Existing biosimilars are safe, effective alternatives to their reference biologics, and are increasingly being incorporated into oncology treatment guidelines. Technological advances that have emerged in the years since biologic agents entered

Advanced bladder cancer: Dr. Arjun Balar talks treatment strategies in a changing field

May 20th, 2021 27m 25s

Systemic treatment for advanced urothelial cancer is quickly evolving. On this week’s podcast, Arjun Balar, MD, director of the genitourinary medical oncology program at New York University discusses his approach amid changing times with guest

Gene therapies in hemophilia with Dr. Glenn Pierce

May 13th, 2021 24m 10s

A “very basic” type of gene therapy could potentially cure hemophilia, but a major hurdle has been the lack of an effective mode of delivery. Recent strides in using adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors are changing that, and Glenn Pierce, MD,

Thrombosis and thrombocytopenia caused by COVID-19 vaccines: How to identify and treat VITT, VIPIT, or TTS

May 6th, 2021 23m 11s

At least 17 cases of thrombosis and thrombocytopenia have been reported in patients who received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. Such events have been reported in patients who received the AstraZeneca vaccine as we

Toward more personalized treatment in prostate cancer: The CCR score predicts metastasis and guides treatment decisions after radiation

Apr 29th, 2021 28m 23s

The combined clinical cell-cycle risk (CCR) score uses clinical and genetic factors to assess the risk of metastasis after radiation therapy in patients with prostate cancer. The CCR score has proven accurate in studies and can guide post-radia

Changing perspectives: Dr. Michael Weiner recounts his experiences as an oncologist who became a cancer patient and then a caregiver

Apr 22nd, 2021 25m 28s

Pediatric oncologists are used to dealing with emotional, heart-wrenching situations, but oncology took on a new dimension for Michael Weiner, MD, when both he and his daughter were diagnosed with cancer. Dr. Weiner, a pediatric oncologist at C

Optimizing CAR T-cell therapies in lymphoma: Improving response, fighting cytokine release syndrome, and identifying mechanisms of resistance

Apr 15th, 2021 25m 38s

Studies have shown that chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies produce responses in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphomas, but researchers continue to look for ways to improve efficacy, decrease toxicity, and overcome tre

Trends in genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancer: Undertesting and racial/ethnic disparities persist

Apr 8th, 2021 26m 43s

Researchers have tracked the evolution of genetic germline testing in women with breast or ovarian cancer in recent years and reported the results in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Study author Allison W. Kurian, MD, of Stanford (Calif.) Un

Improving cancer screening in the COVID era: Drive By Flu-FIT allows for socially distanced colorectal cancer screening

Apr 1st, 2021 25m

A program called Drive By Flu-FIT has allowed for socially distanced colorectal cancer (CRC) screening during the COVID-19 pandemic. Armenta Washington, senior research coordinator at the University of Pennsylvania, describes the program to gue

Unpacking von Willebrand disease guidelines: Dr. Paula James talks diagnosis and pre-procedure prophylaxis

Mar 25th, 2021 18m 39s

Earlier this year, clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of von Willebrand disease (VWD) were published in Blood Advances. The guidelines (https://bit.ly/2OIfKLE) are a collaborative effort from the American Society of H

FDA approvals in hematology and oncology, Part II: New oral formulations, RET and MET inhibitors, and CAR T-cell therapies

Mar 18th, 2021 20m 16s

We continue our review of drugs recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the hematology/oncology space. In part 1 of our review, David M. Mintzer, MD, of Pennsylvania Hospital, highlighted 11 therapies, including newly-ap

How I treat CLL and MCL: From ‘watch and wait’ to BCL2 and BTK inhibitors, CAR T-cell therapy, and transplant

Mar 11th, 2021 22m 51s

Treatments for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) have advanced in recent years, with more new developments on the horizon. James Gerson, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, reviewed some of these

COVID-19 vaccination in cancer patients: Who should be vaccinated and when?

Mar 4th, 2021 30m 40s

When should cancer patients receive a COVID-19 vaccine? The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has issued recommendations to provide guidance on the topic. Guideline author Steven Pergam, MD, of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Cente

Managing pain in sickle cell crisis with Dr. Ifeyinwa Osunkwo

Feb 25th, 2021 26m 5s

Ifeyinwa (Ify) Osunkwo, MD, MPH, joins us to talk about her approach to pain management in patients suffering from sickle cell crisis as well as the cognitive and behavioral effects of long-term opioid use in these patients. She and our host Da

FDA approvals in hematology and oncology: Novel agents and new tricks for old drugs

Feb 18th, 2021 23m 25s

In this episode, we review drugs recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the hematology/oncology space. David M. Mintzer, MD, of Pennsylvania Hospital, joins host David H. Henry, MD, to highlight some first-time approvals and n

NCI-MATCH trial reveals actionable mutations and matches cancer patients to targeted therapies

Feb 11th, 2021 20m 8s

The NCI-MATCH trial was designed to reveal mutations in underexplored cancer types, allowing researchers to match patients to appropriate targeted therapies. Study investigator Alice P. Chen, MD, from the National Cancer Institute, reviews the

COVID-19 vaccine 101: Dr. Drew Weissman discusses mechanisms, efficacy, and vaccinating patients with cancer or HIV

Feb 4th, 2021 23m 45s

How do the various COVID-19 vaccines work, and when should patients be vaccinated? We tackle these topics and more in this episode. Our host David H. Henry, MD, is joined by Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania

Barriers to clinical trial enrollment for patients with gynecologic cancers: Why patients don’t participate and how to improve enrollment

Jan 28th, 2021 21m 38s

The greatest barrier to clinical trial enrollment is patients not knowing an appropriate trial exists, according to a survey of gynecologic cancer survivors. The most common reason survey respondents gave for not enrolling in clinical trials w

Convalescent plasma for COVID-19, race linked to cancer-associated thrombosis risk, iron deficiency common in pregnancy, and more from ‘Best of ASH’

Jan 21st, 2021 18m 59s

New studies have shed additional light on how convalescent plasma may affect patients with COVID-19, how blood type impacts bleeding risk, the effects of race on cancer-associated thrombosis, and iron deficiency in pregnancy. These studies were

Thrombosis research from ASH 2020: Khorana score falls short in cancer study, factors predict VTE in cancer patients with COVID-19, and antithrombotics don’t affect severe COVID outcomes

Jan 14th, 2021 24m 31s

Three studies revealed new findings on thrombosis in patients with cancer and/or COVID-19. These studies were presented at the 2020 annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology. One study suggested the Khorana score may be ineffective f

Highlights from SABCS 2020: New data on CDK4/6 inhibitors, omitting chemotherapy and radiotherapy, underreporting toxicity, and predicting outcomes in breast cancer

Jan 7th, 2021 52m 13s

A number of groundbreaking and practice-changing studies were presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2020. The RxPONDER, ADAPT, and PRIME-2 trials revealed patients who can forgo chemotherapy or radiotherapy, monarchE and PENELOPE

Best of Blood & Cancer 2020

Dec 24th, 2020 40m 24s

In this episode, we bring you clips from the best Blood & Cancer shows of 2020. Blood & Cancer will be back with new episodes in 2021. ESMO 2020: Late-breaking and practice-changing studies on COVID-19 and breast, lung, gastrointestinal, and

Oncology News from SABCS 2020 | More women may forgo chemo for breast cancer, surgery's role in opioid use

Dec 22nd, 2020 7m 53s

News from SABCS 2020: RxPONDER: Even more women may forgo chemo for breast cancer: https://bit.ly/2LIYjZt Breast surgery may be a gateway to addictive medication use: https://bit.ly/3gSWfJF Pregnancy after breast cancer is rockier but doesn’t

How does COVID-19 affect patients with hematologic malignancies? The ASH registry provides some answers

Dec 17th, 2020 26m 33s

The ASH Research Collaborative COVID-19 Registry for Hematology was established earlier this year to study patients with hematologic malignancies diagnosed with COVID-19. Now, the registry also includes patients with nonmalignant hematologic di

News from ASH 2020: 'Practice-changing' results with ruxolitinib in chronic GVHD and no benefit seen with tranexamic acid in patients with blood cancers and severe thrombocytopenia

Dec 15th, 2020 9m 41s

News from ASH 2020: No benefit from tranexamic acid prophylaxis in blood cancers: https://bit.ly/2K3Mah1 ‘Practice changing’: Ruxolitinib as second-line in chronic GVHD: https://bit.ly/3gT4kyg Durable responses with anti-BCMA CAR T-cell for m