Pediatric Lymphoma Trial and Study of FLT3 Inhibitor for Leukemia Highlight Roswell Park Research at ASCO22

• Topics range from new treatment options to improving patients’ quality of life
• Eunice Wang and Kara Kelly led highly anticipated hematology trials
• Anurag Singh and Elizabeth Griffiths to lead educational sessions

Newswise — BUFFALO, N.Y. — Researchers from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center will present the latest results of clinical trials and insights on cancer treatment and issues affecting patients with cancer, including the financial burdens induced by cancer treatment, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), which will take place both online and in-person in Chicago, Illinois, from June 3 to 7.

Oral abstracts: Advances in treatment of pediatric HL, adult AML

Two Roswell Park faculty leaders led clinical trials investigating the effectiveness of new combination therapies in patients with pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in adults.

Kara Kelly, MD, Chair of the Roswell Park Oishei Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Program and the Waldemar J. Kaminski Endowed Chair of Pediatrics at Roswell Park, is the senior author of a phase 3 clinical trial by the multicenter Children’s Oncology Group, “Brentuximab vedotin in addition to standard chemotherapy in children with newly diagnosed high-risk Hodgkin lymphoma (NCT 02166463).” On Friday, June 3, at 3:12 p.m. EDT, first author Sharon M. Castellino, MD, of Emory University and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta will share results on the effectiveness of this new combination treatment in children and young adults with Hodgkin lymphoma during the Hematologic Malignancies – Lymphoma and CLL session (abstract 7504).

On Tuesday, June 7, at 12:57 p.m. EDT, Eunice Wang, MD, Chief of Leukemia at Roswell Park, will present findings from “Long-term results of a phase 2 trial combining a second-generation FLT3 inhibitor (crenolanib) with standard intensive chemotherapy for treatment of adults with newly diagnosed FLT3-mutant acute myeloid leukemia)” in an oral presentation during the Hematologic Malignancies—Leukemia, Myelodysplastic Syndromes, and Allotransplant session (abstract 7007).

Latest results on a Roswell-originated immunotherapy, SurVaxM

Michael Ciesielski, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, will present “Final data from the phase 2a single-arm trial of SurVaxM for newly diagnosed glioblastoma” in a poster session beginning 9 a.m. EDT on Sunday, June 5 (abstract 2037, poster 375). SurVaxM, an immunotherapy developed at Roswell Park by Robert Fenstermaker, MD, Chair of Neurosurgery, and Dr. Ciesielski, is a unique treatment vaccine that targets survivin, a protein that helps cancer cells stay alive.

Beyond cancer treatment: Economic concerns and survivorship

Two Roswell Park specialists have been invited to share their insights on important issues affecting patients with cancer that go beyond disease treatment.

On Saturday, June 4, at 5:30 p.m. EDT, Tracey O'Connor, MD, a medical oncologist and breast cancer specialist in the Department of Medicine, is Chair and Moderator of a panel Q&A session on Symptoms and Survivorship. “Working to improve cancer survivors’ quality of life has been my passion throughout my career,” says Dr. O’Connor. “I will lead a session that will focus on symptom management and current research that attempts to improve the quality of life for people with cancer.”

Also on Saturday, June 4, at 4 p.m. EDT, Anurag Singh, MD, radiation oncologist and Director of Radiation Research at Roswell Park, will talk about his research an experience regarding the impact of financial stress on patients with head and neck cancer in an educational session entitled “Financial Toxicity: An Important Determinant of Survival in Head and Neck Cancer (What, Why, and How).” Dr. Singh will discuss Roswell Park’s efforts to recognize and understand the effects of financial toxicity, as well as the needs of disadvantaged groups, in order to improve outcomes and quality of life for all patients with head and neck cancer.

“Patients with head and neck cancer have the highest level of financial burden among cancer patients, because these are cancers where you can need surgery as well as extended courses of chemotherapy and radiation, along with substantial supportive care and rehabilitation,” says Dr. Singh. “Financial toxicity occurs in up to 40% of American patients with head and neck cancer and ultimately results in poorer cancer outcomes.”

