Gastrointestinal Cancer

Chemokine receptor type 2, a major recruiter of circulating monocytes that subsequently develop into a protumoral type of macrophage within the tumor microenvironment, has emerged as a promising therapeutic target.

The NCCN has updated their clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer to include the regimen of encorafenib and binimetinib plus EGFR inhibition with either cetuximab or panitumumab as a Category 2a treatment recommendation for patients with BRAF V600E–mutant metastatic colorectal cancer, after failure of 1 or 2 lines of therapy for metastatic disease.

Hope E. Uronis, MD, MHS, sheds light on therapeutic classes in gastric and esophageal cancer and the trials that have demonstrated their utility and refined their applicability across settings, subpopulations, and histologies of gastric/GEJ cancer.

Michael A. Morse, MD, FACP, MHS, highlights the latest ongoing research in hepatocellular carcinoma and predicts what future treatment might look like in this field.

Given the poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer and the steady stream of negative phase III trials, clinicians are facing an uphill battle in the treatment of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.

John Strickler, MD, assistant professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine, gastrointestinal oncologist, Duke Cancer Institute, discusses therapies for rare variants of relapsed/refractory colorectal cancer.

Nilofer Saba Azad, MD, discusses data from 3 recent pivotal trials have influenced practice and/or warrant consideration when treating patients with localized pancreatic cancer.

Jonathan R. Strosberg, MD, sheds light on the latest developments made in the complex treatment paradigm of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

The adjuvant combination of nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine was not found to improve disease-free survival compared with gemcitabine alone, as confirmed by independent radiological review, in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Damian Laber, MD, hematologist/oncologist, senior member, Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses the PRODIGE 35-PANOPTIMOX trial in metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Michael Morse, MD, FACP, MHS, highlights the importance of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy in the management of patients with neuroendocrine tumors and identifies significant unmet needs that will need to be addressed in order to continue advancement in the space.

Autumn McRee, MD, highlights promising adjuvant/neoadjuvant strategies under investigation in the pancreatic cancer space and stresses the importance of using a multidisciplinary treatment approach to improve patient outcomes.

Michael S. Lee, MD, sheds light on the treatment options available in the metastatic colorectal cancer space and highlights strategies poised to improve patient outcomes.

Niharika B. Mettu, MD, PhD, discusses frontline approaches, maintenance therapy, sequencing strategies, and emerging agents for patients with newly diagnosed metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Yixing Jiang, BM, PhD, associate professor of medicine, director, Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology Marlene Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, discusses the future of immunotherapy in microsatellite stable (MSS) colorectal cancer (CRC).

John Strickler, MD, highlights important data in the metastatic colorectal cancer space and challenges that remain for oncologists working in the field.

Higher costs associated with advanced stage pancreatic cancer, are potentially avoidable with screening and earlier treatment. However, the US Preventive Services Task Force in an ongoing draft review has reaffirmed its stance against screening in asymptomatic individuals.

Niharika B. Mettu, MD, PhD, assistant professor medicine, Duke Cancer Institute, discusses the potential of CPI-613 in the treatment of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the few cancers that is on the rise, and this means that the overall cost of treating this disease is also climbing.

Benjamin Weinberg, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, discusses the importance of broad molecular profiling in patients with gastrointestinal cancers.

George P. Kim, MD, discusses areas of active investigation in the Washington, DC, area.

Timothy L. Cannon, MD, discusses how pivotal clinical trials have impacted the gastric cancer treatment landscape.

Benjamin Weinberg, MD, discusses frontline standards of care in metastatic pancreatic cancer and highlights emerging agents targeting the stroma.

Ana Maria Cristina De Jesus-Acosta, MD, discusses somatostatin analogs and peptide receptor radionucleotide therapy, and spoke to the discussion regarding the optimal sequence of therapy in patients with neuroendocrine tumors.

John L. Marshall, MD, chief, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Medstar Georgetown University Hospital director, Otto J. Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Georgetown-Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses personalized chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer.

Aiwu Ruth He, MD, PhD, discusses the newly crowded treatment landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma and highlights next steps for research.

John L. Marshall, MD, discusses the current and future scope of metastatic colorectal cancer.

Matthew H.G. Katz, MD, FACS, associate professor, Department of Surgical Oncology, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses preoperative chemoradiation for the treatment of patients with localized pancreatic cancer.

The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has adopted a positive opinion for a new extended dosing schedule for pembrolizumab for all of the PD-1 inhibitor’s monotherapy indications in the European Union.

Douglas A. Nelson, MD, discusses key advances made in the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer, and sheds light on remaining challenges in these paradigms.