DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE

Calquence plus venetoclax reduced PFS risk by 58% vs. standard care in untreated CLL, with 77% of patients progression-free at three years in AMPLIFY Phase III trial.

Studies at the 66th ASH Annual Meeting highlight progress in preventing and treating blood cancers, including daratumumab reducing disease progression risk by half in high-risk multiple myeloma patients, acalabrutinib and venetoclax combination improving progression-free survival in untreated CLL patients, epcoritamab showing promise in relapsed/refractory CLL, genetic changes and elevated leukemia risk in Ground Zero first responders, and socioeconomic factors limiting access to stem cell transplants for AML patients.

ASH data show AYVAKIT® (avapritinib) improves survival in advanced systemic mastocytosis (SM) patients, with bone density improvements and undetected KIT mutations identified by ultra-sensitive testing. Blueprint Medicines presented these findings at the 66th ASH Annual Meeting.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's phase 2 trial of time-limited triplet therapy (acalabrutinib, venetoclax, and obinutuzumab) for high-risk TP53 aberration CLL patients showed high rates of durable response, with 42% achieving complete remission with undetectable MRD. The regimen demonstrated 70% four-year progression-free survival and 88% overall survival, with low toxicity, suggesting it could be a new standard of care for broad CLL populations.

Pediatric RISE, a program developed by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, was piloted to assess its feasibility and value for impoverished families with children undergoing cancer treatment. The study, presented at the 66th ASH Annual Meeting, found RISE both feasible and valuable, with families reporting reduced hardships and improved peace of mind. A larger, randomized phase 2 trial is planned.

ASH data show AYVAKIT® (avapritinib) improves survival in advanced systemic mastocytosis (SM) patients, with bone density improvements and undetected KIT mutations identified by ultra-sensitive testing.

ASH data show AYVAKIT® (avapritinib) improves survival in advanced systemic mastocytosis (SM) patients, with bone density improvements and undetected KIT mutations identified by ultra-sensitive testing. Blueprint Medicines' HARBOR trial aims to assess disease-modifying impact.

Dr. William K. Oh appointed medical director of Smilow Cancer Hospital at Greenwich and director of precision medicine at Yale Cancer Center, leveraging his expertise in precision medicine and translational research to advance cancer care.

Dana-Farber researchers present three studies at ASH 2024: CPX-351 benefits AML-MR mutation patients, an all-oral maintenance regimen shows early efficacy post-transplant for high-risk MDS/AML, and 10-year RATIFY trial data reveals sustained EFS benefit with midostaurin in FLT3-mutant AML.

Dr Joaquim Bellmunt presented at the 2024 SUO annual meeting in Dallas, discussing the IMvigor011 study's surveillance analysis of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in high-risk muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients with persistent circulating tumor DNA-negative (ctDNA−) status post-cystectomy. The study found that 30% of ctDNA− patients experienced DFS events, with 12 and 18-month DFS rates of 92% and 88%, respectively. OS rates were 100% and 98% at 12 and 18 months, respectively. The analysis suggested that serial ctDNA testing may be more clinically useful than landmark testing for risk stratification, and that ctDNA− status aids in selecting patients for surveillance with favorable prognosis, potentially sparing them adjuvant treatment.