OncTimes Talk
OncTimes Talk is a podcast from Oncology Times that covers breaking news, oncology conference coverage, story round-ups, and in-depth interviews. It features conversations with current experts and leaders in oncology. The series spans multiple formats and aims to keep listeners updated on developments in cancer care and research.
Episodes
The Future of Cancer Research: Clinical Trials, AI & Access to Care
In this episode of OncTimes Talk, Karen Knudsen, MBA, PhD, CEO of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, discusses barriers to clinical trial participation, the promise of AI in oncology, and the challenges facing cancer research funding. She explores why patient voices, equitable access, and a stronger translational research infrastructure are critical to the future of cancer care.
Targeting Tumor Acidity With Topical Bicarbonate Therapy
Dr. Shari Pilon-Thomas joins OncTimes Talk to discuss groundbreaking findings published in Frontiers in Immunology showing that topical bicarbonate treatment can counteract tumor acidosis and enhance anti-tumor immune responses. The conversation explores the science behind acidic tumor microenvironments, improved T-cell activity, and the clinical potential of this innovative immunotherapy approach
Rethinking Breast Cancer Screening
In this episode of OncTimes Talk, Dr. Susan MacDonald interviews Dr. Barbara Levy about the evolution of breast cancer screening. Together, they discuss balancing early detection with overtesting, empowering patients to advocate for themselves, and designing healthcare systems that put people first.
Inside Lytix Biopharma's Breakthrough in Immunotherapy
In this episode, we explore how Lytix Biopharma is advancing a new kind of cancer treatment designed to both destroy tumors and train the immune system to fight back. Dr. Øystein Rekdal joins Dr. Susan McDonald to discuss the science behind LTX-315, a first-in-class oncolytic peptide, and its ability to trigger systemic immune responses even in heavily pretreated patients. From late-stage melanoma
A Lap Around the Couch: Why Exercise Matters in Cancer Care
In this episode, Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH, explains why movement should be treated like medicine for patients with cancer. In conversation with Susan MacDonald, MD, she breaks down the evidence, addresses common barriers, and offers practical guidance for both clinicians and patients. Resources mentioned in the podcast: Moving Through Cancer: An Exercise and Strength-Training Program for the Fig
Understanding the Rise in Early-Onset Cancer
In this episode of Oncology Times, Dr. Susan MacDonald speaks with epidemiologist Dr. Mary Beth Terry about the alarming rise in early-onset cancers, particularly among women, and the role of environmental and lifestyle factors. They explore emerging evidence on alcohol use, plastics, vaping, and other exposures. Resources: Top 10 Tips for Healthier Home: General guidance on reducing exposures to
Championing Community Cancer Care
In this episode of OncTimes Talk, host Dr. McDonald speaks with Rose Gerber, Director of Patient Advocacy and Education at the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) and a 23‑year breast cancer survivor. Rose shares her powerful personal cancer journey and how that experience ignited her lifelong commitment to patient advocacy. She discusses the essential role of community oncology practices, the chal
Radioactive Resilience: A Survivor's Mission to Cure Cancer
What happens when you survive a disaster that steals the lives of thousands of children? For Dr. Yan Leyfman, surviving Chernobyl as a child wasn't just fate—it became the foundation of a lifelong mission to heal. In this deeply personal conversation, Yan shares how tragedy shaped his calling in oncology, why empathy is the strongest medicine, and how innovation must not only save lives—but re
Results from OncoExTra® Testing of 10K Tumor Samples Show the Next Generation of Sequencing
In this podcast episode, Dr. Christine Ibilibor meets with Dr. Jean-Paul De La O, a Senior Principal Medical Affairs Director at Exact Sciences, to talk about how comprehensive DNA and RNA sequencing of tumors has become easier, faster and more actionable for oncologists. The pair also discuss Exact Sciences' retrospective analysis of over 10,000 solid tumor samples profiled with the OncoExTra® te
The Evolving Landscape of Bladder Cancer
In this episode of OncTimes Talk, we chat with Dr. Janet Kukreja about the evolving landscape of bladder cancer.
The Current State of Skin Cancer in the U.S.
In this episode of OncTimes Talk, Dr. Victor Czerkasij, DNP, DCNP, FNP-C, CWCP, MSN, MA discusses the current state of skin cancer in the U.S.
