S14 Ep10: Patient Characteristics and Care Team Collaboration Influence Treatment Decision-Making in CLL: With John N. Allan, MD; and Melissa Rubianes

In today’s episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Evelyn Y. Wong, MD, about the growing challenge of early-onset colorectal cancer (CRC) and the insights from a recent cohort analysis conducted in Singapore. Dr Wong is a consultant medical oncologist specializing in gastrointestinal cancers at the National Cancer Centre Singapore. In our exclusive interview, Wong discussed the rationale for investigating early-onset CRC, emphasizing the rising incidence worldwide and the need to better understand whether unique molecular or survival patterns distinguish these patients from those with late-onset disease. She reviewed data from approximately 2500 patients in a consented Singaporean cohort, highlighting that molecular characteristics were largely consistent across age groups, but survival outcomes appeared more favorable in younger patients, potentially due to their ability to tolerate more intensive therapies. Additionally, Wong underscored the importance of multicenter and international collaborations to strengthen these findings and advance prospective studies that can more precisely connect molecular features with environmental exposures and epidemiologic drivers. She also emphasized the role of increasing awareness among clinicians, researchers, pharmaceutical partners, and patient advocates to ensure that the unique needs of younger patients with CRC are addressed within the broader oncology community.

In this podcast, experts Aditya Bardia, MD, MPH, FASCO; Erika P. Hamilton, MD; and Tiffany A. Traina, MD, FASCO; discuss navigating between currently available therapies for patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). They also discuss the potential ramifications of ongoing clinical trials on future treatment paradigms.

In this podcast, experts Filipa Lynce, MD, and Rita Nanda, MD, discuss recent clinical trial and real-world data for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) used to treat triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

In this podcast, experts Aditya Bardia, MD, MPH, FASCO; and Erika P. Hamilton, MD, discuss recent efficacy and safety data of TROP2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) plus immune checkpoint inhibitor combinations for advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

In this podcast, experts Filipa Lynce, MD, and Rita Nanda, MD, discuss unmet needs in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and the rationale for using TROP2-targeting antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in this disease.

In today’s episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with John N. Allan, MD, and Melissa Rubianes about factors that influence treatment decision-making in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Allan is an associate professor of clinical medicine and a member of the lymphoma faculty in the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, as well as a member of the CLL Research Center at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, New York. Rubianes is a hematology/oncology physician assistant (PA) at Weill Cornell.  In our exclusive interview, Allan and Rubianes discussed best practices for oncologists and PAs when it comes to collaborating with each other to make treatment decisions for patients with CLL, disease factors and patient characteristics that affect their treatment sequencing decisions, ongoing studies and emerging therapies for CLL that they're excited to see, and more. 

In today’s episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Balazs Halmos, MD, MS, about the phase 2 VISION trial (NCT02864992) evaluating tepotinib (Tepmetko) in patients with MET exon 14 skipping mutation–positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Dr Halmos is a professor in the Department of Oncology (Medical Oncology) and the Department of Medicine (Oncology and Hematology), director of Thoracic Oncology, and associate director of Clinical Science at Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center in Bronx, New York. In our exclusive interview, Halmos discussed the rationale and design of the VISION trial, the significance of MET exon 14 skipping mutations as a distinct oncogenic driver, and the clinical utility of tepotinib, which is a selective MET TKI. He reviewed the trial’s efficacy results, which demonstrated consistent response rates across lines of therapy and diagnostic methods, as well as tolerability findings that highlighted the importance of monitoring and managing MET-related adverse effects. Dr Halmos also reflected on subgroup analyses from the trial, noting the agent’s activity across treatment settings, particularly in older patients and those with central nervous system involvement. Additionally, Halmos underscored the critical role of comprehensive biomarker testing in NSCLC, highlighting how parallel tissue- and circulating tumor DNA–based testing can optimize timely identification of actionable alterations and ensure patients receive the most effective frontline therapy. He also discussed practical considerations for dose selection and modifications with tepotinib, offering insights into strategies for maximizing treatment benefit and maintaining patient quality of life.

