Giuseppe Giaccone, MD, PhD, is a professor of medicine and associate director of clinical research at the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, New York.

As is the case with many rare cancers, investigators struggle to find funding to research thymic cancers. On one level, Giaccone understands that there will be less funding available when compared with a malignancy such as breast cancer. However, for patients with thymic cancer, this reach is absolutely vital.

The Department of Defense and small foundations make some funding available. However, Giaccone would like to see the federal government take a more proactive role in making money available for this resarch. 

Videos

Giuseppe Giaccone, MD, PhD, highlights the difficulties with funding for research focused on rare cancers. 

Dr. Giaconne on the Lack of Funding for Rare Cancers Research

Giuseppe Giaccone, MD, PhD, is a professor of medicine and associate director of clinical research at the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, New York, discusses investigational agents in thymic cancers.

Thymic cancers are understudied and research is underfunded. Nonetheless, there are recent data with investigator agents that Giaccone is interested in. He believes combinations of immunotherapy and anti-angiogensis agents are the future of treatment for patients with thymic cancers, specifically, as well as solid tumors in general.

In the phase 2 CAVEAT trial, investigators found that combination of avelumab (Bavencio) and axitinib (Inlyta) induced a promising response rate in pretreated patients with advanced type B3 thymoma and thymic carcinoma. He added that pembrolizumab (Keytruda) has demonstrated durable responses in this patient population.

Giuseppe Giaccone, MD, PhD, discusses recent data with investigational therapies for patients with thymic cancer. 

Dr. Giaccone on Investigational Agents in Thymic Cancers

Giuseppe Giaconne, MD, PhD, is professor of medicine and associate director of clinical research at the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine, in New York, New York.

Cancers of the thymus, a small organ located in the mediastinum above the heart, affect 400 to 600 Americans annually. Giaconne said the disease can be difficult to classify histologically, so the actual incidence is unclear.

He added that the rareness of the disease means that few pathologists have experience detecting thymic cancer. As such, only major cancer centers have good experience classifying these maligancies.

Giuseppe Giaconne, MD, PhD, discusses why thymic cancers can be difficult to classify histologically, so the actual incidence is unclear.

Dr. Giaccone on the Challenge of Diagnosing Thymic Cancers

Giuseppe Giaconne, MD, PhD, is professor of medicine and associate director of clinical research at the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center and Yongfeng He, PhD, is an instructor an instructor of cancer biology in medicine, both at Weill Cornell Medicine, in New York, New York.

Cancers of the thymus, a small organ located in the mediastinum above the heart, are uncommon and understudied. Giaconne and He both say it is difficult to attract attention and research funding for a disease that only affects 400 to 600 Americans annually.

Patient advocacy organizations have worked to raise awareness of thymic malignancies. They would like to see the development of a patient network that helps keep both physicians and patients abreast of new developments in treatment.

Giuseppe Giaconne, MD, PhD, and Yongfeng He, PhD, 
discuss how cancers of the thymus, a small organ located in the mediastinum above the heart, are uncommon and understudied. 

Drs Giaccone and He on Raising Awareness in Thymic Cancers

Giuseppe Giaccone, MD, PhD, chief, Thoracic Oncology, associate director, Clinical Research, Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, discusses current treatment options in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). 

Since the introduction of immunotherapy to the treatment paradigm, the majority of patients with NSCLC will receive immunotherapy in the first-line setting as single-agent or combination treatment, says Giaccone.

However, some patients with contraindications, such as autoimmune diseases, may not be eligible for immunotherapy, explains Giaccone.

For most patients, checkpoint inhibitors such as pembrolizumab (Keytruda), nivolumab (Opdivo), ipilimumab (Yervoy), and atezolizumab (Tecentriq) are utilized, Giaccone says.

Patients who progress on checkpoint inhibitors will likely receive standard chemotherapy with docetaxel or pemetrexed in the second-line setting, concludes Giaccone. 

Giuseppe Giaccone, MD, PhD, discusses current treatment options in non–small cell lung cancer.  



Giuseppe Giaccone, MD, PhD

Articles

Dr. Giaconne on the Lack of Funding for Rare Cancers Research

Dr. Giaccone on Investigational Agents in Thymic Cancers

Dr. Giaccone on the Challenge of Diagnosing Thymic Cancers

Drs Giaccone and He on Raising Awareness in Thymic Cancers

Dr. Giaccone on Treatment Options in NSCLC