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Close, Julia

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7649-0320

Mayo Clinic

American Society of Clinical Oncology

Citations 5

Understanding the impact of gold and silver signals on ERAS applications: A survey of hematology/oncology fellowship program directors.
Miller-Chism, Courtney N. , Close, Julia , Bazhenova, Lyudmila, Katzel, Jed A., Patel, Reema , Tawagi, Karine, Riffon, Mark, Prather, Abbey, Bazhenova, Lyudmila , Katzel, Jed Abraham , Riffon, Mark, Rothe, Michael, Manochakian, Rami

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 28, 2026 | Volume: 44 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: 9007-9007

10.1200/jco.2026.44.16_suppl.9007 Get It

9007 Background: Since transition to virtual interviews, application and interview inflation have increased the work burden of GME recruitment. In 2021, AAMC ERAS implemented a process that allows applicants to assign signals to top programs of interest. There is a paucity of guidance on optimal use of ERAS signals (ES), resulting in apprehension and uncertainty amongst applicants and program directors (PD). For the 2026 ERAS cycle, Hematology/Oncology programs (HOP) had the option to participate in ES, in which applicants are provided 5 gold (G) signals and 15 silver (S) signals. First-hand knowledge on how ES was utilized by HOP, as well as PD perceptions about ES, may guide best practices on ES. Methods: During the ASCO Oncology Training Program Leadership Retreat in November 2025, an anonymous survey, assessing HOP utilization and perception of ES, and the impact of ES on recruitment practices, was launched. One PD from each HOP was invited to complete the survey while onsite. Results: 88 HOP (46% of ACGME HOP) are represented. 97% (n=85) utilized ES. Of HOP who used ES, 74% are academic. 32% are small (1-9 fellows), 43% medium (10-19 fellows), and 25% large (20+ fellows). 79% received 400+ applications. 69% reviewed applications without signals but gave higher consideration to signaled applicants. 25% only reviewed applications with signals. 28% used ES when creating rank list; 45% think ES utilization is appropriate during ranking. 85% reported ES did not alter their approach to applicants requiring visa sponsorship. 78% felt ES made the interview selection process easier. 66% were more satisfied with this year’s recruitment process compared to years without ES. The most requested change to ES was reduction of allowed signals, especially silver. 98% will use ES next year. Conclusions: Despite limited knowledge on ES impact on recruitment, nearly all surveyed HOP participated in ES this past year and will continue. Most HOP view ES positively though many desire changes, particularly with the number of signals. Most HOP consider all applications regardless of ES. However, some HOP with larger applicant pool are using ES as inclusion criteria for interview consideration. Signals are a strong predictor for interview invitation when internal selection criteria are met. The “borderline” applicant may be the greatest benefactor from ES, viewed similarly to the non-signaled applicant who meets internal selection criteria. Sharing PD perspectives and real-life data from this year’s ES process breeds opportunities for further improvement and increased confidence with ES. Likelihood HOP offer interview invitation based on quality of application and signals (%, n=85). Internal Selection Criteria Signal Extremely Likely Likely Neutral Unlikely Extremely Unlikely Met G 73 22 5 0 0 S 42 47 8 2 1 None 8 27 24 22 19 Nearly met G 4 35 39 19 3 S 0 9 52 28 11 Not met G 0 2 12 41 45 S 1 1 6 30 62
Phase II Study of Olaparib and Temozolomide for Advanced Uterine Leiomyosarcoma (NCI Protocol 10250)
Ingham, Matthew , Allred, Jacob B., Chen, Li , Das, Biswasjit , Kochupurakkal, Bose , Gano, Katherine, George, Suzanne , Attia, Steven , Burgess, Melissa , Seetharam, ­Mahesh , Boikos, Sosipatros A. , Bui, Nam Q. , Chen, James L. , Close, Julia , Coté, Gregory M. , D’Andrea, Alan D. , Mariño‐Enríquez, Adrián , Burgess, Melissa A , Bui, Nam , Ivy, S. Percy , Bose, Sminu , D'Andrea, Alan , Marino-Enriquez, Adrian , Shapiro, Geoffrey I , Schwartz, Gary K , George, Suzanne , Ingham, Matthew A , Thaker, Premal H. , Shapiro, Geoffrey I. , Schwartz, Gary K.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | July 19, 2023 | Volume: 41 | Issue: 25 | Pages: 4154-4163

10.1200/jco.23.00402 Get It

PURPOSE Uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS) is an aggressive subtype of soft-tissue sarcoma with frequent metastatic relapse after curative surgery. Chemotherapy provides limited benefit for advanced disease. Multiomics profiling studies have identified homologous recombination deficiency in uLMS. In preclinical studies where olaparib and temozolomide provided modest activity, the combination was highly effective for inhibiting uLMS tumor growth. PATIENTS AND METHODS NCI Protocol 10250 is a single-arm, open-label, multicenter, phase II study evaluating olaparib and temozolomide in advanced uLMS. Patients with progression on ≥1 prior line received temozolomide 75 mg/m2 orally once daily with olaparib 200 mg orally twice a day both on days 1-7 in 21-day cycles. The primary end point was the best objective response rate (ORR) within 6 months. A one-stage binomial design was used. If ≥5 of 22 responded, the treatment would be considered promising (93% power; α = .06). All patients underwent paired biopsies that were evaluated with whole-exome sequencing (WES)/RNAseq and a RAD51 foci formation assay. RESULTS Twenty-two patients were evaluable. The median age was 55 years, and 59% had received three or more prior lines. Best ORR within 6 months was 23% (5 of 22). The overall ORR was 27% (6 of 22). The median progression-free survival (mPFS) was 6.9 months (95% CI, 5.4 months to not estimable). Hematologic toxicity was common (grade 3/4 neutropenia: 75%; thrombocytopenia: 32%) but manageable with dose modification. Five of 16 (31%) of tumors contained a deleterious homologous recombination gene alteration by WES, and 9 of 18 (50%) were homologous recombination-deficient by the RAD51 assay. In an exploratory analysis, mPFS was prolonged for patients with homologous recombination-deficient versus homologous recombination-proficient tumors (11.2 v 5.4 months, P = .05) by RAD51. CONCLUSION Olaparib and temozolomide met the prespecified primary end point and provided meaningful clinical benefit in patients with advanced, pretreated uLMS.
Correlative results from NCI protocol 10250: A phase II study of temozolomide and olaparib for the treatment of advanced uterine leiomyosarcoma.
Kochupurakkal, Bose , Allred, Jacob B., Attia, Steven , Seetharam, ­Mahesh , Boikos, Sosipatros A. , Chen, James Lin, Close, Julia , Das, Biswajit , Bose, Sminu , Ingham, Matthew , Chen, Li , Mariño‐Enríquez, Adrián , George, Suzanne , Burgess, Melissa , Bui, Nam Q. , Coté, Gregory M. , Ivy, S. Percy , Shapiro, Geoffrey I. , Schwartz, Gary K.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | June 6, 2022 | Volume: 40 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: 11509-11509

