Five Under 5: Top Oncology Videos for the Week of 2/23

The top 5 videos of the week cover insights in ovarian cancer, NSCLC, CSCC, follicular lymphoma, and CLL.

Welcome to The Five Under 5, your go-to roundup of the top 5 videos of the week.

These short videos are designed for busy oncologists to view on the go, and feature expert insights on breaking news, regulatory updates, practice-changing data shared at medical meetings, and other key topics in the realm of oncology.

Here’s what you may have missed:

Stéphanie Lheureux, MD, PhD, of Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and University of Toronto, discusses the evolving treatment landscape for ovarian and gynecologic cancers, emphasizing the importance of optimizing therapy delivery, timing, and sequencing to improve patient outcomes. She highlights emerging approaches like antibody-drug conjugates and advanced radiation therapies, such as brachytherapy, which are designed to enhance efficacy while minimizing damage to healthy tissues. Despite these advancements, Lheureux notes that critical questions remain regarding treatment optimization, requiring further exploration to refine strategies and achieve better results for patients.

D. Ross Camidge, MD, PhD, of University of Colorado Cancer Center – Anschutz Medical Campus, discusses how the discovery of ALK mutations in non–small cell lung cancer has advanced precision medicine and the importance of comprehensive genomic testing for identifying actionable mutations. He highlights challenges in interpreting negative biomarker results, emphasizing that liquid biopsies may yield false negatives and that tissue biopsies remain the gold standard for certain patients. Despite advancements in ALK inhibitor therapies, resistance remains a challenge, requiring potential shifts to next-generation inhibitors or combination therapies targeting alternative pathways to manage tumor progression.

Sapna Patel, MD, of University of Colorado Cancer Center, discusses the potential for adjuvant immunotherapy in high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC), noting that it remains uncertain whether the treatment paradigm for melanoma should be applied to this disease. She highlights the discontinuation of the KEYNOTE-630 trial (NCT03833167) for pembrolizumab (Keytruda) due to a lack of significant improvement in recurrence-free survival, suggesting it may not be beneficial for this population. However, the phase 3 C-POST trial (NCT03969004) showed that cemiplimab (Libtayo) reduced the risk of disease recurrence or death by 68%, indicative of a potentially promising approach. More results expected later in the year may further provide insight into the benefit of this approach in patients with high-risk CSCC.

Elizabeth A. Brem, MD, of University of California Irvine, discusses the potential shift in treatment for follicular lymphoma following promising data from the phase 3 OLYMPIA-1 trial (NCT06091254), which evaluated odronextamab as monotherapy. The safety lead-in data demonstrated that outpatient administration of odronextamab was feasible, with no major safety concerns and high remission rates, suggesting a potential opportunity to move away from chemotherapy. Brem highlights that newer therapies, such as bispecific antibodies and CAR T-cell therapies, could improve the treatment landscape for follicular lymphoma, with ongoing trials slated to offer further insights.

Farrukh Awan, MD, of Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, discusses the selection of CAR T-cell therapy and pirtobrutinib (Jaypirca) for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). He notes that ideal candidates for CAR T-cell therapy are those who are refractory to both BTK inhibitors and BCL-2 inhibitors. Pirtobrutinib, which received accelerated FDA approval in 2023, serves as a bridging therapy for patients with double-refractory CLL, offering disease stabilization until CAR T-cell therapy can be administered. Awan also highlights the evolving role of bispecific antibodies and emerging therapies like noncovalent BTK inhibitors and BTK degraders as potential strategies to manage refractory CLL.