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Deepu Madduri, MD – Assistant Professor, Hematology and Medical Oncology of the Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Beth Israel discusses ASH 2020 abstract – New data for CAR-T therapy cilta-cel include longer-term data from the Ph1b portion of the CARTITUDE-1 study and the first presentation of results from the Ph2 portion (Abstract #177) – these are the registrational data being submitted to regulatory authorities – plus detailed analyses of CRS and health-related QoL outcomes.Context:Ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel; JNJ-68284528; LCAR-B38M CAR-T cells) is a 2 B-cell maturation antigen chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy targeting single-domain antibodies intended to confer avidity.…

Michael Kelly, MD, MPH, MS, Medical Director at Syros Pharmaceuticals discusses ASH 2020 abstract – 112 SY-1425, a Potent and Selective RARα Agonist, in Combination with Azacitidine Demonstrates a High Complete Response Rate and a Rapid Onset of Response in RARA-Positive Newly Diagnosed Unfit Acute Myeloid Leukemia.Presenting:A new genomically specified subset of non-APL AML patients (pts) has been identified with an actionable target characterized by RARA overexpression (McKeown, Cancer Discovery 2017). A new blood-based biomarker test that predicts sensitivity to SY-1425, an orally potent and selective RAR alpha agonist, can detect RARA-positive (RARA+) pts (Vigil, ESH 2017). RARA+ (de Botton,…

Alfred L. Garfall, MD, MS – Assistant Professor of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine discusses ASH 2020 abstract – 180 Updated Phase 1 Results of Teclistamab, a B-Cell Maturation Antigen (BCMA) x CD3 Bispecific Antibody, in Relapsed and/or Refractory Multiple Myeloma (RRMM).Context:MM eventually relapses and becomes refractory to therapy, indicating unmet needs in a patient (pt) population. Teclistamab (JNJ-64007957) is a BCMA x CD3 bispecific antibody which induces cytotoxicity mediated by T cells against BCMA-expressing MM cells. Results from the ongoing review of teclistamab in RRMM (NCT03145181) previously mentioned included a 67 percent objective response rate [ORR] for the intravenous…

Sara Bringhen, MD University of Torino, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino speaks about ASH 2020 abstract – 1381 Progression-Free Survival (PFS) Benefit Demonstrated and Quality of Life (QoL) Maintained across Age and Frailty Subgroups with the Oral Proteasome Inhibitor (PI) Ixazomib Vs Placebo As Post-Induction Maintenance Therapy in Non-Transplant Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma (NDMM) Patients (Pts): Analysis of the TOURMALINE-MM4 Phase 3 Trial.ContextIn NDMM pts, maintenance care increases PFS. There is a need for additional active, well-tolerated treatment options that are acceptable for long-term administration. The primary endpoint of PFS was achieved by the international,…

Meletios A. Dimopoulos, MD – Professor, and Chairman of the Department of Clinical Therapeutics National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece discusses ASH 2020 Abstract Primary results from the APOLLO study of Darzalex Faspro (subcutaneous daratumumab), in combo with Pd, in patients with at least one prior line of therapy (Abstract #412).IntroducingThe quality of treatment (SOC) for RRMM is immunomodulatory medication (IMiD)-based regimens. Daratumumab (DARA) is a mAb targeting CD38 approved for the treatment of RRMM pts. DARA’s subcutaneous (SC) formulation has a safety profile close to that of intravenous DARA, with a statistically significant decrease…

Ajai Chari, MD, Ph.D. – Professor of Medicine, the Director of Clinical Research in the Multiple Myeloma Program, and the Associate Director of Clinical Research, Mt Sinai Cancer Clinical Trials Office speaks about ASH 2020 abstract 290 A Phase 1, First-in-Human Study of Talquetamab, a G Protein-Coupled Receptor Family C Group 5 Member D (GPRC5D) x CD3 Bispecific Antibody, in Patients with Relapsed and/or Refractory Multiple Myeloma (RRMM)Clinically Relevant Abstract.Most patients (pts) will develop refractory disease despite enhanced results with current MM therapies, emphasizing the need for novel treatments. GPRC5D is an orphan receptor whose transcript is highly expressed but…

