Paul Nghiem, MD, PhD, leads research at the UW Medicine South Lake Union (SLU) campus, and provides patient care at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center.

New Therapeutic Options in Cutaneous Oncology for 2026, With Paul Nghiem, MD, PhD

 spoke with Paul Nghiem, MD, PhD, of the University of Washington Medicine South Lake Union (SLU) and the Fred Hutch Cancer Center, regarding the takeaways from his conference talk titled ‘Cutaneous Oncology Update 2026.

The presenters of this talk highlighted management strategies and therapeutic agents for actinic keratoses (AKs) and other conditions. In his previous interview segment, Nghiem described the most important advances his fellow panelists highlighted in the management of actinic keratoses and early non-melanoma skin cancers. This segment featured a discussion of advanced disease, especially advanced basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, and newer therapeutic options or strategies most influencing treatment decisions.

“For advanced basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, the trickiest area and most promising is when to use immune therapy,” Nghiem said. “Surgery and radiation are early management keys, but now there's evidence that immune therapy can be helpful in at least a subset of those cancers, including squamous cell carcinoma, in patients who have regionally advanced.”

Among patients with lymph nodes and very advanced squamous cell carcinoma, after surgery and after radiation, adding adjuvant immunotherapy can be beneficial, Nghiem expressed. However, he noted, clinicians should take careful consideration of the risks and benefits. In their talk, Nghiem and his colleagues also covered rarer but aggressive tumors like Merkel cell carcinoma. He was asked in his interview what some key developments clinicians should be aware of were, especially around diagnosis, staging, and systemic treatment.

“I think one of the really exciting developments in Merkel cell carcinoma is how we track it,” Nghiem said. “It's going to come back in 40% of patients, and almost all of those recurrences are within 2 to 3 years. Finding the recurrence earlier is beneficial because it gives us more time, more shots on goal to treat it effectively.”

Nghiem described the first immunotherapy as only working in around half of patients, noting the need to often consider alternatives. Finding such a cancer before it comes back earlier is advantageous, he noted, and there are now 2 blood tests designed to help with tracking.

One such test, Nghiem said, is the antibody blood test for the virus. The other is circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA).

 The tests can be implemented together or by themselves, if only one is available for a given patient. Both tests were described by Nghiem as more sensitive and specific than scans.

The quotes used in this interview summary were edited for clarity.

Nghiem previously reported personal fees from Rain Therapeutics, EMD Serono, Pfizer, Sanofi/Regeneron, 4SC, and Merck; grants from EMD Serono and Bristol Myers Squibb to his institution; and a patent for Merkel cell polyomavirus T antigen–specific T-cell receptors and uses thereof pending (University of Washington), as well as a patent for novel epitopes as T-cell targets in Merkel cell carcinoma pending.

Rosen T, Martin G, Schmults C, Nghiem P, et al. Cutaneous Oncology Update 2026. Presented at the 2026 Maui Derm Hawaii Conference, January 25-29.

de Abreu AR, Wyninckx A, Benhaim L, et al. Circulating Tumor DNA detection in cancer: a comprehensive overview of current detection methods and prospects. Oncologist. 2025 Sep 1;30(9):oyaf204. doi: 10.1093/oncolo/oyaf204. PMID: 40680231; PMCID: PMC12450317.

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This interview segment continues with Paul Nghiem, MD, PhD, highlighting notable insights from his session on cutaneous oncology.

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Cutaneous Oncology Updates for 2026, With Paul Nghiem, MD, PhD

Paul Nghiem, MD, PhD, of the University of Washington Medicine South Lake Union (SLU) and Fred Hutch Cancer Center, spoke with the 

 editorial team in a recent interview at the 

Nghiem had been 1 of several panelists who presented a session at Maui Derm titled ‘Cutaneous Oncology Update 2026,’ during which the speakers highlighted management strategies and therapeutic options for the treatment of actinic keratoses (AKs), non-melanoma skin cancers sucb as Merkel cell carcinoma, and other conditions.

“Probably the biggest update in recent years has been the optimal use of immune therapy for Merkel cell carcinoma, in particular,” Nghiem explained. “But you know, almost all the cancers, cutaneous, squamous, and melanoma, of course, have been transformed by that. In Merkel, in particular, there's a different set of challenges that come along for dermatologists, because the dermatologist can really help to navigate the landscape.”

