Oncology On The Go

At the 2026 National ICE-T Conference in Orlando, CancerNetwork® sat down with a variety of expert researchers and clinicians to discuss the latest developments in immune effector therapy across different hematologic oncology populations. Sessions at the meeting covered practical considerations for integrating CAR T-cell therapies, bispecific antibodies, and other modalities into the treatment of those with multiple myeloma, lymphoma, and other hematologic malignancies.
First, Benjamin Diamond, MD, an assistant professor of Clinical Medicine, a member of the Sylvester Myeloma Institute, and a member of the Myeloma Genomic Lab at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, spoke about his presentation reviewing bispecific antibodies for the management of multiple myeloma. In his session, Diamond stated that bispecific T-cell engagers are altering the landscape of multiple myeloma care and will eventually become an option in the frontline setting. With many products to choose from, Diamond emphasized sequencing these novel therapies wisely and stressed aggressive infection prophylaxis as a mandatory facet of care.
Next, Tiba Al Sagheer, PharmD, BCOP, BCACP, a pharmacy quality improvement coordinator for transplant and cellular therapy at Miami Cancer Institute of Baptist Health South Florida discussed her presentation focused on defining new thresholds for monitoring and mitigating toxicities associated with CAR T-cell therapy. She described considerations for balancing early toxicity intervention against the risk of blunting efficacy depending on the specific CAR T-cell product used during treatment. Ultimately, she noted that that there is still no definitive answer or threshold for initiating prophylaxis for toxicity associated with CAR T, and that differentiating between immune effector cell (IEC)–associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH)–like syndrome (IEC-HS) and cytokine release syndrome (CRS) represents an ongoing challenge in the field.
Finally, Nikesh N. Shah, MD, and Carlos Silva Rondon, MD, shared their perspectives on a debate regarding the roles of bispecific antibodies and CAR T-cell therapies in relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma. In his presentation, Shah, a hematologist-oncologist at Tampa General Hospital who specializes in hematologic malignancies, including aggressive lymphomas and acute lymphoblastic leukemia, took the position that bispecific antibodies should be used prior to CAR T-cell therapy for most patients, although both treatments have utility in the field. Silva Rondon, a hematologist, oncologist, and bone marrow transplant specialist at Moffitt Malignant Hematology and Cellular Therapy at Memorial Healthcare System/Memorial Cancer Institute in Pembroke Pines, advocated for CAR T-cell therapy during the debate but acknowledged that both modalities can make up a complementary strategy for overcoming relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma.
References

Diamond B. Bispecific antibodies for the management of multiple myeloma. Presented at the 2026 National ICE-T Conference; July 18, 2026; Orlando, FL.

Sagheer TA. Thresholds and therapeutics: a precision approach to CAR T toxicity management. Presented at the 2026 National ICE-T Conference; July 18, 2026; Orlando, FL.

Shah N. Debate: bispecific antibodies vs CAR-T in follicular lymphoma. Presented at the 2026 National ICE-T Conference; July 18, 2026; Orlando, FL.

Silva C. CAR-T cell therapy for relapsed follicular lymphoma. Presented at the 2026 National ICE-T Conference; July 18, 2026; Orlando, FL.

