Howard ‘Jack’ West, MD, Executive Director of Employer Strategy; Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Medical Oncology and; Therapeutics Research at the City of Hope speaks about ASCO 2021 Highlights in Lung Cancer. Link to Abstract 8500- IMpower010: Primary results of a phase III global study of atezolizumab versus best supportive care after adjuvant chemotherapy in resected stage IB-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/195950/abstractLink to Abstract 8503 – Surgical outcomes from the phase 3 CheckMate 816 trial: Nivolumab (NIVO) + platinum-doublet chemotherapy (chemo) vs chemo alone as neoadjuvant treatment for patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/195951/abstractLink to Abstract 9001…
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Aditya Bardia, MD, MPH, Director of Breast Cancer Research, Mass General Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School speaks about ASCO 2021 Highlights in Breast Cancer. Link to Abstract – OlympiA: A randomized phase III trial of olaparib as adjuvant therapy in patients with high-risk HER2-negative breast cancer (BC) and a germline BRCA1/2 mutation (gBRCAm).https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/115571/abstractLink to Abstract – Significantly different costs of adjuvant chemotherapy regimens in the United States.https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/60336/abstractLink to Abstract – Durvalumab improves long-term outcome in TNBC: results from the phase II randomized GeparNUEVO study investigating neodjuvant durvalumab in addition to an anthracycline/taxane based neoadjuvant chemotherapy in early triple-negative breast cancer…
David Illson, MD, Ph.D., Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College speaks about ASCO 2021 Highlights in Colorectal Cancer and Gastrointestinal Cancer. Link to Abstract 4000 – ESCORT-1st: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial of camrelizumab plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy in patients with untreated advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/195933/abstractLink to Abstract LBA4001 – Nivolumab (NIVO) plus ipilimumab (IPI) or NIVO plus chemotherapy (chemo) versus chemo as first-line (1L) treatment for advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC): First results of the CheckMate 648 study.https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/195919/abstractLink to Abstract 4002 – First-line…
David Illson, MD, Ph.D., Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College.@ILSONDavid @sloan_kettering @mskcc #ASCO21 #ColorectalCancer #GastrointestinalCancer- Colorectal Cancer and Gastrointestinal Cancer- Link to Abstract 4000 – ESCORT-1st: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial of camrelizumab plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy in patients with untreated advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/195933/abstractLink to Abstract LBA4001 – Nivolumab (NIVO) plus ipilimumab (IPI) or NIVO plus chemotherapy (chemo) versus chemo as first-line (1L) treatment for advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC): First results of the CheckMate 648 study.https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/195919/abstractLink to Abstract 4002 – First-line (1L)…
Professor Yves Chabu, Ph.D. from MU College of Arts and Science speaks about Understanding How Cancer Can Relapse.Link to Abstract:https://showme.missouri.edu/2021/understanding-how-cancer-can-relapse/Activating mutations in the RAS family of genes are preventing researchers from developing effective cancer treatments. Now, researchers from the University of Missouri and Yale University have revealed that one of these mutations, oncogenic RAS or RASV12, is also responsible for cancer cell recurrence after genotoxic therapy treatment, which involves medicines that break a cancer cell’s DNA in an attempt to kill it.Genotoxic treatments kill cancer cells by damaging the DNA inside them. To prevent being eliminated, cells typically stop reproducing…
Neeraj Agarwal, MD, is a Professor in the Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at University of Utah School of Medicine speaks about ASCO 2021 Abstracts – Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and patient-reported outcomes at final analysis of the TITAN study of apalutamide (APA) versus placebo (PBO) in patients (pts) with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC) receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).Link to Abstract:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/197750/abstractBackstory:In the phase 3 TITAN trial, APA was compared to PBO in patients with mCSPC who were receiving ADT. APA substantially improved overall survival (OS) and radiographic progression-free survival (RFS) compared to…
Neeraj Agarwal, MD, is a Professor in the Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at University of Utah School of Medicine speaks about ASCO 2021 Abstracts – Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and patient-reported outcomes at final analysis of the TITAN study of apalutamide (APA) versus placebo (PBO) in patients (pts) with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC) receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).Link to Abstract:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/197750/abstractBackstory:In the phase 3 TITAN trial, APA was compared to PBO in patients with mCSPC who were receiving ADT. APA substantially improved overall survival (OS) and radiographic progression-free survival (RFS) compared to…
Chan Shen, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Surgery Chief, Division of Outcomes, Research and Quality, The Pennsylvania State University speaks about Prolonged Opioid Use After Surgery for Earlyâ€Stage Breast Cancer.Link to Abstract:https://theoncologist.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1634/theoncologist.2019-0868Abstract:Introduction:This study looked at the patterns of long-term opioid usage and the variables that were linked to a greater risk of long-term opioid usage in patients with early-stage breast cancer who were opioid-naive.Methods:The study identified 23,440 opioid-naive individuals who had breast cancer surgery between January 2000 and December 2014 and filled at least one opioid prescription as a result of the operation using MarketScan data. Extra-prolonged opioid usage was…
Dr. Pamela Kunz of Yale Cancer Center speaks with Drs. Charu Aggaral & Jack West about the headwinds of being a woman advancing in academic medicine, as well as a recent shocking story of sexual harassment & the systematic shortfalls that enabled it.