Ticketed session: Hematologic malignancies

On Saturday, June 4, at 9 a.m. EDT, medical oncologist Elizabeth A. Griffiths, MD, Director of MDS and Director for Liquid Tumor with Roswell Park’s Center for Early Phase Clinical Trials, will lead a ticketed Meet the Professor talk entitled “Treatment of Higher-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes—Where Is the Science Leading Us?” Dr. Griffiths will discuss conventional and investigational nontransplant therapies for higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes.

Featured Roswell Park research: Poster abstracts

In addition, more than a dozen teams from Roswell Park have been invited to present their latest research findings in poster presentations during the meeting:

• Andrea Anampa-Guzmán, “The future of the oncology workforce: Presenters at an international trainee oncology conference”(abstract 11035, poster 226)
• Lei Deng, MD, “Prognostic role of preoperative chemosensitivity in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with preoperative chemotherapy: A study of National Cancer Database (NCDB)” (abstract 8538, poster 165)
• Muhammad Salman Faisal, MD, MBBS, “Professional development in a Twitter hematology/oncology network for trainees” (abstract 11034, poster 225)
• Christine Ho, MD, Assistant Professor of Oncology with the Transplant and Cellular Therapy Center, “Immune cell differences between patients in different stages of monoclonal plasma cell disorders” (abstract 8065, poster 488)
• Changchuan Jiang, MD, MPH, “Real-world clinical outcomes in patients with local/regional HER2-low breast cancer: An NCDB analysis” (abstract 558, poster 330)
• Lindsay Lipinski MD, FAANS, FACS, Assistant Professor of Oncology in the Department of Neurosurgery and Director of the Adult Neurofibromatosis Clinic, “Clinical application of a functional 3D ex vivo test to predict therapeutic response in patients with HGG: A progression-free survival analysis” (abstract 2031, poster 369)
• Sung Jun Ma, MD, Radiation Medicine Resident in the Department of Radiation Medicine, “Association of progesterone receptor status with 21-gene recurrence score and survival among patients with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer” (abstract 529, poster 301) and “Association of facility volume with pathologic complete response and overall survival in patients with non-metastatic breast cancer” (abstract 586, poster 357)
• Angel Mier-Hicks, MD, “Patients' preferences for adjuvant osimertinib in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after complete surgical resection: What makes it worth it to patients? (PATT)—The Roswell Park (RP) Comprehensive Cancer Center experience” (abstract 8520, poster 147)
• Masanori Oshi, MD, “miR-150 expression in breast cancer attracts and activates immune cells, and is associated with better patient outcome” (abstract 570, poster 342) and “Establishment of a novel BRCAness score that predicts response to PARP inhibitors” (abstract 549, poster 321)
• Stuthi Perimbeti, MD, MPH, “Chemotherapy with significant mortality benefit in patients with bladder cancer with variant and non-urothelial histologies (NUVH)” (abstract 4586, poster 77)
• Arya Mariam Roy, MD, MBBS, “Does race influence long-term outcomes after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer: A National Cancer Database analysis” (abstract 606, poster 377)
• Mahesh Swaminathan, MD, “A phase II study of CPX-351 in younger patients < 60 years old with secondary acute myeloid leukemia: Trial in progress” (abstract TPS7073, poster 299a)

Abstract award winners

Drs. Ma and Perimbeti earned 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting Merit Award from ASCO and the Conquer Cancer Foundation in recognition their contributions toward advancements in cancer care, and Anampa-Guzmán was recognized by ASCO with an Annual Meeting Research Award (AMRA).

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NOTE TO MEDIA: Rebecca Vogt, Media Relations Specialist, will be working in the onsite ASCO 22 press room. To coordinate coverage or arrange an interview with Roswell Park experts, please contact her at [email protected] or 716-548-0482.

An online version of this release is available on our Newsroom

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is a community united by the drive to eliminate cancer’s grip on humanity by unlocking its secrets through personalized approaches and unleashing the healing power of hope. Founded by Dr. Roswell Park in 1898, it is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. Learn more at www.roswellpark.org, or contact us at 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or [email protected].