Adil Daud, MD Professor of Medicine at The University of California, San Francisco, Director of the Melanoma Clinical Research, and lead author of the study SITCS 2020 abstract: Durable responses and immune activation with intratumoral electroporation of pIL-12 plus pembrolizumab in actively progressing anti-PD-1 refractory advanced melanoma: KEYNOTE 695 interim data.StudyHistory The electroporated plasmid IL-12 (TAVO or telseplasmid tavokinogen) is a novel pro-inflammatory intratumor therapy with significant single-agent activity in melanoma that has been shown to synergize with anti-PD-1 antibodies in patients expected to be non-responsive to anti-PD-1.1 2 Interim results from patients with active progression of stage III/IV melanoma…

Erika J. Crosby, Ph.D. Department of Surgery at Duke University Medical Center and Melinda Telli, MD Medical Oncologist at Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine discuss SITCS 2020 abstract: 789 Intratumoral plasmid IL-12 expands CD8+ T cells and induces a clinically validated CXCR3 signature in triple-negative breast cancer.StudyIn TNBC, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have entered the clinical environment but support only a minority of patients. Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that is involved in creating the microenvironment of an inflammatory tumor and is essential for effective anti-tumor immune response. Using different delivery routes, it has been studied as…

Co-hosts Charu Aggarwal and Jack West are joined by guest expert Sanjay Popat to discuss how practice should change and open questions on molecular testing and adjuvant EGFR inhibitor osimertinib for resected early stage EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC.

Naveen Pemmaraju, MD of MD Anderson speaks about Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm.ContextNatural killer (NK) cell leukemia/lymphoma was historically identified as blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN). The World Health Organization (WHO) developed the term blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) in 2008 as an understanding of the biology and origin of this malignancy has improved. In the 2016 World Health Organization revision, BPDCN is actually classified as a separate group. Very commonly, BPDCN has both lymphoma and leukemia characteristics. Little data on BPDCN is available and there is no known treatment. At diagnosis, the average age is 60 to…

Scott Howell, DO, MPH & TM, CPE from Echosens discusses Underlying nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a significant factor for breast cancer recurrence after curative surgery.InstractBreast cancer is the world’s most common cancer among women and is a leading cause of death in women. Metabolic components are important risk factors for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease growth, as with breast cancer (NAFLD). We aimed to determine the prevalence of NAFLD in breast cancer patients and the influence of NAFLD on the prognosis of breast cancer in this retrospective cohort analysis.From January 2007 to June 2017, patients with breast cancer were enrolled…

Lee Zuckerman, MD Orthopedic Surgeon at the City of Hope, a comprehensive cancer center near Los Angeles discusses Use of Magnetic Growing Intramedullary Nails with Intercalary Allograft Reconstruction after Tumor Resection.IntentionReconstruction of tumors after excision has remained difficult. Reconstruction of the intercalary allograft remains an option but is not without complications. Plate fixation, nail fixation, or combined methods have been used in osteosynthesis techniques. In those fixed with intramedullar nails alone, non-union happens more frequently. In 15 osteotomy sites with an 87 percent union average, we previously published on a novel technique of using magnetic growing intramedullary nails to compact…

Smith Giri, MD, MHS Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship, Division of Hematology and Oncology The University of Alabama at Birmingham speaks about the Evaluation of Daratumumab for the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma in Patients With High-risk Cytogenetic Factors.Core PointsQuestion Is there a gain in patients with cytogenetically identified high-risk multiple myeloma (HRMM) associated with the addition of daratumumab to backbone myeloma treatment regimens?Findings Six clinical studies affecting 4061 patients were found during this systematic examination and meta-analysis, of which 580 had HRMM. In patients with newly diagnosed HRMM or relapsed or refractory HRMM, the addition of daratumumab to the…

