Panelists discuss how proactive monitoring for ALK inhibitor adverse effects through regular lipid panels, liver function tests, and patient education about red flag symptoms such as bradycardia or cognitive changes enables early intervention and successful dose management.
Panelists discuss how the unprecedented 5-year progression-free survival benefit (60% vs 8%) demonstrated in the CROWN trial supports starting with the most effective treatment (lorlatinib) up front rather than sequential therapy approaches.
Panelists discuss that talquetamab dose modifications are guided primarily by patient symptoms and adverse effects, with treatment pauses for significant toxicities or infections, while response monitoring relies on regular myeloma labs, imaging, and physical exams to ensure safety and efficacy.
Panelists discuss how talquetamab’s unique GPRC5D-related toxicities are managed proactively using International Myeloma Working Group guidelines, balancing outpatient delivery with vigilant monitoring and tailored cytokine release syndrome prophylaxis strategies.
Hope S. Rugo, MD, FASCO, emphasized the importance of educating patients about proactive rash and diarrhea management while taking PI3K/AKT inhibitors.
Panelists discuss City of Hope’s multidisciplinary approach, highlighting pharmacists providing medication guidance, social workers offering emotional support, and palliative care specialists managing symptoms, while consultants such as cardiologists and infectious disease experts address specific health issues to ensure coordinated, personalized care; complementary therapies such as acupuncture and mindfulness help manage adverse effects like neuropathy, and support groups foster community and resilience among patients and caregivers throughout their myeloma journey.
Panelists share that despite initial emotional challenges, multiple myeloma treatment with targeted combination therapies was generally well tolerated, with manageable adverse effects—especially after adjusting dexamethasone—and strong health care team support, enabling patients to maintain quality of life and continue regular activities throughout therapy.
Establishing a routine early in treatment helps proactively manage adverse effects associated with CDK4/6 inhibitors, says Kimberly Podsada, BSN, RN, MSN, NP-C, CNS.
Panelists discuss the critical role of patient education and multidisciplinary coordination in managing immunotherapy side effects, emphasizing proactive symptom monitoring, timely communication, tailored support, and collaborative care led by the oncologist to ensure safe and effective toxicity management.
Panelists discuss the importance of vigilant, patient-centered monitoring for metastatic melanoma patients with high disease burden on immunotherapy, emphasizing clear communication about variable treatment responses, proactive symptom tracking, differentiation of true progression from pseudoprogression, and integration of clinical assessments with biomarkers like lactate dehydrogenase and circulating tumor DNA to guide optimal care.
Paolo Tarantino, MD, PhD, explains that the chemotherapy-related toxicities from an ADC are more likely to limit dosage for patients with cancer.
Panelists discuss how treatment selection between lorlatinib and alectinib for ALK-positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) should consider both efficacy data favoring lorlatinib and patient-specific factors such as neuropsychiatric history or cardiovascular comorbidities that might favor alectinib.
Panelists discuss how a 48-year-old fitness instructor with ALK-rearranged stage IV lung cancer and bone metastases was successfully treated with alectinib, experiencing manageable adverse effects while returning to modified teaching activities.
While CIML natural killer immunotherapy can result in infection-like reactions, required prior chemo may cause infections, shared Wenxin (Vincent) Xu, MD.
Panelists discuss updated safety findings from GPRC5D-targeted bispecific therapy in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, highlighting manageable toxicity—including low infection rates and infrequent neurologic effects like ataxia—alongside sustained efficacy and durability, reinforcing its value as a well-tolerated option for patients ineligible for or resistant to BCMA-directed treatments.
Panelists discuss updated MonumenTAL-1 trial data demonstrating high response rates and prolonged survival with GPRC5D-targeted bispecific therapy in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, emphasizing the favorable efficacy, durability, and tolerability of biweekly dosing, which supports improved patient quality of life and positions the therapy as a key option in managing advanced disease.
Panelists discuss how patient portal use improves communication by allowing patients to report adverse effects with photos for accurate evaluation, and how treatment effectiveness is monitored through carefully timed blood tests, imaging, and bone marrow biopsies—including minimal residual disease testing—to balance thorough assessment with minimizing patient discomfort.
Panelists discuss how patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma often face emotional and informational overload, but collaborative, personalized care—including early access to cutting-edge 4-drug regimens, clear communication, and shared decision-making—can empower them, ease anxiety, and support long-term remission and quality of life.
This is an actor portrayal of a hypothetical patient profile developed for educational purposes based on characteristics of patients with multiple myeloma as seen in clinical practice. The hypothetical case was co-developed by staff medical writers with Cancer Network/ONN.
Panelists discuss treatment considerations for metastatic melanoma with high tumor burden, highlighting the preference for immune checkpoint combinations like nivolumab with relatlimab for durable responses, insights from the RELATIVITY-020 trial supporting standard-dose relatlimab due to its safety and efficacy balance, and emerging LAG-3 agents such as fianlimab that may influence future therapeutic strategies.
Panelists discuss how managing amivantamab-related adverse events such as leg edema requires understanding of underlying mechanisms (hypoalbuminemia) and may benefit from albumin infusion, dose holds, or consultation with specialists for severe cases such as infected scalp wounds.
Panelists discuss how the COCOON study’s advanced dermatologic prophylaxis protocol, including systemic antibiotics and topical treatments, can reduce skin toxicities by 50% in patients receiving amivantamab plus lazertinib therapy.
Each component of an antibody-drug conjugates—payload, linker, and antibody—play a unique role in building the treatment’s use and safety profile.
Panelists discuss the growing promise of GPRC5D-targeted therapy in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, highlighting MonumenTAL-1 trial data showing encouraging responses in heavily pretreated patients and emphasizing the importance of managing unique keratin-related and neurologic toxicities linked to GPRC5D expression.
Panelists discuss the evolving role of bispecific antibodies in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, emphasizing their value as off-the-shelf options for patients post chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy or ineligible for it, and highlighting personalized treatment decisions based on prior therapies, antigen targets, infection risk, and emerging clinical evidence.
If patients with breast cancer have hyperglycemia or symptoms of it at home, a short break from capivasertib may be required, according to Hope Rugo, MD.
New therapies in breast cancer, particularly ADCs, present unique safety profiles for nurses to be aware of, according to Erika Hamilton, MD.
Panelists discuss how preparing multiple myeloma patients for treatment involves structured education, emotional support, and proactive symptom management—emphasizing clear communication about the four-drug regimen, logistics, and supportive care to empower patients and ensure safety throughout their treatment journey.
Panelists discuss how treatment decisions in multiple myeloma are guided by disease risk, patient health, and evolving clinical data—highlighting the shift toward a comprehensive, multiphase approach that begins with a 4-drug induction regimen and stem cell transplant, as supported by the PERSEUS trial’s promising long-term remission outcomes.
Getting to the root of patients’ issues can provide support for their cancer journey through accessible means, says Heather Jackson, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, NEA-BC, FAA-NP.
