The OJC 62: Sexual Desire in Female Cancer Survivors

Join Eva Segelov, Craig Underhill and Hans Prenen as they chat through the latest papers.

In today’s episode Eva talks us through melanoma papers, Craig gives us his wrap up from the 2021 San Antonio Breast meeting and Hans looks at cytoreductive surgery for relapsed ovarian cancer and the CodeBreaK100 trial.

We’ve plenty of quick bites and a new offering in our ‘The Paper That Changed My Practice’ segment. In ‘The Amazing Paper of The Week’ we’ll look at Sexual Desire in Female Cancer Survivors.

The Week’s Papers:

1. Fakih MG, et al. Sotorasib for previously treated colorectal cancers with KRASG12C mutation (CodeBreaK100): a prespecified analysis of a single-arm, phase 2 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2022 Jan;23(1):115-124. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(21)00605-7. Epub 2021 Dec 15. PMID: 34919824. Access online here.
2. Harter P, et al. Randomized Trial of Cytoreductive Surgery for Relapsed Ovarian Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2021 Dec 2;385(23):2123-2131. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2103294. PMID: 34874631. Access online here.
3. Tawbi HA, et al. Relatlimab and Nivolumab versus Nivolumab in Untreated Advanced Melanoma. N Engl J Med. 2022 Jan 6;386(1):24-34. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2109970. PMID: 34986285. Access online here.
4. Frampton AE, Sivakumar S. A New Combination Immunotherapy in Advanced Melanoma. N Engl J Med. 2022 Jan 6;386(1):91-92. doi: 10.1056/NEJMe2116892. PMID: 34986291. Access online here.
5. Kalinsky K, et al. 21-Gene Assay to Inform Chemotherapy Benefit in Node-Positive Breast Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2021 Dec 16;385(25):2336-2347. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2108873. Epub 2021 Dec 1. PMID: 34914339. Access online here.
6. Cowen, L.  Dual checkpoint inhibition shows promise for highly mutated HER2-negative MBC. Oncology Medicine Matters. 10-12-2021 | SABCS 2021 | Conference coverage | News. Access online here.
7. Final Analysis of PALLAS Shows No Benefit With Palbociclib Plus Endocrine Therapy in Early Breast Cancer. Andrea S. Blevins Primeau, PhD, MBA. Cancer Therapy Advisor. December 8, 2021. Access online here.
8. Ovadia, D. CONFERENCE REPORT. SABCS 2021: EMERALD phase 3 study shows improved outcomes for mBC patients treated with elacestrant who progressed on prior endocrine therapy. Univadis from MedScape. 16 December 2021. Access online here.

This Week’s Quick Bites:

1. Chen, M-Y, et al. Pseudoprogression in lung cancer patients treated with immunotherapy, Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology, Volume 169, 2022, Access online here.
2. Yachida S, et al. Comprehensive Genomic Profiling of Neuroendocrine Carcinomas of the Gastrointestinal System. Cancer Discov. 2021 Dec 8:candisc.0669.2021. doi: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-21-0669. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34880079. Access online here.
3. Baxter NN, et al. Adjuvant Therapy for Stage II Colon Cancer: ASCO Guideline Update. J Clin Oncol. 2021 Dec 22:JCO2102538. doi: 10.1200/JCO.21.02538. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34936379. Access online here.
4. Hanna TP, et al. Mortality due to cancer treatment delay: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2020 Nov 4;371:m4087. doi: 10.1136/bmj.m4087. PMID: 33148535; PMCID: PMC7610021. Access online here.
5. Schmidt AL, et al. COVID-19 vaccination and breakthrough infections in patients with cancer. Ann Oncol. 2021 Dec 24:S0923-7534(21)04880-8. doi: 10.1016/j.annonc.2021.12.006. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34958894; PMCID: PMC8704021. Access online here.
6. Merfeld EC, et al . Women Oncologists’ Perceptions and Factors Associated With Decisions to Pursue Academic vs Nonacademic Careers in Oncology. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Dec 1;4(12):e2141344. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.41344. PMID: 34967880; PMCID: PMC8719237. Access online here.

Blow Your Own Trumpet Paper of The Week:

Leighl NB, et al. CCTG BR34: A Randomized Phase 2 Trial of Durvalumab and Tremelimumab With or Without Platinum-Based Chemotherapy in Patients With Metastatic NSCLC. J Thorac Oncol. 2022 Mar;17(3):434-445. doi: 10.1016/j.jtho.2021.10.023. Epub 2021 Nov 17. PMID: 34800700. Access online here.