Kenny Chin, BS of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai speaks about the ASTRO 2020 abstract 4021 Clinical and Treatment Characteristics of Secondary Bladder Malignancies following Low Dose Rate Brachytherapy for Prostate Cancer.Link to Poster https://astro.multilearning.com/astro/2020/annualmeeting/300964?evname=u42P5_6f3xRUr5o4erxthw&evsign=h2AUvi780fBPh1s2yimcO5FId_Zu8VzmyhwAu4OCRDYBody Purpose/Objective(s): For patients with localized prostate cancer, brachytherapy is an effective choice. Although secondary malignancies are a well-known late complication of radiation therapy, there is minimal evidence from previous prostate brachytherapy on such malignancies. We tried to describe the clinical course and prognosis of prostate brachytherapy-associated secondary bladder malignancies.Materials/Methods: For patients diagnosed with bladder cancer (1/2005-4/2019) who had previously undergone low dose rate…

Kirollos S. Hanna, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP, Oncology Pharmacy Manager, M Health Fairview – Maple Grove; Assistant Professor of Pharmacy, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine discusses Emerging Therapies in Management of Multiple Myeloma and Best Practices for Implementing Care.Link to Webinar -https://courses.accc-cancer.org/products/multiple-myeloma-dispensing-models-webinar-series#tab-product_tab_handoutsThe Webinar Series of ACCC Multiple Myeloma Dispensing Models features one live webinar and five on-demand recordings that explore different dispensing models and effective practices in the care of multiple myeloma patients.Emerging Multiple Myeloma Management Therapies and Best Practices for Implementing Care Wednesday, 4 November 3:00-3:45 PM EDT Wednesday, 4 November 3:00-3:45 PM EDTKirollos S. Hanna, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP, Assistant…

Philadelphia, PA (November 11, 2020) – Oncoceutics, Inc. announced that the latest research on imipridones ONC201 and ONC206 for the treatment of brain tumors will be presented at the 2020 Society of Neuro-Oncology Virtual Annual Meeting to be held November 19th-21st.These data will highlight clinical and translational findings over the past year, including: Updated interim efficacy results for the ONC201 registration cohort in recurrent H3 K27M-mutant gliomas Clinical safety, pharmacokinetics, and clinical outcomes for ONC201 in H3 K27M-mutant gliomas Mechanism of action studies of ONC201 revealing new aspects of how it uniquely acts against brain tumors Biodistribution and metabolism studies…

In this edition of The Onco’Zine Brief Peter Hofland talks with Peter Keeling about Personalized Medicine, diagnostic testing, and the effect of Covid-19 on cancer and cancer diagnostics. Hofland and Keeling also talk about the world’s first Diagnostic Network for Precision Medicine.Peter Keeling is the chief executive officer and Founder of Diaceutics. Since its founding, the company has built the world’s largest repository of diagnostic testing data with a growing network of 2,500 laboratories in 51 countries.The company recently launched the world’s first digital diagnostics platform solution. Diaceutics has launched this new platform – called –The Diagnostic Network® —to help…

In this episode of The Onco’Zine Brief Peter Hofland Ph.D., talks with Raj Malik M.D. and Robert Epstein M.D.Malik is Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, R&D, at G1 Therapeutics. He leads the company’s clinical development, medical affairs, regulatory affairs, biometrics, translational medicine and preclinical teams. Epstein is an epidemiologist with extensive expertise in pharmaco-economics and health outcomes research. He served in academia and public health prior to joining the private sector and is currently the Chief Executive Officer and co-Founder of Epstein Health, providing strategic consultancy services to life sciences companies Hofland and his guests talk about the…

In this episode of The Onco’Zine Brief Peter Hofland talks with Peggy Berry, Vice president of Global Regulatory Affairs at Rakuten Medical.*Rakuten Medical is developing a technology platform called Illuminoxâ„¢ which is based on a cancer therapy called Near Infrared Photoimmunotherapy. This technology was originally developed by Hisataka Kobayashi, M.D., Ph.D. and his team at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the United States. [1]Rakuten Medical’s first investigational drug, based on its Illuminoxâ„¢ platform technology, is called cetuximab saratolacan (previously known as ASP-1929 and RM-1929).Cetuximab saratolacan is an antibody-dye conjugate which includes the antibody, cetuximab (Erbitux®; Eli Lilly and Merck…