United Theranostics and the Future of Cancer Care
In this episode of OncTimes Talk, we chat with Dr. Eliot Siegel, MD, FACR, FSIM, DABR; Dr. Michael Morris, MD, MS, DABR, DABNM, DCI; Dr. Babak Saboury, MD, MPH, DABR, DABNM; and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Munir Ghesani, MD, FACNM, FACR, FSNMMI from United Theranostics, a national leader in precision cancer care and radiopharmaceutical therapy. Together, these visionary physicians are advancing th
Smashing Plates, Facing Fear: Heather Von St. James' Journey
At 36, Heather Von St. James was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma and given just 15 months to live. Nineteen years later, she's not only surviving, but she's also leading a movement. In this episode, Heather shares how she turned trauma into purpose, created a powerful annual ritual called "Lung Leavin' Day" and became a national voice for mesothelioma awareness. From motherhood to a
Joey-Rose Jester on Life with Cholangiocarcinoma: A Conversation About Cancer, Work, and Everything in Between
In this episode of OncTimes Talk, we chat with Joey-Rose Jester, an exhibits manager and survivor of cholangiocarcinoma to explore the personal and professional sides of her cancer journey. From navigating a rare diagnosis to showing up at work during treatment, Joey-Rose shares honest reflections, unexpected lessons, and the moments that shaped her path.
From Ironman to Advocate: Tom Hulsey's Journey Through Prostate Cancer and Purpose
In this episode of OncTimes Talk, we chat with Tom Hulsey—athlete, author, and prostate cancer survivor—about the life-altering moment he received his diagnosis on his birthday, and how it set him on a path of resilience, advocacy, and renewed purpose. Tom opens up about the emotional toll of staying silent, the power of mindset in healing, and how facing both cancer and heart disease reshaped hi
Accurate and Actionable: How Oncologists Get Fast, Comprehensive Therapeutic Insights from the OncoExTra® Test
In this third episode of the OncoExTra® podcast series, host Ruchika Talwar, MD, talks with Christy Russell, MD, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Exact Sciences, about what oncologists can expect when they receive their OncoExTra comprehensive genomic profiling test results, and how they can utilize the report and tap into Exact Sciences' skilled support team to develop a plan of action for t
Empowering Cancer Care Through Movement: A Conversation with Sami Mansfield
In this episode of OncTimes Talk, we chat with Sami Mansfield, ACSM-CET, PN1, the founder of Cancer Wellness for Life, an organization dedicated to developing, implementing, and optimizing exercise oncology and lifestyle medicine programs and resources for hospitals, healthcare organizations, pharmaceutical companies, nonprofits, and individuals impacted by cancer. cancerwellnessforlife.com
Defying the Odds: Katie Colman's Journey from Diagnosis to Advocacy
In this episode of OncTimes Talk, we chat with Katie Colman. Diagnosed with an ultra-rare stage IV kidney cancer in 2020, her prognosis had a chance to significantly change after six months. Since then, Katie has since become an Author, founded a non-profit organization, and has become a podcast host—all with the goal of giving back to cancer research. Katiekickscancer.com
Making Comprehensive Genomic Profiling More Accurate for Everyone: The Importance of Patient-Matched Tumor-Normal Sequencing
In this podcast episode, host Ruchika Talwar, MD, is joined by Amin Mazloom, PhD, Senior Vice President of Bioinformatics, Biostatistics & Data Innovation, and Janine LoBello, DO, Senior Clinical Laboratory Medical Director at Exact Sciences to discuss patient-matched tumor-normal (PMTN) sequencing and why it matters for oncologists. Drs. Mazloom and LoBello discuss PMTN sequencing as a gold stan
Patient-Matched Tumor-Normal Sequencing: What It Is and Why It Matters
In this podcast episode, host Ruchika Talwar, MD, is joined by Amin Mazloom, PhD, Senior Vice President of Bioinformatics, Biostatistics & Data Innovation, and Janine LoBello, DO, Senior Clinical Laboratory Medical Director at Exact Sciences to discuss patient-matched tumor-normal (PMTN) sequencing and why it matters for oncologists. Drs. Mazloom and LoBello discuss PMTN sequencing as a gold stan
Transforming colorectal cancer management with tumor informed ctDNA testing
In this episode, Dr. Ruchika Talwar, a urologic oncologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Dr. Adham Jurdi, a medical oncologist and Senior Director of Oncology at Natera, delve into the groundbreaking world of tumor-informed molecular residual disease testing. Discover how circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is revolutionizing cancer detection and treatment, providing real-time insights that s
Lessons in Resilience: Dr. Susan MacDonald's Healthcare Journey
