GI ASCO 2024 Highlights with Dr. Pamela Kunz – CheckMate 8HW, EMERALD-1, NETTER-2

In discussion with Dr. Pamela Kunz, covering the Gastroenterology ASCO 2024 meeting highlights from Community Oncology perspective. We covered 3 important practice informing studies from GI ASCO with Dr. Kunz:

- CheckMate 8HW: Nivolumab plus ipilimumab vs chemotherapy as first-line (1L) treatment for microsatellite instability-high/mismatch repair-deficient (MSI-H/dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer

- EMERALD-1: A phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled study of transarterial chemoembolization combined with durvalumab with or without bevacizumab in participants with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma eligible for embolization

- NETTER-2: [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE in newly diagnosed patients with advanced grade 2 and grade 3, well-differentiated gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

#GI #ASCO #HCC #Colon #Cancer #NET #Neuroendocrine #2024 #oncology #oncbrothers

[NurburgringUP]

I certainly appreciate the effort that goes into this. Well selected studies, short and to the point discussion, thanks for your hard work. I do believe we should be more critical with the comparator arms in many of these trials, as no one in their right mind would give them to their father:
Netter-2: Octreotide in a G3 neuroendocrine tumor with a Ki67 of 50%
Checkmate 8HW: Folfox in MSI-H stage IV colon cancer
Emerald: TACE alone in unresectable HCC
Having a weak comparator arm is an easy way to show your drug is “better”. All of them border on unethical.