Two Onc Docs, hosted by Samantha A. Armstrong, MD, and Karine Tawagi, MD, is a podcast dedicated to providing current and future oncologists and hematologists with the knowledge they need to ace their boards and deliver quality patient care. Dr Armstrong is a hematologist/oncologist and assistant professor of clinical medicine at Indiana University Health in Indianapolis. Dr Tawagi is a hematologist/oncologist and assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of Illinois in Chicago. In this episode, OncLive On Air® partnered with Two Onc Docs to feature a conversation about soft tissue sarcoma management. Drs Armstrong and Tawagi discussed that soft tissue sarcomas represent a rare and heterogeneous group of malignancies that arise from mesenchymal cells rather than epithelial cells and encompass several distinct histologic subtypes. They explained that although uncommon, these sarcomas are frequently emphasized in board examinations, partly because their management has historically been stable, though recent FDA approvals and ongoing research have expanded therapeutic options. They noted that risk factors may include prior radiation exposure, environmental agents, and viral infections. Additionally, they shared that chronic lymphedema is associated with angiosarcoma, whereas rare hereditary syndromes may predispose individuals to specific sarcoma subtypes.  Clinically, they explained that sarcomas may arise anywhere in the body, though many occur in the thigh, buttocks, or groin, typically presenting as painless, enlarging masses often mistaken for benign lesions. They emphasized that diagnosis requires core needle biopsy to preserve tissue architecture and that staging relies on MRI of the primary site and CT of the chest, given the strong predilection for pulmonary metastases. They also summarized the five subtypes of soft tissue sarcoma—synovial, clear cell, angiosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and epithelioid. They reported that the cornerstone of localized disease management is surgical resection, preferably limb-sparing when feasible, combined with radiation for larger or high-risk tumors. They also highlighted novel strategies like immunotherapy. For metastatic disease, they stated that surgical resection of pulmonary metastases can achieve durable remissions in select patients. 

In today’s episode, we passed the mic to Tara E. Seery, MD, who moderated an OncLive Insights discussion on the future of the pancreatic cancer treatment paradigm. Rounding out the discussion with additional expert perspectives were Paul E. Oberstein, MD, and Priyadarshini Pathak, MBBS. Seery is a medical oncologist at the Hoag Family Cancer Institute in Newport Beach, California. Oberstein is an associate professor in the Department of Medicine at the New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine; as well as the director of the Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology Program, the assistant director of the Pancreatic Cancer Center, and the service chief of the Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology Program at NYU Langone's Perlmutter Cancer Center. Pathak is an assistant in medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston.  In this exclusive conversation, Drs Seery, Oberstein, and Pathak highlighted key data from the phase 3 NAPOLI 3 trial (NCT04083235) of NALIRIFOX (liposomal irinotecan, 5-fluorouracil [5-FU], leucovorin, and oxaliplatin) vs nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane) and gemcitabine in treatment-naive patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; the toxicity profiles of NALIRIFOX and FOLFIRINOX (leucovorin, 5-FU, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin); real-world data with these regimens, and more. 

In today’s episode, we spoke with Scott Kopetz, MD, PhD, FACP, about the use of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Dr Kopetz is the deputy chair for Translational Research and a professor in the Department of Gastrointestinal (GI) Medical Oncology in the Division of Cancer Medicine, as well as the leader of the Department of Cancer Center Support Grant in the GI Program, the TRACTION medical director in the Division of Therapeutics Discovery, and the associate vice president for Translational Integration at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. In our conversation, Dr Kopetz discussed the high positive predictive value of ctDNA assays, which indicate disease presence when positive. He emphasized  clinical trials that have shown strong prognostic implications with this type of assay, as well as study findings that demonstrated that ctDNA results could reduce chemotherapy use without compromising efficacy. Additionally, he noted the potential significance of ongoing trials that are exploring the use of ctDNA to guide therapy. Overall, he explained that ctDNA testing is becoming a standard in clinical practice for colorectal cancer.