Immuno-Oncology

Gary D. Steinberg, MD, Bruce and Beth White Family Professor, professor of Surgery, director of Urologic Oncology, University of Chicago Medicine, discusses the FDA approval of atezolizumab (Tecentriq) as a treatment for patients with with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) whose disease progressed during or after platinum-based chemotherapy, or within 12 months of receiving platinum-containing chemotherapy, either before or after surgery.

Forty percent of patients with advanced melanoma who started taking pembrolizumab during the clinical trial that led to its initial approval were still alive after 3 years, with many responders in remission even after stopping treatment.

The FDA granted the PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab (Tecentriq) an accelerated approval as a treatment for patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) whose disease progressed during or after platinum-based chemotherapy, or within 12 months of receiving platinum-based chemotherapy, either before or after surgery.

The FDA approved nivolumab (Opdivo) for the treatment of patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma that has relapsed or progressed after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and posttransplantation brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris).

The recombinant oncolytic poliovirus PVS-RIPO has received breakthrough therapy designation from the FDA as a potential treatment for patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme.

Thierry M. Jahan, MD, discusses a study looking at the investigational cancer vaccine CRS-207 and its potential in mesothelioma.

Mohammed Haseebuddin, MD, discusses results of a study which demonstrated that elevated preoperative classical monocyte PD-1 mean fluorescence intensity level and lower CM was linked to poor survival in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma, as well as the challenges with using PD-1 as a biomarker in these patients.

John Haanen, MD, PhD, discusses why the best combination regimens and the ideal patient population for immunotherapy treatments in lung cancer are still largely unknown.

Robert Dreicer, MD, provides insight on the IMvigor 210 study and how atezolizumab will dramatically change the treatment paradigm for patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma, who have a severe unmet need.

Krishna Vanaja Donkena, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, discusses using immune and checkpoint markers to predict cancer-specific survival in bladder cancer.

The European Commission has approved the combination of ipilimumab and nivolumab as a treatment for patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma regardless of BRAF status.

TMX-101 (Vesimune), a liquid formulation of the toll-like receptor 7 agonist imiquimod, appeared safe and demonstrated preliminary clinical activity, including the potential to induce an immune response, in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Mark Ball, MD, discusses the clinical, pathological, and genomic profiles of exceptional responders to anti–PD-1 therapy in renal cell carcinoma, the future of immunotherapy, and what significance genomic testing may hold.

Jeff R. Infante, MD, director, Drug Development Program, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, discusses a phase I study of the novel immunotherapy agent AM0010 and its early promise in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

Antoni Ribas, MD, PhD, shares exciting clinical trial results of immunotherapy agents in patients with melanoma, as well as what the future holds for the field.

Norman E. Sharpless, MD, professor of Medicine and Genetics, chair, the University of North Carolina (UNC) Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC School of Medicine, discusses how oncologists can best manage toxicities associated with the combination of nivolumab (Opdivo) and ipilimumab (Yervoy) for the treatment of patients with melanoma.

Patrick Ott, MD, PhD, discusses toxicity management and patient selection considerations required with the combination of nivolumab (Opdivo)/ipilimumab (Yervoy), and its role in BRAF-mutant melanoma.

Jong Chul Park, MD, discusses the potential synergy of radium-223 and sipuleucel-T, which is being investigated in a clinical trial as a potential treatment for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

The FDA has granted a breakthrough therapy designation to nivolumab as a single-agent treatment for patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck following a platinum-based therapy.

Karen Kelly, MD, associate director for Clinical Research, Jennifer Rene Harmon Tegley and Elizabeth Erica Harmon Endowed Chair in Cancer Clinical Research, professor of Medicine, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the results of the phase Ib JAVELIN Solid Tumor Trial.

Robert Figlin, MD, discusses some emerging agents and ongoing trials that could transform the treatment landscape of renal cell carcinoma.

Social media has become an outlet for expressing frustration with the struggle to get insurance approvals for oncology tests and treatments.

Robert Ferris, MD, PhD, vice chair for Clinical Operations, associate director for Translational Research, and coleader of the Cancer Immunology Program at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, discusses the CheckMate-141 trial, which found that treatment with single-agent nivolumab (Opdivo) reduced the risk of death by 30% and doubled 1-year overall survival (OS) rates compared investigator's choice of therapy for patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCCHN).

Samir N. Khleif, MD, director, GRU Cancer Center, discusses next steps researchers and physicians need to take with immunotherapy in the field of oncology.

Treatment with single-agent nivolumab reduced the risk of death by 30% and double 1-year overall survival rates compared investigator's choice of therapy for patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.