In this episode of The Onco’Zine Brief Peter Hofland, Ph.D. talks with Anthony Yanni, M.D., Senior Vice President, patient-centricity at Astellas. In this role, Yanni is responsible for leading the development and execution of Astellas’ global patient-centricity strategy. To understand patient centricity, consider the fact that 10 years ago, patient-centricity wasn’t even a concept – In most cases, drugs were developed if scientists could achieve innovation, without considering if companies should actually develop a medicine based on the real-world unmet medical needs and the perspectives of the patient. And while ‘patient-centricity’ has become an industry’s catchphrase, not everyone has the…

Andrés Cervantes, MD from Pivotal discusses Highlight Therapeutics & Pivotal advance into a Phase IIa trial to examine Gastro-Intestinal cancer therapy.Highlight Therapeutics, (‘Highlight’), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing RNA-based cancer therapies, and Pivotal, a Europe-wide full-service CRO, today reported that the first cohort of patients to test Highlight’s BO-112 lead program in combination with anti-PD1 therapy in patients with colorectal or liver metastasis were recruited in a Phase IIa trial.This open-label, Phase IIa clinical trial is a four-country, non-comparative, two-cohort study. Cohort A will consist of 11 colorectal cancer patients for Part 1 and will extend to an additional 15…

Francesca Vinchi, Ph.D. from the New York Blood Center speaks about “Breaking up” in Sickle Cell Anemia: Impacting Disease Pathophysiology and Transfusion Support.Summary Increasing evidence suggests that intravascular hemolysis, estimated to account for one-third of sickle cell anemia (SCA) hemolysis, plays a key role in the pathophysiology of SCA. The mechanism underlying the pathological impact of hemolysis involves the pro-oxidant and cytotoxic effects of breakdown products, namely hemoglobin, and its oxidized form heme, on the vascular endothelium through the delivery of microparticles of red cells or directly by signaling Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) as well as the effect of heme species…

Pablo Okhuysen, MD, FACP, FIDSA of MD Anderson discusses the Jaguar Health Subsidiary Napo Pharmaceuticals Initiates Pivotal Phase 3 Clinical Trial of Crofelemer (Mytesi) for Prophylaxis of Diarrhea in Adult Cancer Patients Receiving Targeted Cancer TherapySAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / October 7, 2020, / Jaguar Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:JAGX) today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Napo), has launched its cornerstone crofelemer (Mytesi®) Phase 3 clinical trial for diarrhea prophylaxis in adult cancer patients undergoing targeted therapy (‘cancer treatment-related diarrhea’ (CTD)).The Phase 3 pivotal clinical trial is a 24-week, randomized placebo-controlled, double-blind, 24-week (two 12-week stages) trial assessing…

Sumanta Pal, M.D., co-director of the Kidney Cancer Program at City of Hope ESMO Virtual Congress 2020: COSMIC-021, Cabozantinib in Combination with Atezolizumab as First-Line Therapy for Advanced Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.(UroToday.com) COSMIC-021 is a clinical trial platform investigating the combination of a cabozantinib inhibitor of MET/VEGF/TAM kinase in combination with an atezolizumab anti-PD-L1 drug. The justification for this combination is based on evidence indicating that cabozantinib supports an immune-permissive environment that may boost responses to blockade of immune checkpoints and clinical data showing promising combination activity in multiple types of tumors. In this presentation, Dr. Pal shared data…

Daniel Catenacci, MD of the University of Chicago Medicine discusses Gritstone Oncology Advances into Phase 2 Expansion Cohorts for its Personalized Neoantigen Immunotherapy GRANITE and its Off-the-Shelf Neoantigen Immunotherapy SLATE.EMERYVILLE, Calif., Nov. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gritstone Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: GRTS), a clinical-stage biotechnology company that develops the next generation of cancer immunotherapy to treat multiple forms of cancer, today reported that in the Phase 2 expansion cohorts of the GRANITE and SLATE Phase 1/2 clinical trials, its neoantigen-based immunotherapies, it has started dosing patients.The Phase 2 section of the GRANITE Phase 1/2 (GO-004) study involves a cohort for…

