Project Oncology®

In an effort to identify additional treatment options for resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the NeoCOAST-2 study is evaluating the efficacy and safety of combining durvalumab, chemotherapy, and novel agents in the neoadjuvant setting as well as combining durvalumab with novel agents in the adjuvant setting. Joining Dr. Charles Turck to share the preliminary results regarding the safety, pathological complete response, and major pathological response rates of these two approaches is study investigator Dr. Thomas Egenod, who presented the NeoCOAST-2 study at the 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer.

Heparin resistance occurs when patients don’t respond to anticoagulation as expected, even with what seems like the appropriate dose. Join Dr. Cheryl Maier, who spoke about this topic at the 2024 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting, to learn more about testing methods, the role of antithrombin, and alternative treatments, like direct thrombin inhibitors. Dr. Maier is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Emory University and the Medical Director of the Emory Special Coagulation Laboratory in Atlanta, Georgia.

New research on the molecular mechanisms behind idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) through gene expression analysis of lymph node tissue has the potential to improve both diagnosis and treatment. Join Dr. Michael Gonzalez as he dives in on his recent findings, which he spoke about at the 2024 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting. Dr. Gonzalez is the Associate Director of Basic and Translational Research at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Cytokine Storm Treatment and Laboratory and an Adjunct Professor at La Salle University.

New treatments are on the horizon for patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Dr. Michele Lambert shares insights on how BTK inhibitors and immune-targeting drugs aim to address the root causes of ITP and offer more personalized care for patients. Dr. Lambert, the Medical Director of the Special Coagulation Laboratory and a physician in the Division of Hematology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, presented on this topic at the 2024 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting.

Datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd) is a second-line antibody drug conjugate that could lead to improved progression-free survival in patients with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Given these potential benefits, it’s important to identify biomarkers that may predict a patient’s response to Dato-DXd, which was the focus of recent research presented at the 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer. Here with Dr. Jacob Sands to discuss a new biomarker for TROP2 is Dr. Marina Garassino, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Thoracic Oncology Program at the University of Chicago.

Idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) is a rare, life-threatening condition. Early diagnosis through excisional biopsies is key for speeding up treatment and improve patient outcomes. Learn more with Mateo Bustamante, a Senior Clinical Data Analyst at the Center for Cytokine Storm Treatment and Laboratory at University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.

Castleman disease is difficult to diagnose and treat, with half of patients not responding to therapy. To address these challenges, Dr. Joshua Brandstadter discusses his research on how stromal cells play a role in the disease. Based at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Brandstadter is an Instructor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology and the Director of Clinical Research for the Center of Cytokine Storm Treatment and Laboratory.

While endocrine therapy (ET) and CDK4/6 inhibitors are the standard for treating ER+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer, patients can become resistant to ET. To overcome these resistance mechanisms, the ELEVATE study examines whether combining elacestrant with ET could help address this unmet need. Here to share the preliminary findings from ELEVATE with Dr. Charles Turck is lead study investigator Dr. Hope Rugo. She’s also the Winterhof Distinguished Professor of Breast Oncology and the Director of Breast Oncology and Clinical Trials Education at the University of California, San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

When caring for patients with ER-positive/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer, there’s uncertainty on the optimal second-line sequencing of treatments after disease progression on first-line CDK4/6 inhibition and endocrine therapy. But the findings from the EMERALD trial, which led to the approval of ORSERDU® (elacestrant) for patients with ER-positive/HER2-negative ESR1-mutated metastatic breast cancer after disease progression on endocrine therapy,1 contribute to our understanding of second-line treatment options. Dive into the results from the EMERALD trial and subgroup analysis with Drs. Virginia Kaklamani and Anne O'Dea. Dr. Kaklamani is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the UT Health Sciences Center in San Antonio, and Dr. O'Dea is a breast medical oncologist at the University of Kansas Cancer Center.

The MOMENTUM study evaluated the impact of the treatment option momelotinib on patient-reported outcomes, including symptom burden and overall quality of life. Joining Dr. Charles Turck to share the key findings and potential implications for myelofibrosis care is Dr. Mary Francis McMullin, who co-authored and presented the poster at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition.