Dr. Priya Kumthekar: Glimpses of Hope for Leptomeningeal Metastases

Episode Notes

What is leptomeningeal disease? 

• Understanding Leptomeningeal Disease in Breast Cancer

• MSK Guide to Leptomeningeal Disease

Patient-focused resources on leptomeningeal metastases in MBC 

• Check out the new MBC Brain Mets website, which includes additional advice from Dr. Kumthekar as well more information on lepto mets in MBC, including treatment options.

• Facebook groups:

  • Brain Mets in MBC + Christine

  • MBC trials and innovative treatments

  • She & Us & HER2

• MBC Patient Stories of Lepto: Terri Mattson (AARP)

• More from Emily Garnett

  • Her blog Beyond the Pink Ribbon

  • Her podcast The Intersection of Life and Cancer

  • Honoring her husband Christian Facing Cancer / Being with Babish

Dr. Kumthekar-led trials on leptomeningeal disease in metastatic breast cancer  

• Upcoming ANG(Led) Phase 3 trial

• ANG1005, a brain-penetrating peptide–drug conjugate, shows activity in patients with breast cancer with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis and recurrent brain metastases

Other scientific research

• Research Moves Full Steam Ahead with Brain Metastases Leptomeningeal Disease in Breast Cancer (2021)

Case Reports of longer term survival with MBC lepto

• Craniospinal irradiation in the treatment of chemotherapy refractory leptomeningeal metastasis from breast cancer: A case report

• Durable clinical benefit of letrozole in leptomeningeal metastasis of breast cancer

• Complete response and long-term survival of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis from breast cancer with maintenance endocrine therapy

• Prolonged Regression of Metastatic Leptomeningeal Breast Cancer That Has Failed Conventional Therapy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

• Long-Term Clinical Response in Leptomeningeal Metastases from Breast Cancer Treated with Capecitabine Monotherapy: A Case Report

Meet the Guest of this Episode

Dr. Priya Kumthekar is a UCNS certified neuro-oncologist from Northwestern University dedicated to patient care and moving the field of brain tumor research forward primarily through her leadership on clinical trials. She is currently involved in and leads many clinical trials including being the overall principal investigator of five investigator initiated treatment trials as well as the site principal investigator (PI) of over a dozen additional collaborative brain tumor treatment trials. Dr. Kumthekar is the planned study chair/overall PI for a multicenter, international breast cancer leptomeningeal clinical trial.

Dr. Kumthekar has also been actively involved in the NCI funded clinical trials for many years. Within the NCTN (National Clinical Trials Network) and serves in leadership roles, particularly with the Alliance for Clinical Trials (Alliance”) for several years. In 2016, Dr. Kumthekar was appointed as the national Executive Officer of Neuro-Oncology at the Alliance. In this role, she oversees the conception and development of clinical trials in these two areas from early phase through registration studies. Dr. Kumthekar has teamed with various scientists both at Northwestern and at other institutions with the goal of using translational research to advance the field. These partnerships allow for cutting edge scientific discoveries to be successfully brought to the clinic for brain tumor patients to benefit.