In this episode of the OncTimes Talk, we chat with Susan MacDonald, MD, Associate Professor and Program Director of the Department of Urology at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, in Hershey, PA. MacDonald shares her inspiring journey of facing a life-changing diagnosis with strength and resilience. Discover her insights into the healthcare system, the unexpected joys she found, a
Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening Clinic Raises Prostate Cancer Early Detection Rates in Underserved Communities at High Risk
Masood Moghul, MBBS, a urologist and Research Fellow at the Royal Marsden Hospital and Institute of Cancer Research in London shared findings from a study investigating a mobile, targeted, case-finding approach to prostate cancer detection with 3,379 patients. Moghul told the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco how the study addresse
Episode 3, Better Informed Patient Journeys
In the third episode of A Deep Dive Into HRD Testing in Ovarian Cancer, a three-part podcast series sponsored by AstraZeneca, we're speaking with Dr. David O'Malley, and Bobbie R, an ovarian cancer patient. Dr. O'Malley will highlight how HRD testing empowers ovarian cancer patients to make more informed decisions with their doctors to help guide their treatment journey, and Bobbie will provide i
Episode 2, HRD Testing Deep-Dive
In the second episode of A Deep Dive into HRD Testing in Ovarian Cancer, a three-part podcast series sponsored by AstraZeneca, we're speaking with Dr. Erin Crane who will highlight how HRD testing provides helpful information to ovarian cancer patients. Erin K. Crane, MD, MPH, is a gynecologic oncologist with Atrium Health Levine Cancer in Charlotte, North Carolina. A graduate of the SUNY Ups
Episode 1, A Precision Medicine Approach for Advanced Ovarian Cancer
In the first episode of A Deep Dive into HRD Testing in Ovarian Cancer, a three-part podcast series sponsored by AstraZeneca, we're speaking with Dr. Kathleen Moore about HRD testing in ovarian cancer and its clinical significance in helping aid precision medicine approaches. Dr. Kathleen Moore is a Professor of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Associ
Striking Microbiome Bacterial Population Differences Distinguish Metastatic Prostate Cancer From Non-Metastatic Disease
At the 2025 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, researchers from Japan reported marked differences between the populations of several key microbial species in the gut microbiomes of patients with metastatic prostate cancer that distinguished them from those with non-metastatic disease. This was in the PROMISE-JAPAN study with 869 Japanese patients. After talking about his group's new data, lea
Adjuvant Androgen Deprivation Therapy No Benefit After Surgery for High-Risk Prostate Cancer
At the 2025 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco, the Phase III AFU-GETUG-20 trial reported that adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy did not improve outcomes when added to surgery for patients with high-risk prostate cancer. Using 2 years of androgen deprivation therapy after radical prostatectomy in high-risk patients with undetectable postoperative PSA did not significantly
Novel Score Selects Patients With Intermediate Risk Prostate Cancer Safe for Active Surveillance
A numerical formula called the absolute percentage pattern 4/5 (APP4) combining risk factors, including Gleason grade, PSA, and digital rectal examination, is being used to select patients whose intermediate risk prostate cancer can safely be followed with active surveillance. A research study using APP4 was reported at the 2025 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco. First author
Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening Clinic Raises Prostate Cancer Early Detection Rates in Underserved Communities
Masood Moghul, MBBS, a urologist and research fellow at the Royal Marsden Hospital and Institute of Cancer Research in London, UK, discussed his group's findings from the Man Van study investigating a mobile, targeted, case-finding approach to prostate cancer detection with 3,379 patients conducted in Greater London. Moghul told the 2025 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco how
KEYNOTE-006 Study 10-Year Survival Data Confirm PD-L1 Checkpoint Inhibition Best for Patients With Advanced Melanoma
The pivotal role of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) checkpoint inhibition for treating advanced melanoma has been confirmed in findings from the KEYNOTE-006 study comparing the anti-PD-L1 antibody pembrolizumab immunotherapy with the anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) drug ipilimumab for treating patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic melanoma. Results from the
Microsatellite Unstable Colorectal Cancers: Key Gene Mutation for Werner Helicase Inhibitor Resistance Identified
