Genomics in the age of immuno-oncology

Immunotherapies are at the forefront of myeloma treatment and there are many questions remaining. Defining high-risk is important when making treatment decisions in myeloma and including genomic data may allow for a more personalized risk strategy to be formed for each patient. Highly proliferative cells remain an important indicator of disease, and another factor to consider is the susceptibility of dormant cells to apoptosis, which can influence patient relapse. With the emergence of novel immunotherapies, it is still important to consider genomic data when identifying high-risk patients and use this information to better understand prognosis and potential mechanisms of resistance to novel agents.

In this exclusive podcast, Gareth Morgan, MD, PhD, FRCP, FRCPath of NYU Langone, New York City, NY, Francesco Maura, MD, of the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL, and Leo Rasche, MD, of the University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany, have a fascinating discussion in which they explore genomics in 2022, highlighting key topics including the impact of genomics on the success of immunotherapies, changing risk stratification, and the role of dormant cells in disease progression. This discussion took place at The International Workshop on Myeloma 2022, held in Scottsdale, AZ.