Mark Yarchoan, MD

Articles

Adverse Event Management in Patients Treated With Immunotherapy

October 31st 2025

Panelists discuss how immune-related adverse events typically occur between 3 and 15 weeks of treatment, with hepatitis being particularly concerning in patients with cirrhosis and requiring careful differentiation from disease progression or worsening cirrhosis, while high-dose steroids remain first-line treatment with consideration of steroid-sparing agents and potential rechallenge strategies for responding patients.

Efficacy vs Toxicity With Immunotherapy

October 31st 2025

Panelists discuss how dual checkpoint inhibitors demonstrate significantly higher immune-related adverse event rates (nearly 30% grade 3-4) compared with atezolizumab-bevacizumab, but this increased toxicity is accompanied by meaningfully improved response rates, and the addition of anti-CTLA4 therapy roughly doubles response rates compared with anti-PD1 monotherapy in HCC.

Early vs Longer-Term Survival in Patients With Unresectable HCC

October 24th 2025

Panelists discuss how the early survival curve crossing observed in the CheckMate 9DW trial likely reflects lenvatinib’s superior short-term disease control, while emphasizing that the real strength of nivolumab-ipilimumab lies in achieving durable complete responses and unprecedented long-term survival tails.

Patient Selection and Contraindications for Immunotherapy in Unresectable HCC

October 24th 2025

Panelists discuss how approximately half of patients have soft contraindications to specific regimens, with bevacizumab being avoided in patients with recent bleeding, uncontrolled hypertension, or cardiovascular events, while dual checkpoint inhibitors may be contraindicated in patients with poorly controlled autoimmune diseases.

Selection of Immunotherapy Doublet Regimens for Patients With Unresectable HCC

October 17th 2025

Panelists discuss how all 3 approved immunotherapy doublets (atezolizumab-bevacizumab, durvalumab-tremelimumab, and nivolumab-ipilimumab) demonstrate superiority over tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy, with each regimen offering distinct advantages—atezolizumab-bevacizumab for disease control, and dual checkpoint inhibitors for durable complete responses and long-term survival tails.

Safety and Efficacy of Immunotherapy in Clinical Trials

October 17th 2025

Panelists discuss how immunotherapy-based regimens have transformed HCC treatment by achieving median survivals of 16 to 24 months and enabling long-term survival with meaningful percentages of patients living 3 to 5 years, representing a dramatic improvement over the historical 2- to 3-month survival benefit seen with sorafenib.

Management of Unresectable HCC and Monitoring of Liver Function

September 30th 2025

Panelists discuss how patients with unresectable HCC present with dual challenges of managing both the cancer and underlying cirrhotic liver disease, emphasizing the complexity of applying clinical trial data from patients with Child-Pugh A status to the more heterogeneous Child-Pugh B population commonly seen in practice.

Advanced Biliary Tract Cancers: Novel Biomarker Strategies

November 9th 2022

Closing out their discussion on the management of biliary tract cancers, experts share excitement for future evolutions in the treatment landscape.

Novel Agents Being Explored in Advanced Biliary Tract Cancers

November 9th 2022

Expert panelists provide comprehensive insight on novel targeted agents being investigated in advanced biliary tract cancers.

Sequencing Therapy in Patients With Advanced Biliary Tract Cancers

November 2nd 2022

In the context of advanced biliary tract cancers, panelists reflect on the optimal sequencing of agents throughout multiple lines of therapy.

Advanced Biliary Tract Cancers: Managing Immunotherapy-Related Adverse Events

November 2nd 2022

Expert perspectives on the toxicity profile of immunotherapy agents and how they can be managed in patients being treated for advanced biliary tract cancers.

Advanced BTC: Informing Use of IO Therapy in Specific Patient Populations

October 26th 2022

Shared insight on efforts to identify patient subgroups that may benefit more from immunotherapy in the setting of advanced biliary tract cancers.

TOPAZ-1: Durvalumab + Doublet Chemotherapy in Advanced Biliary Tract Cancers

October 26th 2022

Centering their conversation on the TOPAZ-1 clinical trial, expert panelists review the use of IO + chemotherapy in advanced biliary tract cancers.

Advanced Biliary Tract Cancers: First- and Second-Line Chemotherapy

October 19th 2022

Focused discussion on chemotherapy treatment options commonplace in patients with advanced or metastatic biliary tract cancers.

An Overview of Systemic Therapy for Advanced Biliary Tract Cancers

October 19th 2022

Shifting their focus to the advanced disease setting, panelists provide a comprehensive overview on systemic treatment modalities used in biliary tract cancers.

Understanding the Role of Adjuvant Therapy in Biliary Tract Cancers

October 12th 2022

Experts provide brief perspective on the use of adjuvant treatment approaches for patients with biliary tract cancers.

What is the Role of Transplant in Early-Stage Biliary Tract Cancers?

October 12th 2022

Before closing out their review of early-stage biliary tract cancer treatment options, panelists consider the role of transplant in the setting.

Treatment Options for Early-Stage Biliary Tract Cancers

October 5th 2022

Centering discussion on early-stage biliary tract cancers, expert panelists consider the respective roles of surgery and embolization strategies in this setting.

Guidelines for Molecular Testing in Biliary Tract Cancers

October 5th 2022

Panelists share their perspectives on molecular testing guidelines for patients diagnosed with biliary tract cancers.

Biliary Tract Cancers: Staging and Clinicopathologic Features

September 28th 2022

Comprehensive insight on staging biliary tract cancers followed by an overview of molecular testing and targetable clinicopathologic features.