Gastrointestinal Cancer

Colorectal cancer mortality rates have been on the decline in California for both men and women since the mid-1990s, but for one group—Hispanic men—rates have remained essentially unchanged, and a new study suggests that lower rates of screening may be the chief driver of this disparity.

Volker Heinemann, MD, PhD, director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, discusses using depth of response as an appropriate endpoint in studies examining patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

Philip B. Paty, MD, surgeon, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses patients with rectal cancer who are ineligible for a "watch and wait" approach with their surgeons.

Volker Heinemann, MD, PhD, discusses the connection between early tumor shrinkage and overall survival, depth of response, and what it could mean for the future of metastatic colorectal cancer treatment.

Eileen O'Reilly, MD, discusses optimal sequencing of therapies for patients with pancreatic cancer, what potential immunotherapy has in the field, and whether the microenvironments and immune privilege within the malignancy should be understood.

Although it has been nearly 10 years since a new systemic drug has been approved for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, the field is changing rapidly due to new therapies for a prime underlying cause of the disease and advances in interventional radiology.

Matthew Yurgelun, MD, instructor in medicine, Harvard Medical School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, explains why oncologists should discuss genetic testing with their patients and family members for colorectal cancer, as well as some of the common risk factors for the disease.

Areej R. El-Jawahri, MD, assistant in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, discusses a study examining early integrated palliative care for patients with gastrointestinal (GI) or lung cancer and the impact it has on family caregiver outcomes.

Axel Grothey, MD, discusses both the LUME-1 and LUME-2 trials, the differences between left and right tumors in colorectal cancer, and how that information could potentially be used in diagnosis and treatment.

Hendrik-Tobias Arkenau, MD, PhD, founding medical director, executive medical director, Sarah Cannon Research Institute UK, discusses immunotherapy advancements on the horizon in the field of gastric cancer.

Adam Bass, MD, discusses the various subclasses of gastric and esophageal cancer, mechanisms by which cancers are activated within a patient from dormancy, and the potential for uncovering an optimal treatment regimen for individual patients.

Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa, MD, medical oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the significance of the RESORCE trial, which explored regorafenib (Stivarga) versus best supportive care for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma who progressed after receiving sorafenib (Nexavar).

Richard Finn, assistant professor of Medicine at the Geffen School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology at UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses regorafenib (Stivarga) for the treatment of patients with hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC).