 8mm.

Jennifer S. Temel, MD of Mass General Hospital – Harvard Medical School discusses how involving palliative care earlier in the process makes patient twice as likely to discuss their end of life preferences. With the research she had done for the last 15 years, which involved palliative care specialist for patients with lung cancer, she found out that patients are more likely to discuss about end of life care. Recently, she finds out that when patients are seeing palliative care from the time they were diagnosed and throughout the course of their illness, they are twice as much open to…

Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD of Yale Cancer Center talks about possible flurry of activity that focuses on resistance to osimertinib in 2018. Dr. Herbst highlights the lack of any therapy that specifically targets the resistance. Patients who are doing well with the EGFR inhibitors can only have chemotherapy and not any specialized therapy because of this problem. Hence, he highly anticipated that next year will have more activities, specifically on developing some strategies, perhaps the combination of antibodies, plus small molecules and immunotherapy and other approach that could better help target resistance.

Jun J. Mao, MD of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center discusses how integrative medicine can improve health, quality of life, and clinical outcomes, especially for cancer patients. In 2017, the integrative oncology came up with mixed research methodology, which is patient-centered and more evidence informed cancer care that brings together mind-body therapy, lifestyle modifications and natural products along with conventional cancer treatment. This helps practitioners find clarity on useful alternatives, since there are alternative cancer treatments that actually maybe be harmful to patients. Theres a recent paper showing that for treatable cancer like breast, colorectal and lung, using alternative treatment…

Jim L. Mulshine, MD of Rush University discusses costs of new lung cancer services and the aging population burdening current resources. There are new technologies like liquid biopsies and molecular techniques to find early lung cancer, but the cost associated with these is rather high. In the country, because of the aging population and other medical services, states are making tough decisions whether or not to pay their Medicare burdens, or the school systems or the roads. Theres a real concern about the cost in health care and medical oncologists are also very much concern about it because of the…

Paul K. Paik, MD of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center discusses Cobas EGFR mutation test v2 and the ability to sample patients for T790 serially. For the liquid biopsy diagnostic for lung cancer in required resistant setting, the FDA approval is very important because resistance biopsy testing is required. This means that bronchoscopic or CT-guided biopsy should be done. Not all patients is eligible however, even for those who are eligible, sometimes the materials are not sufficient. The liquid biopsy is a CTDNA testing that supplements those who are not eligible to undergo biopsy. In addition, to be able to…

Jennifer S. Temel, MD of Mass General Hospital – Harvard Medical School discusses how most patients prefer to die at home and that an honest and open communication is key. Most patients are more comfortable and prefer to die at home, but, family members are not very open to communicate effectively to the patient in their family. Although compassion and empathy are also important, Dr. Temel stresses out the value of open and honest communication for the patient to be able to make informative and wise decision. So, its better to have open communication to the patient for them make…

Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD of Yale Cancer Center discusses screening for EGFR mutation and why all lung cancers should be screened. Screening is important because doctors should know whether patients have T790 M and because osimertinib targets these T790 M. Although this has been implemented in the country and the numbers are going up, still its not 100%. Therefore, every lung cancer patient, those who know people with lung cancer and even physicians should screen their patients for EGFR mutation and to check patients whether they have T790 M or not. Regardless of the results, osimertinib has a big…

Jun J. Mao, MD of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center discusses integrative oncology and how complementary therapy may be beneficial. Dr. Mao career evolves in integrative oncology, but he had conservative medical training, as well. What inspires him to be open to integrative medicine or the complementary therapies is the fact that patients needs are sometimes not met. As a doctor who gives advice to patients, sometimes, specifically for those with life-threatening illness, it would be best to go to providers who are welcome to discuss the situation with the patient. Doctors might give advices and recommendation like, Doing this…

Jim L. Mulshine, MD of Rush University explains that the national lung screening trial had a more diverse population than perceived. For the National Lung Screening Trial, there is a comparison between results of just x-ray alone versus CT scan for screening population especially on the tobacco-exposed older population. There was a concern that perhaps the National Lung Screening Trial is only done is major centers for thoracic surgery and not representative of the general population. However, in reality, the National Lung Screening Trial has community-based management. Theres a community-based standard for the lung cancer care across the country. Anyone…

Paul K. Paik, MD of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center discusses the PFS of FLAURA trial compared to first generation TKIs. FLAURA trial was a very big news. The trial comes with frontline osimertinib versus the first generation EGFR TKI trials for patients with EGFR mutant lung cancer. As for now, FDA approval for the drug is still in progress, although the study was positive. The results were positive in the PFS standpoint. The PFS is quite long compared to that of the first gen TKI, somewhere around 18 months. Patients who receive the first generation TKI, such as erlotinib or…

Daniel A. Pryma, MD of the University of Pennsylvania discusses how fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET scan is still powerful tool for lung cancer. Both for non-small and small cell lung cancer, the FDG is still the most powerful imaging tool. Although there are ongoing researches in PET CT with different radiopharmaceuticals, but for lung cancer, FDG still remains the mainstay and the most accurate. From different targeted therapies, it is anticipated that there may be other agents, but, for the time being, FDG is still the most important and the most effective.

Jennifer S. Temel, MD of Mass General Hospital – Harvard Medical School discusses patient prognosis perception and how it impacts medical care and quality of life. The data clearly shows that patients make decisions based on how they understand their prognosis, especially for patients with advanced cancer. Understanding prognosis greatly impacts patients decisions about their medical care and of life. For example, if patients overestimate their chances of survival, they may end up choosing a more aggressive or intensive medical care and are less likely to initiate hospital services. It is important for patients to know that their time is…

Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD of Yale Cancer Center discusses squamous cell carcinoma 4+ EGFR and giving carboplatin cetuximab safely or bevacizumab. In the November 28th issue of Lungs and Oncology, data shows that carboplatin cetuximab can be given safely and bevacizumab can also be used when necessary. Patients with squamous cell disease who have high copy number, 4+ EGFR gene, seem to benefit more on this for the overall survival. This is a pre-specified subset of the trial, which could be a biomarker that can be used for future studies. Right now, EGFR antibodies is used either with chemotherapy…

Jun J. Mao, MD of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center discusses a study where yoga may benefit cancer patients in combination with chemotherapy providing an improved quality of life. There are more and more systematic reviews that begins to evaluate the safety and efficacy of complimentary therapies. There is even a paper recently published in the Journal National Cancer Institute of Monographs that evaluates the state of evidence and gaps for acupuncture oncology care. Acupuncture may be a valuable tool for managing chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting, cancer-related fatigues and pain among cancer survivors. So, this and a lot more are…

Jim L. Mulshine, MD of Rush University discusses the veterans administration’s lung cancer pilot study that about 40% of scans were of poor technical quality. The pilot study that was done by the VA suggests that there is a need for the systems to be worked out to do screening. However, the most disconcerting was the fact that at least 40% of the images made for that service were of very poor technical quality. So, before making decisions of whos at risk for lung cancer and who needs more active workups, its better to go back and look at the…

Paul K. Paik, MD of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center discusses that there is short-term and long-term hope for squamous cell carcinoma. In this presentation, he pointed out two things that might give hope to this disease. For those who began treating patients in the 80s and 90s, theyve seen slow progress in terms of advancement in this field, and only in 2004 that the target therapy was developed. Now, there is a shift in the way squamous cell lung cancer is being conceptualized. A decade ago, trials were histology-specific because of the thought that the biology of squamous cell…

Daniel A. Pryma, MD of the University of Pennsylvania discusses the challenges of imaging immunotherapy for lung cancer. In the era of immunotherapy, image response processing is very challenging, whether its with CT, MRI or PET CT. Its very difficult to differentiate progression from response and from real progression. In the end, there is a wide variety of imaging findings with huge overlap over responders and non-responders. This is by far the biggest challenge in imaging immunotherapy for lung cancer.

