Oncology On The Go CancerNetwork

In a conversation with CancerNetwork® at John Theurer Cancer Center, Timothy Chen, MD, highlighted various novel treatment strategies that have impacted his care of patients with brain tumors and other types of cancer. 





Chen, a board-certified radiation oncologist and medical director of the Central Nervous System Program at Jersey Shore University Medical Center and the director of Proton Therapy in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Hackensack Meridian Health, first discussed his use of the novel stereotactic radiosurgery modality ZAP-X for patients with brain tumors. According to Chen, this tool may allow for practices to administer radiation at submillimeter precision, which can spare normal tissue from receiving excess radiation.





Another technology that Chen highlighted included GammaTile, a radiation treatment that was developed for the management of brain tumors. He said that this collagen tile may help with administering strong radiation to precisely where the tumor is located, while also protecting healthy tissues to minimize the adverse effects from radiation therapy. Specifically, Chen stated that GammaTile may be beneficial for those with larger, difficult-to-treat tumors.





Finally, Chen discussed the potential applications of proton therapy and how it may improve outcomes in patients compared with standard radiotherapy. According to Chen, proton therapy serves a “great purpose” with what he described as a precise depth charge that can minimize toxicity during treatment. 





Additionally, Chen described how proton therapy may help reduce the probability of developing mutations or secondary cancers among pediatric patients. He highlighted the potential benefit of this modality based on a specific case in which a pediatric patient with myxopapillary ependymoma experienced improvements in pain and urinary control following proton therapy.





Regarding these novel forms of therapy, Chen emphasized the notion of multidisciplinary care and said that practices should “work together as a team” when operating these technologies.





“[With] all this technology, it's not just used as it is; the technology brings us to work together,” Chen said. “I think multidisciplinary care is the future. People are no longer siloed…. We all work together.” 

The robotic-assisted biopsy platform Ion is a “game-changer” for patients with lung cancer, as it provides a quicker, less invasive surgical method for conducting a lung biopsy, according to Richard Lazzaro, MD.





In a conversation with CancerNetwork, Lazzaro, the chief of Thoracic Surgery at the Southern Region of RWJBarnabas Health, spoke about his experience with adopting the Ion robotic bronchoscopy platform for the early detection of lung cancer at Monmouth Medical Center. He highlighted how the tool may enable practices to acquire tissue and perform disease staging with fewer complications, which may particularly benefit those who plan to undergo induction chemotherapy or immunotherapy.





In terms of other potential advancements in the lung cancer surgery field, Lazzaro discussed how he anticipates the use of video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) surgery to evolve. Specifically, he mentioned the development of technologies such as augmented reality as tools that may help minimize the variability of surgical procedures.





Regarding his practice, Lazzaro highlighted how a multidisciplinary thoracic tumor board—including medical oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, and pulmonary physicians, among others—has helped in producing long-term survival improvements. He emphasized collective discussions and shared decision-making as part of determining appropriate courses of care for his patients. When it comes to a multidisciplinary approach, Lazzaro stated that “you want to take care of patients” like they were part of “your family.”





Overall, Lazzaro noted how the lung cancer treatment landscape has changed over time. He emphasized referring patients for CT scans as well as evaluations at nodule or thoracic oncology clinics as part of a multidisciplinary strategy.





“The management of lung cancer is different than it was even 5 years ago. If we can detect lung cancer early, we have options for treating patients today that we never had before,” Lazzaro said. “This is the time where we really need to make a huge difference in lung cancer.”








Reference





Latest most advanced treatments for lung cancer now available at Monmouth Medical Center. News release. RWJBarnabas Health. January 22, 2024. Accessed April 17, 2024. https://tinyurl.com/ty8st3hm

During the 2024 Society of Surgical Oncology Annual Meeting (SSO), CancerNetwork® spoke with a variety of surgical oncology experts regarding the topline data they presented. Each conversation also expanded upon how these results can be implemented into the clinical space and the next research steps. 





