Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind

"Here at last, at the edge of the sea, comes the end of our Fellowship." So said Gandalf the White at the conclusion of J.R.R Tolkien's epic The Lord of the Rings. Today, Josh and Michael have a no less epic conclusion to their own adventure, that of ASCO 2024. Over the last fifteen days, our intrepid hosts have journeyed across the world of medical oncology, from the highs of colorectal, breast and lung cancer to the dark days of central nervous system tumours. As is our tradition, we end our coverage with a look at the studies chosen by the ASCO committee as worthy of special attention: the plenary presentations. It is rare indeed to have four presentations in one year that all change clinical practice, but that is what we have been treated to this year.Thank you for joining us for coverage of ASCO 2024; we have enjoyed ourselves immensely in covering it, and we hope you have enjoyed our meandering journey through some of the best oncology researchers in the world. We will be back in a couple of weeks as Oncology for the Inquisitive arm returns to its normal programming.Links to studies discussed in this episode (subscription may be required): ESOPEC: LinkNADINA: LinkLAURA: LinkADRIATIC: LinkFor more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.comPlease find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.comOncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from Pfizer, Gilead Pharmaceuticals and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have no editorial rights or early previews, and they have access to the episode at the same time you do.Art courtesy of Taryn SilverMusic courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Today is the penultimate episode in our ASCO 2024 Odyssey. Michael and Josh have neglected sarcoma to date, but today is the day@ Sarcoma is rare, where clinician experience becomes paramount to treatment options and outcomes. They develop in soft tissues and bones and vary in origin, including deep soft tissue, bone, nerves, etc. Today, they explore three trials. The first is paclitaxel and avelumab in inoperable angiosarcoma, the second is perioperative radiotherapy with adjuvant immunotherapy in high-risk soft tissue sarcoma, and the final is a good old head-to-head trial of perioperative chemotherapy in soft tissue sarcoma (adriamycin plus ifosfamide vs gemcitabine and docetaxel.Links to studies discussed in this episode (subscription may be required)SU2C-SARCO32: LinkJCOG1306: LinkPhase II trial, multicenter, first-line paclitaxel-avelumab treatment for inoperable angiosarcoma: LinkFor more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.comPlease find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.comOncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from Pfizer, Gilead Pharmaceuticals and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have no editorial rights or early previews, and they have access to the episode at the same time you do.Art courtesy of Taryn SilverMusic courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Some consider the number 13 unlucky; fear of the number has its own name, "triskaidekaphobia." So it is perhaps somewhat fitting that day 13 of our ASCO Odyssey is dedicated to the cancer type with which scientists and doctors have had arguably the least luck in treating: central nervous system cancers. We still await CNS oncology's immunotherapy or EGFR/ALK moment, and unfortunately, as of ASCO 2024, that has not come yet. However, that has not stopped legions of incredibly dedicated and intelligent people from trying. ASCO 2024 brought us several very interesting studies, both in form and function, that we hope will lay the groundwork for that magical breakthrough in this very difficult group of cancers.Links to studies discussed in this episode (subscription may be required)A phase II trial of olaparib and durvalumab in patients with recurrent IDH-mutated gliomas. LinkEvaluation of VAL-083 in GBM AGILE, a phase 3 registration platform trial for newly diagnosed and recurrent glioblastoma. LinkN2M2/NOA-20: Phase I/IIa umbrella trial of molecularly matched targeted therapies plus radiotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma without MGMT promoter hypermethylation. LinkAlliance A071401: Phase II trial of abemaciclib in patients with grade 2/3 meningiomas harboring somatic NF2 or CDK pathway alterations. LinkFor more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.comPlease find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.comOncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from Pfizer, Gilead Pharmaceuticals and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have no editorial rights or early previews, and they have access to the episode at the same time you do.Art courtesy of Taryn SilverMusic courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

ASCO 2024 beat many attendees' expectations with interesting and thought-provoking lung cancer and mesothelioma studies. While not all of these will change the face of patient treatment, they will add to a body of evidence for biomarkers and build on the blocks of tailoring treatment to patients.Links to studies discussed in this episode (subscription may be required):BEAT-meso: Link Checkmate 816 4 year update: LinkMIST5: LinkctDNA-Lung-DETECT: Link BEAT-SC: Link For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.comPlease find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.comOncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from Pfizer, Gilead Pharmaceuticals and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have no editorial rights or early previews, and they have access to the episode at the same time you do.Art courtesy of Taryn SilverMusic courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Our coverage of ASCO 2024 has rounded the final bend, and the finish line is in sight. Today, Josh and Michael examine four studies in the head and neck cancer space. Today's studies include a novel, viral-driven vector that aims to increase the immune response to treatment, potential treatment for the very rare nasal squamous cell cancer, data supporting the treatment of patients with poor prognosis and head and neck patients, and a new, intensive immunotherapy treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer. A wide variety of studies that are sure to satisfy a broad range of palates!Links to studies discussed in this episode (subscription may be required):TARGET-HPV: LinkPhase 3 randomized study for evaluation of physician choice Rx versus best supportive care as second-line or beyond therapy in head and neck cancer with poor performance status: LinkKCSG HN18-07: LinkTislelizumab versus placebo combined with induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy and adjuvant tislelizumab or placebo for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Interim analysis of a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, phase 3 trial: LinkFor more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.comPlease find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.comOncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from Pfizer, Gilead Pharmaceuticals and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have no editorial rights or early previews, and they have access to the episode at the same time you do.Art courtesy of Taryn SilverMusic courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

