Dr. Joshua K. Sabari is the editor in chief of CURE. He also serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and director of High Reliability Organization Initiatives at Perlmutter Cancer Center.

Dr. Joshua K. Sabari

Following the 2025 ESMO Congress, Dr. Joshua Saba sat down with Dr. Chandler Park to discuss recent advances in prostate cancer care.

Breaking Down Advancements in Prostate Cancer Care

Following the 2025 European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress, Dr. Joshua Sabari, an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and director of High Reliability Organization Initiatives at Perlmutter Cancer Center, sat down with Dr. Chandler Park, a medical oncologist specializing in Genitourinary Medical Oncology at the Norton Healthcare Institute in Louisville, Kentucky, to discuss recent advances in prostate cancer care.

Their conversation focused on the EMBARK trial, which evaluated Xtandi (enzalutamide), both as monotherapy and in combination with leuprolide (Lupron), for patients with nonmetastatic or biochemically recurrent prostate cancer.

Park described the EMBARK trial as a practice-changing, phase 3 study that addressed a critical unmet need for men whose prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels rise within nine months following surgery or radiation. The goal was to determine whether early intervention with enzalutamide-based therapy could prevent disease progression and improve survival outcomes. According to Park, the results demonstrated a significant overall survival benefit for patients treated with the combination of enzalutamide and leuprolide, as compared with leuprolide alone.

Importantly, he highlighted that this study is the first phase 3 trial to validate the use of intermittent therapy in this patient population. Patients in the combination arm received treatment for approximately 36 to 37 weeks. If their PSA dropped below 0.2, they were able to stop therapy. On average, PSA levels remained suppressed for 18 to 24 months, allowing many men to enjoy extended treatment-free intervals without side effects. This approach, Park explained, is now considered a new standard of care for patients with biochemical recurrence after radiation or radical prostatectomy.

Sabari concluded the discussion by asking how common biochemical recurrence is after definitive therapy. Park noted that, importantly, 40% to 50% of patients experience recurrence following surgery or radiation, emphasizing the need for multidisciplinary evaluation and individualized treatment planning.

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Dr. Joshua Sabari sat down with Dr. Michael Cecchini to discuss advances in colorectal cancer management and key data presented at the 2025 ESMO Congress.

Experts Highlight Notable Advances in Colorectal Cancer at 2025 ESMO  

Dr. Joshua Sabari, an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and director of High Reliability Organization Initiatives at Perlmutter Cancer Center, sat down to interview Dr. Michael Cecchini following the 2025 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress. He discussed advances in colorectal cancer management and key data presented at the meeting.

Cecchini is an associate professor of medicine (medical oncology), co-director of the Colorectal Program within the Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers, medical oncology section lead for the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer, phase 1 investigator at Yale Cancer Center, and director of the GI Clinical Research Team at the Yale Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers.

The interview began with an overview of the current approach to treating metastatic colorectal cancer. Cecchini emphasized that the initial evaluation focuses on determining whether patients have a potentially curative pathway through surgery combined with chemotherapy. Standard first-line regimens include FOLFOX or FOLFIRI, both of which combine fluorouracil (5-FU) with other agents such as oxaliplatin or irinotecan. Targeted therapies such as Avastin (bevacizumab), which inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), or Erbitux (cetuximab) and Vectibix (panitumumab), which target epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), may be incorporated based on tumor characteristics.

Cecchini presented new third-line data evaluating telisotuzumab adizutecan (Temab-A; ABBV-400) an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) directed at c-MET, in combination with Avastin. This ADC delivers a topoisomerase I inhibitor payload to cancer cells expressing c-MET, a protein often upregulated in advanced or treatment-resistant tumors. In a randomized study of 66 patients with heavily pretreated colorectal cancer, no responses were observed in the standard-of-care arm, whereas the investigational arms achieved response rates of 19% and 30% at two different telisotuzumab adizutecan dosing levels, respectively.

The combination also demonstrated improved progression-free and overall survival compared with current therapies, suggesting a potential treatment option that may not require preselection for c-MET expression.

Cecchini also highlighted new data from the DYNAMIC study evaluating circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)-guided therapy in stage 3 colorectal cancer. Although previous studies suggested utility for ctDNA in stage 2 disease, escalation or de-escalation of treatment based on ctDNA status in stage 3 disease did not improve outcomes and may have negatively impacted certain patients. He concluded that ctDNA testing remains investigational for this population. Sabari agreed, noting the potential of ctDNA and related biomarkers for future clinical decision-making as technologies and therapeutics continue to evolve.

Dr. Joshua Sabari sat down with Dr. Michael Cecchini to discuss advances in colorectal cancer management and key data presented at the 2025 ESMO Congress.


Dr. Joshua Sabari, Dr. Petros Grivas, and Dr. Chandler Park discuss new developments in perioperative therapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Experts Discuss Next Steps in Perioperative Bladder Cancer Treatment  

Following the 2025 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Annual Congress held in Berlin, Germany, we sat down with three leaders in oncology to discuss new developments in perioperative therapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. 

