Author: Editor

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).

In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), venetoclax has established itself as one of the most effective monotherapies in certain contexts. Speaking from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition, held in Atlanta, GA, John Gribben, MD, DSc, FRCP, FRCPath, FMed Sci, of the Barts Cancer Institute, London, UK, spoke to us about the biggest updates in CLL being talked about at the conference. These include the MURANO trial (NCT02005471), and other studies investigating the most effective venetoclax combinations, primarily aiming to achieve a deep, durable remission, and only requiring a fixed duration of therapy, rather than indefinite…

Venetoclax and ibrutinib are two relatively new drugs being used for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and although studies are suggesting them to be more effective than conventional chemotherapies in certain contexts, concerns remain surrounding their cost, particularly if used in combination. However, as explained here by John Gribben, MD, DSc, FRCP, FRCPath, FMed Sci, of the Barts Cancer Institute, London, UK, an effective combination therapy of a shorter duration may be cheaper than years of an inferior treatment; researchers must find the clinical contexts where investing in these treatments will bring about the most benefit for patients.…

Social media platforms, such as Twitter, are a staple of the modern world and facilitate communication between people from all over the globe. Here, Raul Cordoba, MD, PhD, of Fundacion Jimenez Diaz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain, outlines the benefits of using social media as a hematologist, for networking with and getting second opinions from fellow professionals. This interview was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition, held in Atlanta, GA.

CAR T-cell therapy has emerged as a highly promising cancer treatment in recent years, with patient’s own cells being modified to aid their immune system to fight the disease. However, as explained here by Raul Cordoba, MD, PhD, of Fundacion Jimenez Diaz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain, CAR T-cell technologies are currently only being used fully in the USA. This means that European patients undergoing CAR T-cell therapy must wait for their cells to be sent to the USA, modified and then sent back, which can often be too long a wait for patients. This interview was recorded at the American…

As age increases, the likelihood of a patients with hematological malignancies having further complications and comorbidities increases. Speaking from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition, held in Atlanta, GA, Raul Cordoba, MD, PhD, of Fundacion Jimenez Diaz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain, discusses the Geriatric Assessment in Hematology (GAH) scale, which is a tool used to predict mortality and direct the treatment of elderly patients with multiple myeloma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia or high risk myelodysplastic syndromes.

Immunotherapy has been a primary area of focus in lymphoma research in recent years, with treatments looking to stimulate and bolster the patients immune system to figh cancer. In this interview, Raul Cordoba, MD, PhD, of Fundacion Jimenez Diaz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain, gives an overview of CAR T-cells and new monoclonal antibodies, two of the most relevant immunotherapies currently in development for treating lymphoma. This interview was recorded at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition, held in Atlanta, GA.

In this activity, Congress Chair Dr. Morton Coleman and CLL Session Co-Chair Dr. Richard R. Furman discuss highlights of the second day of Lymphoma & Myeloma 2017: An International Congress on Hematologic Malignancies held in October. Topics of discussion were focused on best practices and emerging data regarding CLL management, including: the changing role of chemotherapy in CLL, best use of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors, and managing adverse events associated with newer CLL therapies. Earn CME Credit for a related activity: http://elc.imedex.com/ELC/Specialty-Search.aspx?specialty=Hematology © 2017 Imedex, LLC.

In this Key Insights activity, Congress Chair Dr. Morton Coleman and Lymphoma Session Co-Chair Dr. John Leonard discuss highlights of the third day of Lymphoma & Myeloma 2017: An International Congress on Hematologic Malignancies held in October. Topics of discussion were focused on best practices and emerging data regarding lymphoma management, including: CAR-T therapy, how to improve upon use of R-CHOP, best use of PET scans to guide therapy selection, new therapies for indolent and aggressive lymphomas, and emerging data on EZH2 inhibitor therapy. Earn CME Credit for a related activity: http://elc.imedex.com/ELC/Specialty-Search.aspx?specialty=Hematology © 2017 Imedex, LLC.

Updates from the highly anticipated Phase III MURANO study (NCT02005471) in relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) were presented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA. In this interview, John Seymour, MBBS, PhD, of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre & The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, discusses the results from first released data of the primary analysis of MURANO, which he presented as a late-breaking abstract at the meeting. Read more about the results here: https://ash.confex.com/ash/2017/webprogram/Paper109076.html

In this Key Insights activity, Drs. Morton Coleman and Ruben Niesvizky discuss highlights of the first day of Lymphoma & Myeloma 2017: An International Congress on Hematologic Malignancies held in October. Topics of discussion were focused on best practices and emerging data regarding myeloma management, including: measuring minimal residual disease; current and investigational regimens for indication, consolidation, and maintenance; outcomes with the addition of monoclonal antibodies; and the role of CAR-T therapy. Earn CME Credit for a related activity: http://elc.imedex.com/ELC/Specialty-Search.aspx?specialty=Hematology © 2017 Imedex, LLC.

There has historically been less novel agents being tested and moving into the clinic for AML. Now, there has been a wave of promising trials. Speaking from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, Naval Daver, MD, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, discusses the results of the ongoing Phase II study (NCT02397720) of nivolumab plus azacytidine in patients with relapsed AML or frontline elderly AML. Dr Daver emphasizes the impact of the good response rates seen, even in elderly salvage patients. Additionally, Dr Daver provides an overview…

Venetoclax combinations have shown excellent results in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), but are now, excitingly, displaying fantastic preliminary outcomes in acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). In this interview, Naval Daver, MD, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, discusses the results of the Phase Ib study (NCT02670044), which is now moving into Phase II. Dr Daver highlights how the trial was in elderly patients with R/R AML, which is arguably the highest risk group, and has still shown promising durable response rates. He then discusses the next stage of testing, including the dose and possible addition of…

Although a key skill of nursing is communication with patients and the multidisciplinary team, ensuring good communication channels within and across nursing teams is also essential. Speaking from the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017, held in Harrogate, UK, Elizabeth Lank, of Ascot, UK, discusses the benefits of investing time for nurses to meet together and share their expertise, highlighting how this enables them to develop their skills further. She gives examples of how this has occured at the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the feedback of the nurses at this center.

Nursing is a demanding job, with the many responsibilities and patients meaning that nurses are often under considerable time pressure. Speaking from the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017, held in Harrogate, UK, Elizabeth Lank, of Ascot, UK, gives an overview of her workshop at the conference, where she focused on getting nurses to find the time to talk to each other about professional problems.

Immunotherapies can come with a range of toxicities that require the appropriate management by acute oncology services. In this interview, Liz Gifford of the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK, discusses new immunotherapy-related toxicity management guidelines for healthcare professionals. This video was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK.

As novel immunotherapies are introduced into practice, centers need to implement new protocols and educate staff in order to ensure a successful adoption. Speaking from the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK, Liz Gifford of the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK, discusses the processes and experience of immunotherapy introduction in Southampton.

Immunotherapies can induce a range of common, as well as rare, side effects. These may be difficult for healthcare professionals to spot if they have not observed them previously. In this interview, Liz Gifford of the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK, discusses some of the rarer toxicities that can be seen in cancer patients. This video was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK.

Collating data and communicating center experiences is essential to ensure that the best standard of care is provided to patients across geographical boundaries. In this interview, Liz Gifford of the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK, discusses the Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy Dataset (SACT) practical workshop run at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK. She highlights the importance of this in terms of the good management of the toxicities of emerging immunotherapies.

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

There are many intricacies surrounding the introduction of biosimilars. Here, Simon Cheesman, BPharm, MRPharmS from University College London Hospital (UCLH), London, UK discusses some of these issues, including whether patients need to be re-consented for treatment, the attitudes of health care professionals towards the adoption of biosimilars and the essential role pharmacists will serve. This interview was recorded at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK. This content has been supported by Napp Pharmaceuticals through an unrestricted educational grant to Magdalen Medical Publishing. The company has had no influence on the production of the…

“During the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium for cancer care pharmacy in Glasgow, UK, Simon Cheesman, BPharm, MRPharmS from the University College London Hospital (UCLH) , London, UK, discusses how they have introduced biosimilar rituximab into clinical practice at UCLH. He shares the key considerations when making the switch and emphasizes the pharmacist role in driving things forward, as well as summarising the data they have obtained so far in hematological malignancies. This content has been supported by Napp Pharmaceuticals through an unrestricted educational grant to Magdalen Medical Publishing. The company has had no influence on the…

“During the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium for cancer care pharmacy in Glasgow, UK, Simon Cheesman, BPharm, MRPharmS from the University College London Hospital, London, UK, describes the role of pharmacists in the integration of biosimilars into clinical practice based on his experience of biosimilar rituximab. This content has been supported by Napp Pharmaceuticals through an unrestricted educational grant to Magdalen Medical Publishing. The company has had no influence on the production of the content.”

