Revisit Every OncLive On Air Episode From May 2025

OncLive On Air Podcast Recap

In case you missed any, below is a recap of the episodes of OncLive On Air® that debuted in May 2025. Check out our podcast page for a full episode lineup and to stay up to date with all the latest releases!

Real-World Data Support Nadofaragene Firadenovec Use in BCG-Unresponsive NMIBC: With Jacob Moyer, BS; and Mark D. Tyson, II, MD, MPH

In this episode, as part of our OncClub series, Jacob Moyer, BS, and Mark Tyson II, MD, MPH, both from Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, highlighted findings from a real-world study of nadofaragene firadenovec in patients with BCG-unresponsive non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). They shared results on the durable responses achieved with the treatment in this patient population, key safety data, antispasmodic pretreatment considerations, and the optimal patient population to receive nadofaragene firadenovec.

“Even though our numbers appear favorable, it’s too early to say, but it certainly appears that in the real-world setting, nadofaragene firadenovec performed no worse than in clinical trials, which is promising,” Moyer explained. “We need extended follow-up and more patients, which are coming soon.”

“The drug’s indication is [for patients with] BCG-unresponsive NMIBC with carcinoma in situ; the most appropriate candidates [to receive this therapy are] patients who have refused or are ineligible for radical cystectomy and have disease that’s not responding to conventional intravesical BCG treatments,” Tyson added.

RP1 Plus Nivolumab Delivers Durable Responses in PD-1–Exposed Melanoma: With Anna C. Pavlick, BSN, MSc, DO, MBA

In this episode, we sat down with Anna C. Pavlick, BSN, MSc, DO, MBA, of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, New York, to discuss the rationale for investigating RP1 plus nivolumab (Opdivo) in patients with advanced melanoma following prior immune checkpoint inhibition; key data from the phase 1/2 IGNYTE trial (NCT03767348); and what the future of oncolytic viruses in melanoma might look like.

“We still need to do clinical trials because we don’t cure 100% of our patients yet,” Pavlick stated in the interview. “However, advances and innovations with oncolytic viruses in conjunction with different types of immunotherapy are expanding our armamentarium to manage metastatic melanoma.”

Early-Phase RAS Inhibitor Research Sparks Interest in NSCLC: With Kathryn C. Arbour, MD

In this episode, Kathryn C. Arbour, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, New York, talked through early clinical data with the RAS(ON) inhibitors zoldonrasib (RMC-9805) and daraxonrasib (RMC-6236) in patients with RAS-mutant non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Arbour shared the mechanisms of action of these agents, as well as the potential implications that these early data may have for the evolving RAS-mutant NSCLC treatment armamentarium.

“Zoldonrasib was well tolerated across all dose levels, including in the subset of patients who were treated at the candidate recommended phase 2 dose of 1200 mg once daily,” she highlighted.

MEK Inhibitors Expand the NF1-Associated PN Treatment Paradigm: With Christopher L. Moertel, MD

In this episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Christopher L. Moertel, MD, of the University of Minnesota School of Medicine in Minneapolis, about the evolution treatments for neurofibromatosis type 1–associated plexiform neurofibromas, including the MEK inhibitors mirdametinib (Gomekli) and selumetinib (Koselugo); the benefits of offering oral formulations of these treatments; the safety profiles of MEK inhibitors in this patient population; and how continued oncology education might optimize treatment outcomes for these patients.

“For the general oncologist, my main message is [that if they] know the toxicity of these agents and the standard practice for ameliorating those toxicities well, then they’ll have success,” Moertel explained. “They’ll be able to keep these patients on therapy and enable patients to get the most benefit out of it that they can.”

Cancer Vaccines Shake Up Disease Management and Prevention Strategies: With Shubham Pant, MD, MBBS; and Professor Timothy Elliott

In this episode, we were joined by Shubham Pant, MD, MBBS, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston; and Professor Timothy Elliott, of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, to discuss the current role of vaccines in cancer management, ongoing research that may expand the benefits of these treatments into cancer prevention arena, and cancer vaccine developments to look out for in the near future.

“Vaccines are truly coming to the forefront of cancer treatment,” Pant explained. “We are trying to develop vaccines that target micrometastatic disease [in order to] delay recurrence and/or [contribute to] a higher cure rate.”

“I feel the future [of cancer vaccines] is precision prevention,” Elliott added. “I’m sure vaccines will [also] find their place in a therapeutic regimen, either to complement other immunotherapies, maybe therefore mitigating some of the toxicities of checkpoint blockade.”

Updated Nilotinib Formulation Improves Treatment Adherence in Ph+ CML: With Michael J. Mauro, MD

In this episode, Michael J. Mauro, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, talked through treatment adherence issues associated with nilotinib in patients with Philadelphia chromosome–positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), the effect that treatment nonadherence can have on treatment response and quality of life, and how the updated formulation of nilotinib addresses some of these adherence issues by reducing the need for fasting.

