Christopher H. Lieu, MD
Clifford A. Hudis, MD, FACP, FASCO
The ASCO eLearning Multidisciplinary Molecular Tumor Boards (MMTBs) offer participants an opportunity to learn from experts and from each other on a variety of tumor-based topics. MMTB formats alternate between slide-based and discussion forum-based layouts. The discussion-based MMTBs are an educational collaboration between the College of American Pathologists, the Association for Molecular Pathology, and ASCO. Open to oncology professionals of all specialties and career stages, MMTBs are free to access and participate in.
Discussion forum–based tumor boards are participant-driven discussions designed to help cancer care providers with the interpretation and understanding of molecular profiling tests and studies as they apply to patient care. Using a crowdsourced approach, one or two patient cases are presented along with discussion questions for participants to answer.
Past discussion forum topics include:
- High-grade B-cell lymphoma
- EGFR-mutated non–small cell lung cancer
- Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia
- Mismatch repair colorectal cancer
- Diffuse glioma
- HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.
Moderated by expert pathologists and medical oncologists, each case is updated with new information over a 2-week period as comments are added. After 2 weeks, the discussion forum is closed to further commentary. The discussion summary is then published as an ASCO eLearning course whereby participants can claim continuing education/continuing medical education credit and maintenance of certification points.
ASCO eLearning Editorial Board member Christopher H. Lieu, MD, explained, “The multidisciplinary nature of these tumor boards helps providers address complex tumor alterations in a rapidly evolving treatment landscape. With multiple experts in different specialties providing up-to-date recommendations, we can ensure that each patient case is provided with the best possible, and feasible, treatment and management recommendations from the team.”
The June 2019 MMTB discussion about mismatch repair–deficient gastrointestinal cancers exemplifies the thoughtful exchange of ideas that the series was developed to cultivate. With a focus on somatic mutations of mismatch repair genes in gastrointestinal malignancies, this forum yielded strong engagement from oncology professionals of various specialties who practice around the world, including ASCO Chief Executive Officer Clifford A. Hudis, MD, FACP, FASCO. Participants offered a range of perspectives and approaches to treating two patient cases, resulting in a dynamic and educational collaboration.
The discussion objectives of this tumor board were:
- Optimizing treatment of patients with somatic mutations in mismatch repair genes, but without germline mutations
- Evaluating the use of tumor mutational burden as a predictive biomarker
- Evaluating the sequence of systemic therapies in gastrointestinal malignancies with mismatch repair deficiency.
“In the June 2019 gastrointestinal [cancers] MMTB, the team discussed the impact of somatic and germline mismatch repair mutations and their impact on the treatment landscape for our patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. With the recent emergence of immunotherapy options for this patient population, this was a timely and impactful discussion that affects this relatively small but critically important patient population,” said Dr. Lieu.
ASCO eLearning welcomes learners to submit their hypothetical cases for future consideration on MMTB topics. To read the June MMTB summary and those of other tumor boards, visit elearning.asco.org and click the MMTB card on the homepage.■
© 2019. American Society of Clinical Oncology. All rights reserved.
