Gastrointestinal Cancer

A regimen comprised of a single 300-mg priming dose of tremelimumab and 1500 mg of durvalumab every 4 weeks yielded favorable efficacy and an acceptable safety profile in patients with advanced HCC.

Options for systemic treatment for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma have significantly expanded since 2017, when the sole available option was sorafenib. Now, the arsenal includes checkpoint inhibitors, targeted therapies, and combinations of both classes of drugs.

Although the combination of atezolizumab and bevacizumab has become the standard frontline treatment for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, whether immunotherapy could play a role in earlier lines of treatment remains the subject of ongoing research.

Combinations of checkpoint inhibitors and VEGF TKIs, as well as dual checkpoint blockade, are affording patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma greater potential for disease control and deep, long-lasting responses, underscoring the need for biomarkers of response to combination regimens and single-agent TKIs, the latter of which still play a role for select populations.

Amit Singal, MD, discusses downstaging strategies for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

An examination of the use of second-line therapies after atezolizumab-bevacizumab, and the role of TKIs for the treatment of advanced HCC.

Experts expand on treatment strategies and sequencing approaches used for Child-Pugh B liver disease.

Amit Singal, MD, MS, and Stephen L. Chan, MD, review the IMbrave150, LEAP-002, and CheckMate 9DW trials for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Stephen L. Chan, MD, reviews data from key trials of emerging combinations of TACE (transarterial chemoembolization), plus systemic therapies for BCLC (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer) stage B or C hepatocellular carcinoma.

Experts in gastrointestinal oncology highlight their approaches to assessing patients with newly diagnosed metastatic colorectal cancer and explain the variables that factor into first-line treatment decisions.

Riad Salem, MD, discusses outcomes with TheraSphere™ Yttrium-90 Glass Microsphere as a bridging therapy prior to transplantation in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Racial disparities affecting all aspects of patient care are a major issue across cancer types, including for patients with gastrointestinal cancers.

Namrata (Neena) Vijayvergia, MD, discusses the emerging role of immunotherapy in resectable and metastatic esophageal and gastric cancers, as well as key nuances that could complicate these agents’ utility in clinical practice.

The pipeline of new agents in gastrointestinal cancers is robust, with the emergence of several antibody-drug conjugates, KRAS G12C inhibitors, and novel TKI/immune checkpoint inhibitor combinations.

Riad Salem, MD, discusses considerations for selecting the appropriate treatment approach for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Michael A. Choti, MD, discusses challenging treatment decisions in patients with neuroendocrine tumors.

The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare has approved pemigatinib for the treatment of patients with unresectable biliary tract cancer with a FGFR2 fusion gene, worsening following chemotherapy.

Although the genetic makeup of biliary tract cancer is rich, only recently has the field been able to show the benefit of treating patients with effective targeted agents, such as pemigatinib and ivosidenib in the advanced setting.

Atrayee Basu-Mallick, MD, discusses the importance of clinical research examining the role of circulating tumor DNA in patients with colorectal cancer.

The FDA has approved pembrolizumab for use in combination with platinum and fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy for patients with metastatic or locally advanced esophageal or gastroesophageal carcinoma who are ineligible for surgical resection or definitive chemoradiation.

The combination of atezolizumab and bevacizumab is the clear frontline standard of care for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma without contraindications.

Insight regarding best timing to initiate an appropriate adjuvant therapy in patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma, and the role of ctDNA analysis in the postsurgical setting.

Current treatment approaches for advanced cholangiocarcinoma, despite current gaps that can be considered in the adjuvant setting, as highlighted by GI oncologists.

Key updates to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines for gastric and esophageal cancers include the incorporation of immune checkpoint inhibitors spanning settings in patients with gastroesophageal cancer, the inclusion of fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki for those with HER2-positive gastric cancer, and the addition of recommended ramucirumab combinations for use in second- or later-line settings.

Anjana Pillai, MD, discusses recent advances made in the HCC treatment paradigm, as well as what the conference will offer to healthcare providers working in the field.