Jennifer S. Temel, MD of Mass General Hospital – Harvard Medical School discusses how prognosis, treatment goals and how end of life care should not be viewed as one time conversations. It is important to integrate these discussions throughout the course of the illness even if the person is still newly diagnosed. And, if a patient has an incurable disease, it is important to explain the nature of the disease and the treatment or the chemotherapy will not cure the disease. If the patients health status worsens, re-adjustment of the prognosis is very important. And, towards the end of life,…

The stimulating area of CAR T-cell therapy is currently limited due to a range of factors, which must be overcome in order to allow the widespread dissemination of this practice-changing treatment. Speaking from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, Dr Abramson provides a comprehensive overview of the hurdles to accessing CAR T-cell therapy, including the interesting areas of logistics, HCP education, and in-patient vs. out-patient usage. Jeremy Abramson, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, follows up this thorough summary by stating how these challenges can be remedied.

The efficacy results of the major CAR T-cells in development have been very positive. In this interview, Jeremy Abramson, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, emphasizes the take-home message of what we have learned from the latest CAR T-cell studies. Dr Abramson also discusses the differences in the toxicity profiles of the main CAR T-cell therapies and what may cause this, in addition to the reversibility of the toxicities. This video was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA.

The assistance obtained from outside of GP clinics and hospitals is essential in the treatment of cancer patients. In this interview, Fiona Smith from Macmillan Cancer Support, London, UK explains the holistic nature of cancer, and how organisations can collaborate to improve the overall treatment experience for cancer patients. This interview was recorded at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK.

Supportive care is an essential element of the overall management of patients with cancer. Speaking from the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK, Fiona Smith from Macmillan Cancer Support, London, UK discusses how Macmillan Cancer Support can be utilized by patients and pharmacists.

Carl Booth, MPhil BPharm MRPharmS, of Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, Keighley, UK provides an overview of the abstract selection process for the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK. Abstracts are submitted in different categories, with a specific judging criteria that standardizes and facilitates selection of the best papers to be presented at congress. This years BOPA meeting holds the record for the most number of abstracts presented.

Carl Booth, MPhil BPharm MRPharmS, of Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, Keighley, UK talks to us about the key topics presented at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK. Key topics this included immunotherapies, biosimilars and real world data. There is currently a big interest in real world data, looking at how drug treatments impact patients outside the clinical trial setting.

Carl Booth, MPhil BPharm MRPharmS, of Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, Keighley, UK, talks to us about collaboration amongst pharmacists to enable them to collect treatment data on a much larger scale. Collecting results from a larger sample will allow for a better understanding of how drugs impact patients in the real world compared to a clinical trial setting. This video was recorded at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK.

In this Ask the Expert segment, a Patient Power community member wants to know Are there recommendations for vaccines for patients with MPNs? Tune in to hear Dr. Abulraheem Yacoub explain the difference between vaccine therapy and preventative vaccinations. He also shares what is safely recommended for patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). Get email alerts | http://www.patientpower.info/alerts Subscribe on YouTube | http://www.youtube.com/patientpower Like on Facebook | http://www.fb.com/patientpower.info Follow on Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/patientpower Follow on Google+ | http://www.google.com/+patientpowerinfo

During this Ask the Expert segment, a community member with essential thrombocythemia (ET) wants to know about increased risk for clotting as they age and how to prevent blood clots with their condition. Dr. Abdulraheem Yacoub responds. Get email alerts | http://www.patientpower.info/alerts Subscribe on YouTube | http://www.youtube.com/patientpower Like on Facebook | http://www.fb.com/patientpower.info Follow on Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/patientpower Follow on Google+ | http://www.google.com/+patientpowerinfo

Dr. Abdulraheem Yacoub explains how CAR-T cell therapy targets cancer cells in the body and what the future holds for this treatment method. Get email alerts | http://www.patientpower.info/alerts Subscribe on YouTube | http://www.youtube.com/patientpower Like on Facebook | http://www.fb.com/patientpower.info Follow on Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/patientpower Follow on Google+ | http://www.google.com/+patientpowerinfo

The ways in which healthcare providers function must change to keep up with increasing demand. In this video, Bryn Thomas from The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK discusses the drive for change in the NHS and the potential to rethink the traditional roles of healthcare professionals. This interview was recorded at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK.

Communicating and learning from shared experiences aids in the improvement of medical practices. In this interview, Bryn Thomas of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK provides an overview of a workshop that he hosted for pharmacist prescribers at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK. Points of discussion include multidisciplinary collaborations, standardization and the tailoring of treatment, with the goal of maximizing the quality of patient care.

In todays digitally advanced society, large volumes of patient-level data can be collected and compiled. With an ever-increasing demand upon healthcare resources, this could have numerous benefits. Speaking from the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK, Bryn Thomas of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK discusses the advantages of the use of patient-level data in the NHS and the challenges in this area moving forwards, which include technical aspects, quality control and public perception.

How is the role of the pharmacist changing as treatments in hematological cancers develop? Susannah Koontz Webb, PharmD, BCOP, FHOP, President of the Hematology Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) discusses the treatment advances in blood cancers, and how the movement towards more targeted therapies means that patients can received tailored treatments and can receive more medications in an outpatient setting. These developments create new roles and challenges for pharmacists, making it an exciting time in the field. This interview was recorded at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK. This video has been supported by…

Susannah Koontz Webb, PharmD, BCOP, FHOP, President of the Hematology Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) discusses her session on Collaborative Projects at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK. The session looked to discuss how organisations like HOPA and BOPA can work together to improve education, guidelines and practises for pharmacists on a global scale in order to optimise cancer care. Dr Koontz Webb describes some of the challenges in oncology pharmacy that could benefit from such partnerships and highlights the important of collaborative approaches. This video has been supported by Napp Pharmaceuticals Ltd through…

During the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK, we met with Susannah Koontz Webb, PharmD, BCOP, FHOP, President of the Hematology Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) to hear about HOPA and its initiatives. HOPA is a US based organisation of pharmacists, dedicated to the care and education of cancer patients through providing tools and support to healthcare professionals. Dr Koontz Webb provides insight into HOPAs valuable activities and encouraging objectives. This video has been supported by Napp Pharmaceuticals Ltd through an unrestricted educational grant to Magdalen Medical Publishing.