“Peter Johnson, BA, MB BChir, MA, MRCP, MD, FRCP from Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK, summarises the challenges of cancer research during the BOPA 2017 annual symposium in Glasgow. He discusses cancer genomics and how this research can be intergrated into treatment decisions in the clinic. Molecular screening is particularly challenging as a large amount of patients need to be screened, whereas many of these patients won’t benefit from some of the new treatments. In addition, he talks about the constantly evolving treatment landscape in oncology with new treatment clases coming into practice, pharmacists will have a key role in…

David Irvine from the Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK outlines his presentation on cellular advances in hematological oncology given at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK. Dr Irvine describes the areas of development and the associated challenges that have arisen in recent years.

Having academics who also work in the clinic has a wide range of benefits. In this interview, Naomi Farrington, PhD, of the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK, emphasizes the mutual benefits of having clinicians working in research and researchers working in clinical areas. This video was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK.

Elderly cancer patients are likely to have comorbidities and more complex treatment needs, which can result in certain treatments not being offered to them. In order to determine the optimal treatment for these patients, specialized tools and services can be utilized. Speaking from the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK, Naomi Farrington, PhD, of the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK, highlights examples of services that can improve the care of older cancer patients. Dr Farrington highlights Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA), the Geriatric Oncology Liaison Development (GOLD) team at Guys and St Thomas…

Elderly patients comprise the majority of cancer cases; however, they are often overlooked in many facets of oncology research and care. In this interview, Naomi Farrington, PhD, of the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK, discusses the key challenges facing older people with cancer, including being less likely to be offered certain treatments and a lack of communication. This video was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK.

Pharmacists have an excellent knowledge of drugs and are an essential part of the multidisciplinary healthcare team. Excitingly, they are now becoming increasingly involved in the management and care of patients. In this interview, Michael Mawhinney of Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK, discusses the expanding role of the pharmacist, including prescribing and clinical assessments. This video was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK.

Nurses have a high level of contact with individual patients, which enables them to have a unique perspective on their emotional and practical needs. Speaking from the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK, Michael Mawhinney of Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK, discusses the importance of the nurse across all aspects of patient care, highlighting their role in patient education. He also highlights the importance of the pharmacist in patient-facing roles.

The official recommendations are that patients taking oral systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT) receive the same level as care as those receiving intravenous SACT in a hospital setting. However, this poses many logistical challenges. In this interview, Michael Mawhinney of Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK, discusses his review of this issue, which was presented at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK.

The debate at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK, focused on highlighting the importance of different areas of cancer nursing, including research. In this video, Michael Mawhinney of Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK, who was representing research in the debate, eloquently discusses the benefits of research to cancer nursing.

Dr. Jack West reviews the implications, both encouraging and potentially detrimental, of a recent FDA approval for broad genomic (NGS) testing of all solid tumors, ushering in a new era of growing precision medicine and molecular oncology.

This is a very exciting time for multiple myeloma (MM) research, with advances in a range of areas from new endpoints, to novel therapies and imaging. In this video, an overview of these updates are given by Gareth Morgan, MD, FRCP, FRCPath, PhD of UAMS Myeloma Institute, Little Rock, AR, Nina Shah, MD of UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco, CA and Leif Bergsagel, MD from the Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ following day 2 of the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK. The coverage of MRD at the meeting, including its impact on future clinical trial design, is discussed. The panel…

Model systems, including patient specimens and murine organisms, are very important for multiple myeloma (MM) research. Speaking from the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK, Larry Boise, PhD, from Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, Kenneth Shain, MD, PhD, from the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, Marta Chesi, PhD, from the Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ and Enrique Ocio, MD, PhD, from the University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain, discuss the advantages and uses of their respective model systems. The speakers cover the ability to manipulate genomes, observe how MM develops and can be treated…

There is a plethora of therapies available for multiple myeloma (MM). In this insightful panel discussion at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK, Ivan Marques Borrello, MD from John Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, Hearn Cho, MD, PhD from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY and Tuna Mutis, MD, PhD from the VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands, discuss the current state of immunotherapy for MM and what the future holds. They share their thoughts on combination therapies, creating more broadly applicable therapies, checkpoint inhibitor trials and bispecific antibodies.

There are currently many exciting novel therapeutics and combination therapies undergoing clinical trials for use in multiple myeloma (MM) patients. These are explored in an intriguing panel discussion by Thomas Martin, MD from UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, Larry Boise, PhD from Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, Christoph Driessen, MD, PhD from Kantonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland and Constantine Mitsiades, MD, PhD from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK. These therapeutics target an array of promising genes, pathways, super-enhancers and transcription factors. The panel reference venetoclax, nelfinavir,…

A key finding of a recent Bloodwise study into the specific needs of hematological cancer patients highlighted the importance of access to a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS). However, with busy wards and high staff turnovers in certain locations, the availability of these nurses is stretched. In this interview, Lena Elkman of Bloodwise, London, UK, discusses a new E-learning tool for the training of hematology-oncology nurses, emphasizing the benefits that this will have for both nurses and the patients that they care for. This video was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK.

Immunotherapy is a growing treatment area for cancer, with a lot of hype in the mainstream media. In this interview, recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017, held in Harrogate, UK, Elaine Vickers, PhD, of Science Communicated Ltd, Manchester, UK, explains why this may not be a good thing, as many patients may get their hopes up when these treatments are only suitable for a small subset of cancer patients.

Immunotherapy has received a lot of coverage as a revolutionary cancer treatment, in both the medical community and in the mainstream media, and it is likely that this trend will continue in the coming years. In this interview, Elaine Vickers, PhD, of Science Communicated Ltd, Manchester, UK, explains how this will affect cancer nurses, in terms of knowledge of the immune system and the mechanism of action of these drugs to be able to answer their patients’ queries and concerns. This interview was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017, held in Harrogate, UK.

In recent years, molecular tests have emerged that can help provide information about cancers, such as determining what type of therapy is likely to be most effective. In this interview, Elaine Vickers, PhD, of Science Communicated Ltd, Manchester, UK, discusses the expanding field of personalized medicine, and how it relates to cancer nursing in terms of nurses interacting with their patients. This video was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017, held in Harrogate, UK.

Dr. Jack West reviews data on the FDA-approved combination of dabrafenib/trametinib for patients with BRAF V600E mutation-positive advanced NSCLC, as published by Planchard & colleagues in Lancet Oncology.

It is critical that cancer patients report the side effects of their treatments, whether chemotherapy or immunotherapy, as early as possible to avoid the worsening of illness and further complications. However, there have been many reports of patients delaying reporting the side effects of treatment to their care team. Speaking from the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017, in Harrogate, UK, Catherine Oakley, PhD, of Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, discusses why this may be the case and how to combat it, highlighting the importance of a holistic approach to nursing, in order to…

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

Recent studies presented at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK have identified multiple exciting new treatment combinations for multiple myeloma. In this interview, Alberto Rocci, MD from Central Manchester University Hospital, Manchester, UK highlights the benefits these could have on patient survival, their tolerability and the potential created for tailoring treatment to the individual. Moving forward, Dr Rocci discusses improving the accessibility and funding of these drugs. This content has been supported by Napp Pharmaceuticals through an unrestricted educational grant to Magdalen Medical Publishing. The company has had no influence on the production…

The data from several recent monoclonal antibody clinical trials for multiple myeloma (MM), which are producing very exciting results, was presented at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK. In this interview, Alberto Rocci, MD from Central Manchester University Hospital, Manchester, UK discusses the current CASTOR (NCT02136134) and ELOQUENT-2 (NCT01239797) Phase III clinical trials, which are investigating the addition of monoclonal antibodies to traditional treatment regimens for relapsed refractory MM. Dr Rocci gives a summary of the treatment combinations, results in high-risk cytogenetics groups and the toxicity profiles of the drugs. This content has…

The ongoing TOURMALINE-MM1 study (NCT01564537), a Phase III placebo-controlled clinical trial for relapsed refractory multiple myeloma, has produced very positive response results, even in patients with high-risk cytogenetics a result, which, if validated, is unprecedented. Alberto Rocci, MD from Central Manchester University Hospital, Manchester, UK discusses these results and the toxicity profile of the novel oral triplet combination treatment used, which includes ixazomib. This interview was recorded at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK. This content has been supported by Napp Pharmaceuticals through an unrestricted educational grant to Magdalen Medical Publishing. The company…