Jose P. Zevallos, MD, MPH, FACS, Associate Professor Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery; Chief Head & Neck Oncologic Surgery at the Washington University Medical School in St. Louis speaks about the ASCO 2021 Abstract – Evaluating a clinically validated circulating tumor HPV DNA assay in saliva as a proximal biomarker in HPV+ oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Sophie P. Gerndt, MD author of the upcoming manuscript.Link to Abstract:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/197768/abstractBackground:HPV genomic DNA has been investigated extensively in plasma and saliva, but circulating tumor human papillomavirus DNA (ctHPVDNA) has just emerged as a reliable biomarker for monitoring in HPV+ oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Tumor-derived…
Thomas Brown, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Syapse speaks about ASCO 2021 Abstract – #e21121 – Feasibility of RECIST-based real-world tumor response assessment in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients.Link to Abstract:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/201064/abstractBackground:The Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) is commonly used to assess treatment response to anti-cancer medicines for advanced lung cancer, however, it is not widely used in real-world settings. With real-world evidence increasingly being used to back promising treatments, this study looked into the feasibility of assessing real-world lung cancer response using RECIST-based measurement of lesions on archived radiologic films and comparing it to treatment response based on…
Thomas Brown, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Syapse speaks about ASCO 2021 Abstract – #e21047 – Myocarditis as a rare, yet serious adverse event associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: Case series from a large community-based cancer center.Link to Abstract:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/200926/abstractBackground:Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) may cause immune-related adverse effects in patients with lung cancer and other malignancies (irAE). Pneumonitis, colitis, hepatitis, and myocarditis/pericarditis can all manifest with varying degrees of severity and single- or multi-organ involvement. Myocarditis occurs in 0.06 percent to 2.4 percent of the population and is associated with a significant death rate (25…
Thomas Brown, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Syapse speaks about ASCO 2021 Poster – #9105 – Genomic markers associated with hyperprogression in patients with lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.Link to Poster:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/200547/abstractBackground:Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has become a standard of care for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, not all patients (pts) benefit with ICI, with a percentage reporting increased tumor development. Hyperprogression (HP) is a term used to describe faster tumor development on ICI along with the deteriorating clinical state. MDM2/MDM4 amplifications, EGFR alterations, and STK11/LKB1 mutations are some of the gene changes that have been…
Thomas Brown, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Syapse speaks about ASCO 2021 Abstracts – #9105 – Genomic markers associated with hyperprogression in patients with lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, #e21047 – Myocarditis as a rare, yet serious adverse event associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: Case series from a large community-based cancer center, and #e21121 – Feasibility of RECIST-based real-world tumor response assessment in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients.Link to Poster #9105:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/200547/abstractLink to Abstract #e21047:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/200926/abstractLink to Abstract #e21121:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/201064/abstract#9105 Background:Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has become a standard of care for patients with…
Philippe Spiess, MD from H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute speaks about the ASCO 2021 Abstract – Clinically advanced pelvic squamous cell carcinomas (pSCC) in men and women: A comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) study.Link to Abstract:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/197709/abstractBackground:We used CGP to look for probable genetic changes between tumor types because the clinical symptoms, disease course, and treatment choices for pSCC varied.Methods:1,741 clinically advanced pSCCs underwent hybrid capture-based CGP to evaluate all classes of genomic alterations, including 230 penile (penSCC), 17 male urethral (murthSCC), 125 male anal (manSCC), 7 female urethral (furthSCC), 263 vulvar (vulSCC), 822 cervical (crvSCC), and 277 female…
Anas Alshawa, MD from the University of Arizona speaks about the Effects Of Glutamine For Prevention Of Radiation-induced Esophagitis: A Double-blind Placebo-controlled Trial.Link to Study:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33580845/Synopsis:The goal Acute radiation-induced esophagitis (ARIE) causes treatment delays, a reduction in quality of life (QOL), and secondary complications such as weight loss. Grade 3 ARIE occurs in 15 percent to 30 percent of patients having esophageal irradiation, resulting in treatment interruption or cessation. The goal of this research was to see how glutamine, a common dietary supplement, affected ARIE in patients with thoracic cancers. Patients and procedures Patients with advanced thoracic malignancies were included in…
Taiga Nishihori, MD from the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute speaks about the ASCO 2021 Abstract – The results of multicenter phase II, double-blind placebo-controlled trial of maintenance ixazomib after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) for high-risk multiple myeloma (MM) from the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN 1302).Link to Abstract:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/195823/abstractBackground information:The function of alloHCT and subsequent maintenance in the treatment of high-risk MM remains unknown. To treat patients with high-risk MM, we tested the effectiveness of ixazomib maintenance treatment following alloHCT utilizing a reduced-intensity fludarabine/melphalan/bortezomib (Flu/Mel/Bort)-based conditioning regimen.Methodologies:Adults 70 years or younger with…
Sarah E. Hoffe, MD from H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute speaks about ASCO Abstract – GRECO-2: A randomized, phase 2 study of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in combination with GC4711 in the treatment of unresectable or borderline resectable nonmetastatic pancreatic cancer (PC).Link to Abstract:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/201242/abstractBackground information:While systemic therapy for PC has improved, surgical resection, which is regarded the best therapy, remains uncommon. Patients with unresectable or borderline PC continue to have dismal outcomes, with toxicity and disease progression during induction chemotherapy limiting the number of patients who may be surgically treated. SBRT practice has turned to greater…
Peter H. O’Donnell, MD from the University of Chicago speaks about the ASCO 2021 Abstract – Oral Abstract Session: First-Line Pembrolizumab (Pembro) in Cisplatin-Ineligible Patients With Advanced Urothelial Cancer (UC): Response and Survival Results up to Five Years From the KEYNOTE-052 Phase 2 Study.Link to Abstract:https://meetings.asco.org/abstracts-presentations/195585Background information:Pembro was authorized based on preliminary data from the phase 2 KEYNOTE-052 trial (NCT02335424), which revealed a 29 percent ORR in cisplatin-ineligible patients with untreated advanced UC. The results are updated after up to 5 years of follow-up.Methodologies:KEYNOTE-052 is an open-label, single-arm, multi-site experiment. Patients had advanced or metastatic UC, were ineligible for cisplatin…
Shilpa Gupta, MD from the Cleveland Clinic speaks about the ASCO 2021 Abstract – SWOG S1216: A phase III randomized trial comparing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) plus TAK-700 with ADT plus bicalutamide in patients (pts) with newly diagnosed metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) (NCT01809691).Link to Abstract:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/196407/abstractBackground information:Tak is a nonsteroidal 17, 20-lyase inhibitor that inhibits the production of androgens in the gonadal and adrenal glands. In patients with newly diagnosed mHSPC, we looked at the therapeutic benefit of Tak combined with ADT.Methodologies:Patients with mHSPC who had a Zubrod performance status (PS) of 0-2 and a PSA of less than 2…
Kent Hoskins, MD, Co-Leader of the Breast Cancer Research Group and Director of Cancer Genetics at the University of Illinois Cancer Center speaks about ASCO 2021 Abstract – Disparities within luminal breast cancer: Clinical and molecular features of African American and non-Hispanic white patients.Link to Abstract:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/198997/abstractBackground information:Despite equivalent therapies, African American breast cancer patients (AA) are diagnosed younger, have more high-risk characteristics, and have poorer clinical outcomes than non-Hispanic White patients (NHW). Although comorbidities like obesity and metabolic syndrome may play a role, ancestry-specific variables and the consequences of structural violence, which disproportionately affect AA people, may have an impact…
