Julia Rotow, MD

Julia Rotow, MD, is a physician, clinical director of the Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, and director of Clinical Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, as well as an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Articles by Julia Rotow, MD

Final Perspectives and Key Messages

ByJulia Rotow, MD,Ticiana A. Leal, MD,Estelamari Rodriguez, MD, MPH,Ignacio I. Wistuba, MD

May 4th 2026

Dr. Wistuba emphasizes the critical need for reinforcing RNA testing alongside DNA testing for comprehensive NGS in lung cancer.

Frontline Treatment Selection and Future Directions

ByJulia Rotow, MD,Ticiana A. Leal, MD,Estelamari Rodriguez, MD, MPH,Ignacio I. Wistuba, MD

April 27th 2026

Dr. Leal outlines her approach to frontline treatment selection for newly diagnosed patients with ROS1-positive lung cancer.

Modern Toxicity Management and Patient Education

ByJulia Rotow, MD,Ticiana A. Leal, MD,Estelamari Rodriguez, MD, MPH,Ignacio I. Wistuba, MD

April 27th 2026

Dr. Rodriguez outlines patient education strategies emphasizing partnership from treatment initiation, as clinical trials demonstrate over half of patients require dose adjustments.

Safety Profiles and Toxicity Management

ByJulia Rotow, MD,Ticiana A. Leal, MD,Estelamari Rodriguez, MD, MPH,Ignacio I. Wistuba, MD

April 20th 2026

Dr. Rodriguez reviews historical toxicity profiles from earlier ROS1 inhibitors, noting that crizotinib and entrectinib presented novel side effects including visual field changes preventing night driving due to floaters, along with liver function test (LFT) abnormalities requiring monitoring.

Resistance Mechanisms and Treatment Sequencing

ByJulia Rotow, MD,Ticiana A. Leal, MD,Estelamari Rodriguez, MD, MPH,Ignacio I. Wistuba, MD

April 20th 2026

Dr. Wistuba explains that acquired resistance to ROS1-targeted therapies frequently involves on-target mutations, with G2032R representing the most frequently observed resistance mutation among 10 to 12 described mutations that affect the ATP binding site and reduce drug binding efficiency.

Complex Genomic Reports and Future Considerations

ByJulia Rotow, MD,Ticiana A. Leal, MD,Estelamari Rodriguez, MD, MPH,Ignacio I. Wistuba, MD

April 13th 2026

Dr. Wistuba addresses the complexity of NGS reports that may include multiple abnormalities beyond ROS1 fusions.

CNS Activity and Treatment Implications

ByJulia Rotow, MD,Ticiana A. Leal, MD,Estelamari Rodriguez, MD, MPH,Ignacio I. Wistuba, MD

April 13th 2026

Dr. Wistuba confirms that fusion variant identification does not impact treatment selection, emphasizing that ROS1-positive versus ROS1-negative status represents the key clinical decision point.

ROS1 Gene Fusion Characteristics and Therapeutic Evolution

ByJulia Rotow, MD,Ticiana A. Leal, MD,Estelamari Rodriguez, MD, MPH,Ignacio I. Wistuba, MD

April 6th 2026

Dr. Wistuba provides detailed information about ROS1 gene fusions, discovered in the 1980s with over 30 to 40 fusion partners identified that constitutively activate ROS1 in cells, leading to malignant properties.

Importance of Comprehensive Testing and Patient Counseling

ByJulia Rotow, MD,Ticiana A. Leal, MD,Estelamari Rodriguez, MD, MPH,Ignacio I. Wistuba, MD

April 6th 2026

Dr. Leal emphasizes that although actionable genomic alterations like ROS1 are rare, their clinical implications are enormous. Following National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, these targets should be acted upon in the first-line setting as the initial targeted therapy treatment.

Julia Rotow, MD, clinical director of the Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology and director of clinical research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, as well as an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School; and Martin Dietrich, MD, PhD, a medical oncologist with The US Oncology Network Cancer Care Centers of Brevard and an assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine

FDA Approval Insights: Zongertinib for HER2 TKD–Mutated NSCLC: With Julia Rotow, MD; and Martin Dietrich, MD, PhD

ByJulia Rotow, MD,Martin Dietrich, MD, PhD

March 30th 2026

Drs Rotow and Dietrich discuss the significance of the accelerated FDA approval of zongertinib (Hernexeos) for patients with HER2 TKD–mutated NSCLC.

Circulating Tumor DNA Testing and Clinical Decision-Making

ByJulia Rotow, MD,Ticiana A. Leal, MD,Estelamari Rodriguez, MD, MPH,Ignacio I. Wistuba, MD

March 30th 2026

Panelists discuss the role of ctDNA (liquid biopsy) in clinical practice, highlighting its benefits and limitations in detecting actionable mutations, interpreting results, and guiding treatment decisions when tissue testing is insufficient.

Introduction and Comprehensive Testing Strategies

ByJulia Rotow, MD,Ticiana A. Leal, MD,Estelamari Rodriguez, MD, MPH,Ignacio I. Wistuba, MD

March 30th 2026

Panelists discuss strategies for identifying and managing ROS1-positive NSCLC, focusing on comprehensive testing approaches, emerging clinical data, and factors that guide treatment decisions.

