VJOncology Podcast

VJOncoAlert Journal Club

In this week’s podcast, we take you through the latest episodes of the VJOncoAlert Journal Club—a collaborative series from VJOncology and OncoAlert that brings together leading oncology experts to discuss the most impactful and practice-changing research in the field.

We are joined by Misty Shields, MD, PhD, from the Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center in Indianapolis, IN, who discusses the latest updates in small cell lung cancer. Thomas Powles, MBBS, MRCP, MD, of Barts Cancer Institute in London, UK, and Brian Rini, MD, FASCO, of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, TN, comment on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) results from the LITESPARK-005 trial (NCT04195750) in advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Berend J van der Wilk, MD, PhD, from Erasmus MC Cancer Institute in Rotterdam, Netherlands, discusses the SANO trial—a multicenter, non-inferiority, stepped wedge cluster randomized trial investigating active surveillance versus standard resection following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced esophageal cancer. Lastly, Luca Arecco, MD, from the University of Genova in Genova, Italy, comments on the prognostic implications of risk definitions from the monarchE (NCT03155997) and NATALEE (NCT03701334) trials

Stay tuned for more from the VJOncoAlert Journal Club at VJOncology.com!

Adjuvant Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Welcome to this week's podcast by VJOncology, where we delve into the latest developments in adjuvant therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. Join five leading experts as they discuss cutting-edge research and its impact on clinical practices.

Stephen Chan, MBBS, MRCP, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China, Laura Williams Goff, MD, MSCI, MMHC, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN, Lorenza Rimassa, MD, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy, Pierce Chow, MBBS, MMed (Surg), FRCS (Edin), FAMS (Gen Surg), PhD, National Cancer Centre Singapore & Duke-NUS Medical School Singapore, Singapore, and Ghassan Abou-Alfa, MD, MBA, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, break down the latest research, ongoing clinical trials, and what these developments mean for clinical practice. They touch on the promising results of the IMbrave150 and IMbrave050 trial, the Phase II study of regorafenib and pembrolizumab, the KEYSTEP-004 trial and future prospects for these adjuvant therapies.

Prostate cancer awareness month: advances in liquid biopsies

In this week's VJOncology podcast, we are focusing again on Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, where we have collaborated with experts on liquid biopsies for tracking and predicting treatment outcomes in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Join Chinmay Jani from the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Xin Gao from Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Christos Kyriakopoulos from the University of Wisconsin, Andrew Armstrong from the Duke Cancer Institute, and Susan Halabi from Duke University Medical Center, as they present various trial updates and their exclusive insights from this burgeoning field. 

BTOG 2025 highlights

In this weeks VJOncology podcast, we explore key update from BTOG 2025 in thoracic oncology.

Prof. Sanjay Popat discusses the evolving role of ADCs in lung cancer treatment, focusing on efficacy, toxicity management, and biomarker integration. Prof. Samreen Ahmed examines ADC resistance mechanisms, drawing insights from breast cancer therapy to refine drug development strategies. Prof. Robert Rintoul reviews a new UK Lung Cancer Coalition report on genomic testing challenges and strategic solutions for faster diagnostics. Dr Adam Januszewski highlights the complexities of implementing genomics in the UK and the need for a streamlined approach. Prof. Neal Nivani concludes by reflecting on BTOG 2025’s success and NHS England’s new service specification.

Liquid biopsy in breast cancer

In this weeks VJOncology podcast, three oncology experts delve into the transformative potential of liquid biopsy in breast cancer treatment.

First, Michail Ignatiadis (Jules Bordet Institute, Brussels, Belgium) discusses the clinical applications and challenges of utilizing liquid biopsy in metastatic breast cancer, focusing on the Phase III TREAT ctDNA trial (NCT05512364) and its implications for ER-positive, HER2-negative cases. Next, Marina Sharifi (University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI) introduces an innovative fragmentomic analysis of circulating tumor DNA (CT-DNA) to discern estrogen receptor status in metastatic breast cancer, potentially minimizing the need for invasive tissue biopsies. Finally, Guilherme Nader-Marta (Dana-Farber Cancer Center, Boston, MA) shares insights from the PACE trial (NCT03147287), highlighting two pivotal studies that explore biomarkers in ER-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer and underscore the prognostic value of liquid biopsy in optimizing treatment strategies.

 

For more updates on breast cancer, be sure to visit our dedicated Breast Cancer Channel.

