Five Under 5: Top Oncology Videos for the Week of 3/15

Welcome to The Five Under 5, your go-to roundup of the top 5 videos of the week.

These short videos are designed for busy oncologists to view on the go, and feature expert insights on breaking news, regulatory updates, practice-changing data shared at medical meetings, and other key topics in the realm of oncology.

Here’s what you may have missed:

FDA Approval of Acalabrutinib Plus Venetoclax for CLL: Nicole Lamanna, MD

Nicole Lamanna, MD, of Columbia University Herbert Irving Medical Center, discusses the FDA approval of first-line acalabrutinib (Calquence) plus venetoclax (Venclexta) in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia based on the phase 3 AMPLIFY trial (NCT03836261). She highlights that the all-oral regimen improved progression-free survival (PFS) and rates of undetectable minimal residual disease vs chemoimmunotherapy. Lamanna notes that outcomes may differ by risk group, with higher-risk patients possibly benefiting from the addition of obinutuzumab (Gazyva). She emphasizes that although this approval marks a significant advance, questions remain regarding optimal patient selection and regimen tailoring.

Use of Pembrolizumab/Paclitaxel/Bevacizumab for Ovarian Cancer: Emese Zsiros, MD, PhD

Emese Zsiros, MD, PhD, FACOG, of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the FDA approval of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) plus paclitaxel plus or minus bevacizumab (Avastin) based data from the phase 3 KEYNOTE-B96 trial (NCT05116189). She highlights that the combination improved PFS in patients with PD-L1–positive, platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Zsiros emphasizes that recurrent ovarian cancer is increasingly understood as a biomarker-driven disease rather than a homogeneous entity. She notes that factors like folate receptor expression, HER2 status, and other biomarkers are shaping treatment selection in later lines.

Updated NCCN Guidelines for SCLC Relating to LEMS: Ticiana A. Leal, MD

Ticiana Leal, MD, of Emory University School of Medicine, discusses the importance of screening for Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS) in patients with small cell lung cancer presenting with neurologic symptoms. She explains that LEMS is a rare but impactful paraneoplastic syndrome that can significantly impair quality of life if unrecognized. Leal notes that symptoms like muscle weakness could be mistaken for cancer-related fatigue, resulting in underdiagnosis without targeted evaluation. She underscores that incorporating LEMS testing into clinical workflows and guidelines can enable earlier diagnosis and multidisciplinary management.

Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium: Rita Nanda, MD

Rita Nanda, MD, of University of Chicago Medicine, discusses the mission and structure of The Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium in advancing biomarker-driven clinical trials. She explains that the consortium brings together several institutions to design innovative studies focused on exploring personalized treatment strategies. Nanda highlights ongoing trials examining agents such as avelumab (Bavencio), palbociclib (Ibrance), sacituzumab govitecan-hziy (Trodelvy), and enzalutamide (Xtandi) across breast cancer subtypes. She underscores that these efforts reflect a broader shift toward precision oncology and improved patient-specific outcomes.

PSA Responses With Pasritamig Plus Docetaxel in mCRPC: David R. Wise, MD, PhD

David R. Wise, MD, PhD, of NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center, unpacks data from a phase 1b trial (NCT05818683) evaluating pasritamig plus docetaxel in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. He reports that the combination demonstrated high prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response rates, including strong PSA50 and PSA90 reductions, particularly in those with bone-only metastases. Wise notes that these results compare favorably to historical outcomes with docetaxel or single-agent pasritamig, suggesting additive or synergistic effects. He concludes that these early data support further investigation of the combination in this patient population.