Brianna Jones, MD, BS from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai discusses ASTRO Abstract 3885 Pathologic Features and Outcomes for Oral Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Young, Non-Smoker, and Non-Drinker Population.Link to Poster – https://astro.multilearning.com/astro/2020/annualmeeting/300829?evname=u42P5_6f3xRUr5o4erxthw&evsign=HzCrFuZTXX2-CO9ykxQZGlTmmfLuT9mCTi1MApAeROcBodyPurpose / Objective(s): The occurrence of young patients with oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) has been disproportionately increased. Young patients with no past history of smoking or alcohol tend to have a more violent phenotype and a poorer prognosis, although this demographic is not well known. The purpose of this study was to equate young patients with older OTSCC patients without a previous…

Jacob Adashek, DO of The University of South Florida and H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute discusses the Poster Presentation Immunotherapy trials lack a biomarker for inclusion: implications for drug development. Poster Presentation #179Immunotherapy research lacks a biomarker for inclusion: drug discovery implications.Co-Authored by Alexey Goloubev; Shumei Kato, MD; Razelle Kurzrock, MD.

Apurna Jegannathen, MD from University Hospital Of North Midlands discusses the abstract A Sustained Response of Maintenance Therapy in Pancreatic Acinar Cell Carcinoma (PACC): A Case Report and Literature Review.The Study:Maintenance Therapy; Pancreatic Acinar Cell Carcinoma (PACC); Gemcitabine; Oxaliplatin; CapecitabineWe recognize 50-year-old male patients who have been histologically diagnosed with acinar cell tumor of the pancreas. He originally had localized pancreatic cancer. He underwent distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy for pT3pNxpMxR1 condition, con-anaphylaxis. Upon disease recurrence, oxaliplatin + capecitabine was initiated but stopped after 5 cycles due to disease progression. Oddly, however, later CT scans after 3 months showed a disease…

Drs. Charu Aggarwal and Jack West chat with Dr. Gil Morgan, Medical Oncologist at Skåne University Hospital in Lund, Sweden and founder of Cancer News Service OncoAlert, to discuss the genesis of OncoAlert and how it has helped to cultivate a greater sense of an international oncology community through digital education.

Professor Benjamin Besse from the Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus Grand Paris and University Paris-Saclay discusses the ESMO 2020 Abstract Neoadjuvant atezolizumab (A) for resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): results from the phase II PRINCEPS trial.Abstract 1215OContextIn 17-45% of NSCLCs, neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors induce major pathologic response (MPR) rates. We are announcing the findings of a neoadjuvant A phase 2 trial for NSCLC.MethodologyPatients (pts) with clinical stage IA (⁇ 2 cm)-IIIA non N2 NSCLC eligible for surgery, PS 0-1, obtained 1 A (1200 mg IV D1) injection accompanied by D21-D28 surgery. The primary endpoint was the rate of pts…

Filip Janku, MD of MD Anderson discusses Next generation BRAF inhibitor cancer drug shows promise in early patient trial.In an early patient trial presented at the 32nd EORTC-NCI-AACR[1] Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics taking place online, a new drug intended to act on cancers with an altered BRAF gene has shown promise.The BRAF gene is involved in telling healthy cells when to develop and shape new cells, but in many types of cancer, including types of bowel, brain, and skin cancer, it is also known to go wrong or mutate. In the treatment of patients, a few BRAF…

Shahid Gilani, MD from University Hospital Of North Midlands speaks about the Impact of haemoglobin level and blood transfusion on survival outcome of gastric cancer patients – A single institute experience.ContextIn several solid tumours, anaemia is a common complication that often occurs in gastric cancer. Hemoglobin ( Hb) was less than 100g / L in about 41 percent of patients with advanced gastric cancer. Multi-factorial factors. Studies have shown this to be an independent factor in the outcome of survival for different cancers, but few have focused on gastric cancer. RBC transfusion is always recommended, but whether it has a…