Although one in five colorectal cancers having microsatellite instability and expressing the Werner Helicase (WRN) gene could be treated with drugs that inhibit WRN, the effectiveness of such an approach has been limited by resistance. However, researchers identified the Cys727 mutation as being solely responsible for WRN inhibitor resistance. This potentially opens the door to using WRN inhibitor
Microsatellite Unstable Colorectal Cancers: Key Gene Mutation for Werner Helicase Inhibitor Resistance Identified
The pivotal role of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) checkpoint inhibition for treating advanced melanoma has been confirmed in findings from the KEYNOTE-006 study comparing the anti-PD-L1 antibody pembrolizumab immunotherapy with the anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) drug ipilimumab for treating patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic melanoma. Results from the
Tumor-Agnostic Classifier & Screener Aids Targeted Drug Development
A tumor-agnostic classifier and screening tool was announced at ESMO Congress 2024 in Barcelona. It was created to make it easier and quicker to develop new drugs that have specific molecular targets, and thus have potential anti-cancer efficacy irrespective of tumor type or location. The ESMO Tumour-Agnostic Classifier and Screener was the result of work by a multidisciplinary team of internati
Early Switch to Immunotherapy Recommended After BRAFV600 Mutation Targeted Therapy for Advanced Melanoma
Findings from a study of patients receiving targeted therapy for their BRAFV600 mutation-positive advanced melanoma, suggest that switching early to immune checkpoint inhibition appeared to bring better rates of overall survival than saving immunotherapy for use as salvage treatment later on. The ESMO 2024 Annual Congress heard from the randomized Phase II ImmunoCobiVem trial that a switch to imm
Clear Benefit From Early Checkpoint Inhibition in Locally Advanced, High-Risk Cervical Cancer
A clinically meaningful benefit in overall survival was found in the second interim analysis of the randomized, double-blind, Phase III KEYNOTE-A18 study of immunotherapy together with concurrent chemoradiotherapy among 1,060 patients who had newly diagnosed, previously untreated high-risk locally advanced cervical cancer. A multinational team of researchers, led from Italy, reported findings at
The New Standard: Testing for All Therapy-Matched DNA and RNA Biomarkers Up Front
In this podcast episode, Ruchika Talwar, MD, sits down with Rick Baehner, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Precision Oncology at Exact Sciences and Clinical Professor of Pathology at University of California, San Francisco, to discuss the importance of ultra-comprehensive genomic profiling in advanced cancer therapy selection. The two talk about the OncoExTra® test from Exact Sciences, which includes
Digital Twin Brings AI Power to Individualize Cancer Management
The prospect of markedly raising chemotherapy response rates and extending patient survival has been held out by scientists reporting a new AI-powered digital tool to optimize cancer management for individual patients. The tool creates a "digital twin" for each patient that makes it possible to predict response to specific treatment regimens and confidently predict outcomes, according to finding
Wnt Signaling Pathway Inhibitor Suggests Toxicity-Free Cure Potential for Hepatoblastoma
The prospect of a minimally toxic, chemotherapy-free cure for hepatoblastoma is held out by findings from a mouse model using the small-molecule drug WNTinib that inhibits the Wnt signaling pathway involved with cancer growth. Lead author Ugnė Balaševičiūtė, a pre-doctoral researcher in Translational Research of the Hepatic Oncology Group led by Josep M. Llovet, Professor at the Institut D'Inves
Anti-HER2 Combination Found Effective in HER2-Altered Bile Duct Cancers
A chemotherapy-free combination of two anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (anti-HER2) agents brought clinically meaningful responses to patients with bile duct cancers testing positive for HER2 or with mutated HER2 in research from Japan reported at the EORTC-NCI-AACR 2024 Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics Symposium held in Barcelona, Spain. In the SGNTUC-019 Phase II basket s
FGFR-3 Inhibitor Has Early Clinical Activity in Advanced Urothelial Cancer
The fibroblast growth factor receptor-3 (FGFR-3) inhibitor TYRA-300 has been found safe with dose-dependent responses and disease control in the Phase I SURF301 trial. The study included 41 patients who had been heavily pre-treated for their advanced solid tumors with activating FGFR3 mutations/fusions, bringing the hope of avoiding toxicities from the use of non-specific pan-FGFR inhibition. Th
Radiation Delivery by Mini Protein Brings Promise for Metastatic Urothelial & Other Solid Tumors