Frequently, radiation, surgery, or immune therapy can be provided to such patients. Such treatmets, Nghiem noted, needs to be customized. The dermatologist does not play the dominant role for any of these 3 options. Nghiem notes the dermatologist can, however, be the real advocate for the patient and the most knowledgeable person in the room regarding some of the more rare cancers such as Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) and sebaceous carcinoma.

Nghiem was later asked what the most important advances highlighted in his session were related to the management of actinic keratoses and early non-melanoma skin cancers. Additionally, he was asked how such changes might impact everyday dermatology practice.

“Perhaps one of the more important things in managing actinic keratosis is the combination of 5-Fluorouracil plus calcipotriol,” Nghiem expressed.

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) combined with calcipotriol is often referred to as 5-FU + calcipotriene.

 The treatment should not, Ngiem pointed out, be given to patients for more than 4 days time, as opposed to 5-Fluoraracil, which can often be given for weeks at a time. Nghiem highlighted 5-FU + calcipotriene as highly potent and effective in only 4 days, cautioning against over treating.

The quotes contained in this video summary were edited for the purposes of clarity.

Nghiem has previously reported personal fees from Rain Therapeutics, EMD Serono, Pfizer, Sanofi/Regeneron, 4SC, and Merck; grants from EMD Serono and Bristol Myers Squibb to his institution; and a patent for Merkel cell polyomavirus T antigen–specific T-cell receptors and uses thereof pending (University of Washington), as well as a patent for novel epitopes as T-cell targets in Merkel cell carcinoma pending.

Dlott AH, Spencer SA, Di Pasqua AJ. Calcipotriol and 5-Fluorouracil Combination Therapy for the Treatment of Actinic Keratosis in the Clinic: A Review Article. Clin Drug Investig. 2024 Oct;44(10):733-737. doi: 10.1007/s40261-024-01392-w. Epub 2024 Sep 28. PMID: 39342018; PMCID: PMC11499312.

Paul Nghiem highlights several key takeaways from his talk on cutaneous oncology, touching on various advances in skin cancer management.

Gianluca Florineth, MSc, from the Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University of Bern in Switzerland.

Preparation Before Psychedelics Tied to Better MDD, With Gianluca Florineth, MSc

, the timing of psychotherapy may be as important as its delivery, with new evidence highlighting preparation sessions as a key driver in symptom improvement.

A recent systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that greater exposure to preparation therapy before psychedelic dosing is associated with larger reductions in depressive symptoms, whereas post-dosing integration therapy and total therapy duration show no clear relationship with short-term outcomes.

“We were also quite surprised, but there are some ways that we can explain this non-significant association,” said investigator Gianluca Florineth, MSc, from the Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University of Bern in Switzerland, in an interview with 

. “We definitely do not want to encourage people to stop doing integration sessions because we also believe that it's very important. However, the role may not be as much in reducing the depressive symptoms, but in, for example, maintaining them long-term, or in helping participants reduce potential follow-up effects from the substances.”

The analysis pooled data from 12 controlled clinical trials involving 733 adults (49.8% females; mean age, 42.1 years) who received psilocybin- or LSD-assisted therapy for depressive symptoms. Across studies, investigators examined associations between depressive symptom change and several therapy-related variables, including hours of preparation therapy, integration therapy, total psychotherapy exposure, and overall treatment duration.

Each additional hour of preparation therapy correlated with greater symptom reduction (

 = .86) were not significantly associated with outcomes. Florineth suggested that integration therapy may address functions not captured by short-term depression scales, such as helping patients process challenging material, consolidate insights, and sustain benefits over time.

The study also found that longer follow-up periods were associated with smaller effect sizes, consistent with an attenuation of treatment effects over time (

 = .003). Most studies (75%) had a high risk of bias, often due to ineffective blinding.

Additionally, Florineth emphasized that preparation therapy may play a critical role in shaping the acute psychedelic experience by establishing psychological safety, aligning expectations, and strengthening the therapeutic alliance before dosing. These factors may reduce the risk of distressing or destabilizing experiences during psychedelic sessions and support more favorable clinical outcomes.

When asked which element of preparation therapy most strongly drives symptom reduction, Florineth cited a combination of factors.

“The most important is that participants or patients have a sense of safety, because if you have very short preparation periods before the substance sessions, you may not really feel comfortable with the facilitators that are present,” Florineth said. “This general therapeutic alliance building is probably most important.”

Florineth GA, Klima I, Boeker AL, et al. Psychological Therapy Quantity and Depressive Symptom Reduction in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9(1):e2554843. Published 2026 Jan 2. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.54843

Greater exposure to preparation therapy before psychedelic dosing was linked to larger reductions in depressive symptoms, a new study found.

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Ramy Abou-Ghayda, MD, MPH, is the chief of Transformation and Quality, associate professor of urology, and associate program director at University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve University.

Erectile Dysfunction as a Predictor of Cardiovascular Disease, With Ramy Abou-Ghayda, MD, MPH

A growing body of evidence appears to confirm that erectile dysfunction (ED) is among the earliest clinical markers of 

, according to a recent study from the University Hospitals Urology Institute.

This discovery is based on the larger Addressing Cardiometabolic Health Inequities by Early PreVEntion in the Great LakEs Region (ACHIEVE GreatER) program, which aims to directly address patient risk factors and social determinants in 

, and cardiovascular disease. The program is composed of Wayne State University and the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.

“Basically, we wanted to see if changing the way we think about healthcare in general, and healthcare delivery more specifically, would positively impact health outcomes,” Ramy Abou-Ghayda, MD, MPH, chief of Transformation and Quality, associate professor of urology, and associate program director at University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve University, told 

in an exclusive interview. “We chose a subject that’s very personal and private, which is erectile dysfunction, because we have a body of evidence showing that people with erectile dysfunction have a high risk of cardiovascular diseases, like stroke, heart attack, or vascular abnormalities.”

Some of the earliest signs of cardiovascular disease are calcium deposits in the smallest blood vessels in the body, such as the penile vasculature. Given that these vessels must dilate to provide blood to the penis and achieve an erection, Abou-Ghayda and colleagues determined ED’s status as a predictor of and a risk factor for future cardiovascular events.

In conducting the ACHIEVE GreatER study, Abou-Ghayda and colleagues incorporated ED screening as a test case for a reimagining of care delivery. The UH Urology Institute partnered with local barbers and pastors, who helped recruit participants and hosted screening events. This was deliberately aimed to foster conversations about ED and cardiovascular disease by setting them in safe environments.

A total of 60 men without a history of cardiovascular events who were at elevated risk for cardiovascular disease due to 

, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, or physical inactivity. Each patient took and completed the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) survey to assess severity and was given a free CAC scan.

After these tests, each patient received a follow-up phone call to review their results – when indicated, this call connected them with a cardiologist, primary care provider, or urologist, thereby aiming to link together community screening and timely specialty care.

According to Abou-Ghayda and colleagues, the ACHIEVE GreatER program serves as a proof-of-concept model for the redesign of healthcare models to close equity gaps. Given that men are, on the whole, less likely to proactively seek care, less likely to have a primary care provider, and more likely to be non-adherent to treatment when assigned. This results in later presentations with more advanced disease and, eventually, poorer outcomes.

“I think that we need to be more comprehensive in our screening and giving these patients questionnaires, explaining to them that everything in health is related,” Abou-Ghayda said. “There is no isolated system. We’re not dealing with silos. Erectile dysfunction is linked to the heart, and the heart is linked to the kidneys – everything is interconnected, and we need to broaden our projection and our way of thinking of these patients.”

Editor’s Note: Abou-Ghayda reports no relevant disclosures.

Abou-Ghayda R. Community-Based Healthcare Model Shows Great Promise by Using ED as Warning Signal for Cardiovascular Disease. 

. December 10, 2025. Accessed January 26, 2026. 

https://www.uhhospitals.org/for-clinicians/articles-and-news/articles/2025/12/community-based-healthcare-model-shows-great-promise-by-using-ed-as-warning-signal?utm_source=MMS&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Urology%7CEmail%7CMMS%7Cinnovation_email_fall_2025

University Hospitals. Multi-Institutional Effort to Improve the Life Expectancy of High-Risk Individuals. Accessed January 26, 2026. 

https://www.uhhospitals.org/uh-research/department-research/heart-and-vascular-research/research-areas/achieve-greater#:~:text=ACHIEVE%20GreatER%20Initiative%20Transforms%20Heart,outcomes%20and%20higher%20mortality%20rates

Abou-Ghayda breaks down the association between ED and CVD and how this study introduces a new way to address this sensitive topic.

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Tim Smith joined the MJH Life Sciences team in 2022 and is currently an associate editor for HCPLive. He is also the executive producer of two podcasts: Skin of Color Savvy and The Medical Sisterhood. Previously, he was the producer of the Lungcast podcast. He graduated from UC Berkeley and worked in multimedia journalism as a staff writer prior to joining MJH. You can contact him at tsmith@mjhlifesciences.com.

 conference titled ‘New Drugs and Therapies in 2026,’ with 2 speakers discussing developments related to dermatologic disease management and 

The talk was given by Neal Bhatia, MD, director of clinical dermatology at Therapeutics Clinical Research, and Ted Rosen, MD, professor of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine. Bhatia and Rosen provided several key insights into the therapeutic armamentarium for clinicians in the dermatology space, covering drugs for diseases such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) and more.

“In 2025, we've had psoriasis, we've had foam, and now we have cream for atopic itch, ages 2 - 5, which is really pretty exciting,” Bhatia explained. “I think the opportunity is to treat these kids without steroids, to look for areas of breakthrough in biologics, to think about hard-to-treat areas like the eyelids.”

In 1 example of a treatment highlighted in the talk, Bhatia and Rosen highlighted the FDA approval of roflumilast cream 0.05% for mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis in children aged 2 - 5 years. Early in the discussion, Bhatia emphasized the usefulness of roflumilast foam for atopic dermatitis, especially on the scalp. Other key points highlighted in Bhatia and Rosen’s talk included treating hives.

Bhatia used an example in his slideshow of a patient with angioedema and mucosal swelling. With an abrupt onset of hives, Bhatia explained, one must have the ability to work with such patients quickly. Dupilumab is an option approved for patients 18 years and older. Remibrutinib, he noted, provides these same patients with an alternative option, with research demonstrating significant reductions in urticaria scores.

“One more quick comment about chronic spontaneous urticaria here: remember that both drugs we just mentioned, dupilumab and remibrutinib, were studied while the patients were still on their optimized dose of antihistamines,” Rosen explained. “So it's not instead of, it's in addition to.”

Rosen later pointed to an example on his slideshow of 2 patients with severe bullous pemphigoid. An easy and safe option for these patients, other than steroids, rituximab, or mycophenolate, was described as necessary. Rosen described his treatment of these 2 patients as the same dose as is used for adults with eczema, including a loading dose of 600 milligrams and 300 milligrams every 2 weeks.

However, these patients were given oral steroids to initially clear them, before the steroids were tapered, and then dupilumab was used at Week 16. Between Weeks 16 and 36, 20% clearance was noted among these patients. Rosen then pointed to the results of a different study showing almost 96% of patients having virtually complete remission over a year.

“If you like the idea of using something other than steroids or immunosuppressives, this is a good option,” Rosen said. “But you still start with steroids, you taper the steroids, and you continue the dupilumab on. Certainly, it reduces the total amount of steroids patients are exposed to.”

In terms of up-and-coming treatments for psoriasis, an example Bhatia and Rosen pointed to was icotrokinra, a new oral interleukin (IL)-23 receptor blocker. The drug showed efficacy in recent clinical trial research. The oral IL-23 receptor blocker for moderate to severe psoriasis went against placebo and deucravacitinib. In this research, comparing icotrokinra to deucravacitib for ‘Clear’ or ‘Almost Clear’ scores, icotrokinra did well.

For any additional news on recent trial research for different dermatologic disease states, view updates to coverage of the 

The quotes contained in this summary were edited for clarity.

Disclosures: Bhatia has previously disclosed affiliations with AbbVie, Almirall, Arcutis, Advanced Derm Solutions, Amytrx, Beiersdorf, Biofrontera, BMS, BI, Cara Therapeutics, Castle, Dermavant, Ferndale, Foamix, Galderma, Incyte, ISDIN, J&J, La Roche-Posay, LEO, Lilly, Mindera, Novartis, Ortho, Pfizer, Procter & Gamble, Regeneron, Sanofi, Skinfix, Soligenix, SunPharma, Verrica Pharmaceuticals, and Zerigo Health.

Bhatia N, Rosen T. New Drugs and Therapies in 2026. Presented at: Maui Derm Hawaii 2026; January 25-29, 2026; Maui, Hawaii.

Bissonnette R, Soung J, Lebwohl MG, et al. Oral Icotrokinra for Plaque Psoriasis in Adults and Adolescents. N Engl J Med. 2025 Nov 6;393(18):1784-1795. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2504187. PMID: 41191940.

Articles

The 2026 Maui Derm Hawaii conference featured a presentation on new dermatologic drugs and therapies, focusing on FDA-approved treatments for conditions like psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and chronic spontaneous urticaria. Key highlights included the approval of roflumilast cream for young children with atopic dermatitis and the use of dupilumab and remibrutinib for urticaria. For severe bullous pemphigoid, a steroid-sparing approach with dupilumab was discussed. Additionally, icotrokinra, an oral IL-23 receptor blocker, showed promise in treating moderate to severe psoriasis in clinical trials.

In a talk given at the Maui Derm 2026 conference, Neal Bhatia, MD, and Ted Rosen, MD, speak on new and upcoming therapies for dermatologic diseases for 2026.

Maui Derm 2026 Presentation Highlights Icotrokinra, Other New Dermatology Drugs

Logan Briggs is a senior urology resident at Mayo Clinic Arizona.

A scoping review of 18 trials finds psychological, nutritional, and exercise support consistently benefits kidney cancer patients.

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Timely Psychological, Nutritional, Exercise Referrals May Improve Outcomes for Kidney Cancer Survivors

Ryan Livingston joined the MJH Life Sciences team in March of 2025, shortly after graduating from TCNJ with a bachelor’s degree in English. He enjoys creative writing, reading, and scuba diving. He can be reached at rlivingston@mjhlifesciences.com.

MannKind Therapeutics has announced new starting dose recommendations for patients with type 1 diabetes switching from injected or insulin pump mealtime therapy.

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FDA Approves Updated Starting Dose Guidelines for Inhaled Insulin Powder (Afrezza)

Niels Lund, MSc is the vice president of Changing Diabetes at Novo Nordisk.

Lund highlights the value of preventive treatment in patients with prediabetes on the environment via reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

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Addressing Environmental and Cardiovascular Concerns in Diabetes Treatment, With Niels Lund, MSc

Frances Lee, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine in the division of liver diseases at Mount Sinai.

Explore the complex relationship between pruritus, fatigue, and bone health in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC).

Segment 2- Key Symptoms of PBC- Fatigue, Pruritus, and Bone Health

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Proteomic fragmentation may explain reduced allergenicity and point to a safer substrate for peanut oral immunotherapy compared with current options, new data suggests.


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How Autoclaving Alters Peanut Allergenicity, OIT Potential, With Casey Cohen, PhD

Learn how to set expectations, prevent flares, and choose among advanced topical therapies for pediatric atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.

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Proactive Flare Prevention and Practical Use of Advanced Pediatric Topicals

Daniel M. Siegel, MD, is a clinical professor of dermatology at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, New York, and is the former president and honorary member of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

Siegel addressed additional points presented in his Maui Derm 2026 session, 'How To Maximize Your Billing Effectiveness in the Era of Dwindling Reimbursements and ICD-10.'

Tips on Billing Issues in Dermatology Practices, With Daniel Siegel, MD

In this interview, Siegel highlights key points presented in his Maui Derm 2026 talk, 'How To Maximize Your Billing Effectiveness in the Era of Dwindling Reimbursements and ICD-10.'

Discussing Billing Challenges in Dermatology, With Daniel Siegel, MD

Victoria Johnson joined the MJH Life Sciences in 2020 and has written for NeurologyLive, CGTLive, and now HCPLive. You can reach her at vjohnson@mjhlifesciences.com

An audio recap of the top 5 stories in healthcare news from the week of 01/18-01/24.

Latest News

New Therapeutic Options in Cutaneous Oncology for 2026, With Paul Nghiem, MD, PhD

Cutaneous Oncology Updates for 2026, With Paul Nghiem, MD, PhD

Preparation Before Psychedelics Tied to Better MDD, With Gianluca Florineth, MSc

Erectile Dysfunction as a Predictor of Cardiovascular Disease, With Ramy Abou-Ghayda, MD, MPH

Maui Derm 2026 Presentation Highlights Icotrokinra, Other New Dermatology Drugs