10.1200/jco.2022.40.16_suppl.11509 Get It

11509 Background: uLMS is an aggressive sarcoma subtype of smooth muscle origin. Chemotherapy provides limited benefit for advanced disease. 18-25% of uLMS harbor deleterious alterations in homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair genes. uLMS exhibits high levels of replicative stress. These findings prompted a phase 2 study of O+T in pretreated uLMS where O+T demonstrated activity: ORR 27%, mPFS 6.9 mos (Ingham M. et. al. ASCO 2021: #11506) Methods: NCI protocol #10250 is a single-arm, multicenter, phase 2 trial evaluating O+T in advanced uLMS pts with progression on ≥1 prior line. Pre-treatment (Pre) and on-treatment (On) biopsies were collected from 22 pts. In prespecified analysis, we evaluated for a relationship between clinical outcomes and HR gene alterations by whole exome sequencing (WES), SLFN11/MGMT expression by RNAseq, and RAD51 foci formation (functional assay). HRD scores were calculated from WES using scarHRD. Gene expression was evaluated using a Spearman rank-order correlation analysis to identify genes associated with PFS (p < 0.01) and overexpressed in sensitive (S: PFS > 240d) or resistant (R: PFS < 240d) pts. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed (q = FDR-adjusted p value). Pts with available results: WES/RNAseq (16), Pre HRD score (13), Pre RAD51 foci (12). Results: 31% (5/16) pts had a mutation (Mut) or homozygous deletion (Hd) in the HR panel: ATRX Mut (2), ATR Mut, PALB2 Hd, RAD51B Hd. Pts with PALB2 and RAD51B Hd had longest PFS on study. Recurrent alterations also occurred in TP53 (56%) and RB1 (19%). Median HRD score in Pre samples was 51 (range 36-66) and 10/13 had HRD scores ≥ 42. Pre and On SLFN11 and MGMT RNA expression were not correlated with ORR/PFS. 6/13 Pre samples were HR-deficient by the RAD51 foci assay. Of pts with PFS ≥ 200d, 4/6 were HR-deficient. In Pre samples, 81 genes were overexpressed in S pts and 73 in R pts. In On samples, 146 genes were overexpressed in S pts and 127 in R pts. In On samples, GSEA identified the epithelial-mesenchymal transition enriched in S pts (q = 3.38e-7) and cell cycle pathways (E2F targets, G2M checkpoint) in R pts (q = 7.43e-4). Only 2 genes, CXCL10 and PCDH15, were differentially expressed between paired Pre and On samples (both increased in On). Gene expression signatures for replicative stress showed borderline association with worse PFS. Conclusions: Most uLMS tumors exhibit HR defects as measured by HRD scores. A subset of pts with greater benefit from O+T were identified by WES for HR genes and the RAD51 assay. There was no correlation between SLFN11 and MGMT expression and outcomes. GSEA identified pathways differentially expressed in S and R pts in On samples. O+T induced CXCL10 which has been associated with T-cell trafficking to tumors. A randomized phase 3 trial of O+T versus investigator’s choice is planned. These results provide insight into which pts may benefit most from this novel drug combination. Clinical trial information: NCT03880019.
NCI protocol 10250: A phase II study of temozolomide and olaparib for the treatment of advanced uterine leiomyosarcoma.
Allred, Jacob B., Gano, Katherine, Attia, Steven , Seetharam, ­Mahesh , Boikos, Sosipatros A. , Bui, Nam Q. , Chen, James Lin, Close, Julia , Das, Biswajit , Kochupurakkal, Bose , Trepel, Jane B. , Bui, Nam , Ingham, Matthew , George, Suzanne , Burgess, Melissa , Coté, Gregory M. , Thaker, Premal H. , Ivy, S. Percy , Shapiro, Geoffrey I. , Pommier, Yves G. , Schwartz, Gary K.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | June 2, 2021 | Volume: 39 | Issue: 15_suppl | Pages: 11506-11506

