ASCO 2025 Highlights: Menin Inhibitor for Acute Myeloid Leukemia; Organ Transplant and Checkpoint Inhibitors

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Faculty from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center are among the international experts invited to share their research findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting May 30-June 3 at McCormick Place in Chicago. The world’s largest clinical cancer research gathering brings together more than 45,000 participants each year, including clinicians, scientists and patient advocates.

The work of five Roswell Park physician-scientists will be featured in invited talks during the meeting: 

• Eunice Wang, MD, Chief of Leukemia, will discuss KOMET-001, an international clinical trial she co-led to evaluate the potential of the menin inhibitor ziftomenib in patients with acute myeloid leukemia that had recurred or was treatment-resistant. Dr. Wang is first author of Ziftomenib in relapsed/refractory (R/R) NPM1-mutant acute myeloid leukemia (AML): Phase 1b/2 clinical activity and safety results from the pivotal KOMET-001 study (Abstract 6506), which she will present in an oral abstract session Monday, June 2, at 4:36 p.m. CDT in S100a.
• Muhammad Awidi, MD, Hematology/Oncology Fellow, is senior author of a study examining how immune checkpoint inhibitors affect the risk of transplant rejection in cancer patients who undergo organ transplant. Safety and efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in solid organ transplant recipients: A systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis (Abstract 2511) will be presented in an oral abstract session Monday, June 2, at 5:18 p.m. CDT in Hall D2.
• Zunairah Shah, MBBS, a Hematology/Oncology Fellow, is first author of Racial and ethnic disparities in clinical outcomes of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer treated with antibody-drug conjugates: A TriNetX real-world evidence study (Abstract 1036), which she will present in a rapid oral abstract session Friday, May 30, at 2:45 p.m. CDT in Hall D2.
• Pragati Gole Advani, MD, DrPH, MPH, Assistant Professor of Oncology, Department of Thoracic Surgery, is first and presenting author of Risk patterns for second primary malignancies among human papillomavirus (HPV)–associated first primary cancer survivors in the United States (Abstract 10516), which she will present in a rapid oral abstract session Saturday, May 31, at 8:36 a.m. CDT in E350.
• Song Yao, MD, PhD, Vice Chair of Clinical Research, Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, is senior author of Trajectories of patient-reported cognitive function and age-related conditions in a longitudinal observational trial of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment: The DiRECT Cohort (Abstract 12014), to be presented in a rapid oral abstract session Monday, June 2, at 10:27 a.m. CDT in E450a.
  
   

Faculty Take Leadership Roles

• Pamela Sung, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Oncology in the Department of Medicine, Leukemia Service, is Co-Chair of Hematologic Malignancies—Leukemia, Myelodysplastic Syndromes, and Allotransplant — Friday, May 30, 1-2:30 p.m. CDT in E450a.
• Rohit Gosain, MD, Medical Director of Roswell Park Hematology Oncology Southtowns, will serve as a presenter for three ASCO educational events:
  • “Latest Advances in Tumor-Agnostic Strategies for NTRK Fusion-Positive Cancer: Translating Science into Clinical Practice” — Friday, May 30, at 6:45 p.m. CDT at the Hilton Chicago, International North
  • Medical Education Community of Practice gathering — Saturday, May 31, 7:30–9:30 a.m. CDT in S103
  • “How I Use Social Media to Teach and Learn Oncology Updates for the Community” — Saturday, May 31, 3:30 p.m. CDT in E350
    
     

Hematology/Oncology Fellows Honored for Research Contributions

Yu Fujiwara, MD, Zunairah Shah, MBBS, and Vinit Singh, MBBS, all Hematology/Oncology Fellows at Roswell Park, will be recognized with 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting Merit Awards for their research contributions to their respective fields in cancer care. The awards support students and trainees who are first authors on abstracts selected for presentation at the ASCO Annual Meeting.    

Additional Research Presentations: Poster Abstracts by Date/Time

Saturday, May 31, 9 a.m.–noon CDT, Hall A

• Ajay Gupta, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Oncology, Departments of Pediatric Oncology and Cancer Genetics and Genomics, is first/presenting author of Association of baseline clinical factors with outcomes in patients with localized Ewing sarcoma treated on frontline trials with interval compressed chemotherapy (ICC): A report from the Children’s Oncology Group (Abstract 10032, poster 147).
  