The mini-protein radiopharmaceutical AKY-1189, designed to deliver the alpha-emitting isotope Actinium-225 (225Ac) to tumors expressing the Nectin-4 transmembrane protein, has been found to achieve favorable dosing to tumors, while minimizing exposure to non-target tissues, including the kidney. Data on the biodistribution and tumor uptake of the drug were reported at the 2024 EORTC-NCI-AACR 2024
Antibody-Drug Conjugate "Promising Efficacy" in HER2-Positive and HER2-Low Breast Cancer
In a Phase I study with 318 patients in China and Australia the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) IBI354 was found to be safe and have promising efficacy in patients whose breast and other solid tumors tested positive for HER2 or were categorized as "HER2-low." At ESMO Congress 2024, the study also reported a low rate of interstitial lung disease in patients treated with the ADC. Oncology Times corres
Advanced Melanoma: CheckMate 067 10-Year Data Show Prognoses Transformed By Checkpoint Inhibitors
Sustained responses and long-term overall survival have resulted from checkpoint inhibitor therapy for advanced melanoma, transforming the prognosis for as many as half of patients. This is according to 10-year survival outcomes from the Phase Ill CheckMate 067 trial of nivolumab plus ipilimumab in advanced melanoma that were reported at the ESMO Congress 2024. At the conference, Oncology Times
Preoperative Chemoradiation Ruled Out for Gastric or GE Junction Resectable Adenocarcinoma
The addition of preoperative chemoradiation therapy to perioperative chemotherapy did not improve overall survival as compared with perioperative chemotherapy alone in patients with resectable gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinomas. The multi-continent, Phase III randomized TOPGEAR trial has definitively found no benefit from adding radiation before surgery in terms of overall or pro
Perioperative Checkpoint Inhibition Better for Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer
Patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer experienced "clinically meaningful" improvements in key outcomes—event-free survival and overall survival—when the immune checkpoint inhibitor durvalumab was added to their standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy. This was in research findings, reported at the ESMO Congress 2024, from the NIAGARA randomized Phase Ill trial of neoadjuvant durvalumab plus chemo
Recurrent Glioma: Encouraging Responses to Autologous Myeloid Dendritic Cell Therapy
When patients with recurrent high-grade glioblastoma were treated with autologous myeloid dendritic cells, they had clinical responses described as "encouraging" in a Phase I clinical trial reported at the ESMO Congress 2024. Cells harvested from each patient were injected directly into the resection cavity brain tissue lining after surgery. Patients also received intracranial injections of the ch
Therapeutic mRNA Vaccine Brings New Hope in Glioblastoma
Patients with newly diagnosed, surgically resected MGMT-unmethylated glioblastoma may benefit from treatment with a therapeutic mRNA vaccine called CVGBM, according to findings from a first-in-human, Phase I safety and dose-escalation study from Tübingen, Germany, reported at the ESMO Congress 2024 held in Barcelona. The CVGBM vaccine encodes multiple molecular features derived from tumor-associ
Resectable Stage III Melanoma: Unprecedented Survival Benefit With Pure Checkpoint Inhibitor Neoadjuvant Therapy
A large, expanded-cohort pooled analysis of neoadjuvant immunotherapy for patients with resectable Stage III melanoma has reported very high rates of durable survival. The findings from the world's biggest center of expertise in melanoma were announced at ESMO Congress 2024. The study included patients from clinical trials and real-world studies who had pure immune checkpoint inhibitor neoadjuva
Circulating Tumor DNA Directs Precision Management for Ovarian Cancer
Drug resistance can be delayed and treatment outcomes predicted in patients with ovarian cancer with the help of relatively low-cost molecular precision management techniques using liquid biopsies. These are being developed by a team at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) led by Jian Yu Rao, MD, Vice Chair of Diagnostic Technology Innovation at UCLA, where he is also Chief of Cytopa
ESMO Reports Neoadjuvant Therapy for TNBC, Combination Checkpoint Inhibition, Artificial Intelligence & More
Important findings about the benefit of neoadjuvant therapies, especially those involving checkpoint inhibition, have been reported at the ESMO 2024 Congress. Rebecca Dent, MD, Scientific Chair of the meeting, as well as Medical Oncologist and Deputy Chief Executive Officer at the National Cancer Center in Singapore (with a special interest in all aspects of triple-negative breast cancer), shared
Cardio-Oncology: Many Cancer Treatment Cardiotoxicities Still to Be Understood
