Melanoma Matters

Summary On mountain emergencies...Sapna's had them, James denies them...This conversation delves into the treatment options available for patients with advanced melanoma who have progressed after anti PD-1 therapy. The discussion covers various clinical studies, response rates, and the implications of combination therapy post-PD1 progression. James and Sapna conclude that while combination the...

Summary In this episode of Melanoma Matters, host Sapna Patel and James Larkin welcome guest Inge Marie Svane to discuss the evolution and future of cancer immunotherapy, particularly focusing on cellular therapy for melanoma. Inge Marie shares her extensive background in the field, the establishment of a cancer immune therapy center in Denmark, and the historical context of cellular therapy. The...

Welcome to Season 2! In this episode of Melanoma Matters, hosts Sapna Patel and James Larkin engage with Michael Atkins from Georgetown University to discuss the advancements in melanoma and kidney cancer treatments, particularly focusing on immunotherapy and cytokine treatments. They explore the groundbreaking DreamSeq trial that compares immunotherapy and targeted therapy in 1L melanoma. Keyword...

Time to exhale... and reflect upon 2024. In this episode, hosts Sapna Patel and James Larkin reflect on their professional and personal experiences from 2024, discussing highlights, lowlights, and the impact of loss in the medical community. They share their intentions and goals for 2025, emphasizing personal bests, leadership , and the importance of friendships. The conversation also touches on c...

Summary Favorite holiday songs... perhaps unexpectedly one of our hosts faves is Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis ... guess which? In another Best of 2024 episode of Melanoma Matters, hosts Sapna Patel and James Larkin discuss key findings from the Society for Melanoma Research (SMR) meeting. They spotlight the TIL for CNS mets study, KEYMAKER U02 Substudy 02D, IMA203, KeyVibe, and the...

Summary Voicing punctuation #2 ... In this episode of Melanoma Matters, hosts Sapna Patel and James Larkin discuss their second episode in the "Best of 2024" series and review the highlights from the 2024 ESMO Congress. They discuss the final analysis of CheckMate 067, long-term data from KEYNOTE 006, DMFS from NADINA, and the KEYMAKER U02 Substudy 02C. The conversation also covers resul...

Summary Verbalizing punctuation for laughs...background wood noises ... and out of office replies get things started. In this episode of Melanoma Matters, hosts James Larkin and Sapna Patel record their first in a series of "Best of 2024" and review highlights from the ASCO Annual Meeting. They focus on 4 significant trials: NADINA, COMBI-AD, KEYNOTE 942, and RELATIVITY 048. James &...

In this episode we are calling VIBE - Voicing Interesting Bits from Everyone - we want to hear from YOU! We've opened an email address to field your questions, concerns, feedback and input. <melanomamatterspod@gmail.com> While we cannot answer specific patient case questions, this is a great forum to clarify any questions around the data. Our plan is to record an episode discussing the q...

Summary In this episode of Melanoma Matters, hosts Sapna Patel and James Larkin welcome surgical oncologist Mark Faries to discuss the evolution of surgical practices in melanoma, particularly focusing on sentinel lymph node biopsy and the implications of recent clinical trials. They explore the historical context of lymph node surgeries, the significance of nomograms in predicting patient outcome...

Summary In this episode of Melanoma Matters, hosts James Larkin and Sapna Patel welcome their first live guest, Toni Ribas. The conversation covers the evolution of melanoma treatments, the challenge of treatment resistance, and the importance of clinical trials. The episode emphasizes the need for continuous innovation and the importance of understanding the complexities of the immune system in c...

Summary In this episode of Melanoma Matters, James tells us about his path to oncology (thank you, Emma) via John Newsom-Davis, the Jeremy Bentham pub, and Hammersmith Hospital. Later, hosts Sapna Patel and James Larkin discuss the COLUMBUS 7-year data of targeted therapy for metastatic melanoma - treatment efficacy, toxicity, and long-term patient management. They explore the nuances of treatment...

Teaser : Find out Allison's favorite body part, had she been an orthopedic surgeon (and James' 2nd favorite.. from the movie Sleeper) Summary In this episode of Melanoma Matters, hosts Sapna Patel and James Larkin welcome Dr. Allison Betof-Warner, Director of the Advanced Melanoma Program at Stanford University. The conversation explores Dr. Betof-Warner's journey into oncology, her passion for Cr...

