The Oncology Podcast, brought to you by Oncology News Australia, is proud to present Episode 44 in our series The Oncology Journal Club.
Welcome to this special Melanoma Update with Craig Underhill and Georgina Long. Covering a wide range of developments including key papers at ASCO 2021.
Georgina is a world-renowned Australian researcher – her passion for her specialty shines through in this thorough interview.
Whilst melanoma rates in older patients are improving, young Australians are now more likely to be diagnosed with melanoma than any other cancer. It’s also set to be the number 2 cancer in the United States by 2040.
Despite these sobering stats, the advances in this specialty in the last few years has been nothing short of phenomenal. These advances are also relevant to other tumour types so we hope everyone will find value in this absolutely fascinating interview.
About The Oncology Journal Club:
We have taken an old concept and updated it with a new format. In each episode a team of expert contributors will review topical journal papers and interview special guests who are leaders in their fields to help keep you informed of the latest developments on the go.
With The Oncology Podcast – and The Oncology Journal Club in particular – we are aiming to deliver oncology news differently,” Rachael Babin, Editor-in-Chief, Oncology News.
The Oncology Journal Club is hosted by Professor Eva Segelov, from Monash University. Eva is joined by Dr Craig Underhill from Albury-Wodonga and Professor Hans Prenen from Antwerp, Belgium. We hope you enjoy listening and find this a valuable and entertaining resource.
This Week’s Papers:
- Rahib L, et al. Estimated Projection of US Cancer Incidence and Death to 2040. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(4):e214708. Access online here.
- Lipson, E.J., et al. Relatlimab (RELA) plus nivolumab (NIVO) versus NIVO in first-line advanced melanoma: Primary phase III results from RELATIVITY-047 (CA224-047). J Clin Oncol 39, 2021 (suppl 15; abstr 9503). DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2021.39.15_suppl.9503. Access online here.
- Amaria, R.N., et al. Neoadjuvant and adjuvant nivolumab (nivo) with anti-LAG3 antibody relatlimab (rela) for patients (pts) with resectable clinical stage III melanoma. J Clin Oncol 39, 2021 (suppl 15; abstr 9502). DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2021.39.15_suppl.9502. Access online here.
- Wolchok, J.D., et al. CheckMate 067: 6.5-year outcomes in patients (pts) with advanced melanoma.
- Long, G.V., et al. Five-year overall survival from the anti-PD1 brain collaboration (ABC Study): Randomized phase 2 study of nivolumab (nivo) or nivo+ipilimumab (ipi) in patients (pts) with melanoma brain metastases (mets). J Clin Oncol 39, 2021 (suppl 15; abstr 9508). DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2021.39.15_suppl.9508. Access online here.
- Larkin, J., et al. Lifileucel (LN-144), a cryopreserved autologous tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy in patients with advanced melanoma: Evaluation of impact of prior anti-PD-1 therapy.
Other Episodes to Note:
The OJC Episode 29: Neoadjuvant Therapy in Melanoma with Georgina Long
This Week’s Team:
Dr Craig Underhill
Craig Underhill
Dr 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 chaired a working party that was instrumental in securing $65 million in federal funding for The Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre which opened in September 2016.
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
Professor Georgina Long AO
Georgina Long
Professor Georgina Long AO, BSc PhD MBBS FRACP FAHMS, is Co-Medical Director of Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA), and Chair of Melanoma Medical Oncology and Translational Research at MIA and Royal North Shore Hospital, The University of Sydney. She leads an extensive clinical trials team and laboratory at MIA, with a focus on targeted therapies and immuno-oncology in melanoma. She is principal investigator on phase I, II and III clinical trials in adjuvant and metastatic melanoma, including trials in patients with active brain metastases. She is the chief investigator on NHMRC funded research into the molecular biology of melanoma, with a particular interest in clinical and tissue biomarker correlates of systemic therapy sensitivity and resistance.
In recognition of her ground-breaking research and work, Professor Long was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia (2020) and has received several awards, including the Research Australia, GSK Research Excellence Award (2018) and prestigious Sir Zelman Cowen Universities Fund Prize for Discovery in Medical Research (2016). Her H index is 103 and in February 2021 she was ranked the world’s 4th, and Australia’s 1st melanoma expert in all fields and discipline (http://expertscape.com/ex/melanoma)
You can find Georgina on Twitter: @ProfGLongMIA
Rachael Babin
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.
With thanks to Eva Segelov, Craig Underhill, Hans Prenen and Graham Knowles.
Connect with us on Twitter @OncologyNewsAus
