Conference Coverage

Cognitive rehabilitation in patients with multiple sclerosis started about 20 to 25 years ago when it transitioned from predominantly patients with traumatic brain injury to other patient populations including multiple sclerosis. And over that period of time, the number of studies that have examined the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation in MS has grown substantially. However, gaps remain and further research is needed. Dive into to learn more about cognitive rehabilitation trials for MS with Dr. Nancy Chiaravalloti, Director of the Center for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research and the Center for Traumatic Brain Injury Research at Kessler Foundation, who also presented a session on this topic at the ACTRIMS 2024 Forum.

Adaptive optics is a promising tool for studying MS-related changes in the retina at a cellular level, providing valuable insights into the disease's progression and potential treatments. Dive further into this line of research with Dr. Daniel Harrison, an Associate Professor of Neurology and the Director of the Division of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology at the University of Maryland who presented this research at the 2024 ACTRIMS Forum.

Rehabilitation training for multiple sclerosis patients aims to improve mobility, cognitive function, and quality of life. But one of the largest barriers to having more high-quality randomized control trials of rehabilitation in MS is that most researchers could not be following a stage of different research approaches. So addressing the unmet needs in rehabilitation research is needed to make MS interventions more powerful. You’ll learn more in this episode with Dr. Robert Motl, Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition with a secondary appointment in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago.

The amount of patients being diagnosed with neurological conditions and multiple sclerosis (MS) is a growing number, which causes a need for more neurologists, MS specialists, and better access to care. A potential advantage of using technology in MS care would be to break down the geographic barrier. To learn more about telehealth in MS care, tune in with Dr. Marisa McGinley, Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, who also presented this topic at the ACTRIMS Forum 2024.

Chronological age is the biggest early driver of disease progression in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). That’s why a team of researchers wanted to explore whether biomarkers like p16 and the epigenetic clock can be used to assess biological aging in patients with MS. They found that while patients with MS are aging faster than people without MS based on the epigenetic clock biomarker, no chronological age correlation in p16 expression has been identified in patients with MS. Dive further into these findings with Dr. Yinan Zhang, an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Ohio State University who presented this research at the 2024 ACTRIMS Forum.

A recent study sought to investigate why there are disparities in mortality as well as access and participation in clinical trials among vulnerable prostate cancer populations. According to the findings, counties in the United States that had the highest prostate cancer mortality were less likely to have any clinical trials in the area. Dive further into the results with Dr. Rishi Sekar, who presented the “Disparities in Prostate Cancer Mortality and Clinical Trial Availability Across Vulnerable Populations” session at the 2024 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.

If hormonal therapies are not working for prostate cancer patients, chemotherapy may be a reliable alternative based on findings from a recent study. In fact, out of the 70 percent of patients who had pain when entering the study, 45 percent had their pain improved with chemotherapy. Dive more into the findings with Dr. Zachery Reichert, who presented the “Sequencing Hormonal Therapies After Treatment Intensification” session at the 2024 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has recommended new guidelines for the treatment of prostate Cancer. In this episode, you’ll learn about the top three biggest changes to the NCCN guidelines. Tune in with Dr. Jessica Hawley, Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, who will also present this topic at the ASCO GU Symposium 2024.

Between patient anxiety and insurance implications, there are several challenges associated with delivering germline testing to veterans with advanced prostate cancer. Learn more about these challenges and proposed solutions with Dr. Daniel Kwon, who presented the “Challenges in Patient-Centered Germline Testing Delivery for Veterans with Advanced Prostate Cancer” session at the 2024 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.

Between 20 and 50 percent of patients with high-risk localized prostate cancer will develop biochemical resistance, but historically, no Level I evidence for treatment was available. That’s why the EMBARK study is the first phase 3 trial to develop Level I evidence looking at monotherapy T suppression versus monotherapy enzalutamide versus combination enzalutamide and leuprolide. Dive into the findings with Dr. Neal Shore, who presented the “Outcomes of Men with High-Risk Biochemically Recurrent Prostate Cancer Who Suspended Enzalutamide Monotherapy Treatment in the Phase 3 EMBARK Study” session at the 2024 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare disease that represents about two to three percent of all breast cancers and is challenging to diagnose. To improve diagnosis, researchers are working to validate a new proposed scoring system. Review the current research with Dr. Flipia Lynce, Director of the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Program at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

It’s very common for patients with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) to present with no underlying palpable mass, which may cause some challenges for clinicians and patients. So what are some unique challenges associated with surgery in IBC and the risks of deescalating? Join Dr. Filipa Lynce, Director of the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Program at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, as she reviews her research on IBC that she presented at the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is an understudied subtype that occurs in about 10 to 15 percent of breast cancer patients and is known to be difficult to detect by imaging. So how do we approach diagnosing and treating this subtype? Dr. Pavani Chalasani is joined by Dr. Jason Mouabbi, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Chair of the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance, to discuss his session on ILC at the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

According to a Gallup poll, Generation Z youth identify as LGBTQ more than previous generations. Given this increasing prevalence, clinicians need to know how to foster synergistic relationships between parents and LGBTQ+ youth. Here to discuss this important topic is Dr. Dalmacio Dennis Flores, an Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. He also spoke about this exact topic at the 2023 Annual ANAC conference in his session, titled “Synergy in Inclusive Sexual Health: Triadic Models Empowering LGBTQ+ Youth, Parents, and Nurses.”

Managing co-occurring conditions in patients with HIV can be challenging. But by taking certain steps—like updating management guidelines, screening for complications, and implementing prevention strategies—we can overcome those challenges and improve the way we care for HIV patients with co-occurring conditions. Here to discuss those strategies is Dr. Jeffrey Kwong, a Professor in the Division of Advanced Nursing Practice at Rutgers University School of Nursing. He also spoke about this exact topic at the 2023 Annual ANAC conference in his session, titled “Managing Co-Occurring Conditions: A Clinical Update.”

As of January 2023, the breastfeeding guidelines for HIV patients were updated, and they now recommend supporting the parent’s choice through shared decision-making. Joining Dr. Charles Turck to share what these new guidelines look like in practice and key counseling strategies for HIV patients is Dr. William Short. Dr. Short is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Infectious Disease at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and he also spoke about this exact topic at the 2023 ANAC conference in his session, titled “New Recommendations for Infant Feeding for Persons with HIV in the United States.”

About one in every three people living with HIV has a positive hepatitis B core antibody. But how frequently does hepatitis B reactivation occur after a patient with HIV switches to an antiretroviral regimen that has no hepatitis B activity? Find out with Dr. Rachel Denyer as she shares key data she presented at IDWeek 2023 in the session titled “Hepatitis B Reactivation in Persons with HIV with Positive Hepatitis B Core Antibody After Switching to Antiretroviral Therapy Without Hepatitis B Activity.”

Treating fungal infections can be difficult due to the limited treatment options available, but could antifungal vaccines help change that? To catch us up on the progress being made in immunotherapeutic and vaccine strategies, Dr. Charles Turck speaks with Dr. Stuart Levitz about the “Antifungal Vaccines: Where Are We At?” session he presented at IDWeek 2023.

The field of infectious diseases is always evolving thanks to new research studies, data, and treatment options. To help us catch up on some of these essential updates, Dr. Jeffrey Freiberg is here to give us an overview of the “What's Hot in ID in Clinical Science” session he helped develop for IDWeek 2023.

With a global shortage of human organs, xenotransplantation offers a potential new way to save lives. But what are the immunologic barriers? Tune in as Dr. Jay Fishman, Director of Transplant Infectious Diseases and Compromised Host Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, recaps his session from the 2023 IDWeek.