Five Under 5: Top Oncology Videos for the Week of 8/17

Welcome to The Five Under 5, your go-to roundup of the top 5 videos of the week.

These short videos are designed for busy oncologists to view on the go, and feature expert insights on breaking news, regulatory updates, practice-changing data shared at medical meetings, and other key topics in the realm of oncology.

Here’s what you may have missed:

Reducing JAK2 Allele Burden With Ruxolitinib or Ropeginterferon Alfa-2b in Polycythemia Vera: Naseema Gangat, MBBS

Naseema Gangat, MBBS, of Mayo Clinic, discusses the use of ruxolitinib (Jakafi) compared with ropeginterferon alfa-2b-njft (Besremi) for reducing JAK2 allele burden in patients with polycythemia vera. Ruxolitinib is approved by the FDA for second-line use in patients refractory or resistant to hydroxyurea (Hydrea), and it can alleviate splenomegaly and constitutional symptoms. Gangat notes that emerging data show both ruxolitinib and ropeginterferon alfa-2b-njft can reduce JAK2 burden, and direct comparisons may help determine the preferred option. Efficacy and safety were demonstrated in the phase 3 RESPONSE trial (NCT01243944) and phase 2 MAJIC-PV trial (ISRCTN61925716), where ruxolitinib improved symptom control and hematocrit compared with best available therapy.

Unmet Needs After Early CAR T-Cell Therapy in Relapsed/Refractory Myeloma: Prerna Mewawalla, MD

Prerna Mewawalla, MD, of Allegheny Health Network and Drexel University College of Medicine, discusses unanswered questions after early CAR T-cell therapy in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. She highlights that salvage options and sequencing following early CAR T-cell therapy, such as whether to use bispecific antibodies or traditional regimens, are not clearly defined. Mewawalla notes ongoing questions about the need for maintenance therapy and its impact on durable responses. She also emphasizes that expanding access to this modality is critical, as infusion center capacity and geographic disparities limit treatment availability.

Role of Fruquintinib in the Treatment Paradigm for mCRC: John L. Marshall, MD

John L. Marshall, MD, of Georgetown University Hospital, discusses the role of fruquintinib (Fruzaqla) in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). He notes that pivotal trials demonstrate a survival advantage with fruquintinib in the third-line setting and beyond, primarily achieving disease stabilization rather than tumor regression. Marshall emphasizes the importance of timing, cautioning that delaying the drug until patients are too ill limits its benefit, and highlights the practical advantage of its oral formulation. He also addresses sequencing considerations versus trifluridine/tipiracil (Lonsurf; TAS-102), stating that the choice should be individualized based on tumor burden, prior therapies, and overall patient status.

Rationale for Evaluating JNJ-90014496 in Relapsed/Refractory LBCL: Matthew Ku, MBBS, FRACP, RACP, FRCPA/RCPA, PhD

Matthew Ku, MBBS, FRACP, RACP, FRCPA/RCPA, PhD, of St Vincent’s Hospital, discusses the rationale for examining JNJ-90014496 in patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma in a global phase 1b study (NCT05421663). He notes that although CD19-targeted CAR T-cell therapies have transformed treatment, many patients do not achieve long-term remissions, in part due to antigen escape. Ku explains that JNJ-90014496 is a dual CD19/CD20-directed bispecific CAR T-cell therapy designed to target validated antigens and potentially overcome antigen escape. Those in the study received autologous CAR T cells at escalating doses, with the recommended phase 2 dose established at 75 million CAR-positive T cells for optimal safety and efficacy.

Efficacy of Frontline Acalabrutinib Plus BR in High-Risk MCL: Martin Dreyling, MD

Martin Dreyling, MD, PhD, of University Hospital/Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, discusses the efficacy of acalabrutinib (Calquence) combined with bendamustine and rituximab (Rituxan) in patients with high-risk mantle cell lymphoma who were enrolled in the phase 3 ECHO trial (NCT02972840). He notes that although prior studies suggested BTK inhibitors plus rituximab could replace chemotherapy in low-risk patients, high-risk patients benefit more from combining chemotherapy with a BTK inhibitor. In the ECHO trial, the combination achieved a complete response rate of 66.6% overall and 67.9% in high-risk patients, with subgroup analyses showing pronounced progression-free survival benefits in patients with blastoid morphology or high Ki-67 indices. Dreyling emphasizes that these data confirm chemotherapy alone is insufficient for high-risk MCL and support the addition of targeted therapy to improve outcomes.