VJOncology Podcast

Highlights in lung cancer from ESMO 2023

The European Society for Medical Oncology Annual Meeting (ESMO) 2023 brought together thousands of experts in oncology to hear new data and discuss how to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with cancer. In this podcast, we will be joined by Nicolas Girard (Institut Curie, Paris, France), Crispin Hiley (UCL Cancer Institute, London), Byoung Chul Cho (Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea), Benjamin Besse (Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France), and James R. Black (UCL, London, UK).

We will hear key updates on crucial clinical trials including the Phase III PAPILLON trial of amivantamab plus chemotherapy in EGFR Exon 20 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the Phase II DARWIN II trial deciphering anti-tumor response and resistance to immunotherapy with intratumor heterogeneity in NSCLC and the Phase III MARIPOSA trial of amivantamab combined with lazertinib for EGFR-muted NSCLC. We will also delve into the safety, efficacy and ongoing evaluation of AZD7789, a novel PD-1 and TIM-3 targeting bispecific antibody, as well as data on an ultra-sensitive and specific ctDNA assay for early-stage lung cancer.

Highlights in GU cancer at ESMO 2023

The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2023, which took place in Madrid, Spain, gathered internationally acclaimed experts to share and deliberate on the most recent breakthroughs in oncology. In this podcast, we listen to prominent healthcare professionals offering a summary of key moments from this year's conference. We will be joined by Joaquim Bellmunt (Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA), Laurence Albiges (Gustave Roussy Institute, Villejuif, France), Arlene Siefker-Radtke (The MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX), and Bradley McGregor (Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston).

We will hear on updates on pivotal trials including the Phase III EV-302 trial of enfortumab vedotin and pembrolizumab in untreated advanced/metastatic urothelial cancer, as well as the Phase III LITESPARK-005 trial of belzutifan versus everolimus in patients with pre-treated advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Additional trials under discussion include the THOR study of erdafitinib versus pembrolizumab in pre-treated patients with urothelial cancer and the DAD trial of sacitizumab govetican and enfortumab vedotin as a second-line therapy in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma.

EGFR exon 20 insertions and how to manage patients in the UK

EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations represent 5% to 10% of EGFR mutations in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Despite this form of lung cancer being hard to detect in standard genetic testing, mobocertinib and amivantamab have shown promising results in clinical trials. 

In this week's podcast, join Sanjay Popat, MBBS, FRCP, PhD, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, Alastair Greystoke, MBChB, MSc, PhD, MRCP, University of Newcastle & Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle, UK, Anna Minchom, MD, MRCP, MBBCh, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, and Riyaz Shah, MBBS, FRCP, PhD, Kent Oncology Centre, Maidstone, UK, as will discuss the identification of EGFR exon 20 insertions and how to manage patients in the UK, based on the recent decisions made by NICE on the use of amivantamab and mobocertinib.

Updates in immunotherapy for brain tumors

Even with aggressive surgical procedures, radiation therapy, and systemic chemotherapy, the outlook for individuals diagnosed with malignant brain tumors remains dismal, and conventional treatments come with notable risks of causing long-term cognitive impairments. There is a pressing and evident demand for the advancement of more efficient therapies that can complement standard approaches for invasive brain cancers while minimizing their harmful side effects. Cancer immunotherapy emerges as a hopeful treatment strategy capable of providing precise tumor-targeted cytotoxicity, offering the potential to eradicate brain tumor cells while preserving the delicate functions of the brain.

In this podcast we hear from Olivia Rongze Lu, PhD, University of Texas at Austin, Stephen Joseph Bagley, MD, MSCE, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Anthony Chalmers, MD, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK, and Philipp Karschnia, MD, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, as they discuss updates in immunotherapy for brain tumors.

Developments in radiotherapy for GI cancer

For various gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies such as gastric and pancreatic cancer, chemotherapy and surgery remain the standard of care. Various trials have been conducted to assess the effectiveness of radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy in the management of GI cancer.

In this podcast, we hear from Lucjan Wyrwicz, MD, PhD, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Cancer Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland, Sushma Agrawal, MD, SGPGI, Lucknow, India, Joseph Herman, MD, MSc, MHCM, Northwell Health Cancer Institute, New Hyde Park, NY, as they discuss the current advances in radiotherapy for GI cancer.

