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Dr. Andrea Apolo

๐Ÿ‘ค Person
291 total appearances

Appearances Over Time

Podcast Appearances

BackTable Urology
Ep. 193 Bladder Cancer Innovations: ESMO 2024 Highlights with Dr. Andrea Apolo

So great question. I wanted to also mention that we did look at PD-L1 status because in the nivolumab 274, checkmate 274 study, it was actually the patients that were PD-L1 high did better. And although here in the United States, it's approved for all patients, regardless of PD-L1 status, in Europe, it's really only approved for patients that are PD-L1 high, the adjuvant nivolumab.

BackTable Urology
Ep. 193 Bladder Cancer Innovations: ESMO 2024 Highlights with Dr. Andrea Apolo

So great question. I wanted to also mention that we did look at PD-L1 status because in the nivolumab 274, checkmate 274 study, it was actually the patients that were PD-L1 high did better. And although here in the United States, it's approved for all patients, regardless of PD-L1 status, in Europe, it's really only approved for patients that are PD-L1 high, the adjuvant nivolumab.

BackTable Urology
Ep. 193 Bladder Cancer Innovations: ESMO 2024 Highlights with Dr. Andrea Apolo

So great question. I wanted to also mention that we did look at PD-L1 status because in the nivolumab 274, checkmate 274 study, it was actually the patients that were PD-L1 high did better. And although here in the United States, it's approved for all patients, regardless of PD-L1 status, in Europe, it's really only approved for patients that are PD-L1 high, the adjuvant nivolumab.

BackTable Urology
Ep. 193 Bladder Cancer Innovations: ESMO 2024 Highlights with Dr. Andrea Apolo

So we did look at the marker in our study, in the ambassador study, and we found that it didn't matter if you were PD-L1 positive or negative, both groups had a benefit. So I think that's important because you're not worried that you're treating somebody that's PD-L1 negative and they're not going to have a benefit.

BackTable Urology
Ep. 193 Bladder Cancer Innovations: ESMO 2024 Highlights with Dr. Andrea Apolo

So we did look at the marker in our study, in the ambassador study, and we found that it didn't matter if you were PD-L1 positive or negative, both groups had a benefit. So I think that's important because you're not worried that you're treating somebody that's PD-L1 negative and they're not going to have a benefit.

BackTable Urology
Ep. 193 Bladder Cancer Innovations: ESMO 2024 Highlights with Dr. Andrea Apolo

So we did look at the marker in our study, in the ambassador study, and we found that it didn't matter if you were PD-L1 positive or negative, both groups had a benefit. So I think that's important because you're not worried that you're treating somebody that's PD-L1 negative and they're not going to have a benefit.

BackTable Urology
Ep. 193 Bladder Cancer Innovations: ESMO 2024 Highlights with Dr. Andrea Apolo

It was really strange actually that in the patients that were PD-L1 negative, they had the largest benefit, although there was a benefit in both groups. So regardless, the point is that we don't need PD-L1 status to select the patients for treatment for adjuvant pembrolizumab. And in terms of which one I would use, I was using nivolumab for a while.

BackTable Urology
Ep. 193 Bladder Cancer Innovations: ESMO 2024 Highlights with Dr. Andrea Apolo

It was really strange actually that in the patients that were PD-L1 negative, they had the largest benefit, although there was a benefit in both groups. So regardless, the point is that we don't need PD-L1 status to select the patients for treatment for adjuvant pembrolizumab. And in terms of which one I would use, I was using nivolumab for a while.

BackTable Urology
Ep. 193 Bladder Cancer Innovations: ESMO 2024 Highlights with Dr. Andrea Apolo

It was really strange actually that in the patients that were PD-L1 negative, they had the largest benefit, although there was a benefit in both groups. So regardless, the point is that we don't need PD-L1 status to select the patients for treatment for adjuvant pembrolizumab. And in terms of which one I would use, I was using nivolumab for a while.

BackTable Urology
Ep. 193 Bladder Cancer Innovations: ESMO 2024 Highlights with Dr. Andrea Apolo

And then while my trial was ongoing, I was using pembrolizumab. Then while we were waiting to date, I was using nivolumab. And now I've gone back to using pembrolizumab. And the reason I like pembrolizumab, I like them both, to be honest. They're both pretty easy to use. The nivolumab, the trial was done every two weeks. But I use them monthly because that's an FDA-approved dosing.

BackTable Urology
Ep. 193 Bladder Cancer Innovations: ESMO 2024 Highlights with Dr. Andrea Apolo

And then while my trial was ongoing, I was using pembrolizumab. Then while we were waiting to date, I was using nivolumab. And now I've gone back to using pembrolizumab. And the reason I like pembrolizumab, I like them both, to be honest. They're both pretty easy to use. The nivolumab, the trial was done every two weeks. But I use them monthly because that's an FDA-approved dosing.

BackTable Urology
Ep. 193 Bladder Cancer Innovations: ESMO 2024 Highlights with Dr. Andrea Apolo

And then while my trial was ongoing, I was using pembrolizumab. Then while we were waiting to date, I was using nivolumab. And now I've gone back to using pembrolizumab. And the reason I like pembrolizumab, I like them both, to be honest. They're both pretty easy to use. The nivolumab, the trial was done every two weeks. But I use them monthly because that's an FDA-approved dosing.

BackTable Urology
Ep. 193 Bladder Cancer Innovations: ESMO 2024 Highlights with Dr. Andrea Apolo

And for Ambassador, we did it every three weeks. But I use the six weeks. Every six, right?

BackTable Urology
Ep. 193 Bladder Cancer Innovations: ESMO 2024 Highlights with Dr. Andrea Apolo

And for Ambassador, we did it every three weeks. But I use the six weeks. Every six, right?

BackTable Urology
Ep. 193 Bladder Cancer Innovations: ESMO 2024 Highlights with Dr. Andrea Apolo

And for Ambassador, we did it every three weeks. But I use the six weeks. Every six, right?

BackTable Urology
Ep. 193 Bladder Cancer Innovations: ESMO 2024 Highlights with Dr. Andrea Apolo

So it's kind of nice in the adjuvant setting to let the patients have time off coming to clinic and seeing them every six weeks in terms of dosing because that's an FDA approved dosing schedule for pembrolizumab. So I think that's a plus that you can give it every six weeks.

BackTable Urology
Ep. 193 Bladder Cancer Innovations: ESMO 2024 Highlights with Dr. Andrea Apolo

So it's kind of nice in the adjuvant setting to let the patients have time off coming to clinic and seeing them every six weeks in terms of dosing because that's an FDA approved dosing schedule for pembrolizumab. So I think that's a plus that you can give it every six weeks.

BackTable Urology
Ep. 193 Bladder Cancer Innovations: ESMO 2024 Highlights with Dr. Andrea Apolo

So it's kind of nice in the adjuvant setting to let the patients have time off coming to clinic and seeing them every six weeks in terms of dosing because that's an FDA approved dosing schedule for pembrolizumab. So I think that's a plus that you can give it every six weeks.

BackTable Urology
Ep. 193 Bladder Cancer Innovations: ESMO 2024 Highlights with Dr. Andrea Apolo

I think there are more similarities and differences. And from the outcomes that we have seen, I don't really see any difference. So I use pembrolizumab. I like the dosing schedule, and I'm very comfortable with it.

BackTable Urology
Ep. 193 Bladder Cancer Innovations: ESMO 2024 Highlights with Dr. Andrea Apolo

I think there are more similarities and differences. And from the outcomes that we have seen, I don't really see any difference. So I use pembrolizumab. I like the dosing schedule, and I'm very comfortable with it.