   

Saturday, May 31, 1:30–4:30 p.m. CDT, Hall A

• Pragati Gole Advani, MD, DrPH, MPH, Assistant Professor of Oncology, Department of Thoracic Surgery, is first/presenting author of Racial and ethnic disparities in risk of second primary lung cancer among initial lung cancer survivors in the United States (Abstract 8037, poster 158).
• Song Yao, MD, PhD, Vice Chair of Clinical Research, Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, is senior author of Genetic predictors of 16,000 multi-omic traits and associations with breast cancer survival outcomes in the Pathways Study (Abstract 10545, poster 270), to be presented by former Roswell Park Fellow Arya Roy, MBBS.
• Vinit Singh, MBBS, Hematology/Oncology Fellow, is first/presenting author of Cancer genetics evaluation among individuals at risk for Lynch syndrome across all qualifying indications (Abstract 10616, poster 341).
• Kriti Ahuja, MBBS, Hematology/Oncology Fellow, is first/presenting author of Development of second primary malignancies (SPMs) in head and neck cancer survivors stratified by receipt of radiation therapy (RT) and chemotherapy (CT) (Abstract 11055, poster 394).
• Vaishali Deenadayalan, MD, Hematology/Oncology Fellow, is first/presenting author of Impact of protein-energy malnutrition on inpatient mortality, healthcare cost and clinical outcomes among patients with head and neck cancer (Abstract 11064, poster 403).
• Muhammad Awidi, MD, Hematology/Oncology Fellow at Roswell Park, is first/presenting author of Incidence and outcomes of rejection in solid organ transplant recipients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: A systematic review and meta-analysis (Abstract 11068, poster 407).
  
   

Sunday, June 1, 9 a.m.–noon CDT, Hall A

• Anuja Vidyadhar Abhyankar, MD, Hematology/Oncology Fellow, is first/presenting author of Effect of prophylactic corticosteroids on toxicities and outcomes in CAR T-cell therapy: A cohort study (Abstract 7030, poster. 213). Marco Davila, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President and Associate Director for Translational Research, is senior author.
• Mrinalini Ramesh, DO, Resident Physician, is first/presenting author of Comparative analysis of demographics and outcomes in young versus average onset hospitalized gastrointestinal cancer patients in New York State (Abstract 1592, poster 358). Deepak Vadehra, DO, Assistant Professor of Oncology and Director of the Early Onset Colorectal Cancer Program, is co-senior author.
• Vinit Singh, MBBS, Hematology/Oncology Fellow, is first/presenting author of At-risk cancer genetic syndrome identification (ARCAGEN-ID): Novel EHR integrated system to overcome disparities in identification and testing for cancer genetic syndromes (Abstract 1600, poster 366).
• Saby George, MD, Professor of Oncology and Director of Network Clinical Trials, is senior author of Experiences and preferences of cancer survivors across the immunotherapy journey (Abstract 1635, poster 401).

Monday, June 2, 9 a.m.–noon CDT, Hall A

• Elizabeth Repasky, PhD, Distinguished Member and Co-Leader of the Cancer Stress Biology Program, is senior author of A phase Il trial to assess the impact of β2 adrenergic receptor (β2-AR) blockade in metastatic triple negative breast cancer (mTNBC) (Abstract TPS1140, poster 109a).
• Masanori Oshi, MD, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow in Breast Surgery, is first/presenting author of Association of infiltration of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) with cell proliferation and patient survival in breast cancer (Abstract 562, poster 155).
• Zunairah Shah, MD, is first/presenting author of Racial disparities in clinical outcomes of early-stage triple-negative breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy: Insights from the NCDB (Abstract 602, poster 195). 
  
   

Monday, June 2, 1:30–4:30 p.m. CDT, Hall A

• Varsha Gupta, MD, Assistant Professor of Oncology, Department of Medicine, is first/presenting author of Risk of non-breast cancer–related mortality in breast cancer and dependence on disease characteristics, treatment, and survival duration (Abstract 12041, poster 61).
• Song Yao, MD, PhD, Vice Chair of Clinical Research, Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, is first/presenting author of The impact of cannabis use on patient outcomes post immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in a longitudinal observational trial: The DiRECT Cohort (Abstract 12081, poster 101).
• Yu Fujiwara, MD, Hematology/Oncology Fellow, is first/presenting author of Tumor mutational burden, PD-1, negative Wnt/β-catenin regulators, and positive MHC class II antigen presentation regulators as predictors of longer survival after immune checkpoint inhibitors across cancers: A comprehensive analysis of 400 immunity biomar (Abstract 2625, poster 272).
• Dr. Fujiwara is also first/presenting author of Adverse events profile of novel agents targeting immune checkpoints beyond PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 in solid tumors: A meta-analysis (Abstract 2642, poster 289).

FOR MEDIA: For a list of additional Roswell Park experts who will be onsite at the ASCO Annual Meeting, go to roswellpark.org/ASCO. To connect with any of these experts, please contact Annie Deck-Miller at annie.deck-miller@roswellpark.org.

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From the world’s first chemotherapy research to the PSA prostate cancer biomarker, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center generates innovations that shape how cancer is detected, treated and prevented worldwide. Driven to eliminate cancer’s grip on humanity, the Roswell Park team of 4,000 makes compassionate, patient-centered cancer care and services accessible across New York State and beyond. Founded in 1898, Roswell Park was among the first three cancer centers nationwide to become a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and is the only one to hold this designation in Upstate New York. To learn more about Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Roswell Park Care Network, visit www.roswellpark.org, call 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or email ASKRoswell@RoswellPark.org.