Summary Gulf oysters and FATE get a shoutout in this episode of Melanoma Matters. Hosts James Larkin and Sapna Patel discuss the ADAPT-IT study, focusing on adaptive dosing strategies in immunotherapy for melanoma. They explore the study's design, results, and implications for clinical practice, including the potential for reduced dosing based on early response assessments. Keywords ADAPT-IT study...

Summary In this episode of Melanoma Matters, hosts James Larkin and Sapna Patel engage with Bettina Ryll, founder of the Melanoma Patient Network Europe (MPNE). Bettina shares her personal journey from being a physician to becoming a patient advocate after her husband's battle with metastatic melanoma. The conversation explores the evolution of patient support networks, the challenges faced in hea...

Summary In this episode of Melanoma Matters, hosts James Larkin and Sapna Patel engage with Jedd Wolchok, a prominent figure in oncology, to discuss his journey into the field, the evolution of immunotherapy, particularly the Checkmate-067 trial, and the long-term outcomes for melanoma patients. The conversation highlights the importance of collaboration in clinical trials, the significance of und...

Summary In this episode of Melanoma Matters, hosts James Larkin and Sapna Patel welcome Dr. Andreas Schmitt to discuss various aspects of melanoma treatment, including the importance of supplementary data in clinical trial reports, the implications of the TRICOTEL study, and the role of PD-L1 as a biomarker. The conversation highlights the significance of peer review and academic collaboration in...

Summary *Warning* with apologies! There is a change in sound at 11:11 mark that might necessitate a lower volume output. Hosts James Larkin has a beef with the first word of the cemiplimab + fianlimab JCO publication. He's living vicariously through Sapna's snowboarding plans for the season (if the record high temps ever stop). They continue to struggle with Farenheit to Centrigrade conversion. In...

Summary Left siding, Starfishing, and Superstitions! We make a hidden shoutout to Owen and a subtle callout to Zayd ... if you're listening In this episode of Melanoma Matters, hosts Sapna Patel and James Larkin delve into the Keynote 006 study, exploring its implications for melanoma treatment, long-term follow-up, and patient outcomes. The conversation highlights the importance of understand...

Summary More stories about medical emergencies! In this conversation, James Larkin and Sapna Patel discuss the complexities of tumor dynamics in patients treated with pembrolizumab beyond disease progression. They share personal anecdotes about medical emergencies on flights, which lead into a deeper exploration of treatment strategies and clinical trial methodologies. The discussion emphasizes th...

Summary In this episode of Melanoma Matters, Sapna and James discuss the importance of looking at Figure 1. They talk about in-flight medical emergencies, and James recalls a scene of carnage ... "blood everywhere." They delve into the complexities of mucosal melanoma, discussing its unique characteristics, treatment options, and the latest research findings. They share personal anecdotes from the...

Summary James' favorite moments from #ESMO24 include footie and a not-so-chance encounter with NEJM Editor-in-Chief, Eric Rubin. In this episode of Melanoma Matters, hosts Sapna Patel and James Larkin discuss the Relativity 020 study, which focuses on Nivo Rela after PD-1 exposure in melanoma patients. They reflect on their experiences at ESMO, including networking and memorable moments, before di...

Summary In this episode of Melanoma Matters, hosts James Larkin and Sapna Patel reflect on their experiences at ESMO 2024 and the importance of face-to-face meetings. But then James pops the balloon by commenting on the carbon footprint of the airplane travel. They go on to discuss the phase three trial comparing ipilimumab doses in melanoma and delve into the trial's design, results, and implicat...

Summary In this episode, James needs some sun cream! The conversation discusses the outcomes of post-recurrence systemic therapy following adjuvant checkpoint inhibitor treatment for resected melanoma in the Checkmate 238 trial. The study found that early recurrences were associated with worse outcomes compared to late recurrences. Patients who recurred early had shorter progression-free survival...

Summary (Coach) Owen is in a seriously bad mood with James at the moment! But James is back in pull-up form and can do an impressive number of strict pull-ups... In this episode, Sapna Patel and James Larkin discuss the LEAP 004 and LEAP 003 studies, focusing on the combination of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab in treating melanoma, particularly in patients who are refractory to PD-1 inhibitors. The...

Summary On the heels of the great ESMO 2024 session with Toni Ribas, Inge Marie Svane, and Olivier Michielin James and Sapna discuss Prof Svane and Prof van Haanen's TIL trial, a significant study in melanoma treatment that explores the efficacy and safety of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy compared to traditional treatments. They delve into the historical context of the trial, its...