An important question regarding the use of biosimilar rituximab is whether rapid infusion rates are safe, as they are for the original. Speaking from the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK, Simon Cheesman, BPharm, MRPharmS from University College London Hospital (UCLH), London, UK discusses an audit that his center performed for infusion-related reactions with biosimilar rituximab in order to address this concern, with encouraging results. The full results of this audit will be presented as a poster at the 59th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA. This content…

David Irvine from the Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK discusses introducing CAR-T cells and other cellular therapies into clinical practice and how pharmacists can be involved in this advancement in oncology. Recorded at the BOPA 2017 meeting in Glasgow, UK.

Several major breakthroughs in the treatment of amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis were presented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA. In this interview, Laurent Garderet, MD, PhD, of Saint Antoine Hospital, Paris, France, provides an overview of the exciting updates from the meeting, including new understanding of the disease, promising new treatment results with daratumumab and what these advances mean for amyloidosis treatment.

This is an exciting time in hemeonc, with new treatment paradigms across a range of malignant hematologies, including multiple myeloma (MM). The hot topic at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, was CAR T-cells, which have the potential to revolutionize the treatment of hematological malignancies. The preliminary results of the CAR T-cell data presented at the meeting for MM are discussed here by Laurent Garderet, MD, PhD, of Saint Antoine Hospital, Paris, France. Dr Garderet highlights the encouraging results and relatively low toxicities.

The use of frontline autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) has been questioned due to the development of new drugs. However, as explained here by Laurent Garderet, MD, PhD, of Saint Antoine Hospital, Paris, France, it is thought that ASCT should not be delayed. Furthermore, Dr Garderet discusses whether double vs. single ASCT is more beneficial for patients, and what the results of the data for this, presented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, may mean for the clinical management of MM.

The proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib has been investigated for the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM) in two Phase III clinical trials, ASPIRE (NCT01080391) and ENDEAVOUR (NCT01080391), with promising results. In this interview, Greg Friberg, MD, of Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA, discuses subanalyses of the robustness of the study data. Dr Friberg highlights how this data will help clinicians to determine the best treatment combinations for their patients. This video was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA.

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA presented exciting results from the ASPIRE trial (NCT01080391) for relapsed multiple myeloma (MM), testing the addition of the proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib to lenalidomide and dexamethasone therapy. Speaking from the meeting, Greg Friberg, MD, of Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA, discusses the positive follow-up data presented on patient outcomes.

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, presented exciting data on the use of ibrutinib for relapsed mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) from three clinical trials. In this interview, Graham Collins, MRCP, FRCPath, DPhil, of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK, discusses the striking results found for progression-free survival. Dr Collins highlights how this data may be translated into clinical use and change the standard of care for this group.

Treating cancer beyond progression is an important option to be considered in cases where the benefits outweigh the risks. Speaking from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, Graham Collins, MRCP, FRCPath, DPhil, of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK, discusses treating patients with lymphoma beyond progression. Dr Collins highlights data discussed from the Phase II CheckMate 205 study (NCT02181738), in which certain patients re-entered remission following PET-assessed progression following another course of treatment. He highlights how data such as this informs clinicians decisions on continuing treatment.

An update on the results of the Phase III ECHELON-1 study (NCT01712490), comparing ABVD vs. AVD plus brentuximab vedotin in the first-line setting for advanced classical Hodgkin Lymphoma, was highly anticipated at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA. Speaking from the meeting, Graham Collins, MRCP, FRCPath, DPhil, of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK, discusses his take on the results presented. Dr Collins highlights the debate around the use of modified progression-free survival (mPFS) as an endpoint, the potential for bias, the use of bleomycin within the ABVD course and…

CAR T-cells are a particularly exciting therapeutic area, which was widely covered at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA. In this video, Graham Collins, MRCP, FRCPath, DPhil, of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK, discusses his highlights of the CAR T-cell data presented at the meeting in regards to lymphoma. Dr Collins covers the promising longer-term results being seen now in overall and complete response rates, the main caveat to the data and the questions that we can expect to be answered by further studies.

Following on from the success of brentuximab vedotin, new antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for lymphoma are on the horizon. These successors utilize novel technologies, such as those that allow the determination of how many drugs are attached to the antibody, as well as more potent toxins. In this interview, Graham Collins, MRCP, FRCPath, DPhil, of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK, provides an overview of the Phase I study of ADCT-301 for relapsed or refractory Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NCT02432235). Dr Collins discusses the differences between ADCT-301 and other ADCs, the very promising response rates seen in the trial…

Ropeginterferon Alfa-2b Induces High Rates of Clinical, Hematological and Molecular Responses in PV Patients. Two – year results from the First Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

Anne S. Tsao, MD of MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses two reasons Osimertinib is good for first line treatment such as its good toxicity profile and how it crosses the blood brain barrier. With the recent FDA breakthrough designation for Osimertinib, it has been a big progress for EGFR mutated patients. Dr. Tsao used Osimertinib as first-line therapy to her patients, especially for newly diagnosed patients. Osimertinib is beneficial for two main reasons good toxicity profile and crossing blood brain barrier. These benefits reduces the arise of CNS metastases and the PFS was quite profound, as well as the overall…

Anne S. Tsao, MD of MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses third generation TKIs and how they cause less diarrhea, abdominal issues, skin rashes, and provide higher quality of life. However, doctors might need to watch out with Osimertinib and get baseline EKG and echo. In this way, QTc prolongation can be known. Patients also should be checked if they have concomitant medication that can cause QTc prolongation which can occur in minor group of patients. However, since Osimertinib crosses the blood brain barrier it is a associated with a very good quality of life.

Anne S. Tsao, MD of MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses profiling standards for NSCLC blood & tissue especially for oncogenic mutations. Profiling patients, especially for non-small cell lung cancer disease is very important. Dr. Tsao uses both blood-based and tumor tissue profiling, especially for patients who are suspected to have oncogenic driver mutations. Although oncogenic driver mutated patients may respond well to their targeted therapy, but they may not gain much benefit from immunotherapy. So, its important to profile them in order to get information that will help in the design of the overall treatment plan. The blood-based testing is…

Anne S. Tsao, MD of MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses Osimertinib in front-line for EGFR mutated resistance mechanisms and how they are not fully understood. New data of Osimertinib showing with progression free and overall survival benefit in the front-line setting, Dr. Tsao is giving Osimertinib for newly diagnosed EGFR mutated patients. However, the resistance mechanism for patients who receive Osimertinib front-line is not yet fully understood. There are reports that the C797S mutation maybe important and more data is needed to know whats the best treatment for those who are refractory to Osimertinib. One can always do chemotherapy and…

Beth Eaby-Sandy, MSN, CRNP of University of Pennsylvania talks about the serious illness conversation guides and how they can be helpful in creating mutual doctor / patient goals. In the University of Pennsylvania where Dr. Eaby-Sandy worked, they are doing data training or role-model training using the guide for patients. The guide is just a list of questions that will be asked to patients. Some of the questions like, Is it okay with you if we talk about your illness today?, May I share my understanding of where we are in your disease process?, Can you share your understanding of…

Vassiliki Papadimitrakopoulou, MD of MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses turning cold tumors into hot tumors using agents that address immune therapy resistance. Some of the emerging targets for this type of therapies are intratumoral injection with TLR-9 agonist or sting agonist that are currently explored in combination with checkpoint inhibitors in melanoma . There are also new studies exploring the same combinations in lung cancer.

Anne S. Tsao, MD of MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses mesothelioma trends in 2018 with PrECOG and Ipi Nivo v chemo. For mesothelioma, the most interesting area is on the front-line chemotherapy and immunotherapy combinations. In the United States, theres the PrECOG Trial and the Bristol-Myers Squibb and its response to trial of Ipi Nivo versus chemo. These are more interesting to see as they are all randomized trials and it’s challenging as there is a need for huge number of patients. However, in 2018, a preliminary readout will be made for these. So, stay updated!

Charles Rudin, MD, PhD of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center discusses small-cell lung cancer new approaches using immunotherapy. Small-cell lung cancer represents about 15% of all lung cancers and is a very difficult disease with historically poor outcome. There are newer approaches being used for small-cell lung cancer and the large interest is on immunotherapy, especially with drugs like nivolumab and ipilimumab that show significant activity during initial studies. For the initial Phase III, looking at chemotherapy with or without the CTLA-4 inhibitor, ipilimumab, was negative suggesting that the drug doesnt synergize well with chemotherapy. However, the data for nivolumab…

Beth Eaby-Sandy, MSN, CRNP of University of Pennsylvania explains that in patient conversations with loved ones, it’s the best to always engage with patient first and foremost. Doctors loyalty to their patients is very important. If the patient brings a family member or a significant other with them during the consultation or the discussion with the patient, it is really a great thing. However, doctors should not focus their attention to the other person, but to the patient. After all, its a patient-doctor or patient-nurse relationship and conversation. So, if the significant other or the companion ask questions to the…

Vassiliki Papadimitrakopoulou, MD of MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses NSCLC checkpoint inhibitors with the combinations of Epacadostat and IL-2 and IL-10. There has been a number of emerging signals with combination therapy over last year after exposure to first-line immune checkpoint inhibitors. Among the most significant data are in the combination of Epacadostat and IDO inhibitor with checkpoint inhibitors and the combinations of cytokine such as IL-2 and IL-10 with checkpoint inhibitors.

Anne S. Tsao, MD of MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses the new salvage guidelines for mesothelioma, including pembrolizumab & ipilimumab nivolumab. There are a lot of ongoing immunotherapy trials for mesothelioma. Whats clear and definite right now is, tremelimumab by itself is not a good regimen to be given to patents. However, for all the checkpoint inhibitors that were given, nivolumab by itself or pembrolizumab by itself have a 20% response rate in the salvage setting. In addition, based on the MAPS-2 Trial presented at ASCO this year, a 25% response rate is demonstrated in the salvage setting. Hence, the…

Charles Rudin, MD, PhD of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center discusses Rovalpituzumab Tesirine (Rova-T) a DLL3 target in SCLC. According to Dr. Rudin, Rova-T is an antibody drug conjugate that is directed to a cell surface target on small-cell lung cancer called DLL3. The drug directs attacks into the small-cell lung cancer cells, internalizes those molecules and releases the toxin inside the cell.Initial Phase I of the study has already been completed which focus on small-cell lung cancer patients. Results show that 1/3 of patients are having an objective response to the drug. This will be a new biomarker and…

Vassiliki Papadimitrakopoulou, MD of MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses checkpoint inhibitors as first line therapy, pembrolizumab alone and in combination with other checkpoint inhibitors. There are a number of clinical trials exploring the areas of using checkpoint inhibitors as first-line therapy for non-small-cell lung cancer. Pembrolizumab has been approved for patients with expression of 50% or more PD-L1 in their tumor. In addition, there is a preliminary data and accelerated approval from FDA for the combination of pembrolizumab with chemotherapy based on progression-free survival and overall response rate compared to standard chemotherapy. With that advancement, there are a number of…

Beth Eaby-Sandy, MSN, CRNP of University of Pennsylvania discusses patient conversation management and the “I hope but I worry” phrase. This phrase is universally used. Doctors or clinicians can use this phrase in order to be very open to patients at the same time set their expectations on what is the reality of their disease. This is not a phrase for serious illness conversation, but can be used every day with the patients. With the I hope phrase, doctors can align with the patient, especially on the treatment process. The I worry phrase refers to what is realistically going on…

Dr. Anne S. Tsao, MD of MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses about their study of LUME-MESO Trial for mesothelioma treatment. In this study, they use antiandrogenics in the front-line setting with the combination of Cisplatin, Pemetrexed and Nintedanib. This two-phase trial was presented at ASCO this year. Results showed an overwhelming superior progression-free survival (PFS) with the combination of Cisplatin, Pemetrexed and Nintedanib given for six cycles, followed by Nintedanib Maintenance Therapy. In the randomized Phase II of the trial, the demonstrated PFS had a median hazard ratio of around 0.57, which was statistically significant. Currently, there is an ongoing…

Charles Rudin, MD, PhD of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center discusses Osimertinib, its real world toxicity issues and comparison with 1st generation TKIs. Osimertinib has less toxicity than the first generation EGFR TKIs. From the FLAURA study, numerical data suggests similar toxicity profile, with both rash and diarrhea being significant component. Gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity is a problem with persistent diarrhea, but the skin toxicity is substantially less.

Beth Eaby-Sandy, MSN, CRNP of University of Pennsylvania discusses barriers to patient communication advertising, clinical jargon, and encouraging hopeful messages, especially on lung cancer patients. As clinicians, it is very important set the expectations of the patients first hand. This is because some patients, when they go to the doctors or an institution, they might think that their disease will surely be cured or be gone, which, in most lung cancer cases is not true. In addition, Dr. Eaby-Sandy stresses on the importance of good communication. It is very important to simplify the information, in a way that patients can…

Vassiliki Papadimitrakopoulou, MD of MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses the 2018 significant NSCLC trials including EMPOWER, KEYNOTE-189, & MYSTIC. This year will be very significant for clarification of the landscaping front-line therapy on non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a number of trials and studies being mentioned. It is highly anticipated to see final and definitive results about the combination of checkpoint inhibitors in the front-line and the combination of checkpoint inhibitors and chemotherapy in order to solidify the existing data of these combinations.

Anne S. Tsao, MD of MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses IFCT MAPS trial, the PFS and overall benefit in front-line mesothelioma. There are a lot of trials looking into the combination of immunotherapy and chemo. However, this can only be done on clinical trial because its not yet known which among the patients will respond and whether or not this combination has any survival benefit. As of today, the only triplet combination data available is on the IFCT MAPS Trial, which is on the combination of bevacizumab with cisplatin and pemetrexed for six cycles of therapy, followed by the bevacizumab…

Charles Rudin, MD, PhD of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center talks about using Osimertinib in first line and possible shift to old practice afterwards. Osimertinib with positive data in the first line setting is very promising. Although FDA approval for Osimertinib is still pending, doctors can shift now to using it in the front-line setting based on the NCCN guidelines. This is already been adapted and according to available data, Osimertinib is a superior drug. So, the question now would be on what to use in the second and third line setting. Dr. Rudin said that patients might end up…

Advanced Forms of MPNs are Associated with Chromosomal Abnormalities Involved in Disease Progression