Latest advances in early-stage breast cancer

Over the last decades, systemic therapy for patients with early-stage breast cancer has undergone remarkable enhancements, with the objectives and structures of neoadjuvant clinical trials continuously developing. In this podcast, we are joined by Sara Tolaney, MD, MPH, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, Michael Gnant, MD, FACS, FEBS, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, Hope S. Rugo, MD, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA, Justin Balko, PharmD, PhD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, as they discuss advances in early-stage HER2-positive, HR-positive and triple-negative breast cancer.

Applications of AI in Oncology

Cancer plays a substantial role in worldwide mortality, accounting for approximately 9.3 million deaths each year. Despite considerable strides made over recent decades, the challenge of delivering personalized care persists. In an effort to mitigate this, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) tools has been suggested across various realms within the field of oncology. The applications of AI in oncology encompass the refinement of cancer research methodologies, the enhancing of clinical protocols, gaining deeper insights into the intricate characteristics of tumors, and more.

In this podcast, we hear from Manisha Palta, MD, Duke University, Durham, NC, Benoit Gallix, MD, PhD, American Hospital of Paris, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, Andrew J. Armstrong, MD, MSc, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC, David A. Mankoff, MD, PhD, Abramson Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, and Young Kwang Chae, MD, MPH, MBA, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, as they discuss current and future applications of AI in oncology.

Targeted radionuclide therapy in prostate cancer

Prostate cancer stands as the most frequently detected malignant condition among men, ranking as the second primary contributor to cancer-linked fatalities in Western society. While localized prostate cancer can be addressed through various efficient treatments, nearly all patients eventually advance to the state of incurable metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Given the substantial toll on both mortality and quality of life due to the disease's progression, there exists a pressing demand for novel, precisely targeted therapeutic interventions. Targeted radionuclide therapy is an increasingly favored treatment option for prostate cancer, attributed to its ability to administer a highly concentrated absorbed dose precisely to the intended tumor site, all the while safeguarding the neighboring healthy tissues. 

In this podcast, we hear from Jeremie Calais, MD, MSc, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, Scott Tagawa, MD, MS, FACP, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY, and Shahneen Sandhu, MBBS, FRACP, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia, on some of the latest updates in targeted radionuclide therapy for prostate cancer.

Latest updates in mesothelioma

In this latest episode from VJOncology, join us as we explore the latest news in mesothelioma research with three distinguished speakers. Anthony Chalmers, MD, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK, Dean Fennell, MBBS, PhD, FRCP, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK, and Riyaz Shah, BSc(Hons), MBBS, FRCP, PhD, Kent Oncology Centre, UK. Discover the Phase II SYSTEMS-2 trial's potential to reshape mesothelioma treatment and revolutionize patient care, unravel the excitement surrounding targeted therapy, particularly the TEAD inhibitor IK-930, showing great promise in disrupting cancer-promoting pathways, and finally learn the crucial role of immunotherapy in combating mesothelioma and its potential to offer new avenues for improved patient outcomes.

iwCAR-T Session V: Advances in head & neck and CNS cancers

The 5th International Workshop on CAR-T (iwCAR-T) took place in Scottsdale, AZ, on 14 – 16 April 2023, and brought together world-leading experts in CAR-T therapy as they discussed the latest in the field. In this podcast series, you will gain an insight into the sessions that took place at this year’s meeting, which covered the latest updates in CAR-T therapy in solid tumors, as well as associated challenges.

 

In this episode, Kedar Kirtane, MD, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, Rizwan Romee, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, and Jong Chul Park, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, share their insights on potential therapies for head and neck cancer, focusing on combination treatments and novel therapeutics. Topics discussed include the use of memory-like NK cells in combination with long-acting IL-15 and checkpoint inhibitors for enhanced efficacy, as well as the advantages of NK cell-based therapies over traditional T cell-based CAR treatments, including reduced side effects and increased responsiveness to tumor cells. In addition, the discussion explores strategies to overcome challenges, such as immune suppressive phenotypes and tumor microenvironments.