The evolving treatment landscape in ALL: the growing role of immunotherapy and reduced reliance on chemotherapy

There has been a significant shift in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), driven by the emergence of novel immunotherapies. In this episode, leading experts explore how these advances are changing the treatment landscape and where the field is headed next. First, Marlise Luskin, MD, MSCE, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, outlines emerging treatment strategies for ALL and highlights the potential to reduce reliance on intensive chemotherapy by integrating novel therapies into clinical practice. Then, Martin Schrappe, MD, FRCP, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany, shares insights into a trial evaluating blinatumomab as a replacement for high-dose chemotherapy in pediatric patients with newly diagnosed high-risk ALL. Following this, you will hear a discussion from the 8th International Workshop on CAR-T and Bispecifics, in which Ibrahim Aldoss, MD, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, and Bijal Shah, MD, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, provide updates on T-cell engagers and CAR T-cell therapy in ALL. To conclude the episode, Nicola Maciocia, MBChB, PhD, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, discusses advances in CAR-T for T-cell ALL and comments on whether cellular immunotherapy may be the most promising approach to curing this leukemia subtype.