MesoTV Podcast: Conversations Impacting the Mesothelioma Community

Melina Marmarelis, MD, Thoracic Medical Oncologist, UPenn joins us for an interview about precision medicine. She discusses biomarker information, such as histology (currently most valuable), but also molecular testing such as NF2, MTAP, CDKN2A mutations that can be used when determining precision medicine treatments. Other topics discussed are BAP1 mutations, PDL1 expression, mutational burden, and oncolytic viruses. The interview is moderated by Julie White, BSN, OCN, RN who is the patient services director at the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. More information is available at curemeso.org.

Michael Offin, MD, MSKCC, joins us for an informative session about chemotherapy drugs, their uses, side effects, and supportive medications.

Andreas Rimner, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, joins us for a conversation about radiation oncology and currently available clinical trials. He discussed various ways patients can benefit from radiation therapy, including an overview of different types of radiation and different modes of treatment. Radiation therapy can be applied alone, or in combination with other treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy. Dr. Rimner is a radiation oncologist who specializes in caring for people with cancers of the chest, known as thoracic cancers. These include non-small cell and small cell lung cancers, pleural mesotheliomas, thymomas, lung metastases, sarcomas, and other rare tumors of the chest. He works closely with a highly skilled team of experts from many areas — including surgeons, medical oncologists, radiologists, medical physicists, and radiation therapists — to determine the best treatment options for his patients. HIs team uses the most advanced radiation techniques, including stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) or stereotactic ablative body radiation (SABR), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), intensity-modulated pleural radiation therapy (IMPRINT), MR-guided radiation therapy, and proton radiation to precisely target cancers while limiting damage to normal tissues. MesoTV is a program by the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. This program is made possible by our generous sponsors: Maune Raichle Hartley French & Mudd, LLC (MRHFM); Bristol Myers Squibb; Novocure, Merck, The Gori Law Firm, TCR2, AstraZeneca, Early Lucarelli Sweeney & Meisenkothen. Search our previous episodes for topics/speakers of interest to you at www.curemeso.org/mesotv.

In this episode of MesoTV, we are joined by Dr. Ibiayi Dagogo-Jack a thoracic oncologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital and assistant professor of medicine at the Harvard Medical School. She helps us understand the types of immunotherapy treatments currently available to mesothelioma patients, and treatments undergoing clinical trials that might be available in the future. We discuss the ipilimumab/nivolumab (Yervoy/Opdivo) combination, Keytruda (pembrolizumab), and the combination of durvalumab (Imfinzi) with standard chemotherapy that is currently being studied. We also discuss targeted therapies. Dr. Dagogo-Jack explains in a very approachable way the theory behind immunotherapy in general, as well as why certain immunotherapies might be better choices for certain patients. Dr. Ibiayi Dagogo-Jack received her bachelor's degree from Vanderbilt University and her medical degree from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. She trained in internal medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Following residency, she completed hematology/oncology fellowship in the combined Massachusetts General Hospital/Dana Farber Cancer Institute program. She is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a medical oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital where she specializes in thoracic cancers. She conducts clinical/translational research focused on understanding mechanisms underlying resistance to cancer therapeutics and clinical trials designed to evaluate novel combinations in lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Dr. Andrea Wolf is Director of the New York Mesothelioma Program at the Mount Sinai Health System, which provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary clinical care for patients with suspected or diagnosed malignant pleural mesothelioma. She has expertise in surgery for pleural mesothelioma and VATS lobectomy, and research interests in mesothelioma, health care disparities, and lung cancer. Dr. Wolf graduated Cum Laude from Princeton University and earned highest honors and her medical degree at Harvard Medical School. She trained in General Surgery and served as Chief Resident at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Dr. Wolf earned a Master in Public Health with a focus on Clinical Effectiveness at Harvard University School of Public Health while researching malignant pleural mesothelioma and early stage lung cancer as a Thoracic Oncology Research Fellow at Brigham and Women's Hospital, also in Boston. She completed her training in Cardiothoracic Surgery after serving as Chief Resident in Thoracic Surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. Wolf is interviewed by Shannon Sinclair, RN, BSN, OCN, who serves as the patient services director at the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. www.curemeso.org.

Conversation with Travis Grotz, MD, surgical oncologist at Mayo Clinic who specializes in the treatment of peritoneal malignancies. Dr. Grotz serves on the Science Advisory Board of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. He is interviewed by Shannon Sinclair, RN, BSN, OCN, who serves as the patient services director at the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. www.curemeso.org.

We meet with Dr. Joseph Friedberg, a thoracic surgeon at Temple University Hospital-Main Campus and Fox Chase Cancer Center. Joseph Friedberg, MD, FACS, is Thoracic Surgeon-in-Chief of Temple University Health System, Vice Chair of Surgical Services for the Department of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery, Professor of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, and Co-Director of the Temple Health Mesothelioma and Pleural Disease Program. He is interviewed by Shannon Sinclair, RN, BSN, OCN, who serves as the patient services director at the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. www.curemeso.org. MesoTV is a program by the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. This program is made possible by our generous sponsors: Maune Raichle Hartley French & Mudd, LLC (MRHFM); Bristol Myers Squibb; Novocure, Merck, The Gori Law Firm, TCR2, AstraZeneca, Early Lucarelli Sweeney & Meisenkothen. Search our previous episodes for topics/speakers of interest to you at www.curemeso.org/mesotv.

Separately, chemotherapy and immunotherapy are both approved to treat mesothelioma, and individually they work equally well for those patients with the epithelioid type of disease. Currently, the question in front of scientists is what happens when those two treatments are combined? DREAMER, a new clinical trial enrolling right now in the United States and Australia, is looking to find those answers. In this episode of MesoTV we talk with one of the principal investigators of this study, Dr. Patrick Forde of Johns Hopkins, to ask him about what this trial means to patients. If a patients is considering enrolling in this trial, they should watch this episode. The interview is moderated by Shannon Sinclair, RN, BSN, OCN, the oncology nurse at the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. www.curemeso.org. MesoTV is a program by the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. This program is made possible by our generous sponsors: Maune Raichle Hartley French & Mudd, LLC (MRHFM); Bristol Myers Squibb; Novocure, Merck, The Gori Law Firm, TCR2, AstraZeneca, Early Lucarelli Sweeney & Meisenkothen. Search our previous episodes for topics/speakers of interest to you at www.curemeso.org/mesotv.  

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation can help guide you through the selection of medical specialists and treatments including clinical trials. Our on-staff mesothelioma expert, Shannon Sinclair, RN, BSN, OCN, is available to speak with patients and their families to help guide them through their diagnosis and treatment options. She can be reached at shannon@curemeso.org or by phone at (703) 879-3821. Shannon is an oncology nurse with 14 years of experience working at a large cancer center in Ohio where she worked with a multidisciplinary team comprised of medical and radiation oncologists, surgeons, and other specialties involved in cancer care. Shannon also spent time working as an oncology clinical nurse educator for a large pharmaceutical company, where she educated providers at cancer centers and hospitals about clinical trial data, upcoming indications, immunotherapy, PARP inhibitors (a special type of a targeted cancer drug), mechanisms of action of various agents, potential adverse events, and side-effect management. Earlier in her career she was an oncology specialty pharmacy nurse educating patients, caregivers, nurses, and clinicians on oral oncolytics. She holds the Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN) certification and certification through the Oncology Nursing Society for chemotherapy, biotherapy, and immunotherapy.

We are joined by Dr. Marjorie Zauderer, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Zauderer talks to us about the thought process she and other medical oncologists employ when determining whether a patient should enroll in a clinical trial and which trial that should be.

In this episode, we are joined by two patients who recently received a mesothelioma diagnosis. They discuss their initial shock to hear the word "mesothelioma" and their subsequent efforts to find specialists experienced in treating their cancer.

We are joined by a panel of radiation oncologists who specialize in mesothelioma: - Charles B. Simone, II, MD, FACRO, Research Professor, Chief Medical Officer, New York Proton Center - Andreas Rimner, MD, Director of Thoracic Radiation Oncology Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center - Kenneth Rosenzweig, MD, Professor and Chairman, Department of Radiation Oncology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York They join us to discuss radiation therapy for the treatment of mesothelioma. Some areas discussed include: • Difference/similarities between photon, proton, external beam, IMRT, stereotactic body radiation • The palliative effect of radiation therapy • The side effects of radiation therapy and the different treatment options available • The feasibility of radiation therapy for pleural mesothelioma vs. peritoneal mesothelioma • The overview of a typical radiation procedure

Dr. Hedy Kindler of the University of Chicago Medicine joins us to discuss precision medicine and targeted therapies for the treatment of mesothelioma. Dr. Kindler explains the mechanisms of action for several molecular pathways associated with tumor growth and/or inhibition. She also discusses three specific therapeutic options available through clinical trials like CPI-0209 and olaparib (PARP inhibitors) targeted at the BAP1 tumor mutation; and the VT3989 targeting the NF2 pathway. While these treatment options are still in early clinical trial phases, they target specific known tumor mutations, which makes them more precise than traditional chemotherapy treatment.

A complete blood count test, best known as the CBC, is a tool used by physicians to determine some basic information about their patient's health. Learn more about what each value means in relation to the patient's health and treatment. In this interview we are joined by Buerkley Opalecky, MSN, RN, Ambulatory Oncology Clinical Nurse Educator, University of Chicago. Leading the interview is Shannon Sinclair, RN, BSN, OCN who is the on-staff mesothelioma expert at the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.

We are joined by Dr. Aaron Mansfield of the Mayo Clinic to discuss a new, now enrolling, clinical trial for peritoneal mesothelioma that randomizes patients into two arms: an arm that receives chemotherapy + bevacizumab, and an arm that receives chemotherapy, bevacizumab and immunotherapy.

[PLEASE FORGIVE OUR PET-CAUSED AUDIO ISSUES IN THE BEGINNING OF THE VIDEO] Shannon Sinclair, RN, OCN, the director of patient services of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, interviews Joanna Myers Casale, RD, CSO. Joanna Myers Casale, RD, CSO is a registered dietitian at the MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper in Camden, NJ. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Clinical Dietetics & Nutrition from the University of Pittsburgh where she graduated magna cum laude. Joanna is a board certified specialist in oncology nutrition by the Commission on Dietetic Registration.

Dr. Raffit Hassan of the National Cancer Institute joins us for a conversation about his study called "Tissue Procurement and Natural History Study of Patients With Malignant Mesothelioma" that collects information from mesothelioma patients and their families in order to study their disease and risk for other cancers. Dr. Hassan looks to answer certain questions such as "why do certain patients do better than others?"

We are joined by Suellen Crano, a 21-year peritoneal mesothelioma survivor, who shares her story from the early stages of diagnosis and beyond. Suellen was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2001 after several years of seeking a diagnosis. While not typical in many ways, Suellen's journey includes going from feeling alone, and not knowing any other patients for years, to finding a supportive community of patients and family members.

We sit down with Chuong D. Hoang, MD, thoracic surgical oncologist at the National Cancer Institute to discuss his new hydrogel based therapy for mesothelioma. Dr. Hoang's research has just been published in Nature Nanotechnology https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-021-00961-w. Dr. Hoang was a previous recipient of Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation's funding. In this interview he also discusses surgical trials available to patients today at the NCI. Learn more about the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation and MesoTV at www.curemeso.org.

Panel of mesothelioma patients and caregivers about managing costs associated with travel to mesothelioma specialists and clinical trials for treatment. Moderated by Bill Ziegler, featuring Heather Von St James, Sheila Brittingham, and Meghan Butler. Discussion includes information about the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation's Travel Grant program which awards financial assistance to patients seeking a consultation with a mesothelioma specialist (up to $1,000) or those enrolling in a clinical trial (up to $6,000). https://www.curemeso.org/mesothelioma-treatment-plan/patient-support-and-resources/financial-assistance-for-mesothelioma-patients/

We sit down for a conversation with Raphael Bueno, MD, of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA to discuss the surgical approach to mesothelioma and how genetics impact treatment.

Dr. William Breen of the Mayo Clinic joins us in a conversation about Dr. Breen's study exploring synergy processes between radiation therapy in combination with immunotherapy.

NOW ENROLLING: Immunotherapy + chemotherapy as first line treatment for mesothelioma Drs. Anne Tsao of MD Anderson Cancer Center, Patrick Forde of Johns Hopkins, and James Stevenson of the Cleveland Clinic join Mary Hesdorffer to discuss a new clinical trial, Dream3r, a phase 3 study into the efficacy of combination chemotherapy with immunotherapy as first line treatment for mesothelioma.

Discussion with Dr. James Stevenson of the Cleveland Clinic about staging of mesothelioma. Does staging matter and can it predict outcomes? Cancer staging conveys to the patient and physician information about the cancer's spread (for example, has the the cancer metastasized to the lymphatic system or other organs, etc.) This information is used to determine the course of treatment (i.e. whether the cancer is operable or not), as well as prognosis (predicting a patient's survival time). For scientists, this classification is also helpful in a research setting as it allows comparison of patients (simplistically, it allows them to compare apples to apples.) Currently, staging for pleural mesothelioma (peritoneal mesothelioma does not have a standardized staging system) is based on the TNM system. T: the extent of spread of the main tumor. N: the spread of cancer to nearby (regional) lymph nodes. M: indicates whether the cancer has spread (metastasized) to other organs of the body.

Pneumonitis is a serious treatment-related side effect of both radiation, immunotherapy and some chemotherapies. This episode of MesoTV includes discussion on diagnosis, treatment and the dilemma facing both patients and doctors while making decisions on how to approach mesothelioma specific therapy during and post treatment for this condition. Dr. Daniel Sterman is a member of the Board of Directors at the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. He is also Director of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center. More information about MesoTV is available at www.curemeso.org/mesotv. More information about the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation can be found at www.curemeso.org.

Dr. Andrew Blakely, MD, of the National Cancer Institute joins us to discuss peritoneal mesothelioma surgery and treatment. Dr. Blakely is a surgical oncologist specializing in peritoneal surface malignancies and soft tissue sarcomas. More information about MesoTV is available at www.curemeso.org/mesotv. More information about the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation can be found at www.curemeso.org.

Dr. Jarushka Naidoo of Beaumont Hospital Dublin and Johns Hopkins, and Michelle Turner, NP, of Johns Hopkins join moderator Mary Hesdorffer to discuss side-effects of immunotherapy. If you found this video helpful, please Like and Subscribe to make sure others can find it as well. For more videos like this one, visit www.curemeso.org/mesotv

Dr. Melissa Johnson of the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center in Nashville, TN talks to us about a multi-center clinical trial utilizing engineered t-cell therapy similar to CAR-T but better known as TRuC-T therapy (stands for TCR Fusion Construct T cells). While CAR-T cell therapy engineers the patient's own T-cells with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), Truc-t therapy engineers T-cell receptors (TCRs). Dr. Johnson is a thoracic medical oncologist and is the program director of Lung Cancer Research at Sarah Cannon Cancer Center. Learn more about MesoTV at www.curemeso.org/mesotv.

CLINICAL TRIAL: Neoadjuvant Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Resectable Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Overview of new clinical trial for patients with resectable pleural mesothelioma looking into benefits of immunotherapy treatment prior to surgery. The trial compares two arms: in one arm patients are treated with nivolumab only prior to surgery; in the other arm they are treated with nivolumab + ipilimumab. This interview is moderated by Buerkley Rose, MSN, RN of the University of Chicago Medicine, and features the principal investigator of the study, Patrick Forde, MD of Johns Hopkins. The interview also provides insight from two surgeons participating in the trial: Joseph Friedberg, MD of the University of Maryland Medical Center, and Richard Battafarano, MD, PhD of Johns Hopkins. More information about MesoTV is available at www.curemeso.org/mesotv. More information about the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation can be found at www.curemeso.org.