Joshua Bauml, MD of the University of Pennsylvania discusses thoracic oncology in 2018 and the importance of finding better biomarkers. Finding better biomarkers help in predicting responses to immunotherapy. What is used currently is PD-L1 which is a very imperfect biomarker. According to Dr. Bauml, even for patients who have high expressions in the non-small-cell lung cancer population, the response rate to pembrolizumab is only about 50%. This percentage is way far from the 80 or 90% that is usually seen in targeted therapy. And, as the combination immunotherapy is be incorporated moving forward, it is essential that, if additional…

Jessica S. Donington, MD of NYU Langone Health discusses pre-operative questions for NSCLC patient treatment. Determining resectable patients from a non-resectable patient is a surgeon-dependent thing. Only the surgeon can tell that a patient who is not clearly infiltrative with the disease is not a surgical candidate. There is also a discussion about what to do with pneumonectomy patients, about five to seven patients. Pneumonectomy is a challenging, dangerous after induction therapy and these patients are treated differently. They dont seem to be quite as bad and the morbidity and mortality issues in patients who get pre-operative chemotherapy, compared to…

Joshua Bauml, MD of the University of Pennsylvania discusses Osimertinib versus Erlotinib or Gefitinib in the FLAURA Trial. Osimertinib did very well in the FLAURA study for those patients with T790M mutation after progression on the first or second generation Tyrosine-kinase inhibitor (TKI). In the FLAURA study, Osimertinib is compared with either erlotinib or gefinitib and what transpired was a marked prolongation of the progression-free survival and these curves separated very early. Another most interesting thing is the trend, although not very statistically significant, but it seems there is an improvement in the overall survival, as well. Resistance mutations to…

Jessica S. Donington, MD of NYU Langone Health talks about the IASLC Lung Cancer Staging Project and why some factors are not included. Whats coming next and what arent certain other factors in play? There are a lot of factors like number of lymph nodes involved rather than lymph node location. Looking into things like lymphovascular invasion, lymphoro evasion, why they werent able to made it in the staging system? With the staging system and how it worked, it doesn’t only work for patients who have been resected and have pathological staging, but it also has to worked in clinical…

Joshua Bauml, MD of the University of Pennsylvania discusses the next generation sequencing assays that will allow more targeting in specific patients. A lot is known of targeted therapies for EGFR, ALK even ROS1. However, with the next generation sequencing assays, smaller and smaller groups of patients with molecularly distinct form of lung cancer can be identified. These groups of patients may respond better to targeted therapies rather than chemo. One of the most common genetic operations not thought of for lung cancer is BRAF. It is known the the BRAF V600E mutation can occur to patient population with lung…

Jessica S. Donington, MD of NYU Langone Health discusses IASLC lung cancer staging project, important changes and complexities. There are big changes involved, including further delineation of the T-stage by tumor size with cut-offs at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 cm. More tumor size does matter in terms of the prognosis, and fortunately, the end stage didnt change at all. However, there are three additional M-stages: M1a (Interthoracic Metastatic Spread); M1b (Oligo Metastatic Spread) and M1c (Multiple Sites). Dr. Donington believes that some of these changes will translate into different treatment options. As for the complexities in the…

Joshua Bauml, MD of the University of Pennsylvania discusses MET Exon 14 Skipping Mutations and Crizotinib. This is an important genetic operation. These mutations ensure less degradation of MET on the cell surface. With this, they will have more activity. Now, crizotinib, which is already FDA approved and we know as an ALK inhibitor is actually a MET inhibitor. MET inhibition with crizotonib and cabozantinib has been found to have significant activity. MET Exon 14 Skipping mutations can be seen in two populations older adenocarcinoma patients (never or light smokers) and those with pleomorphic carcinoma or sarcomatoid carcinoma. The latter…

Jessica S. Donington, MD of NYU Langone Health discusses the changes in stage 3A NSCLC using immunotherapy in resectable patients. The immune checkpoint inhibitors have completely changed Stage 4 treatment, now going to Stage 3. For the first trial, they use immunotherapy in Stage 3 for unresectable patients. How about the surgically resectable patients? There are ongoing trials that look at immune checkpoint inhibitors in resectable Stage 3. Most of those are using those inhibitors in pre-operative setting. Looking from this setting is very important because tumor cells can be resected and checked what really happened. More trials are made…

Joshua Bauml, MD of the University of Pennsylvania discusses immunotherapy in lung cancer and the 15-20 percent response rate of unselected patients. Immunotherapy has completely changed the treatment landscape for non-small-cell lung cancer patients. However, not everyone responds well to this therapy. From the trend of the curve, in five years, there is around 15 or 20% progression free survival, which is very interesting. Unfortunately, for unselected patient population, there is only 15-20% response rate. This means it is important to identify better biomarkers to accurately predict the response to these agents.

Jessica S. Donington, MD of NYU Langone Health discusses the surgical dilemmas in the management of locally advanced NSCLC. Dr. Donington cites question related to 3A diseases like Should surgery be used at all? What kind of induction or timing? and more questions on immunotherapy for 3A. For resectable 3A disease, there is a strong evidence that patients who undergo lobectomy for their cancer, the use of induction therapy plus surgery still provide patients the better chance for cure. This change fairly dramatically for patients who might need extended resections by lobectomy, pneumonectomy and the like. The surgical short-term outcome…

Joshua Bauml, MD of the University of Pennsylvania discusses the fact that HER2 is over expressed in 60 percent of NSCLC. HER2 is another genetic operation considered in lung cancer. Many think of HER2 in breast cancer where drugs like trastuzumab and lapatinib have a clear role. However, HER2 is found to be over expressed in nearly 60% of non-small-cell lung cancer and mutated in the subgroup. HER2 mutated patients are non-smokers and predominantly female. Whats interesting is that, not all targeted therapies work in this disease. As an evidence, there was a randomized study with the addition of trastuzumab…

Corey J. Langer, MD, FACP of the University of Pennsylvania discusses how T790M testing is practically standard for EGFR activating patients. Recently FDA has recognized whats supposedly become standard clinical practice, at least in the world of patients with EGFR activating mutations. For two years, since early 2016, T790 testing is routinely obtained on tissue or tissues not available on blood specimen. Based on the results on individuals whose disease have progressed on front-line TKIs, either erlotinib gefitinib or afatinib, if T790 is detected, physicians are routinely been switching to osimertinib, which is better tolerated agent. For those patients who…

Corey J. Langer, MD, FACP of the University of Pennsylvania discusses the Pacific Trial overview of Durvalumab in locally advanced NSCLC and how it presented strikingly positive data. The most important clinical trial in the last 12 months is the Pacific Trial. This assessed the role of immunotherapy, specifically durvalumab which is a PD-L1 inhibitor versus placebo on patients who have successfully completed concurrent chemoradiation for locally advanced diseases. This was a very positive trial in terms of the progression-free survival in the control arm, which is around 6 to over 16 months. Interestingly, it has a very highly significant…

Laura Jean Bierut, MD of Washington University of Medicine discusses the three levels of smoking cessation. These levels are (1) Patient, (2) Systems and (3) Public Health. Health care providers and those who promote smoking cessation should be working in those three levels. In the provider level, counselling and medications should be provided, and this is a known fact. However, at the systems level it is very important that smoking cessation should be embedded with all the health care providers including medical assistance, nursing staff and physician. Dr. Bierut found that there is unease in doing smoke cessation when patients…