The escalating danger of cardiac toxicity posed by a range of increasingly effective anti-cancer therapies is insufficiently understood, according to the head of a world center of excellence for the study of cardio-oncology in northern China. At a special session devoted to cardio-oncology held at the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) 2024 Annual Meeting, the challenges of cardio-onco
Emerging Potential for Cell Therapies in Ovarian Cancer and Other Solid Tumors
Details of the expanding range of cell therapies beyond hematologic malignancy were reported at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) by Oliver Dorigo, MD, PhD, Director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the Stanford Women's Cancer Center in Stanford University. After his talk at CSCO, Dorigo told Oncology Times reporter Peter Goodwin about the promise
Global Cooperation on Antibody-Drug Conjugates: Key Driver of Progress in HER2-Dependent Metastatic Breast Cancer Treatment
An assessment of progress with antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for the treatment of HER2-dependent metastatic breast cancer was given at the 2024 Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) Annual Meeting. The President-Elect of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), Giuseppe Curigliano, MD, PhD, Director of the Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies Division at the European In
World-Wide Clinical Perspectives from Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology's Globally Upscale 2024 Annual Meeting
At the opening session of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) 2024 Annual Meeting, attended by nearly 30,000 cancer specialists, Oncology Times reporter Peter Goodwin asked the President of CSCO, Xu Ruihua, MD, PhD, Professor and President of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center in Guangzhou, China, to talk about some of the ways that progress in cancer treatments had been made more pr
Breastfeeding is Safe After Treatment for BRCA-Positive Breast Cancer
Important findings about the benefit of neoadjuvant therapies, especially those involving checkpoint inhibition, have been reported at the 2024 Annual meeting of the European Society for Medical Oncology, ESMO. The Scientific Chair of the meeting, Rebecca Dent MD, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Cancer Center in Singapore, told Oncology Times reporter Peter Goodwin about some of th
Breastfeeding is Safe After Treatment for BRCA-Positive Breast Cancer
A large international cohort study has found that women testing positive for the BRCA mutation who chose to breastfeed their babies after treatment for their breast cancer faced no additional risk to their cancer outcomes. OncTimesTalk correspondent Peter Goodwin talked with Eva Blondeaux, MD, Medical Oncologist in the Epidemiology Unit at the IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Ital
Breastfeeding After Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer: No Detectable Risk for Patients
Women who chose to interrupt their endocrine therapy after their breast cancer surgery to have a baby faced no additional cancer risk, according to data from the POSITIVE study reported at the ESMO Congress 2024. In Barcelona, OncTimesTalk reporter Peter Goodwin met up with Fedro Peccatori, MD, PhD, Director of the Fertility and Procreation Unit in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the Eu
Findings at ESMO 2024 Highlighting the Benefit of Neoadjuvant Therapies
Important findings about the benefit of neoadjuvant therapies, especially those involving checkpoint inhibition, have been reported at the ESMO 2024 Congress. Rebecca Dent MD, Scientific Chair of the meeting, as well as Medical Oncologist and Deputy Chief Executive Officer at the National Cancer Center, Singapore (with a special interest in all aspects of triple-negative breast cancer), shared the
HPV Vaccination Prevents HIV-Related Cancers in Men
HPV vaccination for girls and boys in the United States has led to a real-world reduction of oral head and neck cancers in men, as well as the already documented prevention of cervical cancers in women, even though uptake of the vaccine in the U.S. has been suboptimal. This is according to findings from a retrospective analysis of HPV-associated cancer incidence, reported at the 2024 ASCO Annual M
Proton Pump Inhibitors Bigger Impact on Dasatinib Efficacy in CML Than Previously Thought
Although co-medication with proton pump inhibitors (PPI) is not advised for patients being treated with dasatanib for their chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), confirmation that this recommendation is often overlooked has been reported in a study led by Torsten Dahlén, a PhD student at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden. Furthermore, the study found a higher than previously reported nega
