Sana Karam, MD, PhD

Tumor Immunology, TME, Systemic Immunity, Radiation Oncology, Wash U

[Sana Karam, MD, PhD @KaramLab]

@piet_ost @_ShankarSiva @niazi_Dr7 @ChrisSweens1 @ANZUPtrials @PBlanchardMD @Mat_Guc @PaulSargos @fcounago @DrAndrewLoblaw @alongi_filippo @DrewMoghanaki @ChadTangMD That’s not bladder cancer. Just replace the ADC with hypoR, but don’t overshoot or prolong, in this exact setting and let’s see the data…

[Sana Karam, MD, PhD @KaramLab]

@DrMLChua @YG_TAO @PBlanchardMD @PierluigiBonomo Why are we even doing this! 😳

[Amir Safavi @safaviaa]

Now in @JAMAOnc:

We report 5y outcomes post 30 Gy elective RT (total 70 Gy CCRT) for 276 pts w/ HPV-related OPC #hncsm at @MSKCancerCenter #radonc

LRC 97.0%
OS 90.8%
PFS 85.9%
DMFS 91.2%

@imrtlee @xrtGenomics @seanmmcbride @CJTsaiMDPhD @EChrisDee

👉 https://t.co/FgCBjwkkq4

[Shannon Jiang @ShannonJiangMD]

Asking patients to take endocrine therapy for 5+ years is easier said than done.

We found that maintaining long-term adherence can be challenging for patients with breast cancer, particularly those who omit radiation.

@WashUMedRadOnc @washumedicine @SitemanCenter

[Sana Karam, MD, PhD @KaramLab]

@DavidSherMD @TopfHNS @5_utr @seanmmcbride @Jdcramer @xrtGenomics @py_hns @HNSurgeon @jryckman3 @imrtlee @PhilipsRamez @rbryanbell @NikkiSchmittMD The “metric” needs to go. Remember these guidelines are made for the entire community of providers. Sometimes we think that we are doing the best and most loving thing for our patients by following the guidelines…

[Sana Karam, MD, PhD @KaramLab]

@TopfHNS @5_utr @seanmmcbride @Jdcramer @xrtGenomics @py_hns @HNSurgeon @jryckman3 @imrtlee @DavidSherMD @PhilipsRamez @rbryanbell @NikkiSchmittMD And in those that recur that fast, the biology has declared itself, and until we have better biomarkers/correlated, those should receive escalated therapy.

[Sana Karam, MD, PhD @KaramLab]

@TopfHNS @5_utr @seanmmcbride @Jdcramer @xrtGenomics @py_hns @HNSurgeon @jryckman3 @imrtlee @DavidSherMD @PhilipsRamez @rbryanbell @NikkiSchmittMD I think it’s harmful for patients. Biologically healing has to occur and inflammation has to subside. Even ignoring the mad rush this creates system wide ( and the stress on patients), I would argue it contributes to potential immunosuppression.

[C. Jillian Tsai, MD, PhD @CJTsaiMDPhD]

🚨‼️Happening now - technology driven strategies for HNSCC.
First talk - @imrtlee on FMISO pooled analyses.
#ASTRO26
@ASTRO_org
@xrtGenomics @seanmmcbride @MSK_RadOnc

[Sana Karam, MD, PhD @KaramLab]

@CJTsaiMDPhD @ASTRO_org @DavidSherMD @ScottBratman Right direction. Push for even less.

[C. Jillian Tsai, MD, PhD @CJTsaiMDPhD]

👏⚡️Dr. Huang from Sun Yat-Sen presented stellar 10yr Outcomes of Elective Upper vs. Whole-Neck RT for the Uninvolved Neck in NPC with preRT high EBV viral load!

#ASTRO26
@ASTRO_org @DavidSherMD @KaramLab @ScottBratman

[C. Jillian Tsai, MD, PhD @CJTsaiMDPhD]

🦠💡Next up - TRINITY trial presented by Zachary Zumsteg at @CedarsSinai, investigating reduced dose/volume CRT after TORS with excellent 2-yr PFS.

#ASTRO26 @ASTRO_org
@xrtGenomics @DanielMaMD @RobertFerrisMD @drdavidpalma

[Sana Karam, MD, PhD @KaramLab]

@xrtGenomics @CJTsaiMDPhD @IJROBP @imrtlee Or worse than that: negative synergy:)

[Sana Karam, MD, PhD @KaramLab]

@adib_elio @TonyFelefly @5_utr Stay tuned…

[Sana Karam, MD, PhD @KaramLab]

@markbothwell Trained by the best :). Thank you, Mark, for giving me the privilege and opportunity to begin my journey in your lab 🙏🏾

[Sana Karam, MD, PhD @KaramLab]

Thrilled to share our latest work out now in CIR. We uncovered paradoxical role of EphA4 in HNSCC: it drives tumor growth when in Tregs, but suppresses it in CD8+ T cells, myeloid cells, and cancer cells. The secret? Upstream negative regulation of AKT. https://t.co/8oLmVYicnu

[Sana Karam, MD, PhD @KaramLab]

Huge shoutout to first author Sophia Corbo and the entire Karam Lab team who always make things happen! Massive thanks to our wonderful collaborators Enrique Sanz Garcia & Lillian Siu (Princess Margaret/U of Toronto) and Elena B. Pasquale (Sanford Burnham Institute).

[Sana Karam, MD, PhD @KaramLab]

A broader lesson from this journey: beware of pleiotropic effects. Not everything that goes "up" is inherently bad, and vice versa. Our story started by simply seeing EphA4 upregulated during therapeutic resistance, but years of functional manipulation uncovered the biology.