Michal R. Tomaszewski, Ph.D. from H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute speaks about ASCO 2021 Abstract – Imaging-based patient inclusion model for clinical trial performance optimization.Link to Abstract:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/196629/abstractBackground information:The development of novel cancer medicines in the era of precision medicine is heavily reliant on the appropriate identification of target patient populations. We believe that computational imaging data analysis may be utilized to produce a quantitative population enrichment method in clinical trials, and we want to provide a framework for this analysis.Methodologies:This concept was investigated in patients with soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) who were enrolled in a randomized Phase III…
Julian Andres Marin-Acevedo, MD from H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute speaks about ASCO 2021 Abstract – Efficacy of cetuximab after immunotherapy (IO) in advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC).Link to Abstract:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/197144/abstractBackground information:For advanced CSCC that is not responsive to surgery or curative radiation, anti-PD1 (aPD1) monotherapy with cemiplimab-rwlc or pembrolizumab is currently considered standard of treatment. Chemotherapy or anti-EGFR medicines were previously utilized to treat these individuals, albeit with poor effectiveness and response durability. At 6 weeks, the overall response rate (ORR) to cetuximab was 28 percent, with a disease control rate (DCR) of 69 percent, according…
Jonathan Zager, MD from H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute speaks about ASCO 2021 Abstract – Percutaneous hepatic perfusion (PHP) with melphalan for patients with ocular melanoma liver metastases: Preliminary results of FOCUS (PHP-OCM-301/301A) phase III trial.Link to Abstract:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/195993/abstractBackground information:The most prevalent intraocular cancer, ocular melanoma, commonly metastasizes to the liver, yet there is no clear standard of therapy for individuals with hepatic-dominant ocular melanoma. The FOCUS study began as a phase III randomized experiment (301) that compared PHP to the best alternative care (BAC). Due to enrollment issues, the study was later altered (301A) to exclude the…
Jonathan Strosberg, MD from H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute speaks about the ASCO 2021 Abstract – Final overall survival in the phase 3 NETTER-1 study of lutetium-177-DOTATATE in patients with midgut neuroendocrine tumors.Link to Abstract: https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/197214/abstractBackground information:The most prevalent intraocular cancer, ocular melanoma, commonly metastasizes to the liver, yet there is no clear standard of therapy for individuals with hepatic-dominant ocular melanoma. The FOCUS study began as a phase III randomized experiment (301) that compared PHP to the best alternative care (BAC). Due to enrollment issues, the study was later altered (301A) to exclude the BAC arm.Methodologies:The…
Ana Maria Arance, MD from the Hospital Clinic Barcelona speaks about ASCO 2021 Abstract – Lenvatinib (len) plus pembrolizumab (pembro) for patients (pts) with advanced melanoma and confirmed progression on a PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitor: Updated findings of LEAP-004.Link to Abstract:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/195985/abstractBackground information:In patients with unresectable stage III-IV melanoma with confirmed PD on a PD-(L)1 inhibitor administered alone or in combination, preliminary data from the open-label, single-arm, phase 2 LEAP-004 trial (NCT03776136) revealed that len and pembro in combination exhibited promising effectiveness and acceptable safety. ORR was 21.4 percent with a 6.3-month median DOR in patients with PD who had previously…
Paul M. Barr, MD from the University of Rochester Medical Center Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy speaks about the ASCO 2021 Abstract – Up to seven years of follow-up in the RESONATE-2 study of first-line ibrutinib treatment for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.Link to Abstract:https://meetings.asco.org/abstracts-presentations/198840Background information:Ibrutinib, a once-daily Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is the only targeted therapy that has shown to improve progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) in multiple randomized phase 3 studies. The RESONATE-2 trial of first-line ibrutinib vs. chlorambucil in older patients with CLL/SLL has…