Following the FDA approval of allogeneic regulatory T cell–containing immunotherapy with hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) and T cells-vldq (Tregzi; Orca-T), CancerNetwork® spoke with Wendy Stock, MD, about what this decision means for the treatment of patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for different hematologic malignancies. Additionally, she discussed how this option fits into the treatment landscape alongside other options like posttransplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) and other next steps for improving outcomes associated with matched donor transplants.
Stock reviewed findings from the phase 3 Precision-T trial (NCT05316701) that supported the approval of Orca-T, noting that the data appeared to be “effective across all populations” for patients with acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and mixed-phenotype acute leukemia. Furthermore, she detailed what adoption of Orca-T might look like on an operational level, described the agent’s ability to reduce the risk of graft-versus-host disease, and emphasized referring patients early to transplantation.
The approval, Stock said, marks the beginning of potentially allowing “higher-risk populations to move forward with the knowledge that it is possible to undergo transplant safely.” She noted that the FDA’s decision may inspire the field of transplant graft engineering to look more carefully at other options that might further improve transplantation outcomes.
“Over the last 10 years, we have had incredibly exciting, still-to-be-tweaked methods for improving outcomes for patients undergoing transplant, which is such an important procedure for curing or [achieving] long-term survival for patients with acute leukemias and high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes,” Stock said. “This is a big advance, and it needs to be studied further, including comparisons with other major improvements in the world of transplant, such as PTCy.”
Stock is the Anjuli Seth Nayak Professor of Medicine, cochair of the Leukemia Committee for the National Cancer Institute–supported Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, and coleader of the Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics Research Program at the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center.
References

FDA approves allogeneic regulatory T cell-based immunotherapy with HSPC and T cells-vldq for use in matched donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for adults with hematologic malignancies. News release. FDA. June 30, 2026. Accessed July 15, 2026. https://tinyurl.com/38s3wznr

Meyer EH, Salhotra A, Gandhi AP, et al. Orca-T vs allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Precision-T): a multicenter, randomized phase 3 trial. Blood. 2026;147(11):1168-1177. doi:10.1182/blood.2025031313

Experts discuss diagnosing and treating insomnia in patients with cancer through methods like sleep hygiene, CBT-I, and pharmacotherapy.
Insomnia is one of the most common symptoms oncologists are asked to manage, yet it’s often treated reactively with medication rather than through a structured, history-driven approach. In this episode of Oncology On the Go, Daniel C. McFarland, DO, sat down with psychiatrist and psycho-oncologist Virginia C. O’Brien, MD, to unpack how clinicians can more effectively evaluate and treat insomnia in patients with cancer.
The conversation opened with a foundational distinction: primary vs secondary insomnia, and why secondary insomnia—driven by anxiety, depression, pain, or cancer treatment itself—is far more common in oncology populations. O’Brien emphasized that the most frequent clinical mistake is jumping straight to a prescription instead of taking a thorough sleep history, including which phase of sleep is disrupted (falling asleep, staying asleep, or early waking) and whether the problem is affecting daytime functioning.
From there, the discussion moved through practical sleep hygiene strategies clinicians can share with patients, such as limiting caffeine and screens, managing pets and partners in the bedroom, and setting a consistent nighttime routine. Then, they dove into cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), the first-line recommended treatment. O’Brien explained how sleep restriction works, why it’s often impractical during active chemotherapy, and how free digital tools like CBT-i Coach can help fill access gaps.
The latter part of the discussion tackled pharmacologic management in detail: when medications are appropriate for acute insomnia; how to sequence options from least to most habit-forming; and specific guidance on trazodone (Desyrel), ramelteon (Rozerem), zolpidem (Ambien; including FDA dosing warnings for women), benzodiazepines, and newer orexin receptor antagonists. Special attention was given to older patients, those with a fall risk, and patients with a history of substance use disorder.
The experts closed with guidance on when to refer to a sleep medicine specialist, including STOP-BANG screening for obstructive sleep apnea and red flags for parasomnias like REM sleep behavior disorder.
McFarland is the director of the Psycho-Oncology Program at Wilmot Cancer Center and a medical oncologist who specializes in head, neck, and lung cancer, in addition to being a psycho-oncology editorial advisory board member for the journal ONCOLOGY®. O’Brien is system director of Ambulatory Psychiatry at the Carilion Clinic.

In this episode of Oncology On the Go, CancerNetwork® spoke with Kim Stravers, an International End-of-Life Doula Association (INELDA)–certified end-of-life doula, educator, and trainer based in the Phoenix Valley, to explore how death doulas support patients with cancer and their families across all stages of the disease trajectory.
Stravers opened by defining the scope of end-of-life doula work, clarifying that doulas provide nonmedical emotional, practical, and relational support to people confronting their mortality and those who care for them. She distinguished the role from hospice nursing and palliative care by emphasizing that doulas never act in a clinical capacity; they instead function as neutral companions who facilitate difficult conversations, help patients clarify their values and wishes, and advocate for individual autonomy across medical and personal decision-making. She also discussed her volunteer work within an interdisciplinary hospice team in Phoenix and described her invitation to speak at Grand Rounds for the Palliative Care Department at Mayo Clinic Arizona to introduce the role to clinical providers.
When addressing cancer-specific experiences, Stravers noted that patients often come to her late in their trajectory, frequently within the 6-month hospice eligibility window, and described nonpharmacological techniques she uses to support breakthrough pain and existential distress, including body scans and guided visualization. She also shared a detailed patient case involving a woman with pancreatic cancer and Lynch syndrome whose daughter previously died of the same disease, describing how the shared diagnosis intensified the patient's anticipatory anxiety and how weekly doula visits helped provide periods of calm.
Additional topics included the credentialing landscape for end-of-life doulas, which currently lacks a national licensure body, with organizations such as INELDA offering varied training and certification pathways. Stravers also addressed the portrayal of a death doula in the television drama The Pitt, affirming elements she found accurate while flagging several areas she viewed as outside the appropriate scope of doula practice. 
Stravers holds certification through INELDA, where she also serves as an educator and trainer, as well as proficiency through the National End-Of-Life Doula Alliance (NEDA).

Experts discuss the evolving frontline CML treatment landscape, the impact of asciminib, and clinical strategies for achieving treatment-free remission.
Once considered a terminal diagnosis, chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in chronic phase has been fundamentally rewritten as a highly manageable chronic condition. In this episode of Oncology on the Go, Joshua Zeidner, MD, and Jorge E. Cortes, MD, sat down to explore the rapidly shifting therapeutic paradigm of frontline CML management. 
The discussion tracked the monumental evolution of treatment from early bone marrow transplants to the introduction of imatinib (Gleevec) and subsequent generations of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). The experts dove deep into the practice-changing data from the phase 3 ASC4FIRST trial (NCT04971226), analyzing how the newly introduced STAMP inhibitor, asciminib (Scemblix), is challenging traditional treatment sequencing due to its superior efficacy and highly favorable toxicity profile.
In the ASC4FIRST trial, the major molecular response (MMR) rate was 74.1% with asciminib vs 52.0% with other investigator-selected TKIs. The MMR rate at week 96 was consistently higher with asciminib vs other investigator-selected TKIs and imatinib across all assessed demographic and prognostic subgroups. Overall, investigators concluded that asciminib demonstrated a favorable risk-benefit profile compared with other standard therapies and presented a “valuable frontline option” for patients with CML in chronic phase.
Zeidner and Cortes also shared practical clinical insights on:

Shared Decision-Making: Tailoring frontline selections based on patient lifestyle, comorbidities, and preferences. 

Navigating Milestones: Balancing strict NCCN/European LeukemiaNet molecular response guidelines with individualized, real-world context. 

The Art of Discontinuation: Using strategic timing and criteria (such as achieving sustained MR4.5) to optimize success rates for treatment-free remission. 

The Next Frontier: Managing resistance mutations and mapping out second- and third-line therapies in an evolving post-asciminib landscape. 

Zeider is professor of medicine, chief of Leukemia Research, and director of Clinical Cancer Research Commercial Integration at the University of North Caroline-Chapel Hill Cancer Therapeutics Research Program. Cortes is associate director for Translation at the University of Alabama O’Neal Cancer Center. 
To watch the full discussion, visit: https://www.cancernetwork.com/between-the-lines/oncology-on-the-go-frontline-chronic-myeloid-leukemia-in-chronic-phase-optimizing-treatment

Reference

Cortes JE, Hughes TP, Wang J, et al. Asciminib demonstrates superior efficacy and safety in newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia in the ASC4FIRST trial. Blood. 2026;147(3):1433-1446. doi:10.1182/blood.2025029210