Shahid Gilani, MD from University Hospital Of North Midlands discusses the abstract Palbociclib in real world practice before and during COVID-19 pandemic at University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) in the United Kingdom. ContextThe use of palbociclib in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) was studied during the COVID-19 pandemic era, outlining the course and impact of the disease. Extreme acute respiratory syndrome associated with coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease (COVID-19) developed this year globally causing an overload of the hospital system1 in patients with significant influx2 leading to disruption of routine care3. The difficulty posed for patients by travel restrictions4. Oral therapy was…

Philadelphia, PA (November 5, 2020) – Oncoceutics, a clinical-stage drug discovery and development company, announced today that it has received grants from Michael Mosier Defeat DIPG Foundation, Dragon Master Foundation and The ChadTough Foundation to fund an Expanded Access program for ONC201 in the United States.The program will allow Oncoceutics to work with physicians practicing in the United States to provide ONC201 to patients with H3 K27M-mutant glioma, including DIPG, who meet certain eligibility criteria and who cannot otherwise access ONC201 by participating in an ongoing clinical trial. The Expanded Access program has been made available to select hospitals across…

Ruben Mesa, MD, Director Mays Cancer Center, UT Health San Antonio, MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses The Future Directions in MPN: Novel Approaches and New Agents.Presentation Ruxolitinib has been well-established as the standard of care for patients with moderate or high-risk myelofibrosis (MF), however, survival results are low for patients who discontinue ruxolitinib.1 While emerging data continue to support the role of JAK inhibitors in the treatment of MF, there is a need for novel agents and treatment strategies to broaden treatment options for these patients. “This paper summarizes key data from studies examining novel agents discussed during a recent MediCom…

Udai Banerji, MD, MBBS, DNB, Ph.D., FRCP from The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden and Jon Pachter, Chief Scientific Officer at Verastem Oncology speak on Lancet Oncology on Verastem’s VS-6766 (formerly CH5126766), a unique inhibitor of the RAF/MEK signaling pathway for patients with KRAS mutant tumors including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and separately, low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC)BOSTON—(COMPANY WIRE)—Sep. 16, 2020–Verastem, Inc. (Nasdaq: VSTM) (also known as Verastem Oncology), a biopharmaceutical company committed to advancing new medicines for cancer-fighting patients, today announced updated results from the ongoing Phase 1/2 FRAME investigator-initiated study evaluating its RAF /…

Prof. ByoungChul Cho, MD, Ph.D. from the Yonsie University College of Medicine discusses NACLC for Quavonlimab (MK-1308), a Novel Investigational Anti-CTLA-4 Antibody, in Combination With KEYTRUDA Were Presented; Phase 3 Study for the Combination Planned in First-Line Advanced NSCLC.KENILWORTH, N.J.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the U.S. and Canada, today declared positive results from two of the company’s leading lung cancer clinical development studies evaluating KEYTRUDA, Merck’s anti-PD-1 treatment: KEYTRUDA in combination with chemotherapy (KEYNOTE-021 [Cohort G]) and KEYTRUDA in combination with quavonlimab (MK-1308), Merck’s anti-PD-1 treatment, KEYTRUDA in combination with chemotherapy (KEYNOTE-021 [Cohort G])First-line treatment with KEYTRUDA…

Shahid Gilani, MD Certified Oncologist and Radiation oncologists from the University Hospital Of North Midlands discusses the study A Sustained Response of Maintenance Therapy in Pancreatic Acinar Cell Carcinoma (PACC): A Case Report and Literature Review is written with co-author Dr. Apurna Jegannathen.Study: Maintenance Therapy; Pancreatic Acinar Cell Carcinoma (PACC); Gemcitabine; Oxaliplatin; CapecitabineWe identify a male patient 50 years of age who has been histologically diagnosed with a pancreatic acinar cell tumor. Initially, he had localized cancer of the pancreas. He underwent distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy, con-anaphylaxis, for pT3pNxpMxR1 disorder. Oxaliplatin + capecitabine was initiated upon disease recurrence but stopped after…

Professor Arthur D. Lander, M.D., Ph.D. of UCI University of California, Irvine speaks about Dynamics of nevus development implicate cell cooperation in the growth arrest of transformed melanocytes; in collaboration with Rolando Ruiz-Vega, Ph.D.AbstractStudy A cell-autonomous mechanism of ‘oncogene-induced senescence’ is commonly attributed to why nevi stop growing and do not progress to melanoma. We find no evidence that nevus cells are senescent, either compared with other skin cells or other melanocytes, using a mouse model of Braf-driven nevus formation, examining both proliferative dynamics and single-cell gene expression. We also found that distributions of nevus size could not be matched…

Charles Limoli, Ph.D. of the University of California Irvine explains Cancer treatment without side effects? UCI, Swiss researchers eliminate brain tumors without damaging cognition.Irvine, Calif., Oct. 27, 2020-The holy grail of oncologists has long been the treatment of cancer without crippling side effects, and researchers at the Lausanne University Hospital / University of Lausanne (CHUV / UNIL) of the University of California, Irvine and Switzerland may have discovered it.In order to remove brain tumors in mice, Charles Limoli, UCI professor of radiation oncology, and Marie-Catherine Vozenin, associate professor of radiation oncology at CHUV / UNIL, used an ultra-high dose intensity…

John Kuruvilla, MD of the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and the University of Toronto discusses KEYTRUDA Is the First Anti-PD-1 Therapy Approved for Adult Patients With Relapsed or Refractory cHL After Frontline Therapy.KENILWORTH, N.J.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Outside of the United States and Canada, Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD, today reported that the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA ) has approved an extended label for the care of adult patients with relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) with KEYTRUDA, Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, as monotherapy. The approval is based on findings from the KEYNOTE-204 Phase 3 study in which KEYTRUDA…

Eunice Wang, MD of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Genetic speaks about Testing + AML: New Resource to Bridge the Gap.Link to Be AML Ready -https://www.beamlready.com/hcpIn patients with AMLL with relapsed or refractory (R/R)Results of genetic testing help guide treatment decisionsFor patients and their caregivers, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) can be devastating, especially for those who have relapsed or are refractory to treatment. A critical component of having these patients ready for the journey ahead is genetic testing, as it can detect newly acquired mutations and finally inform a suitable and possibly tailored treatment plan.We hope that you’ll share this…

Elly Lugtenburg, MD, Ph.D. from the Erasmus MC Cancer Institute discusses Rituximab-CHOP With Early Rituximab Intensification for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: A Randomized Phase III Trial of the HOVON and the Nordic Lymphoma Group (HOVON-84).Intent —For patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), immunochemotherapy with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) has become the standard of treatment. This randomized trial tested whether the intensification of rituximab during the first 4 cycles of R-CHOP relative to regular R-CHOP could improve the outcome of these patients.METHODS AND PATIENTSA total of 574 DLBCL patients aged 18 to 80 years were…

Eric J. Lehrer MD, MS from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai speaks about the ASTRO Abstract 3419 The Development of Rib Fractures after Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy to the Liver.Link to the Poster -https://astro.multilearning.com/astro/2020/annualmeeting/300363?evname=u42P5_6f3xRUr5o4erxthw&evsign=vlsxx9VM993-Uk5OhMekodzBeO0KlsCs8gN0Zh2nM5UBodyPurpose / Objective(s): The well-described complication of thoracic stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is chest wall toxicity-pain and/or fracture. There is insufficient evidence on the occurrence and predictors of chest wall toxicity with SBRT to the liver for primary or metastatic lesions, although well defined for lung SBRT. In these patients, we tried to characterize the occurrence and predictors of rib fractures.Methods/Materials: We retrospectively checked…

