Every so often, an area of medical oncology has so many interesting presentations at a seminal conference that it becomes impossible to leave them out. At such times, Josh and Michael merely shrug their shoulders and say "why don't we do all of them." ESMO 2023 is one such instance. Despite their best efforts, our intrepid duo were unable to narrow down their presentation of early breast cancer highlights to one episode, so they are going to do two (for the price of one).

Articles discussed in this episode. Subscription may be required

• Prognostic and predictive impact of estrogen/progesterone receptor (ER/PR), and Ki-67 expression: An exploratory analysis from the monarchE trial in patients with high-risk, HR+, HER2-, early breast cancer (EBC). https://esmocongress.esmo.org/esmo/esmo2023/en-GB/presentation/637956
• Association of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) with recurrence score (RS) in patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/HER2-negative (HER2-) early breast cancer (BC): A translational analysis of four prospective multicentric studies
• https://esmocongress.esmo.org/esmo/esmo2023/en-GB/presentation/637959
• Omission of breast surgery after neoadjuvant systemic therapy for invasive cancer: Three-year preplanned primary-endpoint on a phase II multicentre prospective trial https://esmocongress.esmo.org/esmo/esmo2023/en-GB/presentation/637966

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at [email protected]

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of Music Unlimited: https://pixabay.com/users/music_unlimited-27600023/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ESMO 2023 showcased several promising trials in the small-cell lung cancer space. A cancer that continues to send shivers down the spine of budding oncologists for decades. Today, we look at several different classes of drugs, the first being a novel immunotherapy agent, the second a well-known antibody-drug conjugate and the third a synthetic alkaloid analogue. Lurbinectedin and pembrolizumab, sacitizumab govitecan or toripalimab, while all difficult to say five times fast, may change the future of small cell lung cancer. Which is your drug of choice? Tune in to find out if you chose correctly!

Studies discussed in this episode. Subscription may be required

• EXTENTORCH (Toripalimab) - https://esmocongress.esmo.org/esmo/esmo2023/en-GB/presentation/639076
• LUPER trial (Lurbinectedin + pembrolizumab)- https://esmocongress.esmo.org/esmo/esmo2023/en-GB/presentation/638285
• Tropics-03 trial (sacituzumab govitecan) - https://esmocongress.esmo.org/esmo/esmo2023/en-GB/presentation/638286

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at [email protected]

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of Music Unlimited: https://pixabay.com/users/music_unlimited-27600023/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael and Josh continue their examination of the crème-de-la-crème of the European Society of Medical Oncology conference of 2023. Today they focus on metastatic breast cancer, with a particular focus on antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). T-Dxd, Dato-Dxd and trastuzumab duocarmazine are just three of the many novel agents in this space, and likely represent part of the future (and the present) of medical oncology. How effective are these treatments? Will the final results of the TULIP study blossom like its namesake? Will T-Dxd fulfil its DESTINY and become a treatment option for HER-2 low advanced breast cancer? Will Dato-Dxd assist in making cancer BEGON(IA)? For more excellent puns and the answers to these questions and more, listen on!

Studies discussed in this episode. Subscription may be required

• Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) versus treatment of physician’s choice (TPC) in patients (pts) with HER2-low unresectable and/or metastatic breast cancer (mBC): Updated survival results of the randomized, phase III DESTINY-Breast04 study https://esmocongress.esmo.org/esmo/esmo2023/en-GB/presentation/637914
• Datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd) + durvalumab (D) as first-line (1L) treatment for unresectable locally advanced/metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (a/mTNBC): Updated results from BEGONIA, a phase Ib/II study https://esmocongress.esmo.org/esmo/esmo2023/en-GB/presentation/637972
• Trastuzumab duocarmazine versus physician's choice therapy in pre-treated HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer: Final results of the phase III TULIP trial https://esmocongress.esmo.org/esmo/esmo2023/en-GB/presentation/637983
• First results of the SOLTI-1903 HOPE's patient-centric molecular screening program in advanced breast cancer https://esmocongress.esmo.org/esmo/esmo2023/en-GB/presentation/637984

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at [email protected]

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of Music Unlimited: https://pixabay.com/users/music_unlimited-27600023/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another year, another international oncology conference in a beautiful European locale. In 2023, the world's oncology community has descended on the Spanish capital Madrid to discuss the latest and greatest scientific developments in Medical Oncology. And as always seems to be the case, Michael and Josh remain at home listening to this avalanche of information virtually. Despite a distinct lack of sun and Español, our intrepid duo will continue a grand tradition that dates back to 2022: bringing some of the best highlights from Madrid directly to your ears across a series of episodes to be released this week.

In the first episode of this series, Josh and Michael start in the most difficult of tumour streams: CNS oncology, an area where outcomes continue to be incredibly poor. ESMO 2023 brought some very interesting early-phase trials and no small amount of controversy, but that silver bullet unfortunately continues to elude oncology's brightest minds. Listen on to find out more.

Studies discussed in this episode. Subscription may be required

• REGOMA-OS: A large Italian multicenter, prospective, observational study analyzing regorafenib efficacy and safety in recurrent glioblastoma patients. https://esmocongress.esmo.org/esmo/esmo2023/en-GB/presentation/637999
• Glasdegib in combination with temozolomide and radiotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma: Phase Ib/II GEINO 1602 trial https://esmocongress.esmo.org/esmo/esmo2023/en-GB/presentation/637931
• A phase I dose-expansion cohort of SYHA1813, a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) 1-3 /colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) inhibitor, in patients (pts) with recurrent meningioma https://esmocongress.esmo.org/esmo/esmo2023/en-GB/presentation/637997

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at [email protected]

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of Music Unlimited: https://pixabay.com/users/music_unlimited-27600023/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cisplatin is the mainstay for concurrent chemoradiotherapy in Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancers. What happens to that significant group of patients who cannot have cisplatin? Michael and Josh focus on this challenging subgroup of patients. Can docetaxel be used as an alternative? This week, they debut a small but significant segment of our humble podcast called "Spotlight", where we dive deep into a single potentially practice-changing trial. Enjoy!

