Medical Oncology
Physician insights on cancer treatment protocols, immunotherapy, targeted therapies, and clinical trial updates.
Recent Discussions
Should a pregnant woman who is heterozygous for factor V Leiden who has never had a thrombotic event receive prophylactic anticoagulation?
This is a common situation and lacks evidence based recommendations. Recent ASH guidelines (Bates et al., PMID 30482767) suggest against routine antepartum prophylaxis in this situation. However, it is important to have a balanced discussion with the patient. In my experience, most would choose prop...
How do you approach heparin management in patients who have suprathetherapeutic Xa levels on minimal heparin?
Assuming heparin is administered using standard weight-based dosing, that the infusion rate is being accurately monitored, and that the assay was done properly, very high anti-Xa levels that persist despite lowering the heparin dose would be most unusual. In that setting, I would suspect that either...
How do you manage recurrent portal vein thromboses in a patient with JAK2+ PV on therapeutic anticoagulation and appropriate cytoreduction?
How do you manage recurrent portal vein thromboses in a patient with JAK2+ PV on therapeutic anticoagulation and appropriate cytoreduction? Recurrent thromboses despite therapeutic enoxaparin. Other hypercoagulable work-up negative. This clinical situation is one of the three pressing unresolved pro...
Does potential longterm risk for leukemia influence your decision for using hydroxyurea in young patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms?
Thanks for the great question. I think there is a range of passionate options about the matter, which is sure to stir up debate. One can infer by the number of opinions on the topic, the data is limited (where data lacks, opinions abound). So here is my take: It does not influence my decision making...
How do you manage real-time release of pathology and radiology results to oncology patients following enaction of the CURES act?
Even prior to the Cures Act, I worked in a place where lab and imaging results were immediately available to patients through their smartphone app. A few memorable encounters: Patient 1 - told me his favorable PSA result when I walked in the room and basically told me the plan going forward, (which ...
How do you interpret a Deauville score of 3 on PET when performing mid-treatment assessments in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma?
A Deauville score of 3 or less in an area of disease previously positive (Deauville score of 4 or 5) at interim assessment is considered to be a complete metabolic response (Lugano criteria, Cheson et al. JCO 2014). Some studies evaluating a de-escalation of therapy based on interim assessment may c...
Does R-CHOP provide durable remission in low-risk pediatric Burkitt or Burkitt-like lymphoma?
It depends on your definition of "low-risk". Historically, the FAB defined low risk as FAB Group A (resected Murphy stage 1 tumor and resected Murphy stage 2 abdominal primary). Gerard's paper in BJH in 2008 reported a 98% EFS with two cycles of COPAD (basically CHOP with fractionated cytoxan) and n...
When do you consider plasma exchange for multiorgan failure in a patient with sickle cell disease?
The first choice for treating multiorgan failure in sickle cell disease is exchange transfusion that should be started as soon as possible. Sometimes the clinical and hematologic features of sickle cell multiorgan failure resemble and overlap those of thrombotic microangiopathies like TTP. Also, tru...
For relapsed/refractory myeloma, how long of a disease-free interval from first autologous transplant do you recommend before considering a second autologous transplant?
This is an excellent question, and I appreciate Dr. @Dr. First Last's choice of "second ASCT" and not "salvage ASCT" - I still catch myself saying the latter, but the wording is as patient-unfriendly as it gets.When considering a second ASCT (whether with repeat collection or with cells saved up fro...
Would you check vitamin B6 routinely in the work up of anemia?
I only consider it when I see ringed sideroblasts in the marrow. It is on the differential of things that lead to ringed sideroblasts. "Pyridoxine responsive anemia", which can be inherited or acquired. However, in my experience, it is very rare. Even the couple of people I have had with mildly decr...