Anas Younes, MD

Anas Younes, MD, chief of the Lymphoma Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses results from a trial studying the combination of nivolumab (Keytruda) and ibrutinib (Imbruvica) for the treatment of patients with relapsed non-Hodgkin lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Data was first seen with this combination in preclinical studies with mouse models of lymphomas and solid tumors. These exciting results have since been replicated in a number of trials. This trial specifically looked at subsets of patients with follicular lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and Richter's transformation.

While the combination seems safe and can be administered in full doses within these subsets, the results from the Richter's transformation group stand out the most. The data in other subsets is no better or worse than in treatments with ibrutinib alone, but the Richter's transformation group displayed higher response rates with the combination than treatments with ibutinib as a single agent.

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Anas Younes, MD, chief of the Lymphoma Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses results from a trial studying the combination of nivolumab and ibrutinib for the treatment of patients with relapsed non-Hodgkin lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Results for the Combination of Nivolumab and Ibrutinib in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and CLL

Anas Younes, MD, chief of the Lymphoma Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses current research for staging patients with follicular lymphoma. In order to design new clinical trials, researchers must have reliable predictors of overall survival and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients.

One ongoing trial is studying the use of PET scans to stage patients with follicular lymphoma. This trial will determine whether or not the PFS-24 (PFS at 24 months) or EFS-24 (event-free survival at 24 months) can be used as a surrogate endpoint for survival.

Younes says that the results so far demonstrate that the results of staging by PET scans are not as reliable as staging with CT scans, which have been used in the past. The results from this study will make an impact on the design of future clinical trials.

Anas Younes, MD, chief of the Lymphoma Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses current research for staging patients with follicular lymphoma. In order to design new clinical trials, researchers must have reliable predictors of overall survival and progression-free survival in patients.

Using PET or CT for Staging Patients with Follicular Lymphoma

Anas Younes, MD, Chief of Lymphoma Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the interim analysis of a study exploring the safety and efficacy of atezolizumab (Tecentriq) in combination with obinutuzumab (Gazya) and bendamustine in patients with previously untreated follicular lymphoma.

Results for Atezolizumab, Obinutuzumab, and Bendamustine in Follicular Lymphoma

Anas Younes, MD, medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, discusses the potential impact of CheckMate-205 nivolumab as a treatment for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma.

Anas Younes, MD | Authors

Articles

Results for the Combination of Nivolumab and Ibrutinib in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and CLL

Using PET or CT for Staging Patients with Follicular Lymphoma

Results for Atezolizumab, Obinutuzumab, and Bendamustine in Follicular Lymphoma

The Impact of CheckMate-205 for Patients With Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma