The top tweets were chosen from influencers as tracked by GlobalData’s Influencer Platform, which is based on a scientific process that works on pre-defined parameters. Influencers are selected after a deep analysis of the influencer’s relevance, network strength, engagement, and leading discussions on new and emerging trends.

The most popular tweets on oncology in Q2 2021: Top five

1. Dr. S. Vincent Rajkumar’s tweet on Covid-19-induced reduction of Hodgkin Lymphoma

Dr. S. Vincent Rajkumar, professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, shared an article on Covid-19-induced reduction of Hodgkin Lymphoma, a cancer of lymphocytes or white blood cells. According to the article, a 61-year-old man was admitted to the haematology department and received haemodialysis for end-stage renal failure secondary to IgA nephropathy for progressive lymphadenopathy and weight loss symptoms.

After being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, he developed Covid-19 symptoms, including wheezing, coughing, and breathlessness. The man was discharged 11 days later to recover from home via supportive care and without corticosteroids or immunotherapy. Four months later, it was found that the palpable lymphadenopathy reduced and an interim PET/CT scan revealed that the lymphadenopathy was resolved along with reduced metabolic uptake.

Username: Vincent Rajkumar

Twitter handle: @VincentRK

Retweets: 867

Likes: 2,522

2. Anirban Maitra’s tweet on the US FDA’s approval of an Amgen drug for lung cancer

Dr. Anirban Maitra, professor of pathology and translational molecular pathology and scientific director of the Sheikh Ahmed Pancreatic Cancer Research Center at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, shared an article on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approving Sotorasib, a drug produced by California-based biopharmaceutical company Amgen, for treating lung cancer with a specific mutation in a gene called KRAS.

To be marketed under the brand name Lumakras, the drug was found to reduce tumours with the KRAS mutation in approximately 36% of the patients in the clinical trials. It is expected to target the KRAS G12C, a mutation that occurs in approximately 13% of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC).

Username: Anirban Maitra

Twitter handle: @Aiims1742

Retweets: 41

Likes: 175

3. Jason Luke’s tweet on the efficacy of Pembrolizumab plus Ipilimumab in advanced melanoma

Jason Luke, director of the Cancer Immunotherapeutics Center at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, shared a study which found that combining Pembrolizumab with low-dose Ipilimumab following anti-PD-1/L1 immunotherapy failure contributed to significant anti-tumour activity and tolerability. Patients with advanced melanoma who had progressed on the anti-PD-1/L1 antibody as immediate therapy were studied for the efficacy of the drugs.

The trial met the primary end point for 35 patients and was then expanded to include a total of 70 patients to better understand the response rate of the combination drugs. An irRECIST response rate of 29% with a median duration of response of 16.6 months was found in 20 patients. Meanwhile, grade 3-4 adverse events were observed in 27% of the patients, and responses occurred among PD-L1-negative, non-T-cell–inflamed, and intermediate tumour phenotypes.

Username: Jason Luke, MD, FACP

Twitter handle: @jasonlukemd

Retweets: 42

Likes: 153

4. Nathan A. Pennell’s tweet on treating resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCL) with pre and post-operative ctDNAs

Nathan A. Pennell, professor and thoracic oncologist at Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, shared an article on treating resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCL) using pre and post-operative circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA). The study aimed at examining liquid biopsies based on ctDNA for detecting the residual diseases and their recurrence. A total of 363 plasma samples from 88 patients with NSCLC were analysed, including patients in stages I (49%), II (28%) and III (23%) of the disease.

The study found that liquid biopsies could effectively detect the recurrence of NSCLC at a pre-clinical stage and before clinical progression of the lung cancer over months.

Username: Nathan A. Pennell MD, PhD, FASCO

Twitter handle: @n8pennell

Retweets: 44

Likes: 141

5. Stephen V Liu’s tweet on Amivantamab and Lazertinib combination therapy for overcoming Osimertinib resistance

Dr. Stephen V. Liu, MD, associate professor of medicine and director of thoracic oncology and director of developmental therapeutics at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, shared an article on the impact of Amivantamab and Lazertinib in overcoming Osimertinib resistance among patients suffering from epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR-Positive) NSCLC, the most common type of lung cancer.

The ongoing CHRYSALIS study, which included 45 patients who progressed on Osimertinib but did not receive chemotherapy, is the first human study of Amivantamab as a single agent or used in combination with Lazertinib or chemotherapy. According to researchers, the combination therapy had a numerically higher response rate and progression-free survival without heightened toxicity compared to single-agent Amivantamab. Additionally, Lazertinib provided a central nervous system-protective effect, while the combination sped the anti-tumour activity of Amivantamab.

Username: Stephen V Liu

Twitter handle: @StephenVLiu

Retweets: 39

Likes: 111