Participating in the conversation were Dr. Joshua Sabari, Dr. Petros Grivas, and Dr. Chandler Park

Sabari is an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and serves as director of High Reliability Organization Initiatives at Perlmutter Cancer Center. Park is a medical oncologist specializing in genitourinary medical oncology at the Norton Healthcare Institute in Louisville, Kentucky. Grivas is a professor in the Clinical Research Division at Fred Hutch, where he also serves as medical director for Local and Regional Outreach and for the International Program. He additionally holds a professorship in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Park began by explaining that some perioperative approaches involve three cycles of Padcev (enfortumab vedotin-ejfv) plus Keytruda (pembrolizumab) before surgery, followed by cystectomy and then additional Padcev afterward, depending on patient tolerance. He noted that other regimens incorporate immunotherapy alone in the postoperative setting without EV. The distinction is significant because Padcev-related toxicities, such as neuropathy and rash, can influence whether patients complete therapy after surgery.

Grivas emphasized the importance of individualized treatment planning, saying not all patients can continue therapy due to side effects. He highlighted ongoing research efforts to better identify which patients benefit from adjuvant therapy through clinical characteristics and tools such as circulating tumor DNA. Determining whether all patients require adjuvant therapy, only selected patients, or whether adjuvant Keytruda alone may be sufficient remains an active area of study.

The panel also discussed the significance of pathological complete response, defined as no detectable cancer in surgical tissue following neoadjuvant treatment. Historically, patients achieving pathological complete response after chemotherapy have demonstrated approximately 85% to 90% cure rates. Longer follow-up is still necessary to confirm whether similar outcomes apply in the immunotherapy era. Grivas added that differences in surgical technique, pathology methods, and clinical trial design can influence how results are compared across studies.

The experts agreed that perioperative approaches in muscle-invasive bladder cancer continue to evolve. Ongoing data will clarify optimal sequencing, guide toxicity management, and support long-term improvements in patient outcomes.

Articles

Recent discussions at the 2025 ESMO Congress highlighted advancements in perioperative therapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Experts, including Drs. Sabari, Grivas, and Park, explored treatment regimens involving Padcev and Keytruda, emphasizing the need for individualized treatment plans due to potential toxicities. The role of adjuvant therapy and the significance of pathological complete response were also discussed, with ongoing research aiming to optimize patient outcomes. The evolving landscape of perioperative approaches underscores the importance of continued research to refine treatment strategies and improve long-term results.

Experts highlight perioperative Padcev plus Keytruda in bladder cancer, showing potential practice-changing results from ESMO 2025 for patients.

Experts Discuss New Advances in Bladder Cancer Following ESMO 2025 

Following the 2025 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Annual Congress held in Berlin, Germany, we sat down with leading experts in oncology to discuss the latest advances in bladder cancer research and treatment. Joining us for this discussion were Dr. Joshua Sabari, Dr. Petros Grivas and Dr. Chandler Park.

Sabari opened the conversation by introducing the panel and setting the stage for a discussion focused on recent perioperative and adjuvant trials in bladder cancer. Grivas highlighted the exciting developments from the 

, which enrolled patients with localized muscle-invasive bladder cancer eligible for surgical resection. In this study, patients who were cisplatin-ineligible received radical surgery alone or perioperative therapy with Padcev (enfortumab vedotin-ejfv) plus Keytruda (pembrolizumab).

Patients receiving the combination therapy underwent three cycles of neoadjuvant treatment, followed by surgery, and then up to eight cycles of pembrolizumab postoperatively. The results were striking, the experts emphasized. Grivas noted that while toxicity was consistent with expectations with the combination, only about 60% of patients completed the adjuvant therapy phase, prompting discussion about the necessity of adjuvant therapy in all patients.

Park elaborated on the clinical significance of these outcomes for patients and their families. He explained that a path CR means no cancer is found in the tissue after surgery, which is a big improvement compared with past results. This milestone, Park emphasized, reflects the potential of modern perioperative therapies to meaningfully impact patient outcomes.

Both Grivas and Park underscored the importance of ongoing research into the combination therapy to optimize therapy sequencing and improve tolerability while maximizing efficacy. Overall, the insights shared by these experts demonstrate how recent trials presented at ESMO 2025 may translate into meaningful changes in clinical practice.

Sabari serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. He is also the director of High Reliability Organization Initiatives at Perlmutter Cancer Center.

Park is a medical oncologist specializing in Genitourinary Medical Oncology at the Norton Healthcare Institute in Louisville, Kentucky.

Grivas is a professor in the Clinical Research Division at Fred Hutch. He serves as medical director for both Local and Regional Outreach as well as the International Program at Fred Hutch. In addition, he holds a professorship in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Dr. Joshua K. Sabari

Breaking Down Advancements in Prostate Cancer Care

Experts Highlight Notable Advances in Colorectal Cancer at 2025 ESMO

Experts Discuss Next Steps in Perioperative Bladder Cancer Treatment

Experts Discuss New Advances in Bladder Cancer Following ESMO 2025

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