
Postow cites the combination of vemurafenib and ipilimumab as one that produced a high rate of liver inflammation and skin rash in patients, which was then deemed not to be given to patients outside of clinical trials.

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Postow cites the combination of vemurafenib and ipilimumab as one that produced a high rate of liver inflammation and skin rash in patients, which was then deemed not to be given to patients outside of clinical trials.

Atkins says because treatments currently used in patients with visible metastatic melanoma are normally efficacious between 50% and 60% of the time, then the expectation for these treatments in the adjuvant setting could be effective around 80% of the time.

Gangadhar says this preference toward single-agent immunotherapy is due to a lack of evidence supporting the use of a combination immunotherapy approach. The other reason a dual approach is less utilized in melanoma patients is due to the significant increase in toxicities.

Instead of adjuvant treatment, Andtbacka suggests treating patients with melanoma in the neoadjuvant setting. The benefit of neoadjuvant treatment versus adjuvant treatment is that oncologists can see the effect on the tumor, as well as perform biopsies and be able to determine changes in the tumor to develop certain biomarkers.

Weber says these treatments, such as ipilimumab plus nivolumab, or dabrafenib and trametinib, have seen marked improvements since 2009, and continue to become more important in the treatment paradigm of melanoma.

Fischkoff says the goal of Lion Biotechnologies is to utilize a central manufacturing facility where medical professionals can submit tumor samples of their patients, and received the proper TIL-based treatment back from the manufacturing facility.

Molecular Diagnostics in NSCLC with David Berz, MD, PhD, and Philip Bonomi, MD






Hamid says the future will hold adding more tolerable regimens in to the treatment paradigm of melanoma, based on the past success of the treatments already utilized and approved.

Postow says there have been algorithms developed over recently years to determine patient's toxicities and prescribe certain immunosupressive treatments to help abate the symptoms.

Carnaby says prophylactic gastrostomy tube placement may not be as supportive as previously thought in the health of the muscles in these patients.

Bible says most oncologists would consider lenvatinib as a first-line therapy for patients who require systemic therapy where there are not suitable, focal palliative options.

"This combination seems to be well-tolerated by patients with manageable toxicity, and overall efficacy for the small group seems to be favorable."

Cohen says while the data from the study looking at nivolumab has not been released yet, the halting of the trial due it having met its primary OS endpoint likely means good news.

Cabanillas says her and her team set a goal of reducing the time between when they are contacted about a patient with anaplastic thyroid cancer, and when the patient is given an appointment time, to fewer than 5 business days.

Zevallos says that while HPV-positive oropharyngeal SCC has a positive outcome for patients, smoking status should be taken into account for these patients when making a decision to deintensify therapy.

Melotek says the trial's primary endpoint was comparison of efficacy when cetuximab is added to both therapies with historical control, with a secondary endpoint being further investigation of the usefulness of both chemotherapy platforms.

mCRC with Tanios Bekaii-Saab, MD and Tara Seery, MD







