Each year, thousands of clinicians, basic scientists and other industry professionals sojourn to major international oncology conferences, like the American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting, to hone their skills, network with colleagues and learn about recent advances altering state-of-the-art management in hematologic oncology. As such, these events have become global stages where exciting science, cutting-edge concepts and practice-changing data emerge on a truly grand scale. This massive outpouring of information has enormous benefits for the hematologic oncology community, but the truth is it also creates a major challenge for practicing oncologists and hematologists.
Although original data are consistently being presented and published, the flood of information unveiled during a major academic conference is unprecedented and leaves in its wake an enormous volume of new knowledge that practicing oncologists must try to sift through, evaluate and consider applying. Unfortunately and quite commonly, time constraints and an inability to access these data sets leave many oncologists struggling to ensure that they’re aware of crucial practice-altering findings. This creates an almost insurmountable obstacle for clinicians in community practice because they are not only confronted almost overnight with thousands of new presentations and data sets to consider but they are also severely restricted in their ability to review and interrogate the raw findings.
To bridge the gap between research and patient care, this CME activity will deliver a serial review of the most important emerging data sets on up-front and salvage therapeutic options and modalities for the evaluation of treatment response in the management of newly diagnosed and relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (MM) from the latest ASH meeting, including expert perspectives on how these new evidence-based concepts may be applied to routine clinical care. This activity will assist medical oncologists, hematologists, hematology-oncology fellows and other healthcare professionals in the formulation of optimal clinical management strategies and the timely application of new research findings to best-practice patient care.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Analyze recent efficacy and safety results from the Phase III ASPIRE trial evaluating carfilzomib in combination with lenalidomide and low-dose dexamethasone in the treatment of relapsed or progressive, symptomatic MM.
- Evaluate the safety and efficacy of weekly carfilzomib combined with cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone for elderly patients with newly diagnosed MM.
- Compare and contrast the benefits and risks of pomalidomide and dexamethasone with cyclophosphamide or bortezomib for patients with lenalidomide-refractory MM.
- Assess the efficacy and safety of the investigational oral proteasome inhibitors ixazomib and oprozomib as maintenance therapy and single-agent treatment, respectively, for relapsed MM.
- Examine the role of age on the efficacy of lenalidomide and low-dose dexamethasone in patients with newly diagnosed MM enrolled in the FIRST trial.
- Appraise minimal residual disease testing modalities in patients with newly diagnosed MM who received carfilzomib in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone.
ACCREDITATION STATEMENT
Research To Practice is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
CREDIT DESIGNATION STATEMENT
Research To Practice designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
HOW TO USE THIS CME ACTIVITY
This CME activity contains slides and edited commentary. To receive credit, the participant should review the slide presentations, read the commentary, complete the Post-test with a score of 75% or better and fill out the Educational Assessment and Credit Form located at ResearchToPractice.com/5MJCASH2015/2/CME.
CONTENT VALIDATION AND DISCLOSURES
Research To Practice (RTP) is committed to providing its participants with high-quality, unbiased and state-of-the-art education. We assess potential conflicts of interest with faculty, planners and managers of CME activities. Real or apparent conflicts of interest are identified and resolved through a conflict of interest resolution process. In addition, all activity content is reviewed by both a member of the RTP scientific staff and an external, independent physician reviewer for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies referenced and patient care recommendations.
FACULTY — The following faculty (and their spouse/partner) reported real or apparent conflicts of interest, which have been resolved through a conflict of interest resolution process:
Ola Landgren, MD, PhD
Chief, Myeloma Service
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York
Contracted Research: Celgene Corporation, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, an Amgen subsidiary.
EDITOR — Dr Love is president and CEO of Research To Practice, which receives funds in the form of educational grants to develop CME activities from the following commercial interests: AbbVie Inc, Amgen Inc, Astellas Scientific and Medical Affairs Inc, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Aveo Pharmaceuticals, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Biodesix Inc, Biogen Idec, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc, Boston Biomedical Pharma Inc, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Celgene Corporation, Clovis Oncology, Daiichi Sankyo Inc, Dendreon Corporation, Eisai Inc, Exelixis Inc, Foundation Medicine, Genentech BioOncology, Genomic Health Inc, Gilead Sciences Inc, Incyte Corporation, Janssen Biotech Inc, Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc, Lilly, Medivation Inc, Merck, Myriad Genetic Laboratories Inc, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Novocure, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, an Amgen subsidiary, Pharmacyclics Inc, Prometheus Laboratories Inc, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi, Seattle Genetics, Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals Inc, Sirtex Medical Ltd, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc, Taiho Oncology Inc, Takeda Oncology, Teva Oncology, Tokai Pharmaceuticals Inc and VisionGate Inc.
RESEARCH TO PRACTICE STAFF AND EXTERNAL REVIEWERS — The scientific staff and reviewers for Research To Practice have no real or apparent conflicts of interest to disclose.
This educational activity contains discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the Food and Drug Administration. Research To Practice does not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications and warnings. The opinions expressed are those of the presenters and are not to be construed as those of the publisher or grantors.
This activity is supported by educational grants from Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Celgene Corporation, Incyte Corporation, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, an Amgen subsidiary, Seattle Genetics and Takeda Oncology.
Hardware/Software Requirements:
A high-speed Internet connection
A monitor set to 1280 x 1024 pixels or more
Internet Explorer 7 or later, Firefox 3.0 or later, Chrome, Safari 3.0 or later
Adobe Flash Player 10.2 plug-in or later
Adobe Acrobat Reader
(Optional) Sound card and speakers for audio
Last review date: March 2015
Expiration date: March 2016
After completing the Post-test, learners may download and review the answers here in order to identify further areas of study.