Oncology News Central Peer-Spectives

Immunotherapy in “Hardest Stage” of NSCLC: Putting Recent Advances Into Practice

Immunotherapy in “Hardest Stage” of NSCLC: Putting Recent Advances Into Practice Our host, Robert A. Figlin, MD, FACP, welcomes Melissa L. Johnson, MD, as a guest  

”We’re Past the Inflection Point,” as ”Massive Change” Hits Breast Cancer Care

From ASCO 2024.   When it comes to the use of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in breast cancer care, "we're past the inflection point," says Hope S. Rugo, MD, a breast cancer oncologist and professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of California San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. 

To Get Better Cancer Drugs Faster, Is It Time for an “International FDA”?

From ASCO 2024 The time it takes for a novel cancer therapy to go from investigational new drug application to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval is typically longer than a decade. “There has to be a better way,” says Bob T. Li, MD, PhD, MPH, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City and associate professor of medicine at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. 

”Very Important” Myeloma Data: ASCO Highlights, Smoldering Challenges, and More

From ASCO 2024, Dr. Robert Figlin speaks with Dr. Samer Al Hadadi from University of Arkansas. "Very Important" Myeloma Data: ASCO Highlights, Smoldering Challenges, and More.

Durvalumab’s Benefit in SCLC ”Beyond What We Might Have Expected”

From ASCO 2024, Dr. Robert Figlin talks with Dr. Lauren Averett Byers from MD Anderson Cancer Center. Durvalumab's Benefit in SCLC "Beyond What We Might Have Expected"

New Standard of Care in Melanoma? Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy Offers ”Fantastic” Potential, Expert Says

From ASCO 2024 New Standard of Care in Melanoma? Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy Offers "Fantastic" Potential, Expert Says. Dr. Robert Figlin speaks with Dr. Christian Blank from Leiden University

Should All Breast Cancer Patients Get T-DXd? ”Results of DESTINY-Breast06 Do Suggest That”

From ASCO 2024, Dr. Robert Figlin welcomes Dr. Aditya Bardia from UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. Should All Breast Cancer Patients Get T-DXd? "Results of DESTINY-Breast06 Do Suggest That"

Oncologist Shortage “Has Gotten to the Crisis Level”

Especially in rural areas, the growing oncologist shortage has “gotten to crisis level,” says Harsha Vyas, MD, president and founding partner of Cancer Center of Middle Georgia in Dublin. “We just don’t have enough supply of medical oncologists/hematologists,” he tells Robert A. Figlin, MD, the Steven Spielberg Family Chair in Hematology-Oncology at the Cedars-Sinai Cancer Center in Los Angeles. Dr. Vyas puts forth his ideas for potential solutions, ranging from medical school debt repayment to congressional intervention. As Dr. Figlin notes, “we need to rethink” current approaches because there’s a “storm” on the horizon and “we’re all seeing it coming.” Dr. Vyas reported no relevant financial relationships. Dr. Figlin reported various financial relationships.

“Monster Improvements” in CLL Care Prompt Questions About BTK Inhibitor Use

The development of noncovalent Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors and other advances in chronic lymphocytic leukemia treatment signify that the “future is really exciting,” says Jennifer A. Woyach, MD, professor in the Division of Hematology at The Ohio State University in Columbus. Dr. Woyach speaks with Robert A. Figlin, MD, the Steven Spielberg Family Chair in Hematology-Oncology at the Cedars-Sinai Cancer Center in Los Angeles, about the potential of moving these new drugs into the frontline setting and other questions related to BTK inhibitor resistance. Dr. Woyach reported various financial relationships. Dr. Figlin reported various financial relationships.

“Better to Have Choices”: How New Data Transform EGFR-Mutated NSCLC Care

Given recent data, how should oncologists choose a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) in patients with EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and when should chemotherapy be introduced? “It’s better to have choices than not,” explains Paul Bunn, MD, the Dudley Chair in Cancer Research at the University of Colorado in Aurora. Dr. Bunn discusses how recent trials influence treatment decisions in NSCLC with Robert A. Figlin, MD, the Steven Spielberg Family Chair in Hematology-Oncology at Cedars-Sinai Cancer Center in Los Angeles. Dr. Bunn stresses why molecular testing is so crucial and previews what additional findings are likely to further change practice in patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC.