Melanoma Matters

Summary In this episode of Melanoma Matters, host James Larkin uses his 1-800-Operator voice until co-host Sapna Patel reminds him to use his podium voice. There is a noisy wardrobe choice (SP) and a fact check of a fact check (JL). Sapna and James have an in-depth conversation of the Checkmate 511 study, discussing its implications for treatment regimens in melanoma. They delve into the nuances o...

Summary James is back from holiday and tells us the peak, pit, and bud of his time away. (Spoiler: the pit was NOT a broken tooth!) He also shares a tip for time management and email hygiene on holiday. Sapna makes an unfortunate wardrobe choice (noisy, not visual). In this episode of Melanoma Matters, hosts Sapna and James delve into the complexities of indirect treatment comparisons in melanoma...

Summary Our hosts guilty pleasures - junk food and South Park! Endless laughs about South Park... In this episode of Melanoma Matters, Sapna Patel and James Larkin discuss the complexities of end-of-life care in patients with melanoma. They explore the importance of early conversations about treatment options, the role of palliative care, and the emotional and cultural aspects of dying. The discus...

Summary In this episode of Melanoma Matters, hosts James Larkin and Sapna Patel discuss a couple of liver-directed trials in metastatic uveal melanoma. They focus on the CHOPIN and SCANDIUM trials, the combination of liver-directed therapies with systemic treatments, and the safety and efficacy of these approaches. The conversation highlights the innovative efforts of European investigators and th...

Summary Warning: we recorded ANOTHER 40-minute episode on uveal melanoma! But this time we decided *not* to split it into 2 episodes. So dig in for a long one...there's the use of props at the end! In this conversation, James and Sapna discuss the FOCUS trial and the use of the melphalan hepatic delivery system. The discussion highlights the importance of understanding the differences between infu...

Summary Find out which host is a french fry aficianado, who loves a doner kebab as a guilty pleasure, and other cheeky indulgences (Lebowski's, Gettysburger, Union Rings, Freedom Fries, Law & Order: SVU...) In this conversation, hosts Sapna Patel and James Larkin discuss the latest findings and studies related to uveal melanoma treatments, particularly focusing on the combination of nivolumab...

Summary Hosts James Larkin and Sapna Patel have a bit of fun around the words juice, wimpy, lobster red, and 3 inches. The conversation about tebentafusp in uveal melanoma continues, focusing on the concept of treating beyond progression, the tolerability of treatments, survival outcomes, and the implications of HLA frequency in patient selection for clinical trials. The speakers discuss the impor...

Summary Step aerobics, DOMS, and Princess Diana all in one opening story. In this episode of Melanoma Matters, hosts James Larkin and Sapna Patel discuss the drug tebentafusp and its implications in treating uveal melanoma. They explore the study design, patient demographics, and the significance of overall survival rates in clinical trials. The discussion highlights the innovative nature of teben...

Summary James recalls a concert in Juan-les-Pins in Antibes, France where he saw one of the best performances he can remember (swanky locale under the pines). And a tip of the hat to the Wedding Present whose gigs he says were "always amazing" In this episode of Melanoma Matters, James and Sapna discuss the long-term follow-up results of the COMBI-AD study, which evaluates the efficacy of adjuvant...

Summary Hosts Sapna Patel and James Larkin discuss what they're currently watching on tv & streaming services. (Spoiler: Eric Cartman on Ozempic) The main conversation delves into the Relativity 48 study of triple immune checkpoint inhibition presented at ASCO 2024. The hosts discuss the study's design, patient characteristics, safety profile, and efficacy results, highlighting the importance...

Summary How many countries are there in the world? 195 according to the United Nations. (Host James Larkin nearly got it right) In this episode of Melanoma Matters, Sapna and James discuss recent developments in melanoma treatment, focusing on the FDA's recent ODAC vote regarding neoadjuvant trial designs and the implications of the Nadina data. They explore the importance of pathology in treatmen...

Summary In this episode, Prof Christian Blank introduces us to a woman named NADINA. We find out what kind of car he drives as well as James when he's not cycling around London (hint: adoks backwards). We fixed the sound and video at the end, so you can have a laugh along with us. Christian discusses with James and Sapna the NADINA trial, combination neoadjuvant therapy for melanoma. He emphasizes...

We dedicate this episode to our friend and colleague, Prof Jeff Weber (1952 - 2024). In this conversation, Jeff discusses the best of ASCO 2024 for melanoma and skin cancers. He presents the findings of the V940 trial, which showed a benefit in recurrence-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival for a personalized mRNA neoantigen vaccine combined with pembrolizumab. He also discusses the...

Summary James is ill (apparent in his voice)! Find out what gets James to show up to an ASCO meeting, and stay tuned for the fact check to hear the infamous tweet from Omid Hamid regarding James' scrubs. In this episode of Melanoma Matters, hosts James Larkin and Sapna Patel discuss sequencing of immunotherapy and targeted therapy for BRAF-positive melanoma. They review the SECOMBIT study 4-year u...

Summary In this conversation, Sapna puts Santa Fe, NM on the map of her all time favorite places in the USA. James and Sapna go on to discuss the DreamSeq study, which focuses on the sequencing of systemic therapy in patients with BRAF mutant metastatic melanoma. They explore the historical context of melanoma treatments, the design and endpoints of the trial, and the implications for clinical pra...

Summary James is ageist in his music preferences! Or he's just very fond of Bob Dylan. He claims to have no knowledge of Taylor Swift poetry, which is just begging for a TTPD vinyl EP. Sapna and James go on to discuss the implications of triplet studies in melanoma treatment, focusing on the combination of BRAF and MEK inhibitors with checkpoint inhibitors. They explore the results of key studies...

Summary Snoozing versus getting up before the alarm - guess which host is which. In this conversation, Sapna Patel and James Larkin discuss the recent approval of Lifileucel, a cellular therapy for melanoma. They delve into the study schema, the differences between cryopreserved and non-cryopreserved cells, and the mechanism of action involving T cells and interleukin-2. The discussion also covers...

Summary What is the plural of myocarditis? Prof Larkin claims it is myocarditities. In this episode of Melanoma Matters, James Larkin and Sapna Patel discuss the recent study on neoadjuvant therapy using Nivolumab and Relatlimab for melanoma treatment. They explore the study's design, results, and implications for future therapies, particularly focusing on the high rate of complete pathological re...

Why make the bed? Who needs a mnemonic for washing? In the opening quickfire discussion, James and Sapna get SERIOUS. In this episode, they discuss a paper from Nature Medicine 2019 titled 'Single Dose of Neoadjuvant PD-1 Blockade Predicts Clinical Outcomes in Resectable Melanoma.' They explore the significance of the study, which showed that a single dose of preoperative PD-1 blockade can induce...

Summary Sapna reveals her most used emoji is a heart (awww..... <3) and James just avoids the question. Neither has decided on their theme song as a wrestler which means they won't be quitting their day jobs anytime soon. In this episode, James and Sapna discuss the injectable treatment SD101, its mechanism, efficacy in different patient populations, and the challenges faced in its development....

Summary This one's for you Dennie Jones (and Alex Nguyen & Shagufta Naqvi)! And the incredible experience they provided one of us as a medical student that shaped a future path. (Honorable mention to GI Fellow at the time Binh Pham and his turtles & friendship.) In this conversation, James Larkin and Sapna Patel discuss the combination of TVEC and IPI in treating melanoma, focusing on rece...

Summary James gives a response of plausible deniability that hints at activities as a spy for MI6. But is Sapna perhaps the optimal agent for the clandestine services? In this episode of Melanoma Matters, hosts Sapna Patel and James Larkin discuss the intricacies of the MASTERKEY 265 study, focusing on the combination of TVEC and pembrolizumab in melanoma treatment. They explore the study's de...

Summary One wonders if Prof Martin Gore ever dreamed he would be mentioned in the same context as HRH and Taylor Swift. If he's listening, he must know which of the goldilocks chairs he occupies. In this episode of Melanoma Matters, hosts Sapna Patel and James Larkin discuss injectable therapies for melanoma, focusing on Talimogene Laherparepvec (TVEC) and the Optim trial. They explore the trial's...

Summary In this episode of Melanoma Matters, Sapna Patel and James Larkin discuss the IMMUNED study, a randomized phase 2 trial for resected stage 4 melanoma with no evidence of disease (NED). They explore the study design, efficacy results, and subgroups analysis. They also discuss the use of checkpoint inhibitors in the adjuvant setting and the management of oligometastatic disease. The key take...

Summary In this conversation, James Larkin and Sapna Patel discuss the S1801 study, a neoadjuvant study in melanoma. They talk about the background and design of the study, including the decision to compare neoadjuvant therapy to adjuvant therapy using pembrolizumab. They also discuss the efficacy and toxicity of the neoadjuvant approach, as well as the importance of central pathologic review. The...