MCRT Webcast: Understanding Myeloma Stem Cell Transplantation- October 31, 2020
Autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) is an essential part of many myeloma patients' treatment strategies. Among the first questions physicians answer in the early stages of a myeloma diagnosis is whether patients are transplant eligible or ineligible. Once considered controversial, ASCTs are now largely considered to be routine, safe, and essential to achieve deep remissions. Second and tandem transplants are more prevalent. Allogeneic transplants continue to be rare. In the age of novel therapies, many patients speculate if ASCTs are even needed, some still fear them. But the consensus of current practice still place transplant near the top of the list of effective treatments.
Drs. Natalie Callander, Mark Schroeder and Sergio Giralt address these and other issues concerning stem cell transplantation. Dr. Zachary Crees leads a discussion about two case studies and all our engage in answering questions from viewers of the first session of the Myeloma Crowd Round Table.
Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T) cell therapies are a promising category of many immunotherapies currently being integrated into myeloma treatment. CAR T cells identify targets on the surfaces of myeloma cells to deliver therapeutic agents to kill them. Great progress has been made to manage this procedure. In this Round Table session, four experts discuss the major issues in CAR T therapy.
Drs. Deepu Madduri, Nikhil Munshi and Ravi Vij provide a sweeping overview of the major issues in CAR T research and treatment. Dr. Scott Goldsmith leads a discussion about two case studies of patients who have had CAR T cell treatment. The full faculty concluded with questions from viewers in the second session of the Myeloma Crowd Round Table interactive webcast held on October 31, 2020.
Thanks to our Round Table sponsors
Natalie Callander, MD
Dr. Natalie Callander is a faculty member in Division of Hematology, Medical Oncology and Palliative Care within the Department of Medicine. She is the Director of the UW Carbone Cancer Center Myeloma Clinical Program, Vice Chair of the NCCN Myeloma Committee, and Interim Director of Bone Marrow Transplant. She is a member of the NCI Myeloma Steering Committee and the ECOG Myeloma Committee She has received three UW Health Patient Experience Physician Champion Awards, named to Best Doctors in America list since 2004, a Madison Magazine Top Doctor three times, and received the Chuck Koval Award for Excellence in Myeloma presented by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Mark Schroeder, MD
Mark Schroeder, MD, is Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Section of Blood and Marrow Transplantation at Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Schroeder is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and completed his residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at Washington University in St. Louis. He joined faculty at Washington University in 2009. He is a member of the Siteman Cancer Center and serves on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Panel. Dr. Schroeder’s clinical research focuses on multiple myeloma, graft versus host disease, and stem cell transplant biology.
Ravi Vij, MD, MBA
Dr. Ravi Vij is Jeffrey S and Prue H Distinguished Professor of Medicine in the Division of Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he specializes in hematologic malignancies with an academic focus on Multiple Myeloma, transplant, and cellular therapies. He also serves as Director of the Multiple Myeloma Program and as Medical Director for Satellite Operations in the Division of Oncology. Dr. Vij pursued his medical education at Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi, India, before completing postgraduate training in the United Kingdom. He subsequently moved to the United States, where he undertook an internal medicine residency at Rush University in Chicago, followed by fellowships in medical oncology/hematology and bone marrow transplantation at Washington University. Since joining the faculty in 2000, he has advanced through the academic ranks to full Professor of Medicine. His career has been dedicated to advancing treatment for multiple myeloma and related blood cancers. He currently serves as Senior Editor for the journal Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma and Leukemia and has served on the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB/Alliance) Myeloma, Leukemia, and Transplant Committees, the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium Steering Committee, Clinical Trials Network Myeloma Committee, American Society of Clinical Oncology education and scientific committees, and as Chair of the ASH Scientific Committee on Plasma Cell Dyscrasias. Dr. Vij leads a programmatic effort to further research in multiple myeloma. As the Principal Investigator for the Multiple Myeloma Tissue Banking initiative, he has fostered several collaborative efforts with laboratory researchers at Washington University to study the mutational landscape and clonal heterogeneity of multiple myeloma and its microenvironment. An active clinical investigator, Dr. Vij has led and contributed to numerous pivotal clinical trials that have shaped the modern therapeutic landscape of multiple myeloma. His research includes early development of proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulatory drugs, monoclonal antibodies, novel transplant approaches, immunotherapies including CAR-T cells, bispecific antibodies, and genomics-driven strategies. He has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed manuscripts in leading journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, Blood, Journal of Clinical Oncology and Leukemia. Dr. Vij has mentored more than 25 fellows in clinical research, nurturing the development of future leaders in hematology and oncology. His contributions have been recognized with multiple honors, including the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation Innovator Award, the Center of Excellence Award, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Visionary of the Year Award (2023). He has also been repeatedly listed in Best Doctors in America and received the Teacher of the Year Award from the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program, underscoring his enduring commitment to education and mentorship.