Klaus Hoeflich, Ph.D. Senior Vice President, Biology at Blueprint Medicines Blueprint Medicines Presents Foundational Preclinical Data for BLU-945 Showing Robust Anti-Tumor Activity in Treatment-Resistant EGFR-Mutated Lung Cancer at ESMO Virtual Congress 2020.Link to Poster -https://www.blueprintmedicines.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Blueprint-Medicines-ESMO-2020-BLU-945-Lung-Cancer-Poster.pdfCAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 17, 2020,/PRNewswire/ — Blueprint Medicines Corporation ( NASDAQ: BPMC), a genomically identified cancer, rare diseases, and cancer immunotherapy precision therapy business, today announced preclinical proof-of-concept data for BLU-945, an investigational precision therapy for non-small cell lung cancer patients with epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated (EGFRm) New preclinical data showed that BLU-945 inhibited triple-mutant EGFR strongly and selectively, harboring the most common on-target resistance mutations…

Natasha Leighl, MD Princess Margaret Cancer Centre speaks on the press release Liquid biopsies timely and effective testing method for NSCLC patients in Canada.Denver — October 2, 2020–According to research presented today at the IASLC 2020 Lung Cancer Hot Topic: Liquid Biopsy Virtual Conference, next-generation sequencing (NGS) of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) obtained from blood samples may enhance diagnostic testing in patients with advanced NSCLC, and may also be faster and less costly compared to standard tissue profiling.Since its introduction in 2018, there have been several developments in liquid biopsy, and the idea of a “blood-first” approach — superseding or replacing…

Barbara Burtness, MD of the Yale Cancer Center discusses the ASCO 2020 Abstract Correlation of tumor mutational burden (TMB) with CDKN2A and TP53 mutation in HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).Context:In HNSCC, the TP53 and CDKN2A tumor suppressors are usually mutated or lost, impairing G1 checkpoints. This decreases the ability to repair hypoxia-related DNA damage, replication stress, and mutagen exposure, thereby increasing TMB, a possible predictor of immunotherapy profit. TP53 mutations, with or without dominant-negative (DNE) involvement, gain-of-function (GOF), and benign, can be categorized as loss-of-function (LOF). We investigated whether unique TP53 mutation groups were correlated with increased…

Michael Wang, MD, ZUMA-2 Lead Investigator, and Professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center speaks to us about Management of a patient with mantle cell lymphoma who developed severe neurotoxicity after chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy in ZUMA-2.Abstract Cerebral edema following T-cell therapy with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) can be fatal. In relapsed / refractory mantle cell lymphoma, ZUMA-2 is a pivotal phase 2, multicenter trial testing KTE-X19, an autologous anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy. A 65-year-old ZUMA-2 patient who developed cerebral edema following CAR T-cell therapy and had complete recovery after clinical multimodality intervention including rabbit antithymocyte globulin…

Vishruta A. Dumane, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Radiation Oncology of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai speaks about the ASTRO 2020 Abstract 2180 Low Dose Exposure to the Ipsilateral Lung while Sparing the Heart in Deep Inspiration Breath Hold.Link to Poster:https://astro.multilearning.com/astro/2020/annualmeeting/299127?evname=u42P5_6f3xRUr5o4erxthw&evsign=tvkpsK_jh_daBql92kFsXea8MAY3qPAzwLiuDyUMpMIBody Purpose / Goal(s):For patients with left-sided breast cancer, deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) has been studied, often with the objective of reducing the dose to the heart. The heart is forced away from the treatment fields with inspiration and widening of the chest wall; this, however, causes a rise in the amount of lungs exposed to a dose of radiation.…

Erin Murphy, MD of the Cleveland Clinic discusses the ASTRO 2020 Abstract 2546 Safety of Metastasis-Directed SBRT and Concurrent Pazopanib in Pediatric Sarcoma.Link to Poster -https://astro.multilearning.com/astro/2020/annualmeeting/299492?evname=u42P5_6f3xRUr5o4erxthw&evsign=PvBx7VaWVAU_EHc1ti738kRy9ysDuqUotd6UZDvnA18Body Purpose / Goal(s):In the definitive treatment or palliation of metastases in pediatric sarcoma, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is increasingly being used. In addition, multi-site tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) such as pazopanib are gradually suggested following the progression of metastatic disease to systemic therapy. Although the safety profiles of TKIs are well studied and it is possible to deliver high doses of radiation safely using SBRT, the safety of their simultaneous administration remains unknown. We…