Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind Michael Fernando and Josh Hurwitz

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most prevalent cancer in the world and the third or fourth leading cause of death (depending on where you do your research). Over 70% of cases are in Asian countries, predominantly due to high rates of endemic hepatitis infections.
This week, we climb a mountain in search of treatment options and advancements in this orphan cancer. Two trials are discussed: The first is HIMALAYA comparing durvalumab and tremelimumab versus the old incumbent sorafenib (tyrosine kinase inhibitor). Will immunotherapy take the reigns as the preferred agents? Our second study is Compassion-08, (Michael has an abundance of this). The trial is unique as it involves a first-in-class bispecific antibody targeting PD-1 and CTLA-4 (cadonilimab in combination with lenvatinib).
Interesting times ahead in the HCC space

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In many parts of the world, Bevacizumab is an important component of the treatment of glioblastoma, colorectal, hepatocellular and ovarian cancers. However, with such widespread use inevitably comes toxicity. Side effects related to bevacizumab are not your garden-variety chemotherapy side effects, nor are they similar to toxicity from immunotherapy. Rather, they stand apart, unique amongst our systemic therapies.
In their latest Onconack, Josh and Michael take a look at two of the most commonly described toxicities related to bevacizumab: hypertension and proteinuria. This is sure to be a valuable resource to any oncology trainee blessed (or cursed) with the unit pager!
Links to useful sources for further reading (subscription may be required):
Chemotherapy plus bevacizumab as an optimal first-line therapeutic treatment for patients with right-sided metastatic colon cancer: a meta-analysis of first-line clinical trials. https://doi.org/10.1136/esmoopen-2019-000605Practical Management of Bevacizumab-Related Toxicities in Glioblastoma. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25568148/Incorporation of Bevacizumab in the Primary Treatment of Ovarian Cancer. https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa1104390?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200www.ncbi.nlm.nih.govBevacizumab Increases Risk for Severe Proteinuria in Cancer Patients. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2938590/
For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com
Find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!
If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.com
Art courtesy of Taryn Silver
Music courtesy of Music Unlimited: https://pixabay.com/users/music_unlimited-27600023/
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

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As many philosophers have noted, life often travels in cycles. Almost two years and more than 100 episodes ago, on a virtual call far far away, two young oncologists started on a journey to bring the latest oncology evidence to anyone with ears and the will to listen. Now, for episode number 101, Josh and Michael return to where it all started: prostate cancer. Much has changed in the (nearly) two years since that episode, and so in this episode, our hosts provide an update on two more recent updates in the prostate cancer space: Michael discusses TALAPRO-2, the latest in a flurry of studies examining patients with homologous-repair-deficient prostate cancer examining enzalutamide and talazoparib. Josh presents a study close to his heart; ENZA-P is an Australian-led study combining novel anti-androgen agents with the even-more-novel radioactive agent Lutetium-PSMA. Both represent the crest of the new wave of targeted prostate cancer treatment, and there are many tidbits to be gobbled up in this, the start of a new 100 episode cycle for Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind!
Links to articles discussed in this episode (subscription may be required):
TALAPRO-2: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02704-x
ENZA-P: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470204524001359?dgcid=coauthor
For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com
Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!
If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.com
Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from Pfizer, Gilead Pharmaceuticals and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have no editorial rights or early previews, and they have access to the episode at the same time you do.
Art courtesy of Taryn Silver
Music courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

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For 100 episodes, Josh and Michael have brought to your ears the latest and greatest in oncology research and treatment. In this episode, we will take a trip down memory lane, speaking about our journey up to this point, our favourite guests and favourite trials, and give you a glimpse of what the future holds for Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind. If we're honest, we never expected to get this far, and we have you, our wonderful audience to thank for that. We are so grateful for your support, you are the reason we keep coming back every week to record, and we hope to continue to bring you more oncology-related goodness for many more episodes to come!
For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com
Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!
If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.com
Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from Pfizer, Gilead Pharmaceuticals and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have no editorial rights or early previews, and they have access to the episode at the same time you do.
Art courtesy of Taryn Silver
Music courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Josh and Michael examine the rapidly developing world of early lung cancer treatment. An area that will hopefully only grow in importance, treatment for early NSCLC is becoming ever more sophisticated, with recent developments in neoadjuvant management and confirmation of the benefit of adjuvant driver-mutation inhibitior treatment. Today's articles cover two such topics: will osimertinib finally reach the pinnacle it was born to reach and be used in the neoadjuvant treatment of EGFR-mutant NSCLC? Will alectinib join its older, more successful cousin in being effective in resected ALK-mutant NSCLC? Listen on to find out, but we'll give you this one for free: if you have a patient with early NSCLC, it is becoming imperative that you test them for these mutations. Truly a fascinating time.
Links to articles discussed in this episode (subscription may be required):
NEOS: https://www.lungcancerjournal.info/article/S0169-5002(23)00072-7/fulltext
ALINA: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2310532
For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com
Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!
If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.com
Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from Pfizer, Gilead Pharmaceuticals and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have no editorial rights or early previews, and they have access to the episode at the same time you do.
Art courtesy of Taryn Silver
Music courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this very special episode, Josh and Michael welcome Dr Adam Brufsky, a trailblazer in the world of breast cancer treatment and a titan in the frenetic development of breast cancer therapies since the mid-late 90s. Dr Brufsky is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Chief of the university's Division of Haematology and Oncology and co-director of its Comprehensive Cancer Centre. He received his MD and PhD from the University of Connecticut's School of Medicine in 1990 and has previously worked at Bringham and Women's Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. His areas of special interest include novel therapeutics and management strategies for breast cancer, bone-breast cancer interactions and therapeutics and molecular biology of metastatic breast cancer. He is a font of knowledge and we are so privileged to welcome Dr Brufsky onto the show.
For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com
Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!
If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.com
Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from Gilead Pharmaceuticals and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have no editorial rights, and they have access to the episode at the same time you do.
Art courtesy of Taryn Silver
Music courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.