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).
Ramaswamy Govindan, MD, of Washington University School of Medicine, discusses sex differences in lung cancer, including variations in treatment response, and the state of research in the field (Session ED20).
Alfonso Bencomo Álvarez, PhD, of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, discusses his retrospective study of the incidence and survival for patients with hematologic malignancies residing at the United States/Mexico border. The analysis showed that 10-year survival rates for Hispanic patients with ALL, AML, and CML were significantly lower for those who lived in El Paso than for those who lived elsewhere in Texas (Abstract 4343).
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).
Adam C. Palmer, PhD, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, discusses combining immune checkpoint inhibitors with other cancer therapies to provide patients with more chances of a response. In principle, similar benefits may result from sequential or biomarker-stratified treatments, which could be valuable in cases where toxicities may prevent full-dose combinations (Abstract 1047).
Elizabeth H. Stover, MD, PhD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discusses an analysis of genomic alterations in patients with relapsed ovarian cancer who were treated with nivolumab plus bevacizumab in a phase II clinical trial. The study was conducted to identify potential biomarkers of response (Abstract 1048).
