Gastrointestinal Cancer

In a groundbreaking study of costs and quality of cancer care among cancer clinics in the state of Washington, investigators found wide disparity in end-of-life care, suggesting that improvements in cost and quality could be attained if treatment centers share information on what works and endeavor to improve.

Jodie Barr, DO, hematologist/oncologist, Lawrence Memorial Hospital, discusses the combination of temozolomide and capecitabine in neuroendocrine tumors (NETs).

Todd A. Yezefski, MD, senior fellow, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington, compares the costs and outcomes of chemotherapy in the United States and Canada for patients with colorectal cancer.

Michael A. Choti, MD, chief of surgery, Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses updates in neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy for patients with colorectal cancer.

The FDA has granted a priority review designation to a supplemental biologics license application for pembrolizumab for previously treated patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Cathy Eng, MD, professor of gastrointestinal medical oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the FDA approval of nivolumab (Opdivo) plus ipilimumab (Yervoy) in patients with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) following progression on a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan.

The FDA has approved the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years and older with microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair deficient metastatic colorectal cancer following progression on a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan.

Susanna Ulahannan, MD, assistant professor, Section of Hematology/Oncology, associate director, Oklahoma TSET Phase I Program, Stephenson Cancer Center, The University of Oklahoma, discusses the PRODIGE trial in pancreatic cancer.

Panelists review data for lenvatinib (Lenvima), and novel drugs under investigation in the second line for HCC, such as cabozantinib (Cabometyx/Cometriq) and pembrolizumab (Keytruda).

Oncologists have been slow to introduce targeted and immune therapies into the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers, but that is changing, and poor patient survival statistics call for a continuation of this trend, according to John L. Marshall, MD.

Mitesh J. Borad, MD, discusses liver-directed therapies, systemic therapy, and the management of liver cancer.

Tanios Bekaii-Saab, MD, medical oncologist, Mayo Clinic, discusses the ReDOS study of regorafenib (Stivarga) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

Alicia Latham Schwark, MD, medical genetics fellow, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses a study exploring microsatellite instability (MSI) and how it relates to Lynch syndrome across all tumor types. The findings were presented at the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting.

Ramesh K. Ramanathan, MD, discusses sequencing strategies and emerging therapeutic targets in pancreatic cancer.

Axel Grothey, MD, discusses sidedness and first- and second-line treatments for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who are not eligible for chemotherapy or surgical resection may have a new first-line treatment option.