Matthew S. Davids, MD, on CLL/SLL: New Data on Ibrutinib, Venetoclax, and Rituximab Therapies
2020 ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition
Matthew S. Davids, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, summarizes three key studies from a session he co-moderated on ibrutinib plus venetoclax for first-line treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), long-term responses to these agents for relapsed and refractory CLL, and undetectable minimal residual disease following fixed-duration treatment with venetoclax and rituximab for CLL (Abstracts 123, 124, and 125).
The ASCO Post Staff
Jyoti Nangalia, MBBChir, of Wellcome Sanger Institute and the University of Cambridge, discusses how her team used large-scale whole-genome sequencing to precisely time the origins of a blood cancer and measure how it grew. The information could provide opportunities for early diagnosis and intervention (Abstract LBA-1).
The ASCO Post Staff
Curtis Lachowiez, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses an interim analysis of a phase Ib/II study showing that venetoclax plus chemotherapy represents an effective regimen, particularly in patients with newly diagnosed and relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia. The regimen appears to be an effective bridge to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Abstract 332).
The ASCO Post Staff
Smita Bhatia, MD, MPH, and Radhika Gangaraju, MD, both of the Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship, University of Alabama at Birmingham, discuss findings that showed survivors of bone marrow transplants are at a 7- to 12-fold higher risk of coronary heart disease than a sibling comparison group. They recommend aggressive management of cardiovascular risk factors to prevent morbidity from heart disease in this patient population (Abstract 73).
The ASCO Post Staff
Andrew D. Zelenetz, MD, PhD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, offers his expert views on five treatment studies in mantle cell lymphoma focusing on the next-generation BTK inhibitor LOXO-305; lisocabtagene maraleucel; minimal residual disease monitoring following autologous stem cell transplantation with or without rituximab maintenance; the antibody-drug conjugate VLS-101; and venetoclax, lenalidomide, and rituximab (Abstracts 117, 118, 120, 121, 122).
The ASCO Post Staff
Ann-Kathrin Eisfeld, MD, of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses SEER data showing that patients with acute myeloid leukemia who are Black and younger than age 60 may have poor survival outcomes, a disparity that should be addressed and further studied to establish molecular risk profiles (Abstract 6).
