Articles related to MEDICAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS

As reported at the at the AACR Annual Meeting 2023, the combination of Ianalumab and ibrutinib showed promising results in treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in a phase 1b, dose-escalation and expansion trial. Ianalumab, an anti-BAFF-R monoclonal antibody, works by inhibiting B-cell differentiation, proliferation, and survival, and depleting B-cells through antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity within the tumor microenvironment. The trial treated 15 patients with CLL who were already receiving ibrutinib with different doses of Ianalumab for 6 cycles, with patients continuing the combination up to cycle 8 if they showed evidence of disease, and then followed up every 3 months for 2 years. The ORR at cycle 9 or before treatment discontinuation was 56.7%, with a complete response (CR) rate of 37.8%. Patients who were in their first line of treatment showed better outcomes than patients who had relapsed or refractory disease, with the ORR for previously-untreated patients being 81.8% with a CR of 54.5% and a CR + CRi of 63.6%. Additionally, 45.9% of patients achieved undetectable minimal residual disease (uMRD) in blood or bone marrow by cycle 9 of treatment, including 63.6% of patients in their first line of therapy and 38.5% of patients with relapsed/refractory disease. There were […]

At the 2023 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Annual Conference, a panel of experts discussed solutions to address staff shortages and retain workers in cancer care. The suggestions ranged from offering work-from-home opportunities to gifting small gestures like cookies and wine, with the aim of improving employee retention. The value of flexible working options and compensation were recurring themes, along with the importance of employee recognition programs and discussing career advancement opportunities. Exacerbated by the pandemic, burnout, and early retirements, the shortage of nurses and doctors in cancer centers has become more pressing as Americans grow older and require more oncology services. The panelists emphasized that having visible management, offering flexible working options, and providing employee recognition programs are important steps to retain staff in cancer care. They also discussed the significance of discussing career advancement opportunities and avoiding the use of temporary travel staff to retain employees.

The 2023 Global Specialty Lens Symposium (GSLS) presented by Contact Lens Spectrum (CLS) was held at Horseshoe Las Vegas from January 18-21, with over 1,000 attendees. The CE program included workshops, general sessions, and courses on topics such as myopia management, scleral lenses, GP lenses, dry eye, contact lens multifocals, and OD/MD collaboration. Attendees could also view scientific posters, free papers, and sponsored presentations on new specialty lens designs, technologies, and services. The Education Committee was led by Jason J. Nichols and Karen DeLoss, among others. The article highlights seven of the nine general sessions.

Results from the RUBY trial of dostarlimab and the GY018/Keynote-068 of pembrolizumab were presented at the 2023 SGO Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer in March and were simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The studies examined the efficacy and safety of the medications in all individuals and those with mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) illness. Each trial examined a separate PD-1 inhibitor, pembrolizumab or dostarlimab, in combination with chemotherapy in patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer. In individuals with dMMR illness, both medications lowered the chance of disease progression or death by roughly 70%.

Significant progress has been made in the last 20 years in the identification of therapeutically relevant oncogenic drivers in NSCLC. These oncogenic drivers have been the focus of targeted medicines that have been created to offer enhanced tailored treatment for NSCLC. To improve the choice of patient-specific treatment, an oral presentation at the 2023 ONA Summit Live Virtual Meeting compared guideline-directed targeted therapies based on patient and tumor characteristics. It also described collaborative strategies for managing therapy-related adverse events for this patient population. Key molecular characteristics in advanced NSCLC were also discussed, along with their relationships to current and emerging targeted therapies.

From side effect to mechanism of action to patient acceptance to managing insurance hurdles, this collection of expert points from the February Endocrine Society meeting is a helpful synopsis of need-to-know items for PCPs.