There have been promising preliminary results from the ongoing ASPIRE study (NCT01080391), a Phase III clinical trial for patients with relapsed refractory multiple myeloma. From the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK, Alberto Rocci, MD from Central Manchester University Hospital, Manchester, UK gives an overview of the study, an update on the results so far and discusses the toxicity profile of the treatment, which includes carfilzomib. This content has been supported by Napp Pharmaceuticals through an unrestricted educational grant to Magdalen Medical Publishing. The company has had no influence on the production of the…

Alberto Rocci, MD from the Central Manchester University Hospital, Manchester, UK discusses the encouraging data from recent clinical trials, looking to add novel agents to existing drug combinations for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Dr Rocci explains that by adding on novel agents, it may be possible to improve depth of response, progression-free survival and even overall survival. This interview was recorded at the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) 20th Annual Symposium 2017 in Glasgow, UK. This content has been supported by Napp Pharmaceuticals through an unrestricted educational grant to Magdalen Medical Publishing.The company has had no influence on the…

Exciting advances in our knowledge of the epigenetics of multiple myeloma (MM) have recently been made. Speaking at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK, Suzanne Lentzsch, MD, PhD from Columbia University, New York, NY, Brian Walker, PhD from the UAMS Myeloma Institute, Little Rock, AR and Wee Joo Chng, MB ChB, PhD, FRCP (UK), FRCPath (UK), FAMS from the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore, Singapore, discuss the highlights of the work that they presented in this area, developments in the field and identify key topics that are set to progress rapidly. Topics covered include panobinostat, a non-selective HDAC inhibitor,…

The highly anticipated panel discussion on the hot topic of MRD at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK produced thought-provoking debate. In this video the main points of debate are discussed by Jeffrey Wolf, MD from the University of California, San Francisco, CA, Roger Owen, MD, MRCP, MRCPath of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK, Bruno Paiva, PhD from the University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, Nina Shah, MD of UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco, CA and Joaquin Martinez-Lopez, MD, PhD from the Hospital Universitario, Madrid, Spain. Questions asked in the discussion included: Should MRD be the primary endpoint…

Fantastic advances in immunotherapy, including CAR T-cells, bispecific antibodies and potential immunotherapy combinations, were presented at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK. In this panel discussion, Keith Stewart, MB, ChB and Leif Bergsagel, MD from the Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ and Gareth Morgan, MD, FRCP, FRCPath, PhD of UAMS Myeloma Institute, Little Rock, AR discuss the highlights from day 1 of the meeting. In addition to immunotherapy updates, the potential for a similar phenomenon to double hit lymphoma occurring in multiple myeloma (MM), which would identify a distinct MM subgroup in need of different therapies, is discussed. Furthermore, the…

The current baseline imaging technology for multiple myeloma (MM) management includes PET and MRI. In this interview, Ravi Vij, MD, MBA, from the Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, WA, talks about how we can improve these existing technologies by referencing fusion scans, which can potentially provide a greater wealth of information. Dr Vij highlights the promising future of novel radiomimetics. This video was recorded at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK.

There is currently a conundrum regarding the differentiation of acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. In this interview, Stéphane de Botton, MD, PhD of the Gustave Roussy Institute, Villejuif, France, speaking at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Haematology (ESH), suggests diagnosing patients based on their genotype. He also stresses the significance of new and existing treatments, including chemotherapy, broad spectrum agents and immunotherapies.

The utilization of CAR T-cells for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) has great potential, with numerous different targets and production approaches. In this video, this exciting upcoming area is discussed by Adam Cohen, MD from the Abramson Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, Yi Lin, MD, PhD from the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MD and Sabrina Prommersberger, PhD from the University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany at the engaging Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK. The experts summarize the promising findings of CAR T-cell clinical trials in MM patients thus far, including NCT02546167 and NCT02658929. Looking towards the future, the speakers discuss the…

Research into imaging for multiple myeloma (MM) is expanding into an exciting new field, which is explored in this discussion by Jens Hillengass, MD, from the University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, and Saad Usmani, MD, FACP, from the Levine Cancer Institute, Charlotte, NC, at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK. They discuss the heterogeneity of MM, as as well as focal lesions, liquid biopsies and CT as the new standard of imaging for diseases of the bone marrow.

The mechanisms of therapy resistance in multiple myeloma (MM) are evolving. This is deliberated in this insightful discussion between Marc Raab, MD, from the University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, and Jonathan Keats, PhD, from the Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK. Dr Keats and Dr Rabb discuss the latest results of the CoMMpass study (NCT01454297). They question what confers resistance in patients, referencing the tumor microenvironment, as well as discussing novel subgroups of patients based on their genomic features.

Inhibitors of exportin (XPO1), a nuclear export chaperone, are currently in early clinical trials for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Speaking from the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH), Ramiro Garzon, MD, from the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, explains why these inhibitors are effective, referencing their effect on both tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes. Dr Garzon also shares preliminary findings from the clinical trials.

There are currently several novel agents that target non-coding RNAs being tested in pre-clinical studies for the treatment of leukemia. In this video, Ramiro Garzon, MD, from the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, discusses these exciting candidates and talks about the drug development process. This video was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH).

“There are currently a number of ongoing clinical trials for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) that are targeting nuclear exporters. In this video, recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH), Ramiro Garzon, MD, from Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, discusses the promise of these novel agents. “

There are four commonly mutated spliceosome proteins in hematological malignancies. In this interesting interview, recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH), Omar Abdel-Wahab, MD from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, identifies these mutations, including the most common, which is in SRSF2. Dr Abdel-Wahab discusses how these mutations drive leukemogenesis.

New molecules targeting specific gene mutations are showing great potential for precisely treating diseases and lowering the toxicity of treatment. In this interview, recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH), Miguel Sanz, MD, of the University Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain, discusses his talk at the conference, where he discussed the use of the FLT3 inhibitor midostaurin, which was recently approved after the RATIFY clinical trial (NCT00651261), alongside standard chemotherapy for the treatment of AML. Dr Sanz also touches upon the improvements that could be made to…

Having an understanding of the inherited genetic components that can lead to cancer formation can be of great use to clinicians; it can explain why a patient may have developed a cancer, suggest a cancer that they may be at risk of developing, and identify potential therapeutic targets. In this interview, recorded at the European School of Hematology (ESH) International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal, Jane Churpek, MD, of the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, highlights recent findings from her group linking hematologic malignancies with genetic elements, and suggests that there may be many other tumor…

Holistic therapies are often viewed unfavorably by the medical community, with many clinicians preferring to solely focus on pharmacological treatments. However, for chronic illnesses such as MPNs, where there is no drug that can currently cure the condition, treatments generally aim to reduce the burden of the disease as much as possible. In this interview, Ruben Mesa, MD, of UT Health San Antonio Cancer Center, San Antonio, TX, USA, discusses some of his clinics exploration of various complementary therapies for patients with MPNs, including cognitive, physical and nutritional therapies. This video was recorded at the Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Advances Day 2017,…

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are complex diseases, with current therapies primarily designed to prevent complications and reduce symptoms. In this insightful interview, Ruben Mesa, MD, from UT Health San Antonio Cancer Center, San Antonio, TX, USA, gives his opinion on the most important areas to the advancement of MPN treatment, including whether the treatment of patients needs to occur earlier. Dr Mesa emphasizes the need for the approval of further JAK inhibitors alongside ruxolitinib, and touches upon a few of the drugs that are currently in development, such as the phase III JAKARTA trial of fedratinib (NCT01437787). He also mentions brand…

“Technological advances have allowed for whole genome, exome and transcriptome sequencing of circulating multiple myeloma (MM) cells and cell-free tumor DNA. In this video, Jens Lohr, MD, PhD from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, highlights the advantages of this. Dr Lohr also addresses the limitation of liquid biopsies, including patient selection and standardization. This video was recorded at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK. “

It has become apparent in recent years that low levels of ciculating tumor DNA can be detected in multiple myeloma (MM) patients through liquid biopsies. In this interview, Suzanne Trudel, MD, MSc, FRCPC, of the Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Canada, gives an overview of how this approach may be refined in the coming years, so that it may replace the more invasive and painful bone marrow biopsy, in both clinical and research contexts.

The detection of various gene mutations, such as those in Ras and Raf, are important for risk stratification and identifying appropriate treatment plans for multiple myeloma (MM) patients. This genetic analysis has traditionally been performed through the extraction of bone marrow, which is an invasive and often painful procedure. In this interview, recorded at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK, Suzanne Trudel, MD, MSc, FRCPC, of the Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Canada, discusses how her group has developed a liquid biopsy to detect these mutations with high sensitivity and specificity.

The Myeloma 2017 meeting, held in Edinburgh, UK, saw more focus on epigenetic contributors to multiple myeloma (MM) than ever before, indicating a shift in the outlook and technological capabilites to research these factors in greater detail. In this interview, Felipe Prosper Cardoso, MD, of the University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, discusses the new studies highlighted at the meeting that were investigating the epigenetics of MM, including the CoMMpass study (NCT01454297), which is collecting the DNA methylation pattern profiles of its wide range of participants. Dr Prosper Cardoso highlights the benefits that a greater epigenetic understanding could have on the…

In recent years, researchers have become increasingly aware of the fact that epigenetic alterations can contribute to the formation of multiple myeloma (MM); however, our understanding of these remain unclear. In this interview, Felipe Prosper Cardoso, MD, of the University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, gives an insightful overview of the high-throughput technologies currently being used to investigate these epigenetic mechanisms, including ChIP-sequencing, chromosome conformation capture-on-chip (4C), and bisulfite sequencing. This video was recorded at the Myeloma 2017 meeting, held in Edinburgh, UK.

Although researchers are aware of the fact that epigenetic factors play a significant role in the development of multiple myeloma (MM), we do not yet understand these factors to the level we do the genomic components of the disease. Speaking from the Myeloma 2017 meeting held in Edinburgh, UK, Felipe Prosper Cardoso, MD, from the University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, explains why this is the case, and discusses his talk at the meeting, where he covered a new high-throughput technology, designed to study the changes in chromatin structure between MM and non-MM cells, and our current understanding of the epigenetics…

There are several different types of immunotherapy and associated conjunctional therapies currently being studied that have shown some degree of efficacy for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM). Speaking from the Myeloma 2017 meeting held in Edinburgh, UK, David Avigan, MD, of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, gives an overview of these therapies, including CAR-T cells and dendritic cell vaccines. Dr Avigan explains that whilst these therapies are spearheading an exciting future of MM treatment, there is still a need to develop our understanding of the immune system, and the durability and side effects of these treatments,…

Cancer immunotherapy is a very active area of research at the moment, with the potential to treat a cancer long-term by stimulating an individual’s immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. In this interview, David Avigan, MD, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, discusses the development of a dendritic cell vaccine for multiple myeloma (MM), which has yielded promising results and led to a nationwide randomized follow up study. Dr Avigan also touches upon potential adjuvant therapies that could aid a vaccine in modulating the immune response and reducing relapse rates, such as microRNAs or effector cells.…

Drug resistance is a common problem in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM), either through initial resistance to a drug, or a developed resistance associated with relapse. Speaking from the Myeloma 2017 meeting held in Edinburgh, UK, Brian Van Ness, PhD, of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, outlines the talks given at the meeting regarding the problem of resistance, and the ways in which the MM community can address this issue.

Clinical trials to determine the efficacy of a drug are costly, particularly when there are many subtypes of a certain disease that could vary greatly in their response to a molecule. In this interview, Brian Van Ness, PhD, of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, gives an overview of a specialised core facility that allows for the modelling of drug responses by multiple myeloma (MM) subtype through the identification of gene expression patterns in individualized cells, and can help identify the subclonal architecture of heterogeneous tumors. This interview was recorded at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK.

Immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) are a class of drugs including the likes of thalidomide, which are used in the treatment of cancers such as multiple myeloma (MM). In this interview, recorded at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK, Benjamin Barwick, MD, of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, discusses the talks given at the meeting which discussed IMiDs, and how resistance to them in MM can be driven by various enhancers and transcription factors that lead to worse outcomes for patients.

Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, can lead to or complicate disease, and lead to worse patient outcomes. Speaking from the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK, Benjamin Barwick, MD, of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, outlines how these alterations could be explored in terms of targeting them for multiple myeloma (MM) therapies. Dr Barwick highlights the potential to perform clinical trials for MM treatment with approved drugs that target DNA methylation in myelodysplastic syndromes and leukemia.

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) is sponsoring the CoMMpass trial (NCT01454297), which aims to define subsets of multiple myeloma (MM) patients according to their molecular profiles. In this interview, Benjamin Barwick, MD, of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, discusses his groups work analyzing the CoMMpass study data. This analysis aims to identify translocations that result in worse outcomes for myeloma patients, and study specimens from the trial to discover common epigenetic alterations, such as DNA methylation patterns, that contribute to high-risk MM. This interview was recorded at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK.

Speaking from the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Haematology (ESH), Stéphane de Botton, MD, PhD of the Gustave Roussy Institute, Villejuif, France, talks about his experience of working with a smaller company of researchers and their medical team during drug development. Dr de Botton compared this to working for bigger pharmaceutical companies, where, in his experience, collaboration tends to be different.

The IDH2 inhibitor drug, enasidenib has previously only been administered to elderly populations with acute myeloid leukemia. Stéphane de Botton, MD, PhD of the Gustave Roussy Institute, Villejuif, France, discusses why this is the case, as well as the next steps for the drug. This includes further Phase II and III trials in all age groups to determine the efficiency of combination therapies. This video was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Haematology (ESH).

Stéphane de Botton, MD, PhD of the Gustave Roussy Institute, Villejuif, France, discusses the efficiency of differentiation therapies for the elimination of acute myeloid leukemia at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Haematology (ESH). Dr de Botton emphasizes the need to further improve results via the use of combination therapies, and describes how enasidenib can be combined with a wide variety of targeted drugs and other agents.

In this video, Stéphane de Botton, MD, PhD of the Gustave Roussy Institute, Villejuif, France, describes the rapid progression of IDH1/2 mutant inhibitors through clinical trials for the potential treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. Despite these mutations only being discovered in 2009, the IDH2 inhibitor drug, enasidenib has already been FDA approved. In this video, Dr de Botton discusses the reasons behind this success, namely the very high response rates experienced, as well as the complications they were anticipating. This video was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Haematology…

The potential advantage of a therapy compared to its cost is an important factor to consider when approving novel treatments. In this video, Saar Gill, MD, PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, speaking from the International Conference of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH), talks about the resource-intensive nature of CAR T- cells and the optimal way to utilize them in the clinic in the future in regards to this.

The recent RATIFY study (NCT00651261), which led to the approval of midostaurin for the treatment of FLT3-mutated AML patients, was made possible through the cooperation of many hospitals sharing patient data. Speaking from the European School of Hematology (ESH) International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal, Miguel Sanz, MD, of the University Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain, discusses why this collaboration is so vital to identifying new subtypes of and treatments for diseases.

When new drugs are being tested as a treatment for a cancer, they are typically trialled in combination with standard chemotherapy. Here, Miguel Sanz, MD, of University Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain, explores why this is the case, and touches upon a notable exception to this tendency in the therapy of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). This video was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH).

In the RATIFY clinical trial (NCT00651261), the FLT3 inhibitor midostaurin plus standard chemotherapy was shown to have an advantage over standard chemotherapy alone when treating AML patients who were positive for the FLT3 mutation. In this interview, Miguel Sanz, MD, of the University Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain, discusses how midostaurin use will start to become widespread in the near future in Spain, and touches upon current trials that may show it to have use in other clinical contexts as well. This video was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European…

The RATIFY trial (NCT00651261) showed that midostaurin, a FLT3 inhibitor that was a previously ineffective monotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), could improve survival when combined with other chemotherapies. In this interview, Katherine Smith of the University of California, San Francisco, CA, discusses how the immediate future of AML treatment appears to be the therapeutic combination of FLT3 inhibitors with other agents that target different pathways, in order to maximize efficacy. This interview was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH).

Over recent years, inhibition of excessive FLT3 signalling has been a primary area of research to find an effective targeted therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, FLT3 inhibitors have often shown an initial short duration of action, followed by the development of resistance. Speaking from the European School of Hematology (ESH) International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal, Katherine Smith, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco, CA, gives an overview of the mechanisms by which these resistances develop, including on-target FLT3 mutations and off-target clone swapping. She also touches upon the next steps required to…

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a complex disease with many subtypes; treatment can be more effective and efficient if there is a system in place for centers to cooperate and network to share data and resources. In this interview, Jorge Sierra, MD, PhD, of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain, gives an overview of the current AML treatment center network in Spain, and the resources that the country has access to in order to treat their patients. This interview was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European…

The long-term survival rate of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients who have relapsed, or whose disease is progressing, is poor. In this interview, Jorge Sierra, MD, PhD, of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain, discusses the current treatment strategies and new agents being developed for for this patient group; including hypomethylating agents, monoclonal antibodies, CAR-T cells and FLT3 inhibitors. This interview was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH).

Reflecting upon past research is key to the development of new treatments. In this interview at the International Conference of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH), Saar Gill, MD, PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, reflects upon the lessons learnt from treating acute lymphoblastic leukemia and how these lessons can be applied when tackling acute myeloid leukemia using CAR T-cells or bispecific antibodies.

Novel technologies have the potential to allow us to treat more ailments, but often come at the price of new toxicities. Speaking from the International Conference of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH ), Saar Gill, MD, PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA discusses how stronger regulations and greater transparency between scientists, patients and physicians has impacted these new technologies. Dr Gill also highlights the necessity of controlling side effects and the importance of managing expectations.

New and invigorating methods of tackling acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are being researched at present. In this interview, Saar Gill, MD, PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA talks about his research into AML, which focuses on CD33 and CD123 using CAR T-cell therapy. Dr Gill discusses the current issues with this therapy and provides an overview of how his group is planning to overcome these problem by utilising CRISPR-Cas9. This interview was recorded at the International Conference of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH).

This is an exciting time for leukemia treatment, with multiple new therapies being approved and various agents on the horizon. At the International Conference of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH), Ravindra Majeti, MD, PhD, from Stanford University, Stanford, CA, discusses why he is enthusiastic about novel treatments against leukemia and details the improvements required to move this treatment forwards.

As innovative research investigating acute myeloid leukemia (AML) progresses, the chances of developing effective treatments against the ailment increase. In this video, Ravindra Majeti, MD, PhD, from Stanford University, Stanford, CA, speaking from the International Conference of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH), discusses his groups research into hemopoietic stem cells, including the mutations causing pre-leukemic stem cells and their relation to the development of AML. Dr Majeti details the various models being used to assess these genetic mutations, including the CRISPR-Cas9 system.

Eosinophilia is a highly variable disease that can be relatively mild or potentially fatal; it can occur due to primary or secondary causes, or it can be idiopathic in nature. Because of this variance in its causes and outcomes, there were previously no standardized guidelines for how clinicians should investigate and treat the condition. Speaking from the Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Advances Day 2017 in London, UK, Nauman Butt from the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital NHS Trust, Liverpool, UK, outlines the first UK guidelines for eosinophilia, which he and a group of other UK clinicians published in early 2017.

Systemic mastocytosis, though a rare disease, is more common than clinicians may think and diagnosis of the condition can often be missed. In this insightful interview, Deepti Radia, MBBS, MRCPI, FRCPath, of Guys and St Thomas Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London UK, details the latest updates in the field, such as the new WHO classification guidelines for diagnosis and classification. Dr Radia also discusses the treatment options for this condition, which often consists of symptomatic treatment, but in cases of aggressive systemic mastocytosis there are now targeted treatments available, such as midostaurin, BLU-285 and DCC-2618. This video was recorded at…

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPNs) carry a risk of complications, such as thrombosis; the degree of risk is influenced in part by genetic factors. In this interview, recorded at the Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Advances Day 2017 in London, UK, Angela Hamblin, MD, PhD, of Oxford Molecular Diagnostics Centre, Oxford UK, discusses how her team uses next-generation sequencing to identify known mutations in a patient sample, and the exciting applications that this may have in the future, including personalized treatment and minimal residual disease monitoring.

It is well known that studying larger patient groups produces more robust results in research. Omar Abdel-Wahab, MD, from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, highlights this in this interview, recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH). Dr Abdel-Wahab emphasizes the need for collaboration both within and between countries to further acute myeloid leukemia research.

It is known that spliceosome gene mutations can drive hematological cancers, but there may also be neomorphic mutations at play. In this video, recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH), Omar Abdel-Wahab, MD, from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, talks about other essential biological pathways that can potentially drive disease if mutated, such as the nuclear export protein XPO1/CRM1. Dr Abdel-Wahab also alludes to a talk regarding co-existing mutations that we can expect at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 annual meeting.

There is often a lack of communication about the strong evidence linking lifestyle to cancer risk. In this video, Annie Anderson, BSc, PhD, RD, FRCP from the University of Dundee, Dundee, UK, talks passionately about the Scottish Cancer Prevention Network (SCPN), an exemplary advocacy group. Prof. Anderson highlights the interesting and effective ways in which the SCPN disseminates lifestyle evidence on cancer risk reduction. This video was recorded at the 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference, held in Liverpool, UK.

“Health service personnel are paramount in endorsing and conveying lifestyle messages that reduce the risk of cancer in the public. Speaking at the 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference, held in Liverpool, UK, Annie Anderson, BSc, PhD, RD, FRCP from the University of Dundee, Dundee, UK, highlights three exciting lifestyle programs that she is involved in for breast, bowel and colorectal cancers: ActWELL (ISRCTN11057518), BeWEL (ISRCTN53033856) and LivingWELL (ISRCTN13123470). These trials targeted patients in cancer screening settings and Prof. Anderson discusses why this is particularly effective. “

There is extensive and durable evidence supporting the link between lifestyle and cancer recurrence, yet this evidence is not being effectively translated or implemented. In this video, Annie Anderson, BSc, PhD, RD, FRCP from the University of Dundee, Dundee, UK, reviews this evidence and highlights the need for all sectors and stakeholders to work collectively, to create a culture shift in society toward better lifestyles to help prevent cancer recurrence. This video was recorded at the 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference, held in Liverpool, UK.

“Lifestyle intervention trials rely heavily on cooperation from the patient group and thus, it is important to effectively engage these patients. Speaking at the 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference, held in Liverpool, UK, Annie Anderson, BSc, PhD, RD, FRCP from the University of Dundee, Dundee, UK, shares her expertise in designing a successful intervention trial for elderly cancer patients. “

“As a greater number of people are surviving cancer, this is an exciting time to determine the magnitude of effect that lifestyle has on their physical and mental wellbeing. In this interesting interview, Annie Anderson, BSc, PhD, RD, FRCP from the University of Dundee, Dundee, UK, discusses current lifestyle intervention trials that are being undertaken in cancer survivors, including NCT02750826 and NCT01570010. Prof. Anderson also addresses the challenges and issues with such trials. This video was recorded at the 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference, held in Liverpool, UK. “

Dr. Jack West reviews the pros and cons of using osimertinib first line vs. “saving” it as a second line therapy, trying to determine the optimal sequence for EGFR-directed therapy in advanced EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC.

Innovative research has begun to create a novel therapy that could potentially treat a variety of malignancies, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In this interview, Ravindra Majeti, MD, PhD, from Stanford University, Stanford, CA discusses the critical role of CD47 and how it can be utilized to treat AML. Dr Majeti then describes the progress of exciting work using humanized antibodies to inhibit CD47, including NCT02216409 and NCT02678338. This interview was recorded at the International Conference of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH).

As research into the different aspects of treating leukemia develops there will be an increase in the number of targeted medications available, enabling more patients to be treated effectively. In this interview, Ravindra Majeti, MD, PhD, from Stanford University, Stanford, CA, provides us with an overview of the various forms of immunotherapies for leukemia, their side effects and the exclusive nature of certain types. This interview was recorded at the International Conference of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH).

This is an exciting time for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), with the introduction of numerous novel combination therapies and the overall survival of patients increasing. In this intriguing video, Mark Levis, MD, PhD, from The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, speaking from the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH), discusses the most promising combination therapies and why he thinks that overall survival is increasing in AML.

Currently, the majority of therapeutics that target splicing mutations in hematological malignancies are in the early or pre-clinical phases. In this video, Omar Abdel-Wahab, MD, from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, discusses one such exciting trial, NCT02841540. This video was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH).

Mutations can change the function of a protein and thus be the driver of diseases. In this video, Omar Abdel-Wahab, MD, from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, discusses mutations in RNA splicing factors that have been identified in patients with leukemia, highlighting these exciting new therapeutic targets. This video was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH).

Patient advocacy groups can be of great use to patients, giving them means to network with other patients and providing a direct source of information. In this interview, recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, by the European School of Hematology (ESH), in Estoril, Portugal, Jane Churpek, MD, of the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, highlights some of benefits brought about by the formation of a patient advocacy group for patients diagnosed with familial platelet disorder.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) increasingly appear to be influenced by genetic features, with new research attempting to provide a clearer understanding of how genetic predisposition can lead to the development of these diseases and their altered signaling pathways. In this interview, Jane Churpek, MD, of the University Chicago, IL, discusses the research currently underway in this area, such as that looking at germline RUNX1 mutations, and highlights the importance of having an understanding of disease progression. This video was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School…

In recent years, the medical community has become aware of certain genetic factors that can predispose someone to developing hematological malignancies, such as leukemia. However, our understanding of the full extent of the genetic components of these illnesses is far from complete. In this interview, Jane Churpek, MD, of the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, describes the difficulties faced when treating a patient with leukemia while considering the hereditary aspects of the disease. Dr Churpek highlights some of the typical concerns of patients and the questions that may be asked in this scenario. This video was recorded at the International…

Using kinase inhibitors, such as midostaurin, to treat acute myeloid leukemia typically only produces a partial response. Mark Levis, MD, PhD, from The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, discusses why this is the case at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH). Dr Levis also highlights the challenges that current clinical trials of these inhibitors are trying to address.

