Cancer

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Telling You Where to Go (12.19.2025)

Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com. Who would've thunk - a PsA FMF connection? Labs to diagnose SSc-ILD? IgA-RF may be important or RZV may not work in JAK inhibitor treated patients?

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QD Clinic: CAR-T Cell Therapy for Lupus Philip Mease, MD and Cayla Alexander, DNP, ARNP, Seattle, Washington, discuss the case of a patient with lupus who underwent CAR-T cell therapy for her disease. This QD clinic is presented as part of RheumNow's "Mission: APP Partners in https://t.co/WXWOLupWna
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Retrospective cohort study of 546 DM or clinically amyopathic DM pts. 5 factors were signif assoc w/ cancers (1 point ea): 1) TIFF-1-γ Ab (OR 3.8), poikiloderma (OR 3.1), DM subtype (2.8), anemia (2.4), but ILD was protective (OR 0.39). Markedly elevated DM cancer risk seen w/ https://t.co/OdygNQY2u3
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Hematologic Malignancies Increased in Systemic Sclerosis Swedish national study found that among a cohort of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients a two-fold increase risk of hematological malignancies was seen. https://t.co/K1WuMC0mXI https://t.co/MGkvwESqIe

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Retrospective cohort study of 546 DM or clinically amyopathic DM pts. 5 factors were signif assoc w/ cancers (1 point ea): 1) TIFF-1-γ Ab (OR 3.8), poikiloderma (OR 3.1), DM subtype (2.8), anemia (2.4), but ILD was protective (OR 0.39). Markedly elevated DM cancer risk seen w/ https://t.co/r564RbZys2
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Hematologic Malignancies Increased in Systemic Sclerosis Swedish national study found that among a cohort of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients a two-fold increase risk of hematological malignancies was seen. https://t.co/BypsCRUthe https://t.co/lfLJhSqn9e

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Cancer.risk_.jpg

Hematologic Malignancies Increased in Systemic Sclerosis

Jack Cush, MD

Swedish national study found that among a cohort of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients a two-fold increase risk of hematological malignancies was seen.

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Myelodysplastic & chr myelomonocytic leukemia pts rarely get lupus. Review of 19 w/ SLE & 5 w/ CLE; these were older (65 yrs), more male (15M/9F), w/ less renal [10%] & articular [36%] Dz w/ less dsDNA [32%]. Thought to be clonal inflammatory, & not autoinflammatory, process. https://t.co/EAvkJm6GQs
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Beyond malignancy, look out for LICATS with CAR-T CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy took the centre stage in 2022 where data pertaining to a successful case series of 5 patients with refractory SLE were published by Prof Schett’s group. Since then, this area https://t.co/JbTB033gti
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Taking a closer look: B-Cell depletion beyond the blood At #ACR25, we have seen an exciting wave of cellular and immune therapies reshaping the landscape of autoimmune disease treatment. Following the landmark case series by the Erlangen group, multiple cellular therapies have https://t.co/GIrPwlGKE2
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Having #RA does not increase mortality in CA pts Rx w/ immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). 301 Veterans w/ RA & 2114 nonRA controls were compared: all-cause mortality was similar (HR 1.09; 0.94, 1.25). Most deaths from cancer (90% & 91%), but rarely from infection (<1%) https://t.co/gsXie6HpTu
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
CAR-T Therapy: Where is it Heading? Dr. Peter Nash summarizes several abstracts looking at CAR-T therapy from #ACR25. https://t.co/bC8p1LnZMW https://t.co/KKn3jjsBW0

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
S.Korean study of 481 pts w/ myositis (IIM) - 12.9% (n = 62) had myositis-assoc. cancer. CA risk factos= older age, male, current smoking, dermatomyositis, TIF1γ; but lower risk w/ anti-synthetase synd, overlap myositis, arthritis, & ILD. SCRIM score had AUROC = 0.852 https://t.co/MdU1fRWWgS
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Off the Shelf: CAR-T Dr. Akhil Sood reports on abstract 0663 (iPSC-Derived Off-the-Shelf anti-CD19 CAR T cells Deliver Improved Clinical Outcomes in Lupus with Reduced or No Conditioning Chemotherapy) presented at#ACR25. https://t.co/mj4b5cCInC https://t.co/s34atFCMlx

