There’s been recent progress with antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for HER2-negative breast cancers,1-3 and most recently, patients with metastatic HR+ HER2- breast cancer. The phase III TROPION-Breast01 study examined the efficacy and safety of datopotamab deruxtecan-dInk (Dato-DXd) compared to investigator’s choice single-agent chemotherapy, resulting in the approval of this agent in January 2025. Joining Dr. Charles Turck to discuss Dato-DXd for patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer, data from the TROPION-Breast01 trial, and strategies for managing select adverse reactions with this therapy are Dr. Komal Jhaveri and Nurse Vanessa Soto-Romano. Dr. Jhaveri is a breast medical oncologist and early drug development specialist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, and Nurse Soto-Romano is a Clinical Trials Nurse, also at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

Dr. Komal Jhaveri
Consultant/advisory board role: Novartis, Pfizer, Genentech, Eisai, AstraZeneca, Blueprint Medicines, Daiichi Sankyo, Menarini/Stemline, Gilead, Scorpion Therapeutics, Bicycle Therapeutics, Olema Pharmaceuticals, Lilly/Loxo Oncology, Merck Pharmaceuticals, Zymeworks, Halda Therapeutics, Arivinas and Rayzebio
Research Funding support to the Institution: Novartis, Genentech, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Lilly/Loxo Oncology, Zymeworks, Gilead, PUMA Biotechnology, Merck Pharmaceuticals, Scorpion Therapeutics, Rayzebio, Eisai, Bicycle Therapeutics, Bridge Bio Oncology Therapeutics, and Blueprint Medicines.

Nurse Soto-Romano
Consultant/advisory board role: AstraZeneca …

Randomized controlled trials have shown data supporting the safety and efficacy of cell-based influenza vaccines in adults and children.1-4 However, effectiveness studies have historically relied on outcomes based on clinical diagnosis of influenza-like illness rather than test-confirmed influenza.5 Test-confirmed influenza outcomes provide a more specific evaluation of influenza vaccine effectiveness and can help reveal the clinical differences between cell-based versus egg-based vaccines.6 A retrospective test-negative real-world study including more than 106,000 patients compared the cell-based vaccine with egg-based vaccines.7 Dr. Jennifer Caudle sits down with Dr. Wendy Wright to review the key findings from this analysis and their implications. Dr. Wright is a board-certified adult and family nurse practitioner based out of Amherst, New Hampshire as well as the owner of Wright and Associates Family Healthcare.

References:

1. FLUCELVAX. Package insert. Seqirus Inc.
2. Bart S, Cannon K, Herrington D, et al. Immunogenicity and safety of a cell culture-based quadrivalent influenza vaccine in adults: a phase III, double-blind, multicenter, randomized, non-inferiority study. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2016;12(9):2278–88. doi:10.1080/21645515.2016.1182270.
3. Frey S, Vesikari T, Szymczakiewicz-Multanowska A, et al. Clinical efficacy of cell culture-derived and egg-derived inactivated subunit influenza vaccines in healthy adults. Clin Infect Dis. 2010;51(9):997–1004. doi:10.1086/656578.
4. Diez-Domingo J, de Martino M, Lopez …

Brian Gill, M.D., a neurosurgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia, talks about a new clinical trial evaluating a device that can temporarily open the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to more effectively treat glioblastoma. Dr. Gill explains how this new sonication device uses focused ultrasound to temporarily disrupt the BBB in order to administer chemotherapy directly into the tumor bed. The trial is building on promising results from phase 1 and phase 2 trials, which demonstrated safety, efficacy, and the potential to enhance quality of life for patients with recurrent glioblastoma.

© 2025 NewYork-Presbyterian

On this episode of Advances in Care, host Erin Welsh and Dr. Joel Gabre, a gastroenterologist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia who specializes in cancer care, discuss the ongoing rise in colorectal cancer rates among younger individuals. Dr. Gabre lays out trends observed by the medical community in colorectal cancer rates, including the increasing likelihood by birth cohort for patients to develop this disease. He also talks about the main differences in colorectal cancer for patients from these different cohorts, most notably the location where cancers are likely to develop in the colon.

In addition, Dr. Gabre shares some of the leading hypotheses for why colon cancer rates are rising in younger people, and how clinicians and researchers are focused on searching for answers to improve prevention and treatment options. He gets into the importance of the western diet in developing these forms of cancer and shares details about his team’s recent findings regarding changes at the cellular level that could be contributing to the accelerated growth of these cancers.

Finally, Dr. Gabre speaks to his personal experiences as a gastroenterologist who has seen first-hand the rise in colon cancer rates among his younger patients. He shares a story of what …

Capillary leak syndrome (CLS) is a condition of vascular permeability that’s associated with tagraxofusp (TAG), a CD123-directed therapy approved for patients with blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN).1 Early recognition of signs and symptoms of CLS is critical to reduce patients’ risk of severe sequelae, which can include multi-organ failure and death.2-4 Joining Dr. Jennifer Caudle to discuss strategies for early identification and intervention of CLS in BPDCN patients treated with TAG is Dr. James McCloskey. Dr. James McCloskey is the Chief of the Division of Leukemia at Hackensack Meridian John Theurer Cancer Center, part of Hackensack University Medical Center.

Dr. McCloskey has received compensation from Stemline to present the following information on behalf of Stemline.

