Thomas Helleday, MD, PhD, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden & University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK, highlights the issues with treating cancers of unknown primary (CUP), which result in a poor prognosis for patients. This interview took place at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2019 congress in Barcelona, Spain.

Prof Jeffrey S. Ross speaks to ecancer at ESMO 2019 in Barcelona about the challenging task of identifying carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) according to ESMO guidelines.

He explains the background of the trial, which involves the use of DNA sequencing to guide a more personalised treatment for these patients.

Prof Ross outlines the design of the study, in which patients who met the ESMO guidelines for the diagnosis of CUP were screened with a DNA profiling test. This test would match patients to a treatment arm according to the molecular signatures of their tumour.

He states that over 30 percent of patients were matched to a treatment arm using immunotherapeutic or targeted agents, as opposed to the standard of care chemotherapy.

For the future, Prof Ross hopes that this new and innovative strategy will ultimately improve patient outcomes.

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Tony Greco, MD, Tennessee Oncology, Nashville, TN, outlines the current understanding and management of patients with cancer of unknown primary site (CUP). Advancements in adequately diagnosing the occult primary cancer or tissue of origin have occurred with the use of panels of immunocytochemistry and molecular profiling assays. This interview was recorded via an online conference call with The Video Journal of Oncology (VJOncology).

In fall 2020, Isabel’s parents took her to urgent care because she didn’t seem like herself on a family trip - instead of her usually bubbly self, she was quiet and reserved. During that urgent care visit, doctors noticed her organs were enlarged, so her parents rushed her to the Emergency Department at Children’s National Hospital, where she was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma. Learn more about Isabel's story.

This video would answer several questions like:
Where is Burkitt lymphoma found?
Can Burkitt's lymphoma cured?
What are the clinical features of Burkitt lymphoma?
Is Stage 4 Burkitt's lymphoma curable?
What is Stage 4 Burkitt's lymphoma?