Articles related to MEDICAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS

New findings from an open-label clinical trial show that by 12 weeks into the maintenance phase, daily off time had decreased by an average of about three hours. Daily “good on” time consistently increased by an average of three hours per day when symptoms are under control without bothersome dyskinesia. By week 12, 62.1% had less free time—at least two hours less per day. The amount of levodopa taken on average every day during the research significantly decreased, which was consistent with improved symptom control. At week 12, just over two-thirds (65%) of patients said they had “much improved” or “very much improved” since beginning SPN-830. Patients reported that their overall health had improved by about 90%.

This course is intended to provide information from an unbiased viewpoint on managing headaches while treating Chiari malformation with either medication or surgical therapy. This course will combine lectures, patient insights, and expert panels. It will be offered in person, digitally through Microsoft Teams, and on-demand for all paid attendees for one month following the conference. After completing this course, participants will be able to identify more precise headache care techniques and understand when surgery is necessary, use logic and reason when treating patients with Chiari malformation and headaches, and determine the prevalence of headaches and Chiari malformation in the general population.

The phase 2 L-MIND trial presented at the AACR 2023 conference showed that tafasitamab plus lenalidomide and tafasitamab maintenance resulted in durable responses for patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The trial treated patients with DLBCL who were not eligible for an autologous stem cell transplant with tafasitamab plus lenalidomide for 12 cycles, followed by tafasitamab alone until disease progression. With a median of 44 months of follow-up for the entire cohort, the objective response rate (ORR) was 57.5%. The ORR was higher among patients who had received only one prior line of therapy at 67.5%, whereas 47.5% of patients who had received multiple prior lines of treatment experienced a response. The complete response rate was 41.3% overall, with the median duration of response (DOR) not reached in all cohorts. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 11.6 months for the entire cohort, while the median PFS of the cohort with one prior line of therapy was 23.5 months, whereas patients with multiple prior lines of therapy demonstrated a median PFS of 7.6 months. The frequency of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) decreased over time, and diarrhea and peripheral edema were the most common TEAEs during the initial treatment period […]

The 2023 AACR meeting has seen a large number of clinical abstracts presented, demonstrating that science from the lab is moving to the clinic. Examples include an RNA vaccine from Moderna in combination with pembrolizumab in a neoadjuvant setting in patients with melanoma, and the AEGEAN trial, which looks at perioperative therapy in patients with lung cancer. The conference is also seeing a focus on more diverse speakers, including junior investigators. The field of mRNA cancer vaccines is evolving, with personalised vaccines being used to activate the immune system in combination with checkpoint inhibitors, resulting in positive results in some cancers. The conference is an opportunity to learn about new science, make new connections and collaborations, and gain a better understanding of how to push the field forward.

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.