Sonali Thosani, MD
Associate Professor
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Featured in the Session: Managing Diabetes across the Cancer Continuum: From Treatment to Survivorship
When
Monday, June 8
at 1:30 p.m.
Where
Great Hall B (Level 1)
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
What is your presentation about?
My presentation will discuss how cancer treatments such as steroids, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and other targeted therapies impact management of diabetes and glycemic disorders in the person with cancer. I will also discuss the impact of androgen deprivation therapy and anti-estrogen therapy for cancer treatment and impact on metabolism. I will also cover the risk of hyperglycemic emergencies in this vulnerable patient population and briefly discuss strategies on risk mitigation.
How do you hope your presentation will impact diabetes research or care?
I hope this presentation highlights how systemic cancer treatment increases the risk of metabolic disorders, and the endocrinologist plays a vital role as part of the oncology care team. There are a lot of research gaps in the role of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists in cancer patients, and I hope my talk sparks interest for folks to explore those paths more.
How did you become involved with this area of diabetes research or care?
As a clinician working in a cancer center, I routinely encounter patients who develop metabolic disorders in the setting of cancer treatment. Management of diabetes in a patient with cancer can be quite challenging due to the various changes in activity level, and diet that happen to patients undergoing cancer treatment. There are many nuances and tailoring of typical diabetes management recommendations that have to be considered in the management of this unique patient population.