Mesothelioma can strike at any time, but it most commonly affects those in their 70s, with cases continuing well into the 2030s. The time from exposure to diagnosis can be up to 60 years. This week, we explore treatment options for pleural mesothelioma, including ipilimumab and nivolumab, and consider whether chemotherapy and bevacizumab work for mesothelioma as well. The MAPS trial was published in 2016, while Checkmate was published in 2022.

Studies discussed in this episode:

MAPS

Checkmate 743

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.com

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from our foundation partners Pfizer, Gilead Pharmaceuticals and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have access to the episode at the same time you do and have no editorial control over the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we return to our regular programming with a back-to-basics exploration of extensive small-cell lung cancer. A notorious killer and an aggressive type of lung cancer, it has seen new treatments developed at a faster rate than in the last twenty years combined.

We explore tarlatamab, a bispecific delta-like ligand 3-directed T cell engager. The results show that, in the second-line setting, it improves overall survival (spoiler alert). The second study is IMforte, utilising lurbinectedin plus atezolizumab in the first-line setting for extensive-stage SCLCa. Again, a positive trial showing an improved median overall survival of 13.2 months vs 10.6 months, but does the toxicity profile trade off support this modest OS benefit? Tune in to find out!

Studies discussed in this episode:

Imforte

DeLLphi-304

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.com

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from our foundation partners Pfizer, Gilead Pharmaceuticals and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have access to the episode at the same time you do and have no editorial control over the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, our guest is a transformative figure in bowel cancer treatment. Professor Jenny Seligmann, a Consultant Medical Oncologist and Professor of Gastrointestinal and Translational Oncology at the University of Leeds, is renowned for leading the groundbreaking FOxTROT and ARIEL trials. These studies challenged traditional practices by demonstrating the advantages of administering chemotherapy before surgery, a change now saving lives and influencing worldwide protocols. As a devoted mentor and a prominent participant in Cancer Research UK’s initiatives, she joins us to explore how we can personalise cancer treatment more effectively and discuss the future prospects for gastrointestinal cancer therapies. Welcome, Professor Seligmann.

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.com

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from our foundation partners Pfizer, Gilead Pharmaceuticals and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have access to the episode at the same time you do and have no editorial control over the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our final take on ESMO 2025, we talk about Genitourinary Cancers. This was a dense area with numerous trials. Today we explore distimiab vedotin in those with advanced bladder cancer, the role of combining lutetium with an ARPI in advanced prostate cancer, whether de-escalation of docetaxel in high volume prostate cancer was just as efficacious as the regular six cycles, immunotherpay plus bCG in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, adjuvant durvalumab in renal cell caricnoma and the perioperaive role of enforumab vedotin for muscle invasive bladder cancer.

We're out of breath just listing off these trials, and if this hasn't gotten you excited, then probably nothing will!

See you next week, where we interview our spectacular guest Professor Jenny Seligmann, who will bring you up to date on Michael's favourite topic, colorectal cancers!

Studies:

IMvigor011 (NCT04660344)

KEYNOTE 905/EV-303 (NCT03924895)

POTOMAC (NCT03528694)

ARASAFE (NCT02799602)

RC48-C016 (NCT05302284)

PSMAddition (NCT04720157)

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.com

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from our foundation partners, Pfizer and Merck Pharmaceuticals. MSD provided virtual participation with ESMO. Our partners have access to the episode at the same time you do and have no editorial control over the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ESMO Episode 6 is here! The longest award ceremony in the world continues. This episode covers colorectal cancer, a cancer stream that has relied heavily on the same three drugs for the past twenty-five years.

We cover the golden pinnacle of real-world use cases for CTDNA, neoadjuvant immunotherapy in those with proficient MMR colorectal cancer, whether Zanzalimab helps in refractory colorectal cancer, and much more.

Studies:

BREAKWATER

NEOADJUVANT IMMUNOTHERAPY (pMMR)

STELLAR-303

CHECKMATE 8HW

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.com

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from our foundation partners Pfizer, Gilead Pharmaceuticals and Merck Pharmaceuticals. MSD provided virtual participation with ESMO. Our partners have access to the episode at the same time you do and have no editorial control over the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back, baby! Michael and Josh predicted their ESMO journey would have eons to run, and they weren't wrong! For our first episode back in 2026, we revisit the important coverage of ESMO 2025, highlighting advances in upper gastrointestinal tract and hepatobiliary cancers.

This episode covers FGFR inhibitors (Bemartizumab), updates on the MATTERHORN trial, the use of immunotherapy with trastuzumab and FLOT in HER2-positive localised oesophageal carcinoma, and investigates the use of TKIs and the novel drug nofazinlimab for those with unresectable or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma.

A jam-packed episode that aims to over-deliver on information, laughter, and hope.

2026 is going to be a big one!

Studies:

FORTITUDE-101

MATTERHORN

PHERFLOT/IKF-053

NCT04669496

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.com

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from our foundation partners Pfizer, Gilead Pharmaceuticals and Merck Pharmaceuticals. MSD provided virtual participation with ESMO. Our partners have access to the episode at the same time you do and have no editorial control over the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we discuss neuroendocrine tumours and melanoma as our ESMO 25 journey continues. Trials for neuroendocrine cancers include HIF-2 alpha inhibitors, targeted alpha therapy, and a classic anti-PD-1/TIGIT bispecific antibody combined with standard etoposide and cisplatin chemotherapies.

Melanoma is once again seeking that elusive breakthrough: the second-line therapy that demonstrates immunotherapy is not a one-time opportunity. We also highlight both the BNT111 RNA-based lipoplex immunotherapy targeting agent and the question of whether early discontinuation of immunotherapy could be beneficial.

Studies:

LITESPARK-15

IMPRESS-Norway trial

Abstract 1510M0

BNT111 (NCT04526899)

Safe Stop Trial

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.com

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from our foundation partners Pfizer, Gilead Pharmaceuticals and Merck Pharmaceuticals. MSD provided virtual participation with ESMO. Our partners have access to the episode at the same time you do and have no editorial control over the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our third instalment of ESMO 2025, we explore lung cancer in all its glory, including small cell, mesothelioma and non-small cell lung cancer.

Studies:

DeLLphi-303

SOHO-01

ALBATROS

PAULIEN

DREAM3R

OptiTROP-Lung04

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.com

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from our foundation partners Pfizer, Gilead Pharmaceuticals and Merck Pharmaceuticals. MSD provided virtual participation with ESMO. Our partners have access to the episode at the same time you do and have no editorial control over the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.