VJHemOnc Podcast

iwMDS wrap-up: translating research into practice to optimize patient care

VJHemOnc recently attended the 3rd International Workshop on Myelodysplastic Syndromes & Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (iwMDS & iwMPN) 2025, held in Lisbon, Portugal. This episode features experts Amer Zeidan, MBBS, MHS, Yale University and Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, CT, Elizabeth Griffiths, MD, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, Lisa Pleyer, MD, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria, Andrew Brunner, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, and Yasushi Miyazaki, MD, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan. They begin by summarizing the key themes from their presentations, which cover a wide range of hot topics, including the role of allotransplant in Japan, communicating about drug efficacy in clinical trials, validating response criteria, and optimizing the use of hypomethylating agents. They then have an insightful discussion on how we can enhance clinical trial design and ultimately improve outcomes for patients with MDS.

Targeting mutant CALR in MPNs with antibodies & cellular therapy: the potential for disease modification

Today’s episode of the VJHemOnc podcast focuses on the targeting of mutant calreticulin (mutCALR) in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) – a trending topic in the field! You will hear leading experts Lucia Masarova, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, and Jean-Jacques Kiladjian, MD, PhD, Saint-Louis Hospital & Paris Diderot University, Paris, France, discuss what makes mutCALR an attractive therapeutic target in MPNs. Following this, John Mascarenhas, MD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, and Claire Harrison, MD, FRCP, FRCPath, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, outline the early results of the clinical trial investigating a mutant CALR-targeted antibody, INCA33989, which were presented as a late breaking abstract at the recent 30th Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA). Additionally, Prof. Harrison comments on other targeted therapies being evaluated in MPNs. Finally, Alex Rampotas, MBBS, MRCP, University College London, London, UK, and Zoë Wong, BSc, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK, provide insight into the development and evaluation of a novel CAR T-cell therapy targeting mutCALR in myelofibrosis (MF).

Treating elderly or unfit patients with AML: current approach and future directions

This episode of the VJHemOnc podcast focuses on the treatment of elderly or unfit patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Featuring experts Farhad Ravandi, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, Gail Roboz, MD, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, NY, Marina Konopleva, MD, PhD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City, NY, Joshua Zeidner, MD, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill, NC, Nelli Bejanyan, MD, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, Parastoo Dahi, MD, MS, Memorial Sloan Kettering, New York City, NY, and Andrius Žučenka, MD, Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, Vilnius, Lithuania. They discuss the current standard of care in the frontline setting, considerations for transplant eligibility, and future approaches being explored, such as triplet combinations including targeted agents.

Key HemOnc updates from ASCO 2025: myeloma, lymphoma, MPNs, & more!

VJHemOnc recently attended the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL, where we gained insights into the latest advancements in hematologic oncology. In this episode, leading experts Claudio Cerchione, MD, PhD, Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST) IRCCS, Meldola, Italy, Andrew Kuykendall, MD, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, Manali Kamdar, MD, University of Colorado Cancer Center, Denver, CO, Constantine Tam, MBBS (Hons), MD, FRACP, FRCPA, Alfred Hospital and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, and Naveen Pemmaraju, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, share key updates across multiple disease areas. Topics include recent developments in multiple myeloma, myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), non-Hodgkin lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN).

CHIP & CCUS: advances in understanding and should we treat these precursor conditions?

In this episode of the VJHemOnc podcast, we explore clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) and clonal cytopenia of unknown significance (CCUS) - conditions increasingly recognized as early indicators of myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia.

Joining the discussion are leading experts George Vassiliou, MBBS, PhD, The University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK, Sanam Loghavi, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, Mrinal Patnaik, MBBS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, Susan Slager, PhD, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, and Anton Langerak, PhD, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Together, they delve into recent advances in our understanding of CHIP and CCUS, touch on monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis as another precursor condition, and share their insights on the potential value of early intervention in these pre-malignant states.

Diagnosing amyloidosis: identifying early signs, appropriate diagnostic tests, and challenges that remain

In this episode of the VJHemOnc podcast, we are joined by Morie Gertz, MD, MACP, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, a leading expert in the field, to discuss the complexities surrounding the diagnosis of amyloidosis, including both the light chain and ATTR subtypes.

The conversation covers early clinical signs that clinicians often overlook, key differences in presentation between subtypes, recommendations for initial diagnostic work-up, and the barriers that often delay timely diagnosis.

IPIG 2025 Highlights: challenging situations in PNH, updates from the COMMODORE trials, and more

VJHemOnc was the official media partner for the recent 2nd International PNH Interest Group (IPIG) Conference held in Paris, France. In today’s podcast episode, you will hear some highlights from the event from leading experts in the field of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).

First, Jens Panse, MD, Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany, Richard Kelly, MBChB, PhD, St James’s University Hospital, Leeds, UK, and Benjamin Chin-Yee, MD, MA, FRCPC, Western University, London, Canada, provide insight into challenging situations in the current era of PNH treatment, including switching from anti-C5 to proximal complement inhibition, discontinuing anticoagulation, and the management of pregnant patients with PNH. Following this, Austin Kulasekararaj, MBBS, MD, MRCP, FRCPath, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, discusses the role of ravulizumab in this disease, and Dr Kelly and Catherine Flynn, MD, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland, outline findings from the COMMODORE 1 and 2 trials. Finally, Jeff Szer, MBBS, FRACP, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia, comments on the clinical problem of thrombosis in patients with PNH, highlighting how this complication can be prevented.

Recent advances in Hodgkin lymphoma treatment: novel regimens, ongoing trials & treating R/R disease

In this episode of the VJHemOnc podcast, join us for an insightful conversation with Dr Graham Collins, MA, MBBS, MRCP, FRCPath, DPhil, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.

Dr Collins discusses the significant shifts in treatment approaches for patients with advanced-stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma over the past decade. He also explores the excitement around newer regimens, including nivolumab-AVD, BV-AVD, and more. To conclude, Dr Collins shares his approach to treating patients with relapsed disease, drawing focus on the role of autologous stem cell transplantation. 

Gene therapy in sickle cell disease: patient selection, potential complications, & more

In this episode of the VJHemOnc podcast you will hear from Akshay Sharma, MBBS, MSc, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, who takes a deep dive into gene therapy for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD). Dr Sharma begins by discussing the status of gene therapy in SCD, outlining considerations for clinicians when selecting patients for these therapies, and commenting on the risk of infection. He then touches on the role of palliative care in patients with SCD undergoing gene therapy or transplantation, and provides his view on the benefits and challenges of gene therapy in this non-malignant hematological disorder. Finally, you will hear Dr Sharma's valuable insight into the risk of leukemia after lentiviral gene therapy.

Highlights from iwCAR-T 2025: improving the efficacy and safety of CAR T-cells & access in the community

Today's VJHemOnc podcast features discussions from the 7th International Workshop on CAR-T and bispecifics (iwCAR-T) 2025, which was held recently in Miami, FL. First you will hear from Elizabeth Budde, MD, PhD, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, Mohammad Rashidian, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, Michael Jain, MD, PhD, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, and Marco Ruella, MD, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, who explore outcomes of treatment with CAR T-cells and potential strategies to enhance their efficacy and minimize toxicities.

Michael Hudecek, MD, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany, then provides insight into his keynote talk on accelerating CAR T-cell therapeutics with small molecules and CRISPR 2.0 gene editing. This is followed by Krish Patel, MD, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Nashville, TN, Tara Graff, DO, MS, Mission Cancer and Blood, Des Moines, IA, and Caron Jacobson, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, who share their perspectives on how to improve access and delivery of T-cell engaging therapies in the community.