References:

1. Tagraxofusp-erzs [package insert], New York, NY; Stemline Therapeutics, Inc.
2. Siddall E, Khatri M, Radhakrishnan J. Capillary leak syndrome: etiologies, pathophysiology, and management. Kidney Int. 2017;92(1):37–46. doi:10.1016/j.kint.2016.11.029
3. Clinicaltrials.gov. CTCAE. Accessed May 21, 2025. https://ctep.cancer.gov/protocoldevelopment/electronic_applications/docs/ctcae_v5_ quick_reference_8.5x11.pdf
4. Pemmaraju N, Madanat YF, Rizzieri D, et al. Treatment of patients with blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN): focus on the use of tagraxofusp and clinical considerations. Leuk Lymphoma. 2024;65(5):548–559. doi:10.1080/10428194.2024.2305288

About 40 percent of patients with metastatic HR+/HER2- breast cancer have an activating mutation in the PIK3CA gene,1,2 which plays a key role not only in tumor growth, but also in driving resistance to endocrine therapy.3-5 And while there are several FDA-approved PI3K pathway-targeted agents for patients with PIK3CA tumor mutations,6-8 they come with challenges, like modest efficacy and on-pathway effects.9-12 Given this unmet need, the ReDiscover trial evaluated the investigational agent RLY-2608 in combination with fulvestrant in in patients with PIK3CA-mutated HR+/HER2- aBC previously treated with a CDK4/6 inhibitor.13 Joining Dr. Charles Turck to share updated safety and efficacy data from the trial is Dr. Sarah Sammons, a Senior Physician at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

References:

1. Vasan N, Cantley LC, Vasan N, Cantley LC. At a crossroads: how to translate the roles of PI3K in oncogenic and metabolic signalling into improvements in cancer therapy. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2022;19(7):471-485. doi:10.1038/s41571-022-00633-1
2. Network TCGA. Comprehensive molecular portraits of human breast tumours. Nature. 2012;490(7418):61-70. doi:10.1038/nature11412
3. Saal LH, Johansson P, Holm K, et al. Poor prognosis in carcinoma is associated with a gene expression signature of aberrant PTEN tumor suppressor …

On this episode of Advances in Care, host Erin Welsh talks to Dr. David Majure, a cardiologist and heart failure specialist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine. Together, they discuss the rapid rise in GLP-1 research over the past few years, indicating new applications for these therapies to help a wide variety of patients. They explore how GLP-1s work on a molecular level and how using them to treat diabetes revealed other potential cardiovascular benefits.

Dr. Majure highlights several recent studies that explore the effects of semaglutide and tirzepatide on patients with heart failure, particularly those with preserved ejection fraction. This new research demonstrates that GLP-1s can be an effective treatment beyond diabetes, helping with weight management and cardiovascular disease. Dr. Majure breaks down what effects doctors can expect to see in patients who are prescribed GLP-1s, including the difference in outcomes between semaglutide and tirzepatide. He also notes the potential risk factors, cautioning that while these medications are effective, the focus in addressing heart disease should always remain on prevention.

© 2025 NewYork-Presbyterian

Multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) is a chronic, immune-mediated motor neuropathy that can mimic other neuromuscular disorders1-3 and is one of the few motor neuron disorders that is treatable.4 However, disease severity correlates with the length of time a patient remains untreated, which is why early recognition and treatment initiation is essential for preserving long-term motor function.5-6 Joining Dr. Jennifer Caudle to discuss the diagnosis and management of MMN is Dr. Katie Beadon, Co-Director of St. Paul’s Hospital Immunotherapy in Neurology Clinic and an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

References:

1. Guimarães-Costa R, Bombelli F, Léger JM. Multifocal motor neuropathy. Presse Med. 2013;42(6 Pt 2):e217-24. doi:10.1016/j.lpm.2013.01.057
2. Beadon K, Guimarães-Costa R, Léger JM. Multifocal motor neuropathy. Curr Opin Neurol. 2018;31(5):559-564. doi:10.1097/WCO.0000000000000605
3. Vlam L, van der Pol WL, Cats EA, et al. Multifocal motor neuropathy: diagnosis, pathogenesis and treatment strategies. Nat Rev Neurol. 2011;8(1):48-58. doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2011.175
4. Yeh WZ, Dyck PJ, van den Berg LH, Kiernan MC, Taylor BV. Multifocal motor neuropathy: controversies and priorities. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2020;91(2):140-148. doi:10.1136/jnnp-2019-321532
5. Cats EA, van der Pol WL, Piepers S, et al. Correlates of outcome and response to IVIg in 88 patients with multifocal motor neuropathy. Neurology. 2010;75(9):818-25. doi:10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181f0738e
6. Van …

Chronic pain is now recognized as a distinct disease that requires more than just a symptom-based approach. Lifestyle factors and psychological health are also important considerations for care, which is why a biopsychosocial approach can be key to better outcomes. Hear Dr. Martin Cheatle discuss the importance of this clinical mindset shift and practical strategies to help patients reduce suffering and improve function. Dr. Cheatle is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and serves as Director of Behavioral Medicine at the PENN Pain Medicine Center and Director of Pain and Chemical Dependency Research at the Center for Studies of Addiction. He also gave a presentation on this topic at the 2025 Congress of Clinical Rheumatology West conference.

On this episode of Advances in Care, host Erin Welsh hears from Dr. Juan P. Rocca, a transplant surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine who recently led the first fully robotic liver transplant in New York.

Dr. Rocca details the recent developments in robotic surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine’s Division of Liver Transplantation and Hepatobiliary Surgery, including an ongoing push to advance from laparoscopic and open surgical methods, and now to robotics. He explains why the robotic approach is optimal for complex liver surgeries and discusses how he and his team have been training to make robotic living donor hepatectomies a standard in their department.

Then, Dr. Rocca breaks down the process of the liver transplant operation that became the first fully robotic execution in New York. He describes the most critical steps of the procedure, how it felt to achieve this milestone, and the example that he hopes to set for other institutions beyond NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine.

© 2025 NewYork-Presbyterian