First, Adrienne Bruce Shannon, MD, a complex general surgical oncology fellow at Moffitt Cancer Center, discussed findings from her presentation highlighting responses to neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors among select patients with mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) gastroesophageal cancer.1 





Looking ahead, Shannon described her aim to optimize treatment strategies for this patient population, which may include assessing whether single-agent treatment can be efficacious while avoiding toxicity associated with combination regimens. 





Next, Sean Dineen, MD, an associate member in the Gastrointestinal Department, section leader for Peritoneal Disease, and the program director for the Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship at Moffitt Cancer Center, spoke about his session, which was aimed at determining appropriate conditions for using cytoreductive surgery plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for those with colorectal cancer (CRC) and peritoneal metastases.2 





Dineen highlighted that there is “good evidence” in support of HIPEC as a “valid treatment option” and emphasized the need to encourage medical oncologists to refer patients for consideration of surgery. Additionally, he spoke about other advancements he hopes to see in this patient population, including the development of markers of various disease volumes that can help identify potential recurrence in those who receive surgery. 





Finally, Muhammad Talha Waheed, MD, a research fellow in the Department of Surgical Oncology at City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California, detailed findings from a retrospective analysis indicating disparate treatment access and cancer-related mortality based on racial-economic segregation.3 





Specifically, data showed that those who lived in Black and poor majority areas were less likely to receive care that was in accordance with various treatment guidelines while having worse overall survival outcomes. Regarding the next steps, Waheed described his intentions of sharing his findings with policymakers who may create legislature intended to mitigate the disparities observed in the analysis.






References





1.        Shannon AB, Mehta RJ, Mok SR, et al. Pathologic response to neoadjuvant immunotherapy in DNA mismatch repair protein-deficient gastroesophageal cancers. Presented at the Society of Surgical Oncology 2024 Annual Meeting; March 20-23, 2024; Atlanta, GA. Abstract 94.

2.        Dineen S. Optimal tumor burden for CRS/HIPEC in colorectal cancer. Presented at the Society of Surgical Oncology 2024 Annual Meeting; March 20-23, 2024; Atlanta, GA.

3.        Waheed MT, Sullivan KM, Haye S, et al. Impact of racialized residential segregation on guideline concordant cancer care and survival. Presented at the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) 2024 Annual Meeting; March 20 – 23, 2024; Atlanta, GA; abstract E126.

As part of Breaking Barriers: Women in Oncology, Maha H. Hussain, MD, and Sarah E. Fenton, MD, PhD, spoke with CancerNetwork® about developments in their careers and the evolution of research in the genitourinary oncology (GU) field. Additionally, they discussed their personal experiences in the field, which ranged from applying key pieces of advice from former mentors, handling challenges, and maintaining a healthy work/life balance.





Hussain is a Genevieve E. Teuton Professor of Medicine at Northwestern Medicine, and her mentee and fellow colleague, Fenton, is an assistant professor of Medicine at Northwestern Medicine.





The conversation partly focused on how the GU oncology landscape has evolved over time. According to Hussain, funding for new research and clinical trials has grown due to partnerships with pharmaceutical companies, which has accompanied a growth in median survival for patients with metastatic castration-resistant and metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. Looking ahead, Fenton said she hopes to see a greater proportion of patients achieve improved disease control, thereby leading to more treatment discontinuations or longer treatment-free intervals. 





Additionally, Fenton described some of the advice she received that impacted the trajectory of her career and helped her decide to specialize in GU oncology.





“You need to stick with things that are important to you, worth your time, and are going to help people,” Fenton said. “That is the best piece of advice that Maha has given me as I’ve been moving through and thinking about what projects I’m going to start and where I am going to work hard.”





Hussain and Fenton also spoke about some of the personal challenges they have encountered in genitourinary oncology, including the difficulty of balancing their personal lives with professional aspirations. Both spoke to the importance and possibility of caring for their families while establishing priorities for their work.





“You can parallel-track your career and your personal life. I would say motherhood is wonderful; it’s a wonderful opportunity to be a mother,” Hussain said. “At the same time, it was a wonderful opportunity to be a physician and move the field there and work hard. Don’t forget that your personal life is very important because a happy personal life also reflects on your work life.”

In a conversation with CancerNetwork®, Rian M. Hasson Charles, MD, MPH, FACS, spoke about her career in thoracic surgery and her visions for increasing equitable care in the field as part of a new, first-of-its-kind role at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She will serve as the inaugural vice chair for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the Department of Surgery as well as an associate surgeon in the Division of Thoracic Surgery.





Hasson contextualized the acceptance of her new role by highlighting her previous experiences in lung cancer surgery, which included pursuing a psychology major at University of California, Berkeley and working as an attending physician at Dartmouth Hitchcock Hospital. At Dartmouth, she formed a DEI program for the public health school and pursued initiatives designed to spread access to care for patients with lung cancer.





As part of her new role at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Hasson aims to reduce significant disparities in care across areas surrounding the academic center, grow a diverse workforce, and form connections with members in the community. 





Hasson also described some of the barriers she experienced and overcame as a woman in oncology. She offered advice to other aspiring surgeons in the field, emphasizing the importance of paying attention to the family, friends, and partners who can support them during their journey.





“The world is your oyster. This position is a dream position for me because it’s bringing together everything that I love to do,” Hasson said.





“I encourage people to find their focus, find their passion, find the thing that keeps them up at night or that wakes them up in the morning. You can do whatever you set your mind to. With today’s resources, there should be nothing that limits you. There may be things that seem like they’re discouraging, but you have the power to overcome those and collaborate with people that will help generate success,” she added.

In a conversation with CancerNetwork®, Gregory Peter Kalemkerian, MD, spoke about the publication of updated guidelines for managing small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with systemic therapy, which was developed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in collaboration with Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario).1





Kalemkerian, a clinical professor at The University of Michigan and senior author of the guidelines, discussed developments in the SCLC field that inspired the creation of the revised guidelines since the last publication from ASCO in 2015.2 Although the latest guidelines contained recommendations concerning treatment modalities such as surgery and radiotherapy, Kalemkerian said that the biggest advances related to the integration of immunotherapy into frontline treatment for patients with extensive-stage SCLC (ES-SCLC).





Specifically, Kalemkerian highlighted the use of immunotherapeutic agents such as durvalumab (Imfinzi) and atezolizumab (Tecentriq), which have demonstrated long-term improvements in survival of those with ES-SCLC. The guideline authors issued a strong recommendation backed by high-quality evidence for the frontline use of carboplatin plus etoposide or cisplatin plus atezolizumab or durvalumab followed by maintenance immunotherapy in patients with ES-SCLC who have no contraindications to immunotherapy.1 Additionally, there was no evidence supporting the continuation of immunotherapy for those with relapsed SCLC and progressive disease following maintenance immunotherapy based on an informal consensus.





With respect to other updates in the guidelines, Kalemkerian spoke about optimal treatment strategies for patients with poorer performance statuses as well as the potential role of biomarkers in SCLC. Although there are currently no validated biomarkers that have demonstrated utility in the management of SCLC, he stated that it was necessary to overhaul how practices understand how diseases like SCLC develop and grow to help improve patient outcomes.





“I would like people to pay attention to SCLC a little bit,” Kalemkerian said. “Non–small cell lung cancer has gotten a lot of the press and hype over the last 20 years or so since targeted therapy came out for that disease. Before that, we all thought SCLC was where we were going to be making advances, and we were wrong. We’re on the cusp of understanding the disease better and utilizing that understanding to advance newer strategies for trying to treat these patients.”






References





1.        Khurshid H, Ismaila N, Bian J, et al. Systemic therapy for small-cell lung cancer: ASCO-Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) guideline. J Clin Oncol. 2023;41(35):5448-5472. doi:10.1200/JCO.23.01435

2.        Rudin CM, Ismaila N, Hann CL, et al. Treatment of small-cell lung cancer: American Society of Clinical Oncology endorsement of the American College of Chest Physicians Guideline. J Clin Oncol. 2015;33(34):4106-4111. doi:10.1200/JCO.2015.63.7918.