Immunotherapy and GIST

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As the landscape of GIST treatment continues to evolve, the area of immunotherapy has grown interest. GIST contains tumor-infiltrating immune cells which opens the possibility to the rationale for immunotherapy treatments. This webinar will provide an overview of immunotherapy with some examples of studies exploring single agent versus combination of therapy in GIST.

If you have questions about this presentation
or about registration, please contact:
Sara Rothschild, VP Program Services, srothschild@liferaftgroup.org

Our Presenters

Dr. Jonathan Trent
Jonathan Trent, MD
Director, Sarcoma Oncology
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Miami, Florida

Dr. Trent is currently the Associate Director for Clinical Research, the Director of the Bone and Soft-tissue Sarcoma Group at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Trent’s interests are in the clinical and translational research of sarcomas, direct care of sarcoma patients, and education about sarcoma. As Associate Director for Clinical Research, his goal is to help Sylvester Faculty develop clinical trials that provide clinically effective and scientifically exciting therapy to cancer patients of South Florida and beyond. The major focus of his clinical, educational and research efforts are with gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), chondrosarcoma, and other sarcomas. The major efforts of Dr. Trent’s research focus on understanding the mechanisms of action and resistance of imatinib in GIST and other sarcomas while striving toward improved therapeutic options. His work involves the use of novel preoperative/postoperative clinical trials, prospectively acquired tumor tissue, cell lines, archival tissue, as well as collaborations with disciplines such as the genomics facility, surgical oncology, pathology, radiology and interventional radiology.

Dr. Junaid ArshadJunaid Arshad, MD
Assistant Professor & Clinical Scholar
University of Arizona Cancer Center
Tucson, Arizona

Dr. Arshad finished his medical degree from King Edward Medical University, Lahore Pakistan. He relocated to the United States in 2013 and worked as a research volunteer at Wayne State University, Detroit. After completing his internal medicine residency training from St. Mary’s Hospital Waterbury, CT, he moved to University of Miami for his hematology and medical oncology fellowship.

Dr. Arshad developed interest in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST) after working with Dr. Jonathan Trent who was also his mentor at the University of Miami. Dr. Arshad has published several peer reviewed publications focusing on the use of ctDNA in GIST. Currently Dr. Arshad is working as an Assistant Professor at University of Arizona Cancer Center in the field of GI Medical Oncology focusing on the GIST and Upper GI cancers.

Dr. Arun SinghArun Singh, MD
Oncologist, Sarcoma and Connective Tissue Medical Oncology
University of California Los Angeles Medical Center
San Monica, California

Dr. Singh is an associate professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine UCLA. Dr Singh is a hematologist and medical oncologist whose practice focuses on the treatment of bone and soft tissue sarcomas. Dr Singh’s research focus is on developing novel therapies for patients with sarcomas. In the preclinical setting, he works on elucidating the mechanisms contributing to the promotion of growth in cancer cells and optimizing the use of targeted therapy in specific sarcoma subtypes. The insights gained from these efforts are then translated into the clinic in the form of new drugs in early stage phase 1 and 2 clinical trials for sarcomas where there is an unmet clinical need.

Dr. Ronald DeMatteoRonald DeMatteo, MD, FACS
Surgeon, Endocrinology and Oncology
Penn Medicine
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Dr. DeMatteo is the Chairman of the Department of Surgery and a Surgical Oncologist who specializes in treating diseases of the liver, bile duct, gallbladder, pancreas and abdominal sarcomas (GIST). His clinical research has focused on liver, bile duct, gallbladder, and pancreas cancers. In addition, he has led several national trials testing the benefit of imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) following surgery for gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), a tumor that usually begins in the stomach or intestine. In the laboratory he and his colleagues study the immune environment of the liver and tumor immunology, working to develop immune therapies to help prevent tumors from returning after surgery.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Sponsors for the Perspectives in Biomarker Testing

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