Medical Oncology
Physician insights on cancer treatment protocols, immunotherapy, targeted therapies, and clinical trial updates.
Recent Discussions
What is the preferred second line agent for a woman with metastatic vulvar cancer who has progressed on carboplatin/paclitaxel?
There is not one preferred second line agent for women with metastatic vulvar cancer who have progressed on carboplatin/paclitaxel. My preference is to put those patients on clinical trial, if possible. Next generation sequencing of the tumor could guide placement into a trial (such as MATCH or TAPU...
Would you go back and do an axillary lymph node dissection if a sentinel lymph node biopsy showed a single lymph node with extracapsular extension?
For microscopic ECE, would manage with comprehensive RNI but if gross ECE, would favor dissection and then RT.
Would you recommend axillary dissection for a patient with cT1N1 triple negative metaplastic breast cancer?
Although these cancers are underrepresented in SNLN and RT studies, we treat with the same principle like any other breast cancer with SNLN bx. Gebhardt et al., PMID 30197938
Did the approval of lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan (Pluvicto) change how you image and manage patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer?
The FDA approval of Pluvicto was a welcome addition to a growing list of treatments for patients with mCRPC. Logistical issues with administration have slowed the routine implementation of this therapy in the US. In terms of imaging, a PSMA-PET is required prior to the administration of Pluvicto to ...
What is the best management for a patient with advanced renal medullary carcinoma?
Very interesting regarding case reports of long term responses with proteasome inhibitors. Thanks for sharing.
Can defibrotide be given safely for VOD in patients with refractory thrombocytopenia to platelet transfusions?
The short answer is "yes."The slightly longer answer is: “Yes, and in patients with veno-occlusive disease (VOD), the use of defibrotide is potentially life-saving (Richardson et al., PMID 26825712).” In the cited study, which led to its FDA approval for this indication, there was no significant dif...
Can defibrotide be given safely for VOD in patients with refractory thrombocytopenia to platelet transfusions?
The short answer is "yes."The slightly longer answer is: “Yes, and in patients with veno-occlusive disease (VOD), the use of defibrotide is potentially life-saving (Richardson et al., PMID 26825712).” In the cited study, which led to its FDA approval for this indication, there was no significant dif...
Would you consider splenic radiation in stage IV CD5+ DLBCL involving the bone marrow in patients who initially presented with symptomatic splenomegaly, anemia, and thrombocytopenia but achieved complete response on PET after 6 cycles of R-miniCHOP?
CD5 positivity is an adverse prognostic factor in DLBCL. About 5% of patients with DLBCL are CD5+. Other adverse risk factors are often present in these patients (advanced age, non-germinal center histology, high IPI, etc.). More generally speaking, the role of consolidation RT in advanced DLBCL is ...
Is there data to suggest that definitive chemoradiation to 70Gy vs. postoperative chemoradiation to 60 or 66Gy has any different clinically significant effects on long term swallowing function and other side effects of H&N cancer treatment?
There are no good comparisons. The surgical literature that focuses on TLM/TORS tries to make this claim, but if you look at modern IMRT series, G-tube rates are equivalent, and are in part dependent on T_stage, since a T4 pt is more likely than a T1 pt to get chronic dysphagia. There are also no co...
For early stage indolent NHL (low grade follicular, MALT) involving midline structures of the head and neck (ie base of tongue, soft palate) how do you apply the concepts of ISRT?
@Dr. First Last,I think your question is a good one and probably not one answerable by definitive data. However, the recent publication of the ILROG guidelines on extranodal disease (Yahalom et al, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25863750) and bulk of available data I believe suggest that it’s o...