Mikkael Sekeres, MD, MS, on MDS and Exposure to Agent Orange
ASH 2025
Mikkael Sekeres, MD, MS, Chief, Division of Hematology and Professor of Medicine at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, presents findings from a new study that connects exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange to earlier and more severe cases of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Researchers concluded that exposure is associated with younger age at MDS diagnosis, ultimate MDS diagnosis, genetic complexity of MDS, increased risk of disease progression, and with Black race (Abstract 5626).
The ASCO Post Staff
Nitin Jain, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, reviews findings from a phase II trial of pirtobrutinib, venetoclax, and obinutuzumab for patients with Richter transformation (Abstract 89).
The ASCO Post Staff
The telomerase inhibitor imetelstat was approved for the treatment of certain patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) based on the results of the phase III IMerge trial. Valeria Santini, MD, of the University of Florence, provides updates on secondary endpoints, including overall and progression-free survival; progression to acute myeloid leukemia; safety; and long-term outcomes by subgroups of interest in IMerge, as well as ad hoc outcomes, including overall survival by response (Abstract 2074).
The ASCO Post Staff
Benjamin Diamond, MD, of the University of Miami, describes findings from the single-center phase II REKINDLE trial, which looked at the combination regimen of iberdomide, carfilzomib, daratumumab, and dexamethasone in patients with early relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (Abstract 251).
The ASCO Post Staff
Othman Al-Sawaf, MD, PhD, of the University Hospital of Cologne, presents results from the phase III CLL17 trial, which compared continuous ibrutinib monotherapy to fixed-duration venetoclax plus obinutuzumab to fixed-duration venetoclax plus ibrutinib for previously untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) (Abstract 1).
The ASCO Post Staff
Amir Fathi, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses data from the phase II PARADIGM trial, which prospectively tested whether azacitidine plus venetoclax was superior to intensive induction chemotherapy in fit patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML)—and could challenge the current treatment standard (Abstract 6).