10.1200/jco.2021.39.15_suppl.11506 Get It

11506 Background: Uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS) is an aggressive sarcoma subtype with frequent metastatic relapse. After failure of front-line chemotherapy, remaining options provide limited benefit (trabectedin: ORR 11%, mPFS 4.0 mos; pazopanib: ORR 11%, median PFS 2.9 mos; dacarbazine: ORR 9%, mPFS 1.5 mos). Recent molecular studies suggest uLMS harbors characteristic defects in the homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair pathway, including somatic biallelic BRCA2 deletion in 10%, implicating potential sensitivity to PARP-inhibitor based treatment approaches. In preclinical uLMS models in which temozolomide (T, an oral equivalent to dacarbazine) or the PARP inhibitor olaparib (O) showed limited single agent activity, the combination of T + O was highly effective in inhibiting uLMS tumor growth and promoting apoptosis. Methods: NCI protocol #10250 is a single-arm, open-label, multi-center phase II study evaluating T + O in advanced uLMS. Pts had progression on ≥ 1 prior line and ECOG PS ≤ 2. Pts received T 75 mg/m2 PO daily + O 200 mg PO BID days 1-7 in 21-day cycles. Primary endpoint was ORR. A one-stage binomial design was used. If ≥ 5/22 responded, the treatment was considered promising (95% power; α = 0.06). All pts underwent paired tumor biopsies. Correlative assays to evaluate for HR deficiency (whole exome sequencing/RNAseq, RAD51 foci formation) and for intrinsic PARP inhibitor resistance (SLFN11 expression) will be correlated with response. Results: 22 patients were evaluable (median age 55, median prior treatment lines 3). Median follow-up was 10.8 mos. Primary endpoint, ORR within 6 mos of initiating treatment, was 23% (5/22). Overall ORR was 27% (6/22). Median PFS was 6.9 mos (95% CI: 5.4 mos – not estimable (NE)). Median duration of response (DOR) was 12.0 mos (95% CI: 9.5 mos – NE). Hematologic toxicity was common (grade 3/4 neutropenia, 77%; thrombocytopenia 32%) but manageable with dose modification. Correlative assays are ongoing with plans to present at the meeting. An immunohistochemical assay for RAD51 foci has been adapted for uLMS samples and clearly distinguishes BRCA2- deleted and wild-type tumors. Conclusions: NCI 10250 met the prespecified primary efficacy endpoint of ORR in a population of patients with heavily pre-treated uLMS. Responses are durable (median DOR 12 mos). Correlative assays are being completed to evaluate whether uLMS tumors with HR deficiency or with preserved SLFN11 expression are most sensitive to T + O and may underlie durable responses. A randomized study of the combination is planned. Clinical trial information: NCT03880019.
NCI protocol 10250: A phase II study of temozolomide and olaparib for the treatment of advanced uterine leiomyosarcoma.
Allred, Jacob B., Gano, Katherine, Attia, Steven , Boikos, Sosipatros A. , Chen, James Lin, Close, Julia , Seetharam, ­Mahesh , Ingham, Matthew , George, Suzanne , Burgess, Melissa , Bui, Nam Q. , Thaker, Premal H. , Schwartz, Gary K.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 25, 2020 | Volume: 38 | Issue: 15_suppl | Pages: TPS11570-TPS11570

10.1200/jco.2020.38.15_suppl.tps11570 Get It

TPS11570 Background: Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is a heterogenous malignancy of mesenchymal origin and includes more than 50 biologically distinct subtypes. Leiomyosarcoma (LMS), a neoplasm of smooth muscle origin, represents up to 20% of STS. The uterus is the most common site of origin in women. Advanced uterine LMS (uLMS) is initially treated with gemcitabine + docetaxel or anthracycline-based chemotherapy but overall survival remains < 24 mos. Besides recurrent alterations in RB1, TP53 and ATRX, insight into cancer biology of uLMS remains limited. Recently, whole exome and transcriptomic sequencing studies suggest uLMS harbors characteristic defects in the homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair pathway and thus features of BRCAness. HR-deficient cancers are unable to efficiently repair double-stranded DNA breaks and appear sensitive to treatment with poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. In preclinical studies, the combination of temozolomide (T), an alkylating agent, and olaparib (O), a PARP inhibitor, was synergistic and markedly suppressed proliferation of uLMS models. A recent phase II study in small cell lung cancer defined the RP2D for T + O where the chief toxicity was myelosuppression. Methods: NCI Protocol #10250 is a single-arm, open-label, multi-center phase II clinical trial of T + O in patients with advanced uLMS. Eligible pts have ECOG PS ≤ 2, progression on ≥ 1 prior line of therapy and disease measurable by RECIST v1.1 and amenable to image-guided biopsy. Pts receive T 75 mg/m2 PO daily + O 200 mg PO BID on days 1-7 in 21-day cycles. The 1° endpoint is objective response rate (ORR). A one-stage binomial design is used to evaluate for an ORR ≤ 10% (null hypothesis) versus ≥ 35% (alternative hypothesis). The design calls for 22 patients. If 5/22 respond, the treatment is promising. This design yields 93% power and 1-sided type I error of 6%. 2° endpoints include progression free survival and safety. All pts undergo tumor biopsies pre-treatment and during cycle 2. Tissue is used for correlative analysis interrogating uLMS for features of BRCAness through (a) whole exome sequencing/RNAseq to evaluate for alterations in HR pathway component genes, (b) RAD51 foci formation by immunohistochemistry as a functional marker of HR pathway activity and (c) protein expression of Schlafen family member number 11 (SLFN11), an emerging biomarker for PARPi. Tumors are also evaluated for MGMT protein expression, a known determinant of sensitivity to T. The study opened to accrual 10/2019. Clinical trial information: NCT03880019.