Corey J. Langer, MD, FACP of the University of Pennsylvania discusses his concerns over the PACIFIC Trial data such as the survival data not being released and how significant PFS may not be enough. The overall survival data for the Pacific Trial was not released, which might make a big difference in the curative setting. Improving overall survival cure rate is still the standard arbiter practice changing approaches and PFS may not be enough. If additional year of therapy with durvalumab will be given, of course, with its potential toxicity, in order to get an additional year of progression-free survival,…

Laura Jean Bierut, MD of Washington University of Medicine discusses the benefits of E-Cigarettes over combustible cigarettes. First and foremost, E-cigarettes are not FDA approved devices for smoking cessation. There is insufficient evidence whether or not these are safety or potentially harmful. However, what is known is combustible cigarettes are extremely dangerous that will kill 1 in 2 smokers over their lifetime and so, it is very important that smokers should quite combustible cigarettes. In the United States, citizens are doing the experiment with electronic cigarettes and they are using it. People are using e-cigs in order to quit smoking.…

Corey J. Langer, MD, FACP of the University of Pennsylvania talks about the FLAURA Trial Results and the 8-9 Month PFS in Treatment Naive EGFR patients. Based on the FLAURA Trial, Osimertinib is a game changer. The 8-9 months PFS is almost doubled. There is also equal or less toxicity with osimertinib, which means less rash, probably less diarrhea and less stomatitis compared to standard front-line EGFR TKIs and in this case, osimertinib versus either gefitinib or erlotinib. Theres an unexpected bonus as part of the presentation at ESMO in 2017 and more recently at World Lung in Yokohama. There…

Laura Jean Bierut, MD of Washington University of Medicine talks about E-Cigarettes and how they may be the greatest public health benefit this century. There are two sides of the e-cigarette controversy. The first one is on the positive side of this device, as the greatest public health benefit if people will quit combustible cigarettes and switch to electronic cigarettes. With the shift, there is a big possibility that this will improve peoples health. The flip side is, its not recommendable that kids will start using e-cigs and there is a great possibility that those who use electronic cigarettes as…

Corey J. Langer, MD, FACP of the University of Pennsylvania discusses how in EGFR Activating Mutations, Osimertinib is now the Standard of Care. FDA is often behind clinical practice. In this case, the NCCN has already cited the important role of osimertinib based on the FLAURA trial, first sign treatment in all EGFR activating mutations. Since the end of 2017, osimertinib is now the standard of care in the front-line therapy of non-small-cell patients with activating EGFR mutation. What to use in the second line is a bit of a dilemma. This will be based increasingly on tissue and plasma…

Laura Jean Bierut, MD of Washington University of Medicine discusses the two main nicotine responders genetic variations and metabolic enzymes. Smoking is pharmacogenetics. This means that, when they are smoking they are titrating the amount of nicotine that they are getting in their blood and in their brain. Hence, there are different responses to nicotine. Two main drivers for nicotine responses genetic variation in the nicotinic receptors and genetic variation in the enzymes that metabolize nicotine. Drivers vary from patient to patient. So, some people can quit smoking so easily and others really struggle with smoking cessation. So, it is…

Corey J. Langer, MD, FACP of the University of Pennsylvania talks about 2018 NSCLC trends in prognosticate refinement and the “tsunami” of trials assessing combinations of drugs. There are two general trends for non-small cell for 2018 and beyond. There will be refinements to predict and to prognosticate. Select patients are optimally treated with single-agent immunotherapy up front, in this case, only 50% or higher expression correlates to a clear survival advantage for pembrolizumab over standard platinum-based chemotherapy. Overtime, more markers tend to emerge and tumor mutation burden is one of them. In fact, it will eventually tramp PD-L1 testing…

Laura Jean Bierut, MD of Washington University of Medicine discusses 400,000 vs 60,000 fatalities per year lung cancer vs opioid crisis. Currently, there is an opioid epidemic with over 60,000 people dying every year because of overdoses. This is over the news and there are questions like, What to do about it? However, compared to the tobacco epidemic, this is much smaller. Tobacco epidemic caused over 400,000 people dying every year, primarily from cigarette smoking. In this light, although the opioid crisis is alarming, its also very important to keep in mind the tobacco epidemic that is still happening until…

Tracey L. Evans, MD of the University of Pennsylvania describes what determines using osimertinib in first line treatment. Dr. Evans had two patients newly diagnosed after the FLAURA results came and both of them were given osimertinib in first line. One of them was given afatinib at first, but had toxicity, which justified immediate shift to osimertinib. And, because the FLAURA data is very impressive, she is convinced to use osimertinib in the first line. However, its still not FDA approved. So, for those patients who are already on the earlier generation of the EGFR TKI, like the erlotinib or…

Lyudmila Bazhenova, MD of the University of California, San Diego discusses osimertinib & small cell transformation. There is a very important discovery in the recent years about the fact that patients who have progressed from prior EGFR TKI can transform into small cell. If the patient, at the time of diagnosis of lung cancer, has deficiencies in P53 and RB1, they are 43 times more likely to develop small-cell transformation upon progression. Hence, biopsy should be done for these patients. This is in order to exclude the small cell transformations. Patients with this kind of transformation should be given small-cell…

Tracey L. Evans, MD of the University of Pennsylvania discusses T790 mutation testing on initial diagnosis. Testing T790M before the first-line is essential and the more you look, the more you will find cells with T790M mutations in EGFR mutated lung cancer patients. This maybe important if youre going with the first or second generation EGFR TKI that doesnt have activity in the T790M setting. However, if osimertinib will be used in the first-line setting, as justified by the FLAURA data, then the testing will not be that essential since osimertinib targets those patients.

Lyudmila Bazhenova, MD of the University of California, San Diego discusses management of EGFR-resistant disease and T790M mutations. Management of patients with EGFR mutant lung cancer who has progressed on EGFR TKI. The most important thing to understand is, upon progression, you need to find if the patient has T790 M resistant mutation. If the patient has a T790M resistant mutation, the data favors very strongly with the use of osimertinib, which is a third generation EGFR TKI. Based on a randomized trial, AURA 3, osimertinib has shown improvement in both the response rate and PFS over platinum-based chemotherapy.

Laura Jean Bierut, MD of Washington University of Medicine talks about when to focus on smoking cessation. There are two most important messages that health care practitioners should give to patients and health care providers who help promote smoking cessation. One is, Counselling works, even brief counselling, less than a minute. Medications work. Both are best. The other one is, Its never too late to quit smoking. One of the most important things you could do to your health is to quit smoking. These two messages are very impactful and helpful to everyone.

Tracey L. Evans, MD of the University of Pennsylvania discusses incomplete resections in NSCLC. What to do with incomplete resection, when resection has been attempted but has not been an R0 resection? This only means two things, either the margins are positive or the disease is still left behind. For these patients, a re-resection should be done if its feasible. If not, then a specific radiation should be taken in order to address the disease that has been left behind. If not, then patients can get chemotherapy, depending on the stage of the disease that was left behind. If the…

Lyudmila Bazhenova, MD of the University of California, San Diego discusses the FLAURA study and improvement in PFS over standard first-line chemo. The FLAURA study compared osimertinib with the standard EGFR TKI, either gefitinib or erlotinib on newly diagnosed EGFR mutant lung cancer patients. Results showed improvement in PFS over standard first-line chemotherapy. Which is more effective, starting with osimertinib or starting with first-line EGFR TKI and then switch to osimertinib upon progression? For newly diagnosed patients, Dr. Bazhenova recommends osimertinib to be used right away. This is because looking at the post-progression of EGFR TKI, only 60% of the…

Tracey L. Evans, MD of the University of Pennsylvania discusses the impact of immunotherapy in thoracic oncology. Immunotherapy data is one of the most important data that has come out for thoracic oncology. The data showed that in the second line setting, checkpoint inhibitors can improve overall survival more than chemotherapy. In the first-line setting, data showed pembrolizumab in patients that have high PD-L1 level or pembrolizumab and immunotherapy that is well tolerated actually improved outcomes for both overall survival and PFS, relative to platinum-based chemotherapy. Recently, data showed that for patients with lower PD-L1 level expression, the addition of…

Lyudmila Bazhenova, MD of the University of California, San Diego discusses T790M mutation and the role of osimertinib in the first line treatment of NSCLC. T790M mutation testing happens automatically when EGFR mutation testing is done. In EGFR mutation testing, the whole EGFR gene in exon 18, 20, 21 is usually get in sequence. So, if the patient has T790M found at the time of diagnosis and not as a resistance mechanism, this can be found with the typical EGFR sequencing. It is important to remember that, osimertinib is not just a T790M drug, but it has significant activity against…

Tracey L. Evans, MD of the University of Pennsylvania describes why Osimertinib is such an important breakthrough in EGFR mutated NSCLC. Osimertinib is a big breakthrough in the treatment of EGFR mutated non-small cell lung cancer. It was initially approved because of its efficacy in patients who developed resistance mutations to first and second generation EGFR TKIs, those were the patients who developed T790M mutation. However, recently the FLAURA study showed an improvement of the PFS for patients who started with osimertinib as opposed to erlotinib or gefitinib. In addition, osimertinib has less wild type activity on EGFR. So, it…

Lyudmila Bazhenova, MD of the University of California, San Diego discusses Metastatic EGFR mutation + Osimertinib in NSCLC first line, second line, third line setting. Dr. Bazhenova chooses osimertinib first line for patients who were just newly diagnosed with EGFR mutant Stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer. However, since osimertinib in the first line setting is not yet FDA approved, using osimertinib still depends on the insurance company. Though its already in the NCCN guidelines, but if the insurance company doesnt approve osimertinib, then the first generation EGFR TKIs of their choice will be given and biopsy upon progression. In…

Dr. Jack West reviews provocative biomarker results on the IMpower150 trial that tested atezolizumab with carboplatin/paclitaxel +/- bevacizumab & revealed strongest benefit of atezo in those with T effector gene signature high expression or high PD-L1.

Patient reported symptom burden and peripheral blood counts among PV patients.

Elderly cancer patients tend to have more complex conditions, and therefore require a strong support system to assist their needs and queries. Speaking from the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017, held in Harrogate, UK, Antonia Lannie, PhD, from the School of Nursing & Midwifery, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK, discusses the importance of the nurse in this support system, highlighting their infleunce in accurately reflecting the patients feelings to the multidisciplinary team and understanding them as an individual.

With age being the biggest risk factor for cancer, and an ageing population in the UK, the NHS is having to treat an increasing number of elderly cancer patients who are living for longer. In this interview, Antonia Lannie, PhD, from the School of Nursing & Midwifery at the University of Dundee, Dundee, UK, gives an overview of the contributors to a more complex pathology in these patients, and discusses what constitutes good patient care in these contexts. This interview was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017, held in Harrogate, UK.

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, presented cutting-edge updates in hematology. Discover the top picks of this years meeting with Keith Stewart, MD, ChB, of the Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ. Dr Stewart highlights Phase III trials, antibody-drug conjugates and CAR T-cells, emphasizing key data showing the promise of particular therapies. He also discusses where he forsees CAR T-cell therapy moving in the next year.

In this exciting interview, Claire Harrison, MD, DM, FRCP, FRCPath, of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, discusses the data on myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA. For essential thrombocythemia (ET) and polycythemia vera (PV), Prof. Harrison highlights recent interferon study data and nutlin antagonists as a novel therapy. For myelofibrosis (MF), she discusses the promising update on fedratinib from the meeting, as well as activin receptor ligand traps and the SMAC mimetic LCL161. She emphasizes the need to dissect the molecular events of transformation…

The primary thrombocythemia (PT)-1 trial (NCT00175838) comprises a series of three studies, which have been running since 1997 and include very large cohorts. PT, also known as essential thrombocythemia (ET), is a chronic disease, so long-term studies like this are essential. Speaking from American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, Claire Harrison, MD, DM, FRCP, FRCPath, of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, discusses the results of one of the arms of the study, which was presented at the meeting. This arm explored the pre-emptive addition of hydroxycarbamide (hydroxyurea) to aspirin…

There was a long period of time without new acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatments, but now there are a number of promising therapies on the horizon. Speaking from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, Charles Craddock, CBE, FRCP (UK), FRCPath, DPhil, of the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK, discusses the novel AML therapies presented at the meeting. Prof. Craddock highlights the promising clinical data for CPX-351, a liposomal mixture of cytarabine and danorubicin. He also emphasizes data for IDH-1/2 inhibitors, translational studies investigating the clonal structure of patients in complete remission and…

This is an incredibly exciting time for multiple myeloma (MM) research. In this video, some of the most interesting topics presented at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK, are discussed by Daniel Auclair, Senior Vice President of Research, MMRF, Irene Ghobrial, MD from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, Jonathan Keats, PhD of the Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, Nina Shah, MD of UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco, CA and Larry Boise, PhD from Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA. The developing reality of liquid biopsies, emerging novel subtypes of MM, ground-breaking advances in immunotherapies and exciting…

Dr. Jack West reviews the preliminary clinical results on the IMpower150 trial that tested the value of adding the immune checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab to carbo/paclitaxel/bevacizumab in patients with chemo-naïve advanced non-squamous NSCLC.

The University of Birmingham has partnered with Leuka, NHS Blood and Transplant, and Anthony Nolan to deliver the UKs first large-scale clinical trials programme for patients who receive stem cell transplants; IMPACT. In this interview, Charles Craddock, CBE, FRCP (UK), FRCPath, DPhil, of the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK, discusses the aims of IMPACT, highlighting the huge unmet need it will fill, as well as the potential insights into the biological mechanisms of transplant it could provide. Prof. Craddock also provides an overview of the structure of IMPACT, including the first three studies that are taking place as part of…

Understanding the biology of human disease is of the utmost importance to advancing treatment. We are now making excellent headway in the bench-to-bedside translation of knowledge in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), as discussed here by Charles Craddock, CBE, FRCP (UK), FRCPath, DPhil, of the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. Speaking from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, Prof. Craddock discusses these breakthroughs.

Relapse remains the main obstacle for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) after allogeneic stem cell transplantation and novel therapeutic strategies are urgently required. Now, researchers are pioneering the concept of delivering pharmacological agents, such as azacitadine, post-transplant to reduce the risk of relapse. However, better delivery methods are needed. Speaking from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, Charles Craddock, CBE, FRCP (UK), FRCPath, DPhil, of the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK, discusses the data presented at the meeting from a Phase I/II trial (NCT01835587) of oral azacitadine,…

For high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML), azacitidine monotherapy is typically utilized. However, there is a low overall response rate and relapse typically follows. In this interview, Charles Craddock, CBE, FRCP (UK), FRCPath, DPhil, of the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK, discusses the promising results of the Phase I/II ROMAZA study (ISRCTN69211255), which combines azacitadine with the histone deacetylase inhibitor romidepsin. Prof. Craddocks highlights the scalability of the results of this study moving forwards. This video was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA.

The outcome for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) after allogeneic stem cell transplantation remains poor. In this interview, Charles Craddock, CBE, FRCP (UK), FRCPath, DPhil, of the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK, discusses the Phase I/II VIOLA study (ISRCTN98163167), which is combining azacitidine and hide dose lenalidomide. Prof. Craddock explains the biological mechanisms underlying the anticipated effects of this combination therapy, and how this new salvage treatment could fill an unmet clinical need. This video was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA

Dr. Susanne Osanto discusses the use of chemotherapy plus androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for newly diagnosed men with advanced stage prostate cancer.

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) has been very active throughout 2017. Here, Daniel Auclair, PhD, of the MMRF, Norwalk, CT, discusses the exciting work of the organization that was presented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA. Dr Auclair discusses important findings from the CoMMpass study (NCT145429), big machine learning, validating the impact of transplant on outcomes depending upon the molecular type, and the molecular profiling protocol created. He also highlights the organization’s investments in prevention and early disease understanding.

Clinical trials and research, regardless of their degree of success, provide useful lessons that can be applied to a range of areas, including future trial design and treatment preconceptions. In this interview, Keith Stewart, MD, ChB, of the Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, discusses important lessons learned from the successful overall survival results of the ongoing ASPIRE trial (NCT01080391). Dr Stewart highlights what the results tell us about adding a third drug to combination therapies for relapsed multiple myeloma (MM) patients and at what stage of relapse patients should be treated. This video was recorded at the American Society of Hematology…

The ongoing Phase III ASPIRE trial (NCT01080391) comparing carfilzomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone (CRd) vs. lenalidomide and dexamethasone (Rd) in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma (MM) has been producing promising results thus far. In this interview, Keith Stewart, MD, ChB, of the Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, discusses the updates on the trial that were presented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA. These included updates on progression-free survival, as well as results for overall survival that were presented for the first time.

Venetoclax is a BCL-2 inhibitor used in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL), which works through increasing the apoptosis of CLL cells. In this interview, Constantine Tam, MD, FRACP, FRCPA, of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia, discusses studies of venetoclax combination therapies, such as the MURANO trial (NCT02005471), which is showing promising results for the treatment of relapsed CLL with venetoclax and rituximab, as well as effect of the combination of venetoclax and ibrutinib on MRD in CLL patients. This interview was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting 2017, held in Atlanta, GA.

Phase I studies investigating a new monoclonal antibody that works through the inhibition of PD-1 have shown similar levels of efficacy and safety as the current PD-1 inhibitors pembrolizumab and nivolumab, as explained here by Constantine Tam, MD, FRACP, FRCPA, of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia. However, the main area of interest in this drug would be to see its efficacy when combined with a BTK inhibitor, which is currently happening in a Phase Ib study (NCT02795182). This interview was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting 2017, held in Atlanta, GA.

There were many advancements presented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, that are directly relevant to patients. In this interview, the 2017 ASH President, Kenneth Anderson, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, eloquently describes the two overarching themes of the meeting and, along with examples, highlights the impacts that these advances will have for the treatment of hematological malignancies.

The scientific advances reported at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, were extraordinary. This years meeting saw first-time attempts at integrating multiple levels of biological data analysis, including genomics, epigenetics and immunological profiling, which were exciting from both a biological and clinical standpoint. Speaking from the meeting, Kenneth Anderson, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, and 2017 ASH President, gives his top picks of the most exciting areas of hemonc to look out for over the coming year.

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition has become the go-to place for hematology updates for scientists, clinicians, those in the industry and other stakeholders. As described by this years ASH President, Kenneth Anderson, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, the meeting is known to be a place where highly anticipated information is always presented, including novel drug approvals and clinical updates. Dr Anderson describes the major topical updates at the meeting this year, as well as the last 2 years. This years meeting presents 20 novel approved agents spanning different therapy types, which are…

This years American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, presented major advances in hematology, with >6,000 abstracts submitted. In this video, Kenneth Anderson, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, this years ASH President, discusses the highlights of the meeting. Dr Anderson emphasizes the number of approved novel treatments and paradigm-changing agents, including those presented in late-breaking abstracts. He also draws attention to the focus on CAR T-cell therapy at the meeting this year, with this therapy now being investigated for many types of leukemia and lymphoma, as well as multiple myeloma, with…

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition, held in Atlanta, GA, showcased the most cutting-edge data in the field of hematology by research groups from all over the world. Speaking from the conference, Anas Younes, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, NY, gives an overview of the most anticipated data to be presented. These include details of the ECHELON-1 trial (NCT01712490), the efficacy of acalabrutinib in relapsed mantle cell lymphoma, follow up data on the LyMa trial (NCT00921414), and an evaluation of current PET scanning practices.

Athough new molecules have advanced the treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma considerably in recent years, research is still ongoing to achieve the best possible outcomes for patients. Speaking from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition, held in Atlanta, GA, Anas Younes, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, NY, discusses the key treatments for Hodgkin lymphoma currently, including pembrolizumab, nivolumab and brentuximab.

Although the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition, held in Atlanta, GA, may not have had as much coverage of multiple myeloma (MM) as in previous years, there has still been a lot of progress made in the field, as explained here by Bruno Paiva, PhD, from the University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain. He touches upon some of the biggest updates in MM, including anti-BCMA CAR T-cell therapy, and the potential addition of daratumamab to VMP as the standard of care for patients with newly diagnosed MM (ALCYONE trial; NCT02195479).

The monitoring of minimal residual disease (MRD) is important in predicting relapse and giving a more sensitive measurement to clinicians as to whether a cancer has been fully eradicated. In this interview, from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition, held in Atlanta, GA, Bruno Paiva, PhD, of the University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, describes the recent Phase III GEM2012MENOS65 trial (NCT01916252), where MRD monitoring was performed using next generation flow (NGF) in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) patients after VRD and high dose chemotherapy. Dr Paiva also discusses the clinical questions arising from the results…

Although little is currently known about the mechanisms of resistance to venetoclax, researchers are constantly looking for new drugs that can be used in case of resistance or intolerance to drugs such as venetoclax, ibrutinib or obinutuzumab. Speaking from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition, held in Atlanta, GA, John Gribben, MD, DSc, FRCP, FRCPath, FMed Sci, of the Barts Cancer Institute, London, UK, spoke to us about venetoclax resistance, and described some exciting drugs currently in development for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).