Medical Oncology
Physician insights on cancer treatment protocols, immunotherapy, targeted therapies, and clinical trial updates.
Recent Discussions
What clinical or logistical factors influence your choice of anti-CD38 antibody in first-line treatment of multiple myeloma?
I generally use daratumumab, because subcutaneous is more convenient for patients, and we go to once-a-month dosing much quicker with daratumumab compared to isatuximab. Once isatuximab subcutaneous is available, this advantage of daratumumab may be lost, but given comfort and familiarity with darat...
What strategies do you find helpful in advanced care planning with patients/families who are very "miracle" centered?
Hope for the miracle yourself! Broaden: “Are there any other things you are hoping for?” Hope for the best, prepare for the worst: “I see how much you want a miracle. I wonder if we can talk about what we should do if this doesn’t happen.” Consider involving a religious leader if relevant.
What is your current practice for obtaining mutation status for a patient with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer?
My current practice is to test all newly diagnosed epithelial ovarian cancer patients (includes fallopian tube and peritoneal) with both germline multigene and somatic multigene/NGS panels. Only recently have I adopted the practice of concurrent testing at diagnosis rather than basing the decision t...
How do you approach the treatment of HSCT-associated thrombotic microangiopathy?
TMA can be due to multiple insults: If the patient is on tacrolimus or cyclosporine, the dose should be reduced. These drugs cause the renal afferent arterioles to spasm, and RBC fragmentation can occur on that basis. It typically responds to a dose reduction If the patient was conditioning with TB...
How do you approach the treatment of HSCT-associated thrombotic microangiopathy?
TMA can be due to multiple insults: If the patient is on tacrolimus or cyclosporine, the dose should be reduced. These drugs cause the renal afferent arterioles to spasm, and RBC fragmentation can occur on that basis. It typically responds to a dose reduction If the patient was conditioning with TB...
What is your treatment approach for a pediatric patient with H3K27M-mutant diffuse midline glioma following progression after radiation therapy?
First, if the patient is at least six months from initial radiation and has had a reasonable initial response, reirradiation is the best proven treatment for recurrence. We would also encourage enrollment on a clinical trial (the DMG National Tumor Board is a helpful resource for determining for whi...
How do you approach deciding which patients with hemophilia B to recommend for gene therapy?
There is no standard protocol for who gene therapy is recommended for, but certainly, potential candidates must meet all criteria according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Gray areas may exist if there is some preexisting liver disease, where hepatology consultation is desired to help determi...
How do you approach deciding which patients with hemophilia B to recommend for gene therapy?
There is no standard protocol for who gene therapy is recommended for, but certainly, potential candidates must meet all criteria according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Gray areas may exist if there is some preexisting liver disease, where hepatology consultation is desired to help determi...
What is your approach to managing iron overload in children with transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia who have adherence challenges or toxicity with standard chelation regimens?
I would divide the adherence issues into two populations. The younger children where a caregiver is responsible for administering the chelation, and adolescents where caregivers have passed on the responsibility to the patient. For the former, adherence is reinforced with an explanation of the possi...
What is your approach to managing iron overload in children with transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia who have adherence challenges or toxicity with standard chelation regimens?
I would divide the adherence issues into two populations. The younger children where a caregiver is responsible for administering the chelation, and adolescents where caregivers have passed on the responsibility to the patient. For the former, adherence is reinforced with an explanation of the possi...