Silvia Formenti, MD, on Testing Radiation and Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Different Tumor Settings
AACR Virtual Annual Meeting 2020 II
Silvia Formenti, MD, of Weill Cornell Medical College, discusses her continuing work, and the promising results emerging, in combining radiotherapy with immunotherapy to boost abscopal response rates. This combination therapy extends the use of radiotherapy to promote antitumor T-cell responses for both local and metastatic disease (Session ED37).
The ASCO Post Staff
Ralph R. Weichselbaum, MD, of the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center, explores the question of whether radiotherapy is the principal curative treatment with immunotherapy or activates immunotherapy. He also discussed how to improve the interaction of these treatments, perhaps with vaccination, transfer of genetically engineered T cells, or checkpoint inhibitors (Session ED37).
The ASCO Post Staff
Nasser K. Altorki, MD, of Weill Cornell Medical College, discusses study findings that suggest neoadjuvant low-dose focal stereotactic body radiation plus immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is safe and causes no surgical delays in early-stage lung cancer, and that major pathologic response rates are likely to be comparable to those with chemotherapy/ICB combinations (Session ED37).
The ASCO Post Staff
Xavier Llor, MD, PhD, of Yale University School of Medicine, discusses the steep rise of early-onset colorectal cancer over the past 15 years, which cannot be explained by genetic predisposition but may be prompted by environmental factors (Session ED35).
The ASCO Post Staff
Antoni Ribas, MD, PhD, of the University of California, Los Angeles, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, summarizes a special panel discussion on ways to eliminate cancer health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities. Increasing minority representation in clinical trials, thus ensuring diversity, and recognizing the accomplishments of minority scientists and clinicians in the cancer workforce are among the solutions discussed (Session VSS08).
The ASCO Post Staff
Stacey A. Fedewa, PhD, of the American Cancer Society, discusses the increasing incidence rates of colorectal, breast, kidney, thyroid, uterine corpus, and cervical disease in younger patients. Data show that colorectal cancer is increasing most rapidly, while breast cancer—the most common cancer among young women—is rising at a slower pace (Session ED35).
