UNIVERSITY OF UTAH

UCSF Radiology and Biomedical Imaging researchers explore nuclear medicine techniques, including selective prostatic arterial infusion for PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy, 3D digital autoradiography for α-emitting radiopharmaceuticals, post-treatment SPECT/CT impact on patient management, improving PET/MR cancer imaging, and MRI's role in rectal cancer treatment decisions.

The INSPIRE trial evaluates nivolumab and ipilimumab combination therapy in mCRPC patients, focusing on subgroups with mismatch repair deficiency, high tumor mutational burden, CDK12 inactivation, and BRCA2 mutations. Results show significant efficacy in mismatch repair-deficient patients, emphasizing early molecular testing for checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Dual checkpoint inhibitors are more effective than monotherapy in specific subgroups, highlighting the need for broader genomic profiling in prostate cancer.

Utah's Latino population faces healthcare barriers, including language and cultural differences, exacerbated by underrepresentation in the medical field. Increasing Latino medical students could improve healthcare outcomes. However, Utah's HB261 dismantles diversity efforts, potentially worsening health disparities. Cultural competency in healthcare is crucial for better patient outcomes.

VedaBio appoints Randy Rasmussen, Ph.D., to its Board of Directors, leveraging his 30+ years of molecular diagnostics expertise to advance its CRISPR Cascade™ platform.

Neeraj Agarwal presents a post-hoc analysis of TALAPRO-2 Phase III study, showing talazoparib and enzalutamide combination's efficacy in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer patients previously treated with ARPI or docetaxel. The analysis highlights benefits for HRR-deficient tumors and suggests extending PARP inhibitor activity beyond BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Agarwal emphasizes the importance of clinical evidence implementation and the need for further research.

A shorter, three-week course of post-mastectomy radiation does not affect breast reconstruction success, according to a Phase 3 trial involving 898 patients at 209 cancer centers. The study, presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology annual meeting, found similar complication rates (14% vs. 12%) and cancer recurrence rates (1.5% vs. 2.3%) compared to traditional five-week treatments. This shorter course could make radiation more accessible and improve patients' quality of life.

The ARANOTE trial investigates darolutamide plus ADT versus placebo plus ADT in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, showing significant improvements in radiographic progression-free survival, time to mCRPC, pain progression, and PSA responses. The study includes a diverse patient population and highlights darolutamide's favorable safety profile, with adverse events similar to placebo. The potential for darolutamide to become a new standard of care is discussed.

MyeloMATCH, a precision-medicine initiative sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, aims to improve survival rates for acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome through a coordinated, multisite clinical trial. Participants are screened for specific biomarkers and assigned to substudies targeting their genetic or molecular characteristics, with rapid diagnostic testing and potential for ongoing trial eligibility.

MyeloMATCH, a precision-medicine initiative, aims to improve survival rates for acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome by conducting multiple clinical substudies based on genetic and molecular characteristics. It offers rapid diagnostic testing and is open to patients aged 18 and over, with ongoing substudies focusing on high-risk acute myeloid leukemia and FLT3 gene mutations. The initiative seeks to create a comprehensive pipeline for personalized treatment.

The phase 3 CONTACT-02 trial showed cabozantinib and atezolizumab combination favored over a second novel hormonal therapy in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, though OS trend did not achieve statistical significance. Median OS was 14.8 months vs 15.0 months, with subgroup analysis indicating survival advantage for liver and bone metastasis patients. Safety profile consistent with other trials. Exelixis plans FDA submission, while Ipsen opts not to pursue regulatory submissions outside US and Japan.