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Beyond the Breakthrough: Equity and Access in CAR-T Cell Therapy for RA At #ACR25, abstract 1039, "Global Cost-Effectiveness and Equity in CAR-T Cell Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis," highlights the critical economic and ethical dimensions of CAR-T cell therapy in autoimmune https://t.co/Rci0dL7THj
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Are we putting the CAR-T before the horse? CAR T-cells have been a revolutionary development in rheumatology. We have seen a population of patients with severe refractory autoimmune conditions almost overnight presented with the prospect of not just improvement, but of a cure. https://t.co/gF9FXjAZ7F
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
CAR T Which cells to target What patients & what disease When is right time In vivo (new) ex vivo Premeds immune suppression What to use, ?if anything Cons Is it safe ?long term effectiveness What is failure rate ICANs and other side effects #ACRBest #ACR25 @RheumNow #26S21 https://t.co/TUSJh1hrPr https://t.co/JiqYzgBmYP

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Janet Pope @Janetbirdope( View Tweet )
LB04: Another approach to CAR-T, CD20+/BCMA bispecific CAR-T in refractory proliferative LN: 🔹100% discontinued biologics & IS at follow-up 🔹Renal response ~78% 🔹CRS mostly Grade 1–2 (~70%); ≥Grade 3 AEs = transient & hematologic @RheumNow #ACR25 https://t.co/oNK4wtLGYV

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Akhil Sood MD, MS @AkhilSoodMD( View Tweet )
While post-CAR-T CRS might be semi-familiar for rheumatologists, ICANS is a new concept to get our heads around, and one which is far from heterogenous. @CarolineDiorio @ChildrensPhila in the #ACR25 BCRC pre-meeting @RheumNow https://t.co/qX2jKMG2oB

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David Liew @drdavidliew( View Tweet )
@CarolineDiorio @ChildrensPhila eloquently told the #ACR25 BCRC pre-meeting about the lessons they've learned about CRS and ICANS, the major CAR-T toxicities. Many questions still to answer, but they've also understood a lot we can learn from. @RheumNow https://t.co/Jhk1eCLpD4

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David Liew @drdavidliew( View Tweet )
CAR-T vs bispecific antibodies - what's the difference? @andrew02114 @MGHCancerCenter with the heme-onc point of view in the #ACR25 BCRC @RheumNow https://t.co/7KJCfiQKWM

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David Liew @drdavidliew( View Tweet )
CAR-T toxicity in hematology (the things we have to look out for in rheumatology, as application of CAR-T potentially broadens) @andrew02114 @MGHCancerCenter with the heme-onc point of view in the #ACR25 BCRC @RheumNow https://t.co/1YjadL7LCF

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David Liew @drdavidliew( View Tweet )

Andrew Yee @andrew02114 of @MGHCancerCenter details out how quickly the CAR-T paradigm changed in myeloma/lymphoma - from newsworthy to routine. Now that much more about CAR-T has been worked out, will adoption be quicker in autoimmune disease? #ACR25 BCRC pre-meeting @RheumNow https://t.co/oNuPXCwWQ9

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David Liew @drdavidliew( View Tweet )

Post-CAR-T myelopathy has been an issue in heme onc, and is still an unpredictable quantity without a clear cause. Will this be a problem for autoimmune CAR-T as we gain more experience? @CarolineDiorio @ChildrensPhila in the #ACR25 BCRC pre-meeting @RheumNow https://t.co/RhhdOiyEAX

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David Liew @drdavidliew( View Tweet )
Abstract 2696: Phase 1/2 study of rapidly engineered CD19 CAR T showed: - rapid depletion of CD19 B cells w/ recovery by Day 90 - Days 180 and 360: returning B cells largely naive (CD27-IgD+) - Interferon expression ↓ after CAR T treatment @RheumNow #ACR25 https://t.co/FzdFbqWwtE

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Akhil Sood MD, MS @AkhilSoodMD( View Tweet )

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