David H. Ilson

Jan 7, 2025 | jwatch.org | David H. Ilson

David H. Ilson, MD, PhD, reviewing A change to paclitaxel/ramucirumab achieved superior PFS compared with continuation of chemotherapy in patients with disease control after 3 months of initial chemotherapy. Standard first-line chemotherapy for HER2-negative, PDL1-positive metastatic esophagogastric cancer includes an immune checkpoint inhibitor. Standard chemotherapy at progression is paclitaxel and ramucirumab.

Dec 16, 2024 | jwatch.org | David H. Ilson

David H. Ilson, MD, PhD, reviewing In a randomized trial, 24-month progression-free survival was significantly higher with nivolumab plus ipilimumab than with chemotherapy. Pembrolizumab achieves superior response, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival compared with first-line chemotherapy in patients with microsatellite-instability (MSI)-high metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC).

Dec 12, 2024 | jwatch.org | David H. Ilson

David H. Ilson, MD, PhD, reviewing Regorafenib offers a modest survival benefit over placebo in patients who have received two or more lines of chemotherapy. For patients with metastatic esophagogastric adenocarcinoma, inhibition of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway via the anti-VEGFR-2 antibody ramucirumab increases response, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) when combined with second-line treatment with paclitaxel.

Nov 13, 2024 | jwatch.org | David H. Ilson

David H. Ilson, MD, PhD, reviewing Selected patients with liver-confined, unresectable disease might benefit from transplantation. Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer with liver-only metastases benefit from regional therapies, including surgery. The selective application of liver transplantation in these patients is still debated.

Nov 8, 2024 | jwatch.org | David H. Ilson

David H. Ilson, MD, PhD Highlights of the latest researchPivotal new studies and updates of previously reported studies, some potentially practice changing, were presented at this year's European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress held September 13-17 in Barcelona, Spain. Here, NEJM Journal Watch Oncology and Hematology Associate Editor David Ilson reviews some of the key presentations in GI cancers.