Immune-Related Adverse Events Predict Response to Checkpoint Inhibitor Monotherapy in Advanced Head & Neck Cancers
Patients who had immune-related adverse events had better responses and lived longer than those who didn't. This was a real-world observational study of patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy, reported at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting. OncTimesTalk reporter Peter Goodwin caught up with the lead study author
A Multi-Drug Algorithm Used to Accurately Predict Best First-Line Treatments in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia
A mathematical model using data from routine diagnostic samples has been found to accurately predict individual patient responses to the main candidate first-line treatments for acute myeloid leukemia. Findings from a validation study in independent patient cohorts led by researchers from the Barts Cancer Institute at the Queen Mary University of London were reported at a poster session of the 2
MUC-1 Vaccine Delays Breast Cancer Distant Recurrence & Extends Survival
When the mucin-1 (MUC-1) vaccine tecemotide was added to standard-of-care neoadjuvant systemic therapy, investigators in Austria found improved long-term outcomes in women with early breast cancer. Individuals vaccinated with tecemotide had markedly longer distant recurrence-free and overall survival. This was in the randomized prospective ABCSG-34 trial presented at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting.
Telehealth Triumphs for Palliative Care Delivery in Patients With Lung Cancer
Not only can palliative care be delivered effectively by telehealth to patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, it's also as effective as face-to-face delivery by specialist clinicians, according to a study reported at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting. In addition, telehealth turned out to be more popular. For the Oncology Times podcast, OncTimesTalk, correspondent Peter Goodwin spoke with
Lymphadenectomy Can Be Safely Omitted for Patients With Advanced Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Lacking Suspicious Lymph Nodes
The CARACO prospective, multi-institutional, Phase III trial, among patients with newly diagnosed advanced epithelial ovarian cancer, found that lymphadenectomy should be omitted in patients with clinically negative lymph nodes, as well as those undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy and interval complete surgery. This finding from the University of Nantes was reported at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting
Neoadjuvant Checkpoint Inhibitor Combination Beats Standard Surgery With Adjuvant Immunotherapy in Macroscopic, Resectable Stage III Melanoma
A combination of two checkpoint inhibitors used as neoadjuvant therapy for macroscopic, resectable Stage III melanoma brought a highly statistically significant improvement over the standard of care: surgery followed by checkpoint inhibition (therapeutic lymph node dissection followed by adjuvant therapy with nivolumab, pembrolizumab or, in BRAFmut melanoma, dabrafenib + trametinib). This research
Asciminib May Be a Safer, More Effective Treatment for Patients With Newly Diagnosed Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Primary results from ASC4FIRST trial, the first study in chronic myeloid leukemia comparing current standard-of-care frontline tyrosine kinase inhibitors with the novel agent asciminib in newly diagnosed patients, were reported at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting. First author Timothy Hughes MD, Consultant Hematologist with the Royal Adelaide Hospital, the South Australian Health and Medical Resear
Chemotherapy Before and After Surgery Improved Outcomes for Patients With Resectable Locally Advanced Esophageal Adenocarcinoma
Treatment with perioperative chemotherapy, with chemotherapy before and after surgery, brought superior outcomes for patients with locally advanced esophageal adenocarcinoma, in research reported to the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting. Lead author Jens Höppner FAChirg, FACS, MD, Director of the Department of Surgery in the University Medical Center at the University of Bielefeld in Germany, spoke with
Trastuzumab Deruxtecan Delays Progression in HR+, HER2-low, and HER2 Ultralow Breast Cancer After Endocrine Therapy
Data from the DESTINY Breast06 trial using the antibody-drug conjugate trastuzumab deruxtecan to treat patients with estrogen receptor positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor-low (HER2-low), and HER2-ultralow breast cancer after endocrine therapy, show longer progression-free survival in comparison with standard chemotherapy. After announcing the results at the 2024 ASCO Annual M
Study Supports Osimertinib as Standard of Care for Patients With Locally Advanced EGFR-Mutated NSCLC
New data from the Phase III LAURA study, reported in Chicago at the ASCO 2024 Annual Meeting Plenary Session, suggest that the tyrosine kinase inhibitor osimertinib could become standard of care for treating patients whose unresectable locally advanced lung cancers test positive for mutated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and have no progression after definitive chemoradiotherapy. In Chi
Study Finds Durvalumab Improved Progression-Free and Overall Survival in Limited Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer
When the immune checkpoint inhibitor durvalumab was added to standard-of-care chemoradiation treatment for patients with limited-stage small-cell lung cancer, it brought a "statistically significant and clinically meaningful" improvement in overall and progression-free survival, compared to adding placebo. This was in data from the ADRIATIC study reported in the Plenary Session at the 2024 ASCO An
German Study Finds New Regimen for Hodgkin Lymphoma More Effective, Less Toxic
An improvement over standard care in both efficacy and safety of a new combination regimen for treating Hodgkin lymphoma was discussed at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago. The six-drug BrECADD regimen was compared with the high-achieving German-originated BEACOPP chemotherapy that has been widely adopted as standard of care. During the conference, Oncology Times reporter Peter Goodwin met
Kinase Inhibitor Delivers Synthetic Lethality to Enhance Radiotherapy in Glioblastoma
The 2024 AACR Annual Meeting heard that an "efficacy signal" was detected in an international Phase I study of a new radiosensitizer, tested as adjunctive therapy (combined with standard radiation plus temozolomide) in patients with recurrent glioblastoma. After reporting his group's early findings of AZD1390, an inhibitor of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase studied in 115 patients
mRNA Vaccine + Checkpoint Inhibitor Combo Had Low Toxicity With Evidence of Efficacy in Advanced NSCLC
A combination of a new mRNA vaccine used together with a programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) immune checkpoint inhibitor to treat patients with lung cancer was markedly less toxic than a combination of the same vaccine with chemotherapy. However, it was apparently just effective. This is according to findings from a study reported to the 2024 AACR Annual Meeting. The randomized study, led by the re
Earliest Detection of Cancer by Artificial Intelligence Analysis of Circulating Cell-Free DNA Fragmentomes
A new blood test that uses artificial intelligence to analyze circulating molecular markers for the earliest signs of ovarian and other cancers has been reported by researchers. At the AACR 2024 Annual Meeting in San Diego, Victor Velculescu, MD, PhD, Co-Director of the Cancer Genetics & Epigenetics Program at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, reported his group's validation of the test that
Clinical Study Shows Selective PARP 1 Inhibitor More Effective, Less Toxic
An early study using selective inhibition of the Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) has provided evidence it could bring greater cancer control with less toxicity than the well-proven non-selective PARP 1 and PARP 2 inhibitors already in use for treating a number of tumor types. At the AACR Annual Meeting 2024, Timothy Yap, PhD, MD, MBBS, Vice President and Head of Clinical Development in the The
Exercise Deters Prostate Cancer Death & Progression
Findings from a new study support a body of evidence showing that physical exercise can bring benefits to patients with advanced prostate cancer. Data from an intervention study reported at the AACR Annual Meeting 2024 are consistent with mounting epidemiological evidence showing that regular physical exercise can help patients with advanced or metastatic prostate cancer "deter" death, slow diseas
Bispecific Dual Checkpoint Blockade Extends Life & Slows Progression in Gastric & GE Junction Cancers
Double checkpoint blockade using a single bispecific agent could become the new standard for treating advanced gastric cancer regardless of PD-L1 status, according to research reported at the AACR Annual Meeting 2024. The investigational bispecific antibody drug cadonilimab (used with chemotherapy) significantly extended life and delayed disease progression among patients with HER2-negative adva
Bispecific T-cell Engager Antibody Brings Deep, Durable Remissions in R/R Multiple Myeloma
Linvoseltamab, a B-cell maturation antigen-targeted T-cell-engaging bispecific antibody, brought robust clinical benefit to patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, including those in difficult-to-treat subgroups, in a multi-center, international study reported to the 2024 American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting. After giving his talk in San Diego, lead author Sunda
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