Latest Conference Articles

Nicholas Bevins, MD, PhD, discusses the results from an in silico comparison of frequently used next-generation sequencing panels. The analysis aimed to identify the impact of the panel composition on tumor mutational burden calculations. Results from the analysis were presented in a poster at the 2019 Association for Molecular Pathology Annual Meeting and Expo.

In an interview with Targeted Oncology, Willemina R. Geurts-Giele, PhD, discussed the accuracy of detecting MET exon 14 skipping mutations in patients with NSCLC with DNA-based NGS panels. These findings were presented at The Association for Molecular Pathology Annual Meeting and Expo.

The emergence of resistance mutations in patients with cancer who receive targeted therapies is an expected development that will require new diagnostic methods of identifying the mechanisms through which these alterations occur, according to Fei Dong, MD, during the 2019 Association for Molecular Pathology Annual Meeting.<br /> &nbsp;

In a presentation describing the utility of circulating tumor DNA liquid biopsy assays at the 14th Annual New York Lung Cancers Symposium, Bob T. Li, MD, MPH, said that plasma genotyping demsonstrates practice-changing potential in non&ndash;small cell lung cancer.

Testing for driver mutations is essential before initiating therapy in patients with non&ndash;small cell lung cancer, because there is a risk that the type of upfront treatment chosen could add to the toxicity of, and spur resistance to, targeted therapy options, Suresh S. Ramalingam, MD, said at the 14th Annual New York Lung Cancers Symposium.

In an interview with Targeted Oncology during the 14th Annual New York Lung Cancers Symposium, Zofia Piotrowska, MD, MHS,&nbsp;discussed the role of osimertinib in treating patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC and how it compares with other therapeutic options in that space.

The identification of&nbsp;<em>MET&nbsp;</em>exon 14 skipping mutations in patients with non&ndash;small cell lung cancer presents a complex diagnostic challenge that requires both DNA and RNA analysis, according to results of a University of Michigan pathology study.

According to Tina Cascone, MD, PhD, in a presentation during the 14th Annual New York Lung Cancers Symposium, neoadjuvant immunotherapy is under investigation for patients with&nbsp;non&ndash;small cell lung cancer and holds hope as a treatment for patients.

Mark G. Kris, MD, discusses treatment options for <em>MET</em>-mutant non&ndash;small cell lung cancer.

In an interview with&nbsp;<em>Targeted Oncology</em> during the <em>14th Annual </em>New York Lung Cancers Symposium, Benjamin P. Levy, MD, discussed therapeutic strategies for patients with oncogenic-driven and nondriver NSCLC.

Noeadjuvant therapy for lung cancer provides significant benefits compared with adjuvant therapy, according to&nbsp;Jamie E. Chaft, MD. In a presentation at the&nbsp;<em>14th Annual </em>New York Lung Cancers Symposium, Chaft explained why neoadjuvant therapy is beneficial even though adjuvant therapy is still the standard of care at a number of cancer centers.

Wasif M. Saif, MD, discusses available novel therapies for hepatocelluclar carcinoma.

Kevin Halling, MD, PhD, discussed the clinical utility of RNA-sequencing methods in patients with cancer at the 2019 Association for Molecular Pathology Annual Meeting and Expo. Halling says RNA sequencing is a very powerful diagnostic technique.

At the 2019 Association for Molecular Pathology Annual Meeting and Expo, Adam Fisch, MD, PhD, presented a unique patient case where a patient with acute myeloid leukemia harboring a <em>FLT3</em>-TKD mutation lost the mutation following relapse on gilteritinib.<br /> &nbsp;

A technique involving BH3 profiling is emerging as a promising drug discovery tool for assessing whether a tumor is primed for cell death and would respond to anticancer therapy, according to a presentation at the 2019 Association for Molecular Pathology Annual Meeting.

Immunotherapy combination regimens have revolutionized the first-line treatment paradigm for patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma, explained Robert J. Motzer, MD, at the <em>37th Annual</em> CFS.

PARP inhibitors are increasingly relevant for frontline maintenance indications and potentially in combination with chemotherapy for treatment-na&iuml;ve ovarian cancer, including for those with <em>BRCA</em>-wildtype disease, Leslie M. Randall, MD, said to the audience at the <em>37th Annual</em> CFS.

Immunotherapies and targeted therapies have greatly impacted the treatment of advanced melanoma and are beginning to make their way into earlier settings, with FDA approvals for adjuvant therapies and studies ongoing in the neoadjuvant space, according to a presentation by Jeffrey S. Weber, MD, PhD, at the <em>37th Annual</em> CFS.

A. Oliver Sartor, MD, discusses a discrepancy found between conventional imaging and PSMA PET/CT scanning for prostate cancer.&nbsp;

There are at least two dozen different B-cell maturation antigen-directed therapies being explored in clinical trials, Sham Mailankody, MBBS, told attendees at the 37 Annual CFS.&nbsp;Mailankody, an assistant attending physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, New York, highlighted the most promising anti-BCMA agents across several modalities, including CAR T-cell therapy, bispecific antibodies, and antibody-drug conjugates.

Deciding between a watch-and-wait approach and systemic therapy in patients with newly diagnosed follicular lymphoma should be carefully assessed based on specific disease characteristics, with follow-up tailored toward patients&rsquo; risk of relapse, according to John P. Leonard, MD.

A number of promising biologic therapies are beginning to transform the treatment of adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, with the greatest potential seen with blinatumomab and inotuzumab ozogamicin in combination with chemotherapy, according to a presentation by Hagop M. Kantarjian, MD, at the 37th Annual CFS.<br /> &nbsp;

Treatment targeting molecular pathways such as <em>BRAF, </em>HER2<em>,</em> and <em>RAS</em> has typically been reserved for later lines of therapy for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Benjamin A. Weinberg, MD, said that agents targeting these pathways are not yet ready for the upfront setting, but data from ongoing trials suggest that these agents may eventually have a role to play in first- and second-line treatment.

In an interview with <em>Targeted Oncology</em>, Daniel Catenacci, MD, discussed the clinical trials supporting immunotherapeutic options for patients with GEJ cancer. He also highlighted how physicians can sequence these agents appropriately in their patients.

Immunotherapeutic agents have grown in popularity for treating mismatch repair&ndash;deficient metastatic colorectal cancer, becoming the standard of care in the second line, Howard Hochster, MD, told an audience at the 2019 Gastrointestinal Oncology Conference. Furthermore, ongoing clinical trials suggest that these agents may play a larger role in treating CRC going forward.

David H. Ilson, MD, PhD, discusses the current role of pembrolizumab in patients with gastric cancer or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma based on the results from the KEYNOTE-062 trial.

What is the ideal first-line therapy for nonresectable, non&ndash;transplantable eligible, liver-only hepatocellular carcinoma? In a debate at the 2019 Gastrointestinal Oncology Conference, Mark Yarchoan, MD, had the unenviable task of convincing the audience that systemic therapy was the way to go.

In an interview with <em>Targeted Oncology</em>, Michael A. Choti, MD, MBA discussed the treatment landscape for patients with pancreatic cancer, as well as how the role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in this space is changing. He highlights advantages of neoadjuvant strategies, and also some other treatment options for patients with pancreatic cancer.

Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa, MD, discusses the current role for ramucirumab for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in the second-line setting.

The FOLFIRINOX regimen remains the treatment of choice for patients with pancreatic cancer even as clinical trials exploring potential therapies, including CD40 and CPI-613, offer the possibility of new options for a notoriously difficult-to-treat disease, Davendra P.S. Sohal, MD, MPH, told an audience at the 2019 Gastrointestinal Oncology Conference.