Links to studies discussed in this episode (subscription may be required):

Docetaxel as a radiosensitiser: https://ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/jco.22.00980#:~:text=We%20found%20that%20the%20use,of%20life%20of%20the%20patients.

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at [email protected]

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of Music Unlimited: https://pixabay.com/users/music_unlimited-27600023/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cancer inherently increases the risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pumlmonary Embolism. This is merely a nuisance for some, while others experience significant morbidity, leading to hemodynamic instability and potential death. Historically known as "the great masquerader" with pulmonary embolisms, we explore signs, symptoms, and different approaches to treatment. Warfarin remains the original and is still an option for patients, but have better therapies emerged like direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs)? The short answer is yes, but tune in as we dive again into systematic reviews and give you a summarised version of everything you should know.

Useful Links:

Statpearls DVT: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507708/

Anticoagulation for thrombus in malignancy: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/anticoagulation-therapy-for-venous-thromboembolism-lower-extremity-venous-thrombosis-and-pulmonary-embolism-in-adult-patients-with-malignancy?search=cancer%20induced%20DVT&source=search_result&selectedTitle=4~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=4

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at [email protected]

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of Music Unlimited: https://pixabay.com/users/music_unlimited-27600023/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gynaecological malignancies are a diverse group of terrible malignancies. From ovarian to endometrial to cervical, these cancers are notorious not just for their mortality burden, but the significant morbidity that they can inflict. To explore how to combat these challenging clinical entities, Michael and Josh interview Dr Vish Boolell, a clinical oncologist who brings his vast practical and trial experience to bear in exploring how to best treat patients and manage the myriad challenges gynaecological cancer can present. Today's episode is a must-listen for anyone who has been confronted by a malignant bowel obstruction, or wondered about the significance of dMMR in endometrial cancer, or who simply want some practical tips about how to best help their gynae onc patients.

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at [email protected]

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of Music Unlimited: https://pixabay.com/users/music_unlimited-27600023/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It is frequently said that it takes a village to treat a patient with cancer. However, beyond the nuts and bolts of medical and allied health treatment, there exists a whole other world of advocacy and education. Charitable and not-for-profit foundations, both nationally and internationally, have done incredible work for many years in raising awareness and funding for cancer treatment and prevention, as well as providing both patient- and doctor-centred education. Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind is incredibly privileged to welcome the CEO of one such organisation, Meredith Cummins of Neuroendocrine Cancer Australia. Meredith brings decades of experience in oncology nursing, governance, fundraising and advocacy, and has done invaluable work in shining a light on the lesser-known challenges facing patients and doctors dealing with neuroendocrine cancers.

Links from this episode:

Neuroendocrine Cancer Australia: https://neuroendocrine.org.au/

PLANET registry: https://neuroendocrine.org.au/planetregistry/

COMPOSE study information: https://trials.cancervic.org.au/details.aspx?ID=feed-cta-trial444

MoST framework: https://www.rarecancers.org.au/page/105/molecular-screening-and-therapeutics-most-#:~:text=MoST%20is%20a%20two%20part,treatments%20and%20new%20drug%20combinations.

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at [email protected]

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of Music Unlimited: https://pixabay.com/users/music_unlimited-27600023/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work!" so said Thomas Edison in describing his journey to the incandescent light bulb. This quote seemed appropraite as Michael and Josh conclude their journey in the neuroendocrine space and discuss neuroendocrine carcinomas (and poorly differentiated metastatic neuroendocrine tumours). Sometimes when you working in the oncological world, we all feel a bit like Thomas Edison, pouring sweat and tears into research that doesn't live up to expectations. But much like Thomas Edison, each step in this journey could revolutionise humanity or oncology, much like the CDK4/6 inhibitors, immunotherapy or tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

But we aren't there yet. This week, Michael discusses the immunotherapy agent (Spartalizumab) while Josh goes old-school and discusses the TOPIC-NEC Japanese trial comparing etoposide and cisplatin (EP) to irinotecan and cisplatin (IP). Michael and Josh smell small cell similarities coming aboard the neuroendocrine express!

Links to studies discussed in this episode (subscription may be required):

TOPIC-NEC: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2795418

Immunotherapy (Spartalizumab): https://erc.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/erc/28/3/ERC-20-0382.xml

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at [email protected]

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of Music Unlimited: https://pixabay.com/users/music_unlimited-27600023/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neuroendocrine Tumours could be described as an impassable obstacle, more complicated the more you research. That's where Michael and Josh come in, and this week, explore Grade 3 metastatic neuroendocrine tumours. Michael provides a brilliant overview of this well-differentiated cohort and the lack of efficacy platinum chemotherapies have, while Josh discusses CAPTEM (temozolomide and capecitabine) through a systematic review. Interestingly many of the current data is retrospectively collected, highlighting how challenging it is to collect enough patients to pursue meaningful research.

Note- there is a quote from Lance Armstrong, who was stripped of his titles due to illegal doping (which we do not endorse); he did start the Livestrong Foundation to support those affected by cancer.

Links to studies discussed in this episode (subscription may be required):

1. Review - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8158108/

2. Cape/tem - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9790144/

3. Platinum-based chemo: https://erc.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/erc/20/5/649.xml

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at [email protected]

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of Music Unlimited: https://pixabay.com/users/music_unlimited-27600023/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.