The BCL2 inhibitor venetoclax has shown remarkable response rates in elderly acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients when used in combination regimens. Speaking at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH), Mark Levis, MD, PhD, from The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, discusses how this, along with allogenic transplantation, has changed the way in which elderly AML patients are now being treated.

“In this insightful interview, Mark Levis, MD, PhD, from The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, talks about the four primary drugs that are being used to treat newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. These include midostaurin, gemtuzumab ozogamicin, idarubicin and enasidenib; all of which are targeted at different subgroups of AML. This interview was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH). “

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is no longer thought to be just a single disease; thus, each subtype needs to be treated differently. In this interview, Mark Levis, MD, PhD, from The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, talks to us about novel targeted agents for AML, including IDH inhibitors, FLT3 inhibitors and antimetabolites. Dr Levis highlights the pressure and rapid turnaround for molecular diagnostics to aid in this targeted treatment for each patient. This interview was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH).

It is still early days for immunotherapeutic strategies. Speaking from the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH), Marion Subklewe, MD, of the University of Munich, Munich, Germany, discusses her interest in pre-clinical data and understanding the mechanism of action of immunotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia. Prof. Subklewe highlights the work on this subject to look forward to at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2017 congress.

Cancers, such as myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), evolve from repeated mutations; it is unlikely that one mutation alone causes cancer. In this interview, Tony Green, MD, PhD, of the University of Cambridge, discusses some interesting findings regarding the importance of the order of mutations that have been implicated in a cancer, such as JAK2 and TET2 in MPNs, and how the behavior of the disease and its effect on the patient can be affected by this. This video was recorded at the Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Advances Day 2017 in London, UK.

The discovery of various molecular risk factors for myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) has revolutionized the way in which doctors diagnose these diseases, and the way that they determine the prognosis. Speaking from the Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Advances Day 2017, London, UK, Tony Green, MD, PhD, of the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK, discusses some of the most important molecular discoveries that have changed the field of MPN diagnosis, such as the JAK2 V617F mutation. He also proposes a way in which the presence or absence of these mutations, combined with clinical data and outcomes, could be used to generate a patient knowledge…

Nurses provide a high level of contact to a patient with cancer, which is essential in order to educate them and alleviate any concerns that they may have. In this interview, recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017, Harrogate, UK, Nikki Hunter from the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, discusses the cautions that must be taken for cancer patients that are treated with immunotherapy, highlighting the importance of communication between the patient and nurse to ensure safe patient care.

An acute oncology service works to manage the unexpected care needs of patients with cancer. In this interview, recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017 in Harrogate, UK, Nikki Hunter, of the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, explains how the increasing number of cancer patients being treated with immunotherapy means that each cancer center may require an immunotherapy Clinical Nurse Specialist in the future. She highlights the need to understand the full side effect profile of immunotherapies and thus how to best treat the patient.

The use of immunotherapy in the UK as a treatment for cancer has increased over the past decade. In this interview, Nikki Hunter of the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, gives us an overview of the experience of her center, whose immunotherapy use has grown since originally performing clinical trials on small patient cohorts. She highlights the resources and processes that have been introduced to aid in this treatment. This video was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017, held in Harrogate, UK.

Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) play a key role for a cancer patient, in both performing clinical procedures, and offering psychological support and education. In this insightful interview, Nikki Hunter, of the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust discusses the role of the CNS in the context of a patient being treated with immunotherapy, and the differences that come with the role as opposed to a patient who is being treated with conventional chemotherapy. This video was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017, held in Harrogate, UK.

Conferences can be a fantastic opportunity to network within a certain profession, and get an idea of the challenges that are facing a profession as a whole. In this interview, Daniel Kelly, PhD, from the School of Healthcare Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK, discusses the importance of the UK Ocology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference. This video was recorded at the UKONS Annual Conference 2017, held in Harrogate, UK.

Nurses in the UK are highly valued as part of the multidisciplinary health team. However, as Daniel Kelly, PhD, from the School of Healthcare Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK, discusses in this interview, this may not be the case in every country. Speaking from the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017, Prof. Kelly discusses the upcoming European Nursing Oncology Society (EONS) leadership summit, which aims to raise the profile of leadership in nursing.

Specialist cancer nurses play a vital role in improving patient care, in both clinical and psychological contexts. In this interview, Daniel Kelly, PhD, from the School of Healthcare Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK, discusses the ongoing Recognising European Cancer Nursing (RECaN) study by the European Nursing Oncology Society (EONS), which aims to increase recognition of the value and contribution of oncology nursing across Europe. Prof. Kelly highlights the potential improvements that could be made in the field of cancer nursing across Europe. This video was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017, held in Harrogate, UK.

The current baseline imaging technology for multiple myeloma (MM) management includes PET and MRI. In this interview, Ravi Vij, MD, MBA, from the Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, WA, talks about how we can improve these existing technologies by referencing fusion scans, which can potentially provide a greater wealth of information. Dr Vij highlights the promising future of novel radiomimetics. This video was recorded at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK.

Radiological advances are now enabling us to decipher the disease biology of multiple myeloma (MM) in ways that were previously not possible. In this video, Ravi Vij, MD, MBA from the Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, WA, speaking from the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK, discusses the fascinating radio-imaging technology that is being used in MM today, as well as alluding to what the future holds in this field. Dr Vij highlights the potential this area holds for facilitating better prognosis and therapeutic decisions in MM.

There are two new highly promising classes of treatments for multiple myeloma. Speaking from the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK, Gareth Morgan, MD, FRCP, FRCPath, PhD from the UAMS Myeloma Institute, Little Rock, AR, discusses these exciting developments. Prof. Morgan also highlights the current revolutionary drug classes, which include proteasome inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies and immunomodulatory drugs.

Within multiple myeloma (MM), there are biologically different diseases that are distinctly characterized. In this video, Gareth Morgan, MD, FRCP, FRCPath, PhD from the UAMS Myeloma Institute, Little Rock, AR, speaking from the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK, talks passionately about this hot topic. He highlights the need for risk-stratified treatment in MM.

There has been a genome-wide initiative to identify the copy number variants and mutational drivers of multiple myeloma. In this exciting interview, Gareth Morgan, MD, FRCP, FRCPath, PhD, from the UAMS Myeloma Institute, Little Rock, AR, highlights the simplicity yet effectiveness of this initiative for determining prognosis and identifiying high-risk patients. This video was recorded at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK.

Dr. Jack West reviews the results of the ARCHER-1050 trial that showed superior efficacy with dacomitinib vs. gefitinib in EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC. Is it too little, too late for dacomitinib, or can it find a place in a crowded first line setting?

A full understanding of the methods available for diagnosis, prognosis and stratification are required in order to choose the optimal method depending on the cirumstances. In this video, recorded at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK, Jens Lohr, MD, PhD, from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, discusses the selection and site bias of using bone marrow biopsies for multiple myeloma. Dr Lohr also questions how representative liquid biopsies are.

Although there is a lot of hope and optimism surrounding immunotherapy, Marion Subklewe, MD, of the University of Munich, Munich, Germany, emphasizes that patients should be well informed on the pros and cons involved. For acute myeloid leukemia, patients should firstly be offered the most effective approved therapies. This interview was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH).

Cinical trials for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) typically only include relapsed/refractory patients, rather than patients at an earlier stages of the disease. Speaking from the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH), Marion Subklewe, MD, of the University of Munich, Munich, Germany, explains the downsides of this, but highlights the reasons why this occurs.

The use of T-cell engaging antibodies for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment is in the very early stages. In this interview, Marion Subklewe, MD, of the University of Munich, Munich, Germany, highlights the importance of examining the T-cell engaging antibody constructs that are currently being used for acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment and applying the lessons learnt in this setting to AML. This interview was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH).

Many variables are involved in selecting the type of treatment that a patient can receive. Speaking from the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Haematology (ESH), Marina Konopleva, MD, PhD of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, discusses the key factors involved in selecting acute myeloid leukemia patients for intensive treatment, and the issues with this. Dr Konopleva also provides an overview of the treatment options available to patients, referencing a recent venetoclax trial (NCT02993523).

The widespread accessing of new drugs by HCPs and patients can be a very long process. Currently, venetoclax is in clinical trials for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and hence, has not yet been approved for prescription. In this interview, Marina Konopleva, MD, PhD of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, encourages elderly patients with AML to participate in clinical trials, such as NCT03069352, as well as acknowledging the difficulties of this. This video was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Haematology (ESH).