ASCO 2024 never seems to end, and today, Michael and Josh do a bit of a backflip and report on the advancements in early colorectal cancer. Forever a confusing topic with PRODIGE23, OPRA, and many other rectal cancer trials and a spattering of neoadjuvant colorectal trials, the ability to redefine and provide clarity to this area is pertinent. Today, it heavily focuses on immunotherapy in the colon space with sintilimab and IBI310 battling it out with the old master pembrolizumab. The rectal contingent is the TNTCRT trial, looking at total neoadjuvant therapy vs concurrent chemoradiotherapy. While the world may have moved forward, this trial could provide further evidence of the path we should be taking.Links to studies discussed in this episode (subscription may be required)NEOPRISM-CRC: LinkTNTCRC: LinkNeoadjuvant treatment of IBI310 (anti-CTLA-4 antibody) plus sintilimab (anti-PD-1 antibody) in patients with microsatellite instability-high/mismatch repair-deficient colorectal cancer: Results from a randomized, open-labelled, phase Ib study: LinkFor more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.comPlease find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.comOncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from Pfizer, Gilead Pharmaceuticals and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have no editorial rights or early previews, and they have access to the episode at the same time you do.Art courtesy of Taryn SilverMusic courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Our 2024 ASCO epic trundles onto its next generation, advanced colorectal cancer. Over the last 10 years, treatment in this area has made incremental progress through the discovery of the clinically meaningful KRAS and BRAF mutation pathways and most recently with the potential for immunotherapy in the deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) and high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) subgroups. In this episode, Josh and Michael examine studies looking at KRAS G12C-mutated, HER2-positive and dMMR colorectal cancer, as well as a very exciting study examining the utility of transplantation in patients with liver-only colorectal metastases.Links to studies discussed in this episode (subscription may be required): CODEBREAK300: https://meetings.asco.org/2024-asco-annual-meeting/15829?presentation=234200%23234200 MOUNTAINEER: https://meetings.asco.org/2024-asco-annual-meeting/15829?presentation=231646%23231646  CHECKMATE 8HW: https://meetings.asco.org/2024-asco-annual-meeting/15828?presentation=231645%23231645TRANSMET: https://meetings.asco.org/2024-asco-annual-meeting/15828?presentation=231641%23231641For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.comPlease find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.comOncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from Pfizer, Gilead Pharmaceuticals and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have no editorial rights or early previews, and they have access to the episode at the same time you do.Art courtesy of Taryn SilverMusic courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Some oncologists may have already started counting down to ASCO 2025. However, Michael and Josh are still digesting the interesting world of ASCO 2024, specifically upper GI and Hepatobiliary Cancers. Like the eponymous lead of the 1992 classic Aladdin, several diamonds lie in the rough.We cover perioperative FLOT in the metastatic setting, but most excitingly, it is a potentially new groundbreaking treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma.Links to studies discussed in this episode (subscription may be required)ECOG-ACRIN EA2174: https://meetings.asco.org/2024-asco-annual-meeting/15831?presentation=231157%23231157ROTG 0848: https://meetings.asco.org/2024-asco-annual-meeting/15831?presentation=231157%23231157CHECKMATE 9DW: https://meetings.asco.org/2024-asco-annual-meeting/15831?presentation=231157%23231157RENAISSANCE: https://meetings.asco.org/2024-asco-annual-meeting/15831?presentation=231157%23231157For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.comPlease find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.comOncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from Pfizer, Gilead Pharmaceuticals and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have no editorial rights or early previews, and they have access to the episode at the same time you do.Art courtesy of Taryn SilverMusic courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

The second of our two GU ASCO 2024 episodes focusses on prostate and penile cancer, two diseases at different ends of the therapeutic spectrum. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men, with well established, nuanced treatment paradigms and a glut of high-quality evidence. Penile SCC is a very rare cancer that tragically is much more common in low socioeconomic countries. Treatment options are as limited as available evidence, so any new studies of this cancer are very welcome. Are there any more practice changing twists and turns from ASCO 2024? You'll have to listen to find out!Links to studies discussed in this episode (subscription may be required)Cabazitaxel with abiraterone versus abiraterone alone randomized trial for extensive disease following docetaxel: The CHAARTED2 trial of the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (EA8153): LinkCYCLONE 2: A phase 3 study of abemaciclib with abiraterone in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: LinkA randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of metformin in reducing progression among men on expectant management for low-risk prostate cancer: The MAST (Metformin Active Surveillance Trial) study: LinkA phase II trial of pembrolizumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy as first-line systemic therapy in advanced penile cancer: HERCULES (LACOG 0218) trial. LinkFor more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.comPlease find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.comOncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from Pfizer, Gilead Pharmaceuticals and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have no editorial rights or early previews, and they have access to the episode at the same time you do.Art courtesy of Taryn SilverMusic courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.