“We have really good palliative medications in CML now, but with these alternate formulations of novel agents in development, we’re going to be able to do even better and increase the cure fraction of CML in the years to come,” Mauro emphasized.

How Unexpected Opportunities Shaped an Oncology Career Beyond the Clinic: With D. Ross Camidge, MD, PhD; and Lauren Meehan Machos, MPH

In this episode of How This Is Building Me, host D. Ross Camidge, MD, PhD, sat down with Lauren Meehan Machos, MPH, of Nuvalent, to discuss Machos’ early career choices that led her from pre-med to sales; her passion for building strategic partnerships with oncology key opinion leaders; and how her involvement in the Miss New Hampshire program provided her with career-shaping opportunities.

“It is really important for me to grow and develop and continue what I love to do,” Machos said of her recent career shift. “Very few people probably get to have a job that they’re also very passionate about. I would hope that more people in the world do things that they’re passionate about, but sometimes I don’t think that happens. I love what I get to do every day. I’m blessed to have the opportunity to do it.”

Eltrombopag Biosimilar Improves Accessibility for Immune Thrombocytopenia & Aplastic Anemia: With Kanwarpal S. Kahlon, MD

In this episode, we spoke with Kanwarpal S. Kahlon, MD, of the UCLA School of Medicine, about the commercial availability of the generic, AB-rated formulations of eltrombopag (Promacta), for patients with severe immune thrombocytopeniaand aplastic anemia. Kahlon explained that the reduced cost of these biosimilar formulations may improve the accessibility of this treatment, thereby potentially enhancing patient adherence to treatment.

“Maybe [generic eltrombopag is] a treatment option that [hematologists] will feel more comfortable and confident reaching for because they know they’ll be able to get it for their patients,” he stated.

Social Media Expands Access to Practical Public Health Education: With Chandler Park, MD; and Paul Hanona, MD

In this episode of MedNews Week’s Oncology Unplugged, host Chandler Park, MD, a medical oncologist at Norton Cancer Institute in Louisville, Kentucky, was rejoined by Paul Hanona, MD, a content creator under the handle @doctordiscover, to conclude a 3-part series about the role of social media in oncology. Park and Hanona highlighted the benefits of public health content creation, the potential role of artificial intelligence in the future of medical education, and why it is important for oncologists to use social media to share their experiences and spotlight the power of new treatments.

“When it comes to actual medical education, and just in our daily workflow as oncologists, being able to have a source that I can quickly refer to that can quickly give me an answer that’s reliable from sources that are reputable is the real revolution,” Hanona emphasized.

“I learn from a lot of my patients; they inspire me,” Park shared. “[That] separates what’s real and what’s not real. It shows me that we’re all in a moment that can be taken away, so it lets us live our moment and enjoy our lives. Oncology is very inspirational because our patients go through this process, and it’s a privilege to hold their hand and help them throughout their journeys.”

FDA Approval Insights: Perioperative Durvalumab Plus Chemo in MIBC: With Matthew Galsky, MD

In this episode, we sat down with Matthew Galsky, MD, of The Tisch Cancer Institute in New York, New York, who highlighted the significance of the FDA approval of neoadjuvant durvalumab (Imfinzi) plus gemcitabine and cisplatin, followed by adjuvant durvalumab monotherapy after radical cystectomy, for the treatment of adult patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Galsky discussed top findings from the phase 3 NIAGARA trial (NCT03732677), as well as this regimen’s role in the MIBC treatment paradigm.

“[Currently], there are multiple studies exploring the perioperative approach with immune checkpoint blockade,” Galsky noted. “NIAGARA is the first to read out in bladder cancer, showing a benefit. There are several [trials] pending results, and viewing all these data in total will be important in understanding how the paradigm shifts in the future.”

Evolving Molecular Profiling and Liquid Biopsy Practices Guide First-Line CRC Therapy Decisions: With Chandler Park, MD; and Midhun Malla, MD

In this episode of MedNews Week’s Oncology Unplugged, host Chandler Park, MD, was joined by Midhun Malla, MD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, to kick off a 3-part series about colorectal cancer (CRC) management. Park and Malla talked through the clinical utility of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in patients with stages II and III colon cancer, clinical nuances in the management of high-risk CRC tumors, and the evolving roles of liquid biopsy and next-generation sequencing in the metastatic setting.

“ctDNA has been evolving as a significant prognostic biomarker in the field of colon cancer, especially stages I, II, and III,” Malla explained. “It has a huge role to play in both minimal residual disease and surveillance windows, because they have been shown to be prognostic of recurrence. In my patient population, in any patient with colon cancer who has undergone resection, I like to check ctDNA within the first 4-week window.”

“We have 2 different types of ctDNA biopsies,” Park said. “One is tissue informed, [which we can perform on samples from] patients who have [undergone] surgery. [We] use that surgery tumor biopsy as a barcode to look for tissue-informed ctDNA in the blood. Then we also have liquid biopsies that are tissue agnostic.”