Prostate cancer awareness month: developments in radioligand therapy

In this podcast, we will discuss recent developments in radioligand therapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) treatment, as part one of our series for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Listen to leading experts as they share breakthroughs in mCRPC research.

 

First, Omid Yazdanpanah, MD, from the University of California, shares findings from the VISION trial, which assessed 177Lu-PSMA-617 with or without androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs) in patients with mCRPC, as well as the potential of radioligands with ARPIs in in the ENZA-p trial. Andrei Gafita, MD, from Johns Hopkins Medicine, subsequently discusses the significance of post-therapy LuPSMA-SPECT/CT in patients with mCRPC and Umang Swami, MD, MS, from the University of Utah gives an overview of findings from the PRO-XL trial. Michael Morris, from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, ends the podcast by addressing the challenges in using radioligand therapy for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Key updates at ASCO GU 2025: STAMPEDE, CheckMate 214, and more

Join us in this episode as we go through the latest advancements in genitourinary cancer treatment presented at ASCO GU 2025 in San Francisco. Our expert guests provide insights into ground-breaking trials and studies that are reshaping the landscape of cancer therapy.

Join Nadine Houede, Xinan Sheng, Nicholas James, and Wenxin Xu, as they discuss highly anticipated updates such as results of neoadjuvant durvalumab with chemotherapy in high-risk high-risk upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), disitamab vedotin and toripalimab in HER2-expressing bladder cancer, and updates from the STAMPEDE trial. 

Cellular therapies in solid tumors

Welcome to this week's podcast by VJOncology, where we delve into the emerging trends and challenges in the field of cellular therapies for oncology. Our expert panel includes Leonardo Ferreira (The Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC), who discusses the groundbreaking potential and current obstacles of CAR T cells in treating solid tumors, emphasizing the innovative role of chimeric antigen receptor regulatory T cells.

We also hear from Sebastian Klobuch (Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) on the advancements in TIL and TCR-modified therapies. He explores potential ways to mitigate treatment toxicities and expand the applicability of these therapies beyond melanoma.

Andrew Furness (Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK) highlights the promise of TIL therapy for melanoma, while addressing regulatory challenges. Allison Betof Warner (Stanford Cancer Center, Stanford, CA) provides insights into the evolving use of life looser in managing melanoma cases with brain metastases, alongside a specially designed pilot trial to explore treatment safety.

Mina Lobbous (Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH) shares updates on gene-modified gamma-delta T cells targeting glioblastoma multiforme, focusing on phase one trial outcomes and future directions for improving patient survival rates.

Therapeutic options for PD1 refractory skin cancer

In this podcast, we explore the latest advancements in the treatment of PD-1 refractory melanoma. This week, we are joined by Allison Betof Warner (Stanford Cancer Center, Stanford, CA) and Omid Hamid (The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA) and Inderjit Mehmi (The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA).

We will hear about the clinical definitions and significance of PD-1 resistance, including insights from SITC on primary and secondary resistance. The discussion will also highlight the implications for clinical trial design and strategies to overcome resistance in melanoma therapy. Updates on emerging treatment options, including the combination of immunotherapies, promising data from trials involving tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and oncolytic viruses, and recent FDA approvals that are shaping new treatment paradigms, are also discussed. Additionally, future directions in melanoma research, such as engineered T cells and other cellular therapies, and their potential to improve patient outcomes.

For more updates on melanoma and skin cancer research, be sure to visit our dedicated Skin Cancer Channel.

Subscribe to our podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Podbean, and Spotify, and join the conversation via X @VJOncology. Stay tuned for more insights at VJOncology.com.

Unlocking the Potential of ctDNA in Colorectal Cancer Management

In this week’s podcast, we will provide updates the emerging roles of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in managing colorectal cancer. We are joined by Michael Brian LaPelusa, MD, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; Juan Manuel O’Connor, MD, MSc, Instituto Alexander Fleming, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Anup Kasi, MD, MPH, University of Kansas Cancer Center, Kansas City, KS; Giulia Martini, MD, PhD, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy; and Kanwal Pratap Singh Raghav, MBBS, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.

The role of ctDNA in predicting treatment responses and assessing minimal residual disease (MRD) will be discussed. Biomarker-driven treatment strategies assessed in the TACT-D, and CAPRI 2-GOIM trials will additionally be evaluated in this week’s podcast.