Amazing Article of The Week:

Barton DL, et al. Randomized Controlled Phase II Evaluation of Two Dose Levels of Bupropion Versus Placebo for Sexual Desire in Female Cancer Survivors: NRG-CC004. J Clin Oncol. 2021 Dec 9:JCO2101473. doi: 10.1200/JCO.21.01473. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34882500. Access online here.

Quiz Paper:

Balocco R, et al. New INN nomenclature for monoclonal antibodies. Lancet. 2022 Jan 1;399(10319):24. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02732-X. PMID: 34973717.Access online here.

Paper That Changed My Practice:

Mandelker D, et al. Germline-focussed analysis of tumour-only sequencing: recommendations from the ESMO Precision Medicine Working Group. Ann Oncol. 2019 Aug 1;30(8):1221-1231. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdz136. Erratum in: Ann Oncol. 2021 Aug;32(8):1069-1071. PMID: 31050713; PMCID: PMC6683854. Access online here.

This Week’s Team:

Professor Eva Segelov

Eva Segelov

Professor Eva Segelov is a Medical Oncologist and is Director of Oncology at Monash University and Monash Health, Melbourne, Victoria, previously Senior Medical Oncologist at St Vincent’s Hospital, St Vincent’s Private Hospital and St Vincent’s Clinic and Associate Professor of Medicine, University of New South Wales.

Eva has an interest in academic clinical trials in GI and breast cancer and has been a member of the AGITG since 2003. She has clinical trials expertise, links with national and international trials groups, and extensive experience with adult medical education. You can find Eva on Twitter here: @profevasegelov

Professor Hans Prenen

Hans Prenen

Professor Hans Prenen is a medical oncologist and head of the phase 1 – early clinical trials unit at the Antwerp University Hospital in Belgium. He is a member of several scientific organisations, published many scientific oncology papers in prestigious journals and is regularly invited for lectures at national and international meetings.  His interests are clinical trials and translational research with a focus on digestive oncology. You can find Hans on Twitter here: @HPrenen

Associate Professor Craig Underhill

Craig Underhill

Associate Professor Craig Underhill completed his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery in 1987 at Melbourne University. He completed medical oncology training in Melbourne and worked as the Senior Clinical Research Registrar at Guy’s Hospital, London.

In 1998 arrived in Albury-Wodonga and established a medical oncology practice and clinical trials unit which has developed expertise and infrastructure to ensure the initiation of high quality trials. The research Unit lead by Dr Underhill has twice been awarded NSW Premier’s Award for Innovation in Cancer Clinical Trials, the inaugural award in 2009 and then again in 2012.

Dr Underhill is the VCCC Regional Oncology Lead and advocates for the increased access to clinical trials for regional Victorians and leads the VCCC teletrials program. You can find Craig on Twitter here: @CraigUnderhill 

Dr Milita Zaheed 

Milita Zaheed

Dr Milita Zaheed is a Medical Oncologist based in Sydney. Wanting to diversify her skills, she completed additional specialist training in Cancer Genetics supported by a grant from NSW Cancer Institute. She now works part-time as a Staff Specialist in Cancer Genetics at Prince of Wales Hereditary Cancer Centre. As a trainee she thought she would never do a PhD but when the right opportunity and questions presented itself, she just had to be part of it. She has recently commenced a full-time PhD looking at what we can learn about heritability and cancer predisposition in the genomic era of cancer care. She is part of the Molecular Screening and Therapeutics (MoST) program and also recent successful grant application to establish a novel precision oncology-focused clinic.

During her training she took time off to live in a coastal town for half the year, worked part-time and took leave to have both her children. She is passionate about peer welfare and maintaining work-life balance. Her other interests are in education, professional development, and equity in representation and access to care. Previously she was the National Medical Oncology Trainee representative for RACP Advanced Training Committee and MOGA and established a social media group for trainees and a professional development program for trainees in NSW. She is now an energetic member of the YOGA committee and was the Deputy-Chair in 2020-2021. You can find Milita on Twitter here: @MilitaZaheed

Rachael Babin is Editor-in-Chief of The Oncology Newsletter, Publisher of Oncology News Host of The Oncology Podcast and Producer of The Oncology Journal Club. For regular oncology updates for healthcare professionals, please subscribe to The Oncology Newsletter.

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