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Faculty

Samuel Cytryn

MD
Assistant Attending, Gastrointestinal Oncology Service
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Dr. Samuel Cytryn is an Assistant Attending in the Gastrointestinal Oncology Service in the Department of Medicine at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. His clinical and research interests involve the use of immune checkpoint blockade and targeted therapy in esophageal and gastric cancers. He is currently the lead on several studies investigating strategies to overcome mechanisms of resistance and immune evasion. He graduated from medical school at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, completed his internal medicine training at New York University, where he served as Chief Resident, and completed his medical oncology training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he served as Chief Fellow.

2026 Sessions

Balancing Safety Concerns

Explore the role of immunotherapy (IO) rechallenge in the management of esophageal and gastric cancers, weighing safety concerns against the potential clinical benefit of reinitiation. Speakers will review evidence on efficacy, patterns of response, and the risk of recurrent or cumulative immune-related adverse events, and address clinical scenarios in which IO rechallenge may be appropriate.

This session will focus on safety considerations surrounding IO rechallenge, covering the incidence and management of recurrent or cumulative immune-related adverse events associated with reinitiation of IO therapy. The discussion will address risk factors, monitoring strategies, and clinical scenarios where rechallenge may pose significant concern, giving participants insight into balancing patient safety with potential therapeutic benefit when considering IO rechallenge.

Debate Speaker

Sunday, September 27 10:05–10:25 AM
Gastrointestinal Cancers
Faculty

Samuel Cytryn

MD
Assistant Attending, Gastrointestinal Oncology Service
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Dr. Samuel Cytryn is an Assistant Attending in the Gastrointestinal Oncology Service in the Department of Medicine at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. His clinical and research interests involve the use of immune checkpoint blockade and targeted therapy in esophageal and gastric cancers. He is currently the lead on several studies investigating strategies to overcome mechanisms of resistance and immune evasion. He graduated from medical school at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, completed his internal medicine training at New York University, where he served as Chief Resident, and completed his medical oncology training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he served as Chief Fellow.
General Session

IO Rechallenge in Esophageal and Gastric Cancers: Balancing Safety Concerns vs Potential Benefit of Reinitiation

Explore the role of immunotherapy (IO) rechallenge in the management of esophageal and gastric cancers, weighing safety concerns against the potential clinical benefit of...

  • Moderator
    • Cathy Eng, MD, FACP, FASCO
    • Yelena Janjigian, MD
  • Presenter
    • Samuel Cytryn, MD
    • Rutika Mehta, MD, MPH
Gastrointestinal Cancers

Balancing Safety Concerns

Explore the role of immunotherapy (IO) rechallenge in the management of esophageal and gastric cancers, weighing safety concerns against the potential clinical benefit of reinitiation. Speakers will review evidence on efficacy, patterns of response, and the risk of recurrent or cumulative immune-related adverse events, and address clinical scenarios in which IO rechallenge may be appropriate.

This session will focus on safety considerations surrounding IO rechallenge, covering the incidence and management of recurrent or cumulative immune-related adverse events associated with reinitiation of IO therapy. The discussion will address risk factors, monitoring strategies, and clinical scenarios where rechallenge may pose significant concern, giving participants insight into balancing patient safety with potential therapeutic benefit when considering IO rechallenge.

Debate Speaker

Sunday, September 27 10:05–10:25 AM
Gastrointestinal Cancers
Faculty

Samuel Cytryn

MD
Assistant Attending, Gastrointestinal Oncology Service
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Dr. Samuel Cytryn is an Assistant Attending in the Gastrointestinal Oncology Service in the Department of Medicine at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. His clinical and research interests involve the use of immune checkpoint blockade and targeted therapy in esophageal and gastric cancers. He is currently the lead on several studies investigating strategies to overcome mechanisms of resistance and immune evasion. He graduated from medical school at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, completed his internal medicine training at New York University, where he served as Chief Resident, and completed his medical oncology training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he served as Chief Fellow.

Potential Benefit of Reinitiation

Explore the role of immunotherapy (IO) rechallenge in the management of esophageal and gastric cancers, weighing safety concerns against the potential clinical benefit of reinitiation. Speakers will review evidence on efficacy, patterns of response, and the risk of recurrent or cumulative immune-related adverse events, and address clinical scenarios in which IO rechallenge may be appropriate.

Faculty will review emerging clinical evidence and real-world data suggesting renewed antitumor activity in select patients following reinitiation of IO therapy. Discussion will address factors associated with response, optimal timing, and patient selection. Participants will gain perspective on scenarios in which IO rechallenge may offer meaningful clinical benefit despite prior treatment exposure.

Debate Speaker

Sunday, September 27 10:25–10:45 AM
Gastrointestinal Cancers
Faculty

Rutika Mehta

MD, MPH
Associate Professor, Division of Hematology/Oncology
Weill Cornell Medicine/New York Presbyterian Hospital

Rutika Mehta MD, MPH is an Associate Professor in Medicine and Attending Physician at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Mehta received her medical degree at Topiwala National Medical College in Mumbai, India. She subsequently completed a Masters in Public Health with a focus on Epidemiology at Indiana University, Indianapolis. She spent three years as a Research Fellow in the Department of Pathology at Indiana University School of Medicine. She then completed her training in Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins University/Sinai Hospital of Baltimore followed by a fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York. After completing her hematology and oncology training, Dr. Mehta joined the gastrointestinal (GI) oncology department at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida. At Moffit Cancer Center, Dr. Mehta worked with many renowned leaders in the field and was instrumental in building the clinical and research program for upper GI malignancies. She was selected as a Castle Connolly “Top Doctor” for three straight years in the Tampa Bay area (2022-2024). She is an active member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and serves as a member of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Taskforce for Esophagogastric Cancers. Dr. Mehta was recruited to Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) in 2024. Her clinical and research efforts will focus on all GI cancers with a particular emphasis on developing clinical trials utilizing novel treatment options and advancing the field through precision medicine.
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