VJHemOnc Podcast

This podcast features discussions from the 22nd International Workshop on Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (iwNHL), which took place in Cambridge, MA. The discussions focus on immunotherapy and novel combinations being explored for the treatment of NHL. Featuring experts Martin Hutchings, MD, PhD, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark, Elizabeth Budde, MD, PhD, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, Lorenzo Falchi, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, and Sameh Gaballa, MD, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, who share insights into bispecific antibodies and other immunotherapeutics in early lines of treatment. This is followed by Laurie Sehn, MD, MPH, BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, Canada, Juan Alderuccio, MD, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL, and Gilles Salles, MD, PhD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, who delve deeper into antibody-based combinations.

In this episode of the VJHemOnc Podcast, we are joined by Shai Shimony, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, and Richard Stone, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, to discuss recent guideline updates on the risk stratification and treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The experts discuss differences in the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Consensus Classification (ICC) definitions, the recent European Leukemia Network (ELN) updates to risk stratification, incorporating measurable residual disease (MRD) into therapeutic decision-making, and biomarkers or stratification approaches on the horizon.

VJHemOnc recently attended the International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (XXI iwCLL 2025) in Krakow, Poland, where there was a session focused on the management of CLL in resource-limited settings. Today's podcast episode highlights discussions from this session. First, you will hear from Mazyar Shadman, MD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, who discusses the development of resource-restricted recommendations for CLL. This is followed by Anna Schuh, MD, PhD, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK, Andrielle Yost, MPA, The Max Foundation, Seattle, WA, and Catherina Scheepers, The Max Foundation, Gauteng, South Africa, who share ongoing projects by iwCLL and The Max Foundation to improve access to treatment and patient outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. Finally, Brian Koffman, MDCM (retired), CLL Society, Inc., Chula Vista, CA, discusses the six principles for excellence that healthcare professionals and patient advocacy organizations should be aware of when caring for patients with CLL. 

This episode of our Blood Cancer Awareness Month series explores the role of the multi-disciplinary team in caring for patients with blood cancer undergoing CAR T-cell therapy.

The discussion features insights from Ty Simpson, BN, MNP, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Australia, who is a CAR-T nurse practitioner, and Frederick Vonberg, MD, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, who is a neurologist with a primary research interest in the neurotoxic effects of CAR T-cell therapy. This is followed by Angela Halley, MBBS, BSc, MSc, FRCP, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK, who is a consultant in palliative medicine with an interest in developing early integrated palliative care in hematology, including patients undergoing CAR-T treatment and stem cell transplant.

Welcome to the next episode in our Blood Cancer Awareness Month series. In this podcast, Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, discusses financial and time toxicities in cancer care, explaining how out-of-pocket costs and the time spent receiving treatment impair patients' lives. Dr Banerjee shares insights from his own clinical experience, with a focus on patients with multiple myeloma. 

Welcome to the first episode of our Blood Cancer Awareness Month special on VJHemOnc. In this podcast, leading experts answer your most pressing questions on blood cancers. Barbara Eichhorst, MD, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany, discusses chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), followed by Rakesh Popat, MBBS, MRCP, FRCPath, PhD, University College London Hospitals, London, UK, who addresses key questions on myeloma. Finally, Anna Sureda, MD, PhD, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Duran I Reynals Hospital, Barcelona, Spain, shares insights on lymphoma.

This episode features discussions from the 3rd International Workshop on Myelodysplastic Syndromes & Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (iwMDS & iwMPN) 2025, held in Lisbon, Portugal. First, you will hear from Uma Borate, MD, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, Luca Lanino, MD, PhD, Yale University, New Haven, CT, Robert Hasserjian, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, and Zoey Xie, MD, MS, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, who share updates in the classification and risk stratification of MDS. Hetty Carraway, MD, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, and Amy DeZern, MD, MHS, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, then go on to discuss novel pathways and therapeutic agents being explored, including telomerase inhibition, the SELECT-MDS-1 study (NCT04797780), and more.

This episode of the VJHemOnc Podcast spotlights advances in the understanding and treatment of Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (WM), featuring Karan Chohan, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, Steven Treon, MD, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, Anna Maria Frustaci, MD, Niguarda Hospital, Milan, Italy, Neil Berinstein, MD, Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, Toronto, Canada, Chan Cheah, MBBS, FRACP, FRCPA, DMSc, Linear Clinical Research and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Australia, and Dima El-Sharkawi, MB, BS, MA, PhD, MRCP, FRCPath, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.

The experts focus on the impact of MYD88 and TP53 alterations, current treatment approaches including the use of BTK inhibitors (BTKis), and strategies for patients who discontinue BTKis. They then go on to discuss clinical trial advances, including the BRAWM trial (NCT04624906) and BTK degraders.

This podcast focuses on FLT3-ITD-positive acute myeloid leukemia (FLT3-ITD+ AML), featuring experts Amir Fathi, MD, MPH, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, Musa Yilmaz, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, Mark Levis, MD, PhD, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, and Harry Erba, MD, PhD, Duke University, Durham, NC. The episode covers the standard of care for frontline treatment, key trial updates including an analysis of the Quantum-First trial (NCT02668653), and the use of measurable residual disease (MRD) using FLT3-ITD as a marker.

In this episode of the VJHemOnc Podcast, we dive into one of the more aggressive and challenging manifestations of multiple myeloma, extramedullary disease (EMD). We are joined by experts Meral Beksac, MD, Istinye University Ankara Liv Hospital, Ankara, Turkey, Mehmet Samur, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, Saurabh Zanwar, MD, MBBS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, and Shaji Kumar, MD, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. They discuss the latest insights on how EMD presents, how it’s managed, and what we’re learning about its complex biology. Plus, we’ll explore emerging treatment strategies and clinical trials, including the RedirecTT-1 trial (NCT04586426).