“This is an exciting time for new acute myeloid leukemia (AML) therapies, particularly combination treatments. In this video, Marina Konopleva, MD, PhD of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, discusses planned upcoming clinical trials for new venetoclax chemotherapy combinations for AML, including that with FLAG-IDA (NCT03214562). Dr Konopleva explains why she is hopeful that these regimens will improve treatment and mentions the combination therapies that she hopes to work on in the future. This video was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Haematology (ESH). “

“In this exciting interview, Marina Konopleva, MD, PhD of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, provides optimistic preliminary results from clinical trials (NCT02287233 and NCT02203773) utilizing venetoclax in elderly acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Thus, Dr Konopleva is hopeful for the approval of venetoclax in combination therapies for AML. This video was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Haematology (ESH). “

Compassion and understanding are two key components within medical care. At the International Conference of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH), Lars Bullinger, MD, from Charité University of Medicine, Berlin, Germany discusses how the chance of recovery for a patient with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is highly dependent upon their risk profile. Dr Bullinger also encourages optimism and discusses how to reassure patients who suffer from AML.

New research methods enable a greater understanding of a disease and allow for more personalized medicine to be produced. In this interview, Lars Bullinger, MD, from Charité University of Medicine, Berlin, Germany, speaking from the International Conference of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH), discusses ongoing translational research in Berlin to characterize acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in all age ranges, with a multitude of aims, including identifying biomarkers and treatment responses, in addition to improving the registries storing this data. Dr Bullinger also describes how he foresees cellular immunotherapies being utilized to…

The effective use of the correct medication can greatly improve the chance of remission for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In this insightful video, Lars Bullinger, MD, from Charité University of Medicine, Berlin, Germany, speaking from the International Conference of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH), highlights the optimal combination therapies to combat AML in elderly patients and speculates about the future of this area.

Though women of childbearing age are diagnosed with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) less frequently than the general population, it is key that all hematologists are aware of the treatment options available to women with MPNs who are planning to become pregnant or are already pregnant, and work with the patients obstetrician and midwifery group to maximize the chance of a healthy birth. In this interview, Susan Robinson, MBBS, MCRP, MDRes, FRCP, FRCPath, from Guys and St Thomas Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, discusses the statistics and risks regarding pregnancy in patients with MPNs, the treatments and precautions typically taken, and…

Chronic inflammation is a key hallmark of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) and is responsible for many of the symptoms that affect sufferers, acting as a driver for disease progression. Therefore, it is crucial to fully understand the causes and effects of chronic inflammation in this group, in order to reduce its impact upon patients and improve outcomes. Speaking from the Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Advances Day 2017 in London, UK, Steffen Koschmieder, PhD, MD, of Aachen University, Aachen, Germany, discusses recent findings about the role of inflammation in MPNs, including the spreading of the malignant JAK2 mutation among cell lineages. Dr Koschmieder also…

To effectively treat acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in elderly patients, it is important that therapies for the right demographic are researched. In this interview, Lars Bullinger, MD, from Charité University of Medicine, Berlin, Germany, discusses the challenges facing the treatment of elderly AML. Prof. Bullinger details how the genomic structure and mutations present in elderly patients produce challenges when developing treatments and how to overcome these issues. This interview was recorded at the International Conference of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017 in Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH).

Thrombosis is a major risk factor for early mortality in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), particularly essential thrombocythemia and polycythemia vera. In this insightful interview, Martin Ellis, MD, of Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel, details studies that have identified the JAK2 V617F mutation as a key driver of thrombosis, which could then be incorporated into traditional patient risk stratifications for more accurate prognoses. Dr Ellis highlights important areas for further study, such as targeting hematocrit levels, and the need to establish an effective secondary prophylaxis protocol for MPN patients who have previously experienced thrombotic events. This video was recorded…

As patient awareness and knowledge of disease increases, the way in which doctors provide information to their patients in Spain has been changing. In this video, Jorge Sierra, MD, PhD of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain discusses the way that information is given to patients by clinicians in Spain, how this has changed in recent years and the impacts this has had on patient involement in treatment decision making. This interview was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH).

Myeloproliferative neoplasms are complex diseases, with new research constantly updating our understanding of risk factors that may cause the diseases to develop or certain complications that can arise from them. The Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Advances Day 2017 in London, UK, presented cutting-edge updates in the field. In this interview, Claire Harrison, MD, FRCP, FRCPath, of Guys and St Thomas Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, gives an overview of the exciting talks given at the conference, including the TAMARIN study (ISRCTN65011803), prognostic modelling, fresh perspectives on drugs such as warfarin, and the future of genetic sequencing.

For relapsed and elderly acute myeloid leukemia patients, standard treatment is often not good enough. In this interview, Jorge Sierra, MD, PhD of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain, discusses the alternative treatment options for these patients. Prof. Sierra highlights the importance of these patients being included in clinical trials and recommends alternative options if this is not a possibility. This interview was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH).

In this interview, Alessandro Vannucchi, MD, of the University of Florence, Florence, Italy, talks about the new models that doctors can use to determine the prognoses for patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), such as thrombosis for essential thrombocythemia or survival in myelofibrosis patients. Dr Vannucchi highlights how these new models take into account particular mutations, which can affect an individuals chance of reaching a certain endpoint, and can therefore be used by clinicians to assess whether a patient requires a certain therapy, such as stem cell transplantation. This video was recorded at the Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Advances Day 2017 in London,…

An advanced age can limit treatment options when tackling leukemia. Speaking from the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH), Prof. John DiPersio, MD, PhD of Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, WA discusses treatment options for patients with leukemia who are over the age of 60, and the future applications of chemotherapy and bispecifics in this group.

As alternatives to chemotherapy are created, the prospect of having treatments with a lower toxicity becomes more tangible. In this video, Prof. John DiPersio, MD, PhD from Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, WA provides an insight into how to improve the chances of treating leukemia using bispecifics. Prof. DiPersio discusses when to use bispecifics, and the benefits it will have for patients who have recently undergone transplant or have a positive minimal residual disease status. This video was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Haematology (ESH).

This is an exciting time for leukemia research, with the latest research using bispecifics revealing positive outcomes for patients. Here, Prof. John DiPersio, MD, PhD of Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, WA describes future plans to expand a study using bispecifics to treat patients with acute myeloid leukemia. This interview was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Haematology (ESH).

The inflammation induced by medication can create challenges when producing novel treatments. In this interview, Prof. John DiPersio, MD, PhD from Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, WA provides an overview of the issue of targeting monocytes in acute myeloid leukemia using CAR T-cells and bispecific agents in terms of cytokine release syndrome. He explains how his team dealt with this issue, and discusses the benefits of using bispecifics compared to CAR T-cells. This interview was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Haematology (ESH).

It is crucial that drug toxicity is kept as low as possible to improve the quality of life of patients. Speaking from the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Haematology (ESH), Prof. John DiPersio, MD, PhD of Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, WA discusses using MGD006, a dual-affinity re-targeting agent, to target CD123 in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). He provides an overview on the progress of the ongoing Phase I study (NCT02152956) looking at the toxicity of this drug in patients with relapsed AML and high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome.

As diseases mutate our knowledge of them increases. In this interview, Prof. John DiPersio, MD, PhD from Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, WA explains how the low number of mutations in acute myeloid leukemia affects treatment and research. Prof. DiPersio also touches upon how he utilizes the shared antigen CD123 in his research, its difficulties and why bispecific therapies are useful. This interview was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Haematology (ESH).

This is an exciting time for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment, with multiple new therapies being investigated currently. In this interview, Francesco Lo-Coco, MD, from the University Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy discusses recent research using inhibitors for the treatment of AML. This video was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Haematology (ESH).

Using uniform methods of detection allows for the efficient diagnosis of various ailments. In this interview, Francesco Lo-Coco, MD, from the University Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy speaks from the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Haematology (ESH). Dr Lo-Coco outlines the method of standardizing molecular diagnostics for patients with myeloid diseases in Italy.

As treatment advancements are made, the number of people who cannot be treated effectively is reduced. In this interview, Francesco Lo-Coco, MD, from the University Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy, discusses the exciting use of second generation inhibitors of FLT3 for acute myeloid leukemia. This interview was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Haematology (ESH).

When considering which treatment to prescribe for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an advanced age is a limiting factor. With recent developments in treatment perhaps this will no longer be the case. In this interview, Andrew Wei, MBBS, PhD, FRACP, FRCPA, from Alfred Hospital and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia discusses the use of BH3 mimetics, such as venetoclax, and immunotherapy drugs for the treatment of elderly patients with AML. Dr Wei also discusses the future applications of mimetics in AML. This video was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology…

There have been large strides in the treatment of leukemia; however, current methods lack specificity. Speaking from the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH), Andrew Wei, MBBS, PhD, FRACP, FRCPA, from Alfred Hospital and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia discusses the use of targeted medication to inhibit anti-apoptotic proteins and how this could reduce toxicity.

Andrew Wei, MBBS, PhD, FRACP, FRCPA, from Alfred Hospital and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia discusses how a novel molecule, S64315, has the potential to combat acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). S64315 has started Phase I trials (NCT02979366) to assess how effective it is against the MCL-1 protein. He also discusses the synergy of using venetoclax and other drugs targeting BCL-2 in combination with drugs targeting MCL-1 to treat AML, and how this could reduce the toxicity of the treatment. This video was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH).

There is some agreement within the multiple myeloma (MM) community regarding the importance of combination chemotherapy, transplant, personalized therapy and minimal residual disease. These hot topics are explored in this intriguing panel discussion at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK by Jonathan Kaufman, MD from Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, Faith Davies, MD, MRCP, MRCPath, FRCPath from UAMS Myeloma Institute, Little Rock, AR and Peter Voorhees, MD from the Levine Cancer Institute, Charlotte, NC. The panel also discuss the controversy of treating high-risk smoldering MM patients, and highlight novel studies and combination treatments for MM.

The evasion of apoptosis is a hallmark of cancer, which needs to be halted in order to treat malignancies. In this video, Andrew Wei, MBBS, PhD, FRACP, FRCPA, from Alfred Hospital and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia touches upon the mechanism of apoptosis and the use of venetoclax, a drug that can benefit patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Dr Wei also discusses his research regarding pro-survival proteins in acute myeloid leukemia. This interview was recorded at the International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 2017, Estoril, Portugal by the European School of Hematology (ESH).

As novel anticancer drugs undergo clinical trials and enter the market, patients with cancer are experiencing better outcomes and living longer. However, as outlined in this interview with Verna Lavender, PhD, of Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK, patients may develop more complex conditions and comorbidities as they get older, meaning that new drugs may not be suitable until more information is known. This interview was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKON) Annual Conference 2017, held in Harrogate, UK.

Cancer nurses play a critical role in improving the quality of life and outcomes of patients. In this interview, recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017, held in Harrogate, UK, Verna Lavender, PhD, of Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK, emphasizes how the conference is a great opportunity to show cancer nurses the impact that they can have on patients, and provides networking and educational opportunities.

The UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual Conference 2017, held in Harrogate, UK, had the central theme of person-centered care. Here, Verna Lavender, PhD, of Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK talks about what this entails in terms of care and treatment, and provides an overview of the sessions, topics and structure of the conference. Dr Lavender highlights the interactive workshops that were run, including her own, which was dedicated to the development of cancer nurses.

With the NHS being stretched considerably in terms of its budget and increasing pressure placed upon its staff, any strategies that can improve time efficiency and streamline the patient experience are hugely beneficial to both the NHS and the patient. In this interview, Hilary Baker, of University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, outlines the experience of her center in setting up a one-stop multispecialty enhanced recovery clinic for patients undergoing radical cystectomy, highlighting the benefits of this to improving the patient experience as a whole. This interview was recorded at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Annual…

Steven T. Rosen, MD, from the City of Hope, Duarte, CA, discusses the affordability of cancer treatments at the 2017 International Workshop in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (iwNHL) in Vancouver, BC, Canada. There are various novel agents being developed, however, current costs make some treatments unaffordable. Therefore, there needs to be negotiations with pharmaceutical companies to bring down the costs, and improve the availability of treatments.

Steven T. Rosen, MD, from the City of Hope, Duarte, CA, discusses novel conceptual treatment approaches at the 2017 International Workshop in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (iwNHL) in Vancouver, BC, Canada. A novel nucleoside analogue is being developed that targets RNA instead of DNA has shown promising results in the treatment of AML. Drugs are also being repurposed, for example, arthritis drug leflunomide is being trialled in myeloma, and ritonavir, an HIV drug, is being tested to alter the metabolic activity of leukaemia cells.

Steven T. Rosen, MD, from the City of Hope, Duarte, CA, discusses the evolution of CAR T-cell therapy at the 2017 International Workshop in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (iwNHL) in Vancouver, BC, Canada. CAR T-cells have so far shown very promising results, even in relapsed and refractory settings. This therapy is still in its infancy, and therefore there will be continuous improvement in terms of the toxicity profile, and how it is administered. Initially, it has been carried out in specialist centres, however, there is hope that it will evolve into a more common and widespread treatment.

Steven T. Rosen, MD, from the City of Hope, Duarte, CA, discusses recent developments in BTK inhibitors at the 2017 International Workshop in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (iwNHL) in Vancouver, BC, Canada. BTK inhibitors have been shown to be effective in CLL, mantle cell lymphoma, Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, and MALT lymphomas, and are constantly being developed to reduce toxicity. More is also being learned about their resistance mechanisms, and the benefit of combinations.

Steven T. Rosen, MD, from the City of Hope, Duarte, CA, discusses highlights of the 2017 International Workshop in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (iwNHL) in Vancouver, BC, Canada. More concrete data had been released for various novel treatments, such as checkpoint inhibitors, CAR T-cell therapies, and ALK inhibitors. Dr Rosen explains that this is a promising and rapidly evolving field, but there are still many challenges ahead.

Michael Pfreundschuh, MD from the Saarland University, Homburg, Germany is joined by Ryan Morin, PhD from the BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, Canada, Reiner Siebert, MD from the Institute of Human Genetics, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany, and Robert Kridel, MD, MPH, PhD from the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada to discuss the clonal evolution in lymphoma. Acting as chair, Dr Pfreundschuh leads to panel to review the sessions highlights from the 2017 International Workshop on Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (iwNHL) in Vancouver, BC, Canada, focusing on methods of understanding clonal evolution better. The take home message from this discussion is that it…

Anas Younes, MD, from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY is joined by Eduardo Sotomayor, MD, from the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Washington, D.C, and Laura Pasqualucci, MD, from the Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, at the 2017 International Workshop in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (iwNHL) in Vancouver, BC, Canada. They discuss the results of large sequencing studies, and the role of epigenetic modulators in the pathogenesis of lymphomas.

Catherine Bollard, MBChB, MD, FRACP, FRCPA from the Childrens National Health System and the George Washington University, Washington, D.C. chairs a lively discussion on the fast-evolving field of immunotherapy in lymphoma. Dr Bollard is joined by Stephan Ansell, MD, PhD from the Mayo Clinic, MN and Steve Gottschalk, MD from the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, together they review the immunotherapy session at the 2017 International Workshop on Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (iwNHL) in Vancouver, BC, Canada. It is an exciting time in lymphoma, with immunotherapies such as CAR T-cells and checkpoint inhibitors showing promising results. Discussing how these could be…

Philippe Gaulard, MD, PhD, from the Henri-Mondor Hospital, Paris, France, Francesco DAmore, MD, PhD, from the Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark, Richard Delarue, MD, from the Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France, discuss topics such as recent developments in molecular pathology, results of recent clinical trials, and novel opportunities in personalized medicines in lymphoma at the 2017 International Workshop in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (iwNHL) in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Patients with myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPNs) are at a higher risk of mortality due to thrombosis compared with unaffected individuals. Speaking from the Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Advances Day 2017 in London, UK, Tiziano Barbui, MD, from Hospital Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy, discusses this issue and highlights the efforts being made to combat it, including cytoreductive therapy and anticoagulants. Prof. Barbui then provides an overview of his groups exciting ongoing studies, which are collecting data from over 1,000 MPN patients.

In this interview, recorded at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK, Ashutosh Wechalekar, MBBS, MD, FRCP, FRCPath, DM, from University College London, London, UK, talks to us about the most anticipated upcoming trial results in the treatment of amyloidosis to be released at ASH 2017, including genetic data exploring the effect of translocations such as t(11;14) upon a patients response to bortezomib, and the addition of bortezomib to a combined therapy regimen of melphalan and dexamethasone.

Around a quarter of new amyloidosis patients die within 6 months of diagnosis, and, despite large pharmacological and technological advancements, this statistic has not improved over the past three decades. Here, Ashutosh Wechalekar, MBBS, MD, FRCP, FRCPath, DM, from University College London, London, UK, highlights two of the primary requirements of future amyloidosis research in order to reduce this mortality rate. Dr Wechalekar emphasizes the need to improve awareness of the disease in primary care settings to increase the speed of diagnosis. This video was recorded at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK.