Hematologic Oncology

The triplet regimen of melphalan flufenamide with dexamethasone and either daratumumab or bortezomib demonstrated encouraging clinical activity and was well tolerated in patients with heavily pretreated relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

Ixazomib-based triplet regimens as induction therapy elicited higher rates of efficacy compared with ixazomib/dexamethasone alone, followed by single-agent ixazomib maintenance, in patients with transplant-ineligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

Exploring other investigational BCMA-targeting agents such as teclistamab, AMG 701, and TNB-383B for the management of RRMM. 

Nina Shah, MD, leads the conversation of using BCMA-targeted antibody-drug conjugate belantamab mafodotin, and the emerging role of CAR T-cell therapy when treating RRMM. 

Treatment with 1 cycle of blinatumomab prior to transplant was found to result in a significant improvement in event-free survival vs standard intensive multidrug chemotherapy in pediatric patients with high-risk, first-relapse B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The treatment paradigm for chronic lymphocytic leukemia has expanded beyond continuous treatment with BTK inhibitors with the addition of the time-limited regimen of venetoclax plus obinutuzumab.

Targeted DNA sequencing prior to transplant can be used to determine which patients with myelodysplastic syndrome are at high risk for posttransplant relapse and should forego reduced-intensity conditioning in lieu of myeloablative conditioning.

Now, a new type of antibody-based therapy may overcome the limitations of monoclonal antibodies, and it has the potential to disrupt the current treatment paradigm in oncology.

Key opinion leaders discuss treatment goals, considerations, and guideline recommendations for patients with low- or high-risk polycythemia vera.

Evaluating treatment, diagnostic criteria, and risk-assessment tools in polycythemia vera.

Christopher R. D’Angelo, MD, discusses novel therapeutics under investigation in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

There is building evidence that novel combination therapies could be effective in treating early relapsed multiple myeloma.

Genomic sequencing is a critical step in informing the prognosis of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and more information regarding specific subgroups of ALL, such as lineage ambiguous ALL, could pave the way for more personalized therapies for patients.

Although it is too soon to tell whether the addition of a CD20-directed antibody to novel agents in relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma should become standard practice, it is clear that immunotherapy could represent the next paradigm shift.

With an increased understanding of disease biology, several approaches are under examination to optimize the management of patients with graft-versus-host disease.

Health Canada has approved the BTK inhibitor zanubrutinib for the treatment of adult patients with Waldenström macroglobulinemia.

Christopher R. D’Angelo, MD, discusses sequencing therapies for patients with lymphoma.

Minimal residual disease has helped to predict relapse in numerous leukemia subtypes, with novel testing methods helping to identify the biomarker at a higher sensitivity than ever before.