Brian Rini, MD, Professor of Medicine from Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center speaks about Pembrolizumab (pembro) plus axitinib (axi) versus sunitinib as first-line therapy for advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC): Results from 42-month follow-up of KEYNOTE-426.Link to Abstracthttps://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/195569/abstractBackground information:Treatment with pembro + axi significantly improved OS, PFS, and ORR compared to sunitinib monotherapy in treatment-naive advanced ccRCC, according to the first interim analysis of the randomized, multicenter, open-label, phase 3 KEYNOTE-426 trial (NCT02853331). In this patient cohort, further follow-up (median, 30.6 mo) continued to show that pembro + axi was more effective than sunitinib monotherapy. The…
Charles E. Geyer, Jr., MD, FACP, Deputy Director of the Houston Methodist Cancer Center, and Study Co-Chair speaks about ASCO 2021 – Abstract – OlympiA: A randomized phase III trial of olaparib as adjuvant therapy in patients with high-risk HER2-negative breast cancer (BC) and a germline BRCA1/2 mutation (gBRCAm).Link to Abstract:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/115571/abstractBackground information:Treatment with the PARP inhibitor olaparib (Lynparza; 400 mg twice daily [bid]; capsules) resulted in antitumor efficacy in patients (pts) with advanced BC harboring a gBRCAm in a Phase II proof-of-concept study (NCT00494234) (objective response rate: 41 percent; Tutt et al Lancet 2010). Olaparib as adjuvant monotherapy has been…
Brian Durie, MD, part of the iStopMM team and chairman of the International Myeloma Foundation speaks about the study – With 80,000 Participants, the Largest Study of Its Kind Is the First to Evaluate the Benefits of Screening for a Precursor to the Blood Cancer Multiple Myeloma.Link to Article:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/with-80-000-participants-the-largest-study-of-its-kind-is-the-first-to-evaluate-the-benefits-of-screening-for-a-precursor-to-the-blood-cancer-multiple-myeloma-301294309.htmlAccording to the International Myeloma Foundation, findings published this week in Blood Cancer Journal might lead to a paradigm change in myeloma therapy, including screening for the disease’s precursor and early treatment.With a total of 80,759 participants, the IMF-funded iStopMM research (Iceland Screens, Treats, or Prevents Multiple Myeloma) is the biggest of…
Abdulraheem Yacoub, MD from the University of Kansas Center for Bioinformatics speaks about ASCO 2021 Abstract – A phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of ruxolitinib plus parsaclisib in patients with JAK- and PI3K-inhibitor treatment-naïve myelofibrosis.Link to Abstract:https://meetings.asco.org/abstracts-presentations/201296Background information:Ruxolitinib (a JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor) improves outcomes in individuals with myelofibrosis (MF), however, a small percentage of individuals may have a poor response. The addition of the PI3K inhibitor parsaclisib to ruxolitinib monotherapy resulted in further relief of MF symptoms and splenomegaly in individuals with MF, according to recent phase 2 results (Yacoub. EHA2020. S216). This phase 3 randomized, double-blind research (INCB 50465-313;…
Abdulraheem Yacoub, MD from the University of Kansas Center for Bioinformatics speaks about ASCO 2021 Abstract – A phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of ruxolitinib plus parsaclisib in patients with JAK- and PI3K-inhibitor treatment-naïve myelofibrosis.Link to Abstract:https://meetings.asco.org/abstracts-presentations/201296Background information:Ruxolitinib (a JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor) improves outcomes in individuals with myelofibrosis (MF), however, a small percentage of individuals may have a poor response. The addition of the PI3K inhibitor parsaclisib to ruxolitinib monotherapy resulted in further relief of MF symptoms and splenomegaly in individuals with MF, according to recent phase 2 results (Yacoub. EHA2020. S216). This phase 3 randomized, double-blind research (INCB 50465-313;…
Mounzer Agha, MD, is the director of the Mario Lemieux Center for Blood Cancers at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, and the clinical director of the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation of UPMC speaks about the ASCO 2021 – Abstract – CARTITUDE-2: Efficacy and safety of ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel), a BCMA-directed CAR T-cell therapy, in patients with progressive multiple myeloma (MM) after one to three prior lines of therapy.Link to Abstract:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/195446/abstractBackground information:Cilta-cel is a CAR T-cell treatment that expresses two single-domain antibodies that target BCMA and impart avidity. The multicohort, phase 2 CARTITUDE-2 research (NCT04133636) is assessing cilta-cel safety and effectiveness in a variety…