A conversation with Dr. Hedy Kindler of the University of Chicago Medicine, and Dr. Sanjay Popat of the Royal Marsden in the UK, about current trends and advances in mesothelioma treatment with a special focus on immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and various combinations thereof. Moderated by Dr. Marjorie G. Zauderer of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and chair of the board of directors of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. More information about MesoTV is available at www.curemeso.org/mesotv. More information about the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation can be found at www.curemeso.org.

Panel of experts from Baylor College of Medicine discuss pain management for mesothelioma. Moderated by Dr. R. Taylor Ripley, a thoracic surgeon, the panel features Dr. Eugene Choi, a surgeon, who specializes in peritoneal mesothelioma; Dr. Everton Edmondson, a neurologist and pain specialist; and Dr. Ashwin Viswanathan, a neurosurgeon. MesoTV is produced by the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating mesothelioma as a life-ending cancer. The organization funds peer-reviewed research; provide patient support services and education; and advocates for research funding. More information is available at www.curemeso.org.

Moderated by Dr. Daniel Sterman, NYU Langone's Director of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine and Director of the Multidisciplinary Pulmonary Oncology Program, this episode features a panel of patients who  underwent an EPP (extrapleural pneumonectomy - lung removal) who discuss their experiences and side-effects prior to surgery, immediately after surgery, and long term.

Dr. Andreas Rimner of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center joins us to discuss a clinical trial "Testing the Addition of Targeted Radiation Therapy to Surgery and the Usual Chemotherapy Treatment (Pemetrexed and Cisplatin [or Carboplatin]) for Stage I-IIIA Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma." Dr. Rimner is a radiation oncologist specializing in thoracic cancers. He in interviewed by Mary Hesdorffer, expert nurse practitioner and executive director of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. Patients who need help with their diagnosis can contact Mary Hesdorffer, NP through the organization's website. The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation is the only national nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating mesothelioma by providing patient services and education; funding peer-reviewed research; and advocating for government funding of mesothelioma research. More information about the organization is available at www.curemeso.org.

Dr. Sean Drake, of the Henry Ford Medical System in Detroit, Michigan, takes some time to talk to us and discuss immunizations recommended for cancer patients, and mesothelioma patients specifically. Learn more at www.curemeso.org/mesotv.

Dr. Paul Sugarbaker joined us for an interview about HIPEC (hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy) for peritoneal mesothelioma. Paul Sugarbaker, MD, FACS, FRCS, is the Chief of the Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Program and the Director of the Center for Gastrointestinal Malignancies at the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. MesoTV is the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation's recorded series covering pertinent conversations impacting the mesothelioma community. You can learn more at curemeso.org/mesotv. The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation is the only nonprofit charity organization dedicated to ending mesothelioma, and the suffering caused by this cancer, by: funding research to improve treatment options; providing treatment support and education for patients and their families; and advocating for federal funding of research.  

Three mesothelioma patients share their experiences with cancer-related cognitive impairment — also known as "chemo brain" — with Dr. Tracy Vannorsdall, a neuropsychologist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Moderated by Mary Hesdorffer, NP, executive director of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. Subscribe for alerts. More information at https://www.curemeso.org/mesotv.

Jane Churpek, MD, MS, discusses inherited genetics and mesothelioma, in particular as they relate to the BAP1 gene and the BRCA2. Specifically, she covers how cancer prevention and selection of effective treatment options for mesothelioma patients both rely on an understanding of genetic changes.

Heather Von St James, Jill Waite, Rich Mosca, Liam Bradley, John Panza, and Sara Babin discuss their own experiences with mesothelioma and how their lives have changed post-treatment. Subscribe for alerts. More information at https://www.curemeso.org/mesotv.

Adnan Jaigirdar, MD, FACS, provided an overview of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded access program (compassionate use) for investigative therapies for mesothelioma patients.