Choosing Between Targeted Therapies and Addressing Unmet Needs

ByStephen Liu, MD,Julia Rotow, MD,Alexander Spira, MD, PhD, FACP,Tejas Patil, MD,Lorenza Landi, MD

January 5th 2026

Panelists discuss treatment selection, resistance challenges, and future directions in managing BRAF-mutated lung cancer.

Recent Clinical Data in BRAF-Mutated NSCLC

ByStephen Liu, MD,Julia Rotow, MD,Alexander Spira, MD, PhD, FACP,Tejas Patil, MD,Lorenza Landi, MD

January 5th 2026

Panelists discuss the latest trial results supporting dual-pathway inhibition in BRAF-mutated metastatic lung cancer.

Osimertinib Carves a Continuing Role in Perioperative NSCLC Management: With Julia Rotow, MD; and Gavitt Woodard, MD

ByGavitt Woodard, MD,Julia Rotow, MD

December 29th 2025

Drs Rotow and Woodard talk through recent updates to the perioperative non–small cell lung cancer treatment paradigm.

Combination Strategies in BRAF-Mutated NSCLC

ByStephen Liu, MD,Julia Rotow, MD,Alexander Spira, MD, PhD, FACP,Tejas Patil, MD,Lorenza Landi, MD

December 19th 2025

Panelists discuss combination targeted approaches for managing BRAF-mutated lung cancer and their impact on disease durability.

Treatment Options for BRAF-Mutated Metastatic NSCLC

ByStephen Liu, MD,Julia Rotow, MD,Alexander Spira, MD, PhD, FACP,Tejas Patil, MD,Lorenza Landi, MD

December 19th 2025

Panelists discuss evolving treatment approaches for BRAF-mutated metastatic lung cancer and their clinical impact.

Comparing Safety Profiles and Future Directions in HER2-Targeted Therapy

ByJulia Rotow, MD

December 18th 2025

Explore a case study on HER2 mutant lung cancer treatment, highlighting challenges, responses, and the importance of monitoring for ILD.

Role of BRAF Mutations in NSCLC

ByStephen Liu, MD,Julia Rotow, MD,Alexander Spira, MD, PhD, FACP,Tejas Patil, MD,Lorenza Landi, MD

December 12th 2025

Panelists discuss the biology and clinical implications of BRAF mutations in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patient Profile and Treatment Selection in ALK+ NSCLC

ByStephen Liu, MD,Julia Rotow, MD,Alexander Spira, MD, PhD, FACP,Tejas Patil, MD,Lorenza Landi, MD

December 12th 2025

Panelists discuss individualized treatment selection based on age, comorbidities, and patient preferences in ALK-positive lung cancer.

HER2 Testing Strategies, IHC Interpretation, and Tissue Stewardship in NSCLC

ByJulia Rotow, MD

December 11th 2025

Explore a case study on HER2 mutant lung cancer treatment, highlighting challenges, responses, and the importance of monitoring for ILD.

Case 2: Sequencing HER2-Directed ADCs and TKIs in Complex Clinical Scenarios

ByJulia Rotow, MD

December 11th 2025

Explore a case study on HER2 mutant lung cancer treatment, highlighting challenges, responses, and the importance of monitoring for ILD.

Emerging Strategies for ALK+ NSCLC

ByStephen Liu, MD,Julia Rotow, MD,Alexander Spira, MD, PhD, FACP,Tejas Patil, MD,Lorenza Landi, MD

December 5th 2025

Panelists discuss novel research directions aimed at overcoming resistance and extending survival in ALK-positive lung cancer.

Resistance Mechanisms and Molecular Testing in ALK Inhibitor–Treated NSCLC

ByStephen Liu, MD,Julia Rotow, MD,Alexander Spira, MD, PhD, FACP,Tejas Patil, MD,Lorenza Landi, MD

December 5th 2025

Panelists discuss mechanisms of acquired resistance to ALK inhibition and how molecular testing guides sequencing strategies.

Selecting Candidates for HER2 TKIs

ByJulia Rotow, MD

December 4th 2025

Explore a case study on HER2 mutant lung cancer treatment, highlighting challenges and responses to chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

Zongertinib After ADC Therapy: Efficacy, Safety, and Clinical Context

ByJulia Rotow, MD

December 4th 2025

Explore a case study on HER2 mutant lung cancer treatment, highlighting challenges, responses, and the importance of monitoring for ILD.

Real-World Data in ALK+ NSCLC

ByStephen Liu, MD,Julia Rotow, MD,Alexander Spira, MD, PhD, FACP,Tejas Patil, MD,Lorenza Landi, MD

November 26th 2025

Panelists discuss how real-world data complement clinical trials in understanding outcomes for ALK-positive lung cancer.

Using Long-Term Data to Guide ALK+ NSCLC Treatment

ByStephen Liu, MD,Julia Rotow, MD,Alexander Spira, MD, PhD, FACP,Tejas Patil, MD,Lorenza Landi, MD

November 26th 2025

Panelists discuss how mature survival data inform treatment sequencing and maintenance strategies in ALK-positive lung cancer.

Case 1: Managing HER2-Mutant NSCLC and ILD

ByJulia Rotow, MD

November 25th 2025

Explore a case study on HER2 mutant lung cancer treatment, highlighting challenges and responses to therapy in a patient with metastatic disease.

Understanding HER2 Alterations in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

ByJulia Rotow, MD

November 25th 2025

Explore innovative strategies for testing and treating HER2 alterations in non-small cell lung cancer through real-world case studies and expert insights.