Nima Sharifi, MD, director of Cleveland Clinic’s Genitourinary Malignancies Research Center speaks about ASCO 2021 – Abstract – Adrenal-permissive HSD3B1 genetic inheritance and risk of estrogen-driven postmenopausal breast cancer.Link to Abstract:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/197176/abstractBackground information:There are no known genetic variables that influence endogenous estrogen synthesis and the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. We wanted to see if the homozygous inheritance of the 1245AC missense-encoding polymorphism in HSD3B1, which is common (8-10%) in White populations, functionally adrenal permissive, and increases the synthesis of the aromatase substrate androstenedione, is linked to postmenopausal estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.Methodologies:HSD3B1 genotype, circulating steroid concentrations, and adrenal-permissive genotype frequency in…
Nima Sharifi, MD, director of Cleveland Clinic’s Genitourinary Malignancies Research Center speaks about Cleveland Clinic Researchers Identify New Drug Target for Treating Aggressive Prostate Cancer.Link to Article:https://newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2021/05/26/cleveland-clinic-researchers-identify-new-drug-target-for-treating-aggressive-prostate-cancer/Cleveland Clinic researchers have found a viable therapeutic target for treating and preventing aggressive, treatment-resistant prostate cancer, according to new data published in Science Translational Medicine.The researchers showed that blocking the protein H6PD decreased tumor growth and enhanced longevity in mice models with drug-resistant prostate cancer, lead by Nima Sharifi, M.D. of Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute. H6PD levels were similarly enhanced in biopsied patient tumors, indicating that the protein may be used to…
Giuseppe Curigliano, MD, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Medical Oncology at the University of Milano and the Head of the Division of Early Drug Development at the European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS speaks about ASCO 2021 – Abstract – Safety and efficacy of pralsetinib in patients with advanced RET fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer: Update from the ARROW trial.Link to Abstract:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/200463/abstractBackground information:In 1–2% of non-small cell lung cancers, RET fusions are targetable oncogenic drivers (NSCLC). Pralsetinib, a very powerful oral selective RET inhibitor for RET-altered NSCLC and thyroid cancer, was approved by the US FDA (NCT03037385). The results for a…
Ajay Goel, Ph.D., AGAF, chair of the Department of Molecular Diagnostics and Experimental Therapeutics at City of Hope speaks about the DDW 2021 abstract – Transcriptomic Profiling Identifies a Risk Stratification Signature for Predicting Peritoneal Recurrence and Micrometastasis in Gastric CancerLink to Article:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33558424/Summary -The goal is to:Peritoneal carcinomatosis is a kind of gastric cancer that is deadly. The need for biomarkers to help identify patients at high risk of peritoneal recurrence or metastasis is highlighted by the need to create biomarkers that can help identify patients at high risk of peritoneal recurrence or metastasis.Design of the experiment:By analyzing expression profiling…
Ajay Goel, Ph.D., AGAF, chair of the Department of Molecular Diagnostics and Experimental Therapeutics at the City of Hope speaks about the DDW 2021 abstract – A Liquid Biopsy Exosomal microRNA Panel For Predicting Recurrence Following Surgery In Patients With Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.Link to Article:https://m.pharmasources.com/news/69994.htmlThe researchers looked at 210 plasma samples from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients, some of whom had neoadjuvant treatment (NAT) and others who did not. Small RNA sequencing was performed on 25 of the patients.A 6-exosomal miRNA risk-prediction model was then optimized and trained by the researchers. The prediction model reliably distinguished patients with cancer recurrence (area…
Salma K Jabbour, MD from Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey/RWJBarnabas Health speaks about ASCO 2021 Abstract KEYNOTE-799: Phase 2 trial of pembrolizumab plus platinum chemotherapy and radiotherapy for unresectable, locally advanced, stage 3 NSCLC.Link to Abstract:https://meetings.asco.org/abstracts-presentations/196541Background information:The anti-PD-1 antibody pembrolizumab (pembro) combined concurrent chemoradiation treatment (cCRT) in patients with unresectable, locally advanced stage III NSCLC is being studied in KEYNOTE-799 (NCT03631784). Prior findings in a subgroup of patients (primary efficacy population) indicated an ORR of 69.6% in cohort A (squamous and nonsquamous, n = 112) and 70.5 percent in cohort B (nonsquamous, n = 61), with grade 3 pneumonitis…
Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa, MD, medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center speaks about the ASCO 2021 Abstract – Pemigatinib for previously treated locally advanced/metastatic cholangiocarcinoma (CCA): Update of FIGHT-202.Link to Abstract:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/197197/abstractBackground information:In the FIGHT-202 trial, pemigatinib (PEMI), a powerful, selective oral FGFR1-3 inhibitor, was demonstrated to be effective and safe in patients with CCA and FGFR2 rearrangements/fusions (NCT02924376; objective response rate [ORR], 35.5 percent ; duration of response [DOR], 7.2 months [mo]). In the main publication (Abou-Alfa. Lancet Oncol 2020; cutoff: Mar 22, 2019), overall survival (OS: 21.1 mo) was not mature; herein, we describe matured effectiveness and safety…
Pauline Funchain, MD, Medical Oncologist/Cancer Genomics at Cleveland Clinic speaks about the ASCO 2021 Abstract – Final analysis of overall survival (OS) and relapse-free-survival (RFS) in the intergroup S1404 phase III randomized trial comparing either high-dose interferon (HDI) or ipilimumab to pembrolizumab in patients with high-risk resected melanoma.Link to Abstract -https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/195948/abstractBackground information:We wanted to see if adjuvant pembrolizumab, administered for a year, would enhance OS and RFS compared to high-dose ipilimumab (ipi10) or HDI, the two FDA-approved adjuvant therapies for high-risk resected melanoma at the time.Methodologies:Patients with resected stages IIIA(N2), B, C, and IV who were 18 years or older…
Nathan A. Pennell, MD, Ph.D., FASCO, Vice Chair of Clinical Research and Director, Lung Cancer Medical Oncology Program Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute Clinic speaks about the ASCO 2021 Abstract – Modeling the cost-effectiveness of adjuvant osimertinib in resected EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer patients.Link to Abstract – https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/198656/abstractBackground information:Based on the ADAURA trial’s DFS benefits, adjuvant Osimertinib (Osi) was recently approved for resected EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Prior studies of adjuvant EGFR inhibitors that resulted in improved DFS but not overall survival (OS) have sparked debate over early clinical implementation due to the high drug costs. The…
Suresh S. Ramalingam, MD, FASCO, Deputy Director, lead of the integration of the research, clinical, and educational components within Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University speaks about ASCO 2021 – Abstract – Mobocertinib (TAK-788) in EGFR exon 20 insertion (ex20ins)+ metastatic NSCLC (mNSCLC): Additional results from platinum-pretreated patients (pts) and EXCLAIM cohort of phase 1/2 study.Link to Abstract:https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/198352/abstractBackground information:There are no authorized targeted treatments for EGFR ex20ins+ mNSCLC. Mobocertinib, a first-in-class, powerful oral TKI that targets EGFR ex20ins mutations, has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation in the United States and China for patients with EGFR ex20ins+ mNSCLC after platinum-based treatment.Methodologies:Dose-escalation/expansion and…
Adam C. Berger, MD, FACS, Chief, Melanoma and Soft Tissue Surgical Oncology, Associate Director for Shared Resources at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey/RWJBarnabas Health discusses the ASCO 2021 Abstract – Adjuvant nivolumab in high-risk stage IIb/IIc melanoma patients: Results from investigator initiated clinical trial.Link to Abstract:https://meetings.asco.org/abstracts-presentations/197065Background information:Recurrence rates for Stage IIB and IIC melanoma have been shown to be as high as 46% in 5-year trials. The only FDA-approved medication for these high-risk individuals to avoid this inevitable recurrence is high-dose interferon-alfa, which is highly toxic. There are currently adjuvant immunotherapies (anti-PD1) and targeted treatments (anti-BRAF and anti-MEK combinations)…
Jorge Cortes, MD, Director of the Georgia Cancer Center discusses the ASCO 2021 Abstract – OPTIC primary analysis: A dose-optimization study of 3 starting doses of ponatinib (PON).Link To Abstract -https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/195828/abstractBackground information:PON, a third-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), showed deep and long-lasting responses and survival in patients with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CP-CML) who were resistant or intolerant to second-generation TKI therapy (PACE; NCT01207440); post-hoc analysis suggested a link between dose and both adverse events and response. The primary analysis of OPTIC (NCT02467270), a randomized, phase 2 study using a new response-based PON dosage regimen in patients with resistant/intolerant CP-CML,…
Holly J. Pederson, MD, Director Medical Breast Services, Cleveland Clinic, Associate Professor of Medicine, CCLCM speaks about the ASCO 2021 Abstract – Ancestrally Unbiased Polygenic Breast Cancer Risk Assessment – new data validates the use of a polygenic breast cancer risk assessment in women across all ancestries.Link to Abstract:https://meetings.asco.org/abstracts-presentations/197017Background information:Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with minor effects that can be aggregated into polygenic risk scores affect BC risk (PRSs). PRSs is mainly created and validated for people of European ancestry. We created and validated a novel global PRS (gPRS) that uses human ancestral genetic makeup to make a PRS accessible to all…
Saad Usmani, FACP, MBA, MD from the Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders, Atrium Health’s Levine Cancer Institute speaks about the ASCO 2021 Abstract – Ciltacabtagene autoleucel, a B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM): Updated results from CARTITUDE-1.Link to Abstract:https://meetings.asco.org/abstracts-presentations/195437Background information:CARTITUDE-1 (NCT03548207) is a phase 1b/2 trial in patients with R/R MM testing ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel; JNJ-68284528), a CAR T-cell treatment with two BCMA–targeting single-domain antibodies. We present new findings in pts for a longer follow-up period (median 12.4 months).Methodologies:Patients with MM who had undergone three previous regimens or…
Saad Usmani, FACP, MBA, MD from the Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders, Atrium Health’s Levine Cancer Institute speaks about the ASCO 2021 Abstract – Comparison of outcomes with ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel) in CARTITUDE-1 versus real-world standard of care (RW SOC) for patients (pts) with triple-class exposed relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM).Link to Abstract -https://meetings.asco.org/abstracts-presentations/195465Background information:Patients with RRMM that are triple-class exposed (to immunomodulatory medications [IMiDs], proteasome inhibitors [PIs], and an anti-CD38 antibody) go on several salvage regimens, each with increasingly worse outcomes. CARTITUDE-1 (NCT03548207) is a single-arm phase 1b/2 study evaluating cilta-cel, a chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy with…
Pablo Okhuysen, MD, FACP from MD Anderson speaks about the ASCO 2021 Abstract – Impact of Cancer-Related Diarrhea on Changes in Cancer Therapy Patterns: Real World Evidence.Link to Article:https://www.morningstar.com/news/accesswire/642708msn/jaguar-health-and-napo-pharmaceuticals-announce-title-of-abstract-regarding-patient-outcomes-associated-with-cancer-therapy-related-diarrhea-accepted-for-poster-presentation-at-the-american-society-of-clinical-oncology-2021-annual-meetingNapo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Jaguar’s wholly owned subsidiary, and Napo’s partners have had their abstract on patient results consistent with cancer therapy-related diarrhea (“CTD”) approved for poster presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO®) Annual Meeting, which will be held digitally from June 4-8, 2021.The approved poster presentation’s title is:Real-world research on the effect of cancer-related diarrhea on improvements in cancer therapy trendsSymptoms and Survivorship (Poster Session)Pablo C. Okhuysen, MD, is…
Yelena Y. Janjigian, MD from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center speaks about ASCO 2021 Abstract FDA Approves Merck’s KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) Combined With Trastuzumab and Chemotherapy as First-line Treatment in Locally Advanced Unresectable or Metastatic HER2-Positive Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma.Link to Article:https://www.merck.com/news/fda-approves-mercks-keytruda-pembrolizumab-combined-with-trastuzumab-and-chemotherapy-as-first-line-treatment-in-locally-advanced-unresectable-or-metastatic-her2-positive-gastric-or-g/Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, KEYTRUDA, has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in combination with trastuzumab, fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-containing chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer. This indication received accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and response durability; continued approval for…