VJHemOnc Podcast

Myeloma 2017 day 1 highlights: immunotherapy advances, a new MM subtype and liquid biopsies

Fantastic advances in immunotherapy, including CAR T-cells, bispecific antibodies and potential immunotherapy combinations, were presented at the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK. In this panel discussion, Keith Stewart, MB, ChB and Leif Bergsagel, MD from the Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ and Gareth Morgan, MD, FRCP, FRCPath, PhD of UAMS Myeloma Institute, Little Rock, AR discuss the highlights from day 1 of the meeting. In addition to immunotherapy updates, the potential for a similar phenomenon to double hit lymphoma occurring in multiple myeloma (MM), which would identify a distinct MM subgroup in need of different therapies, is discussed. Furthermore, the application of liquid biopsies and molecular diagnostics in the clinic to improve the management of patients with MM is deliberated. Exciting amyloidosis updates are also touched upon.

Myeloma 2017 day 2 highlights: MRD, targeted therapies and imaging advances

This is a very exciting time for multiple myeloma (MM) research, with advances in a range of areas from new endpoints, to novel therapies and imaging. In this video, an overview of these updates are given by Gareth Morgan, MD, FRCP, FRCPath, PhD of UAMS Myeloma Institute, Little Rock, AR, Nina Shah, MD of UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco, CA and Leif Bergsagel, MD from the Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ following day 2 of the Myeloma 2017 meeting in Edinburgh, UK.

The coverage of MRD at the meeting, including its impact on future clinical trial design, is discussed. The panel also discusses the promising results of study using nelfinavir and proteasome inhibitor combination therapy for MM. The use of further targeted therapies for MM, as well as their combinations, is also debated. Imaging advances for MM are covered and the future of drug screening on patients’ primary cells is postulated. Lastly, the panel discusses the consensus on the primary principles of MM treatment, which will drive advances in MM research.