Project Oncology

A 2025 study in Chest evaluated PREDICT, a precision medicine program at a large academic-community practice, designed to streamline testing and expand access to personalized treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Hear from ReachMD's Ryan Quigley as he shares the key impacts of this approach and implications for care delivery.

Guest: Alexis Leonard With two FDA-approved gene therapies, including the first CRISPR-based treatment, curative strategies for sickle cell disease are continuing to expand the treatment landscape. However, challenges remain in optimizing safety and accessibility, particularly for patients unable to tolerate current myeloablative conditioning. Learn about advancements in ex vivo editing, such as improved stem cell targeting and multiplex editing, and the possibility of in vivo approaches that may help transform sickle cell disease management with Dr. Alexis Leonard, who works in the Department of Hematology at St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

Guest: David Jacobsohn Gene therapy is redefining the treatment landscape for sickle cell disease, with approaches like gene addition, gene editing, and fetal hemoglobin induction showing promise in reducing or even eliminating symptoms. However, while these therapies offer some advantages over allogeneic stem cell transplant, they also come with significant challenges. In a conversation with Ryan Quigley, Dr. David Jacobsohn discusses considerations for these therapeutic approaches and their potential impacts on care plans for sickle cell disease patients. Dr. Jacobsohn is the Division Chief of the Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program at Children’s National Hospital and Full Professor of Pediatrics at the George Washington University in Washington, DC.

Guest: Alexis Leonard CRISPR technology, while relatively new, has shown potential in treating patients with sickle cell disease by increasing fetal hemoglobin. Though this gene therapy comes with safety considerations, refinements and advancements in CRISPR technology can offer new management options for sickle cell disease patients. Learn about the history of CRISPR as a sickle cell disease treatment and the future of this strategy with Dr. Alexis Leonard, who works in the Department of Hematology at St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

Guest: Alexis Leonard Sickle cell disease management traditionally involves two primary treatment approaches: disease-modifying therapies and curative strategies. While disease-modifying therapies can help reduce complications associated with the disease, they do not correct or fix them, which is why curative strategies are appealing to some patients and physicians. Join Dr. Alexis Leonard as she discusses the current management landscape for sickle cell disease, including disease-modifying treatments, curative strategies, and potential gene therapies. Dr. Leonard works in the Department of Hematology at St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

Host: Ashley Baker, MSN, PMHNP Guest: Alyssa Schlenz Guest: Shannon Phillps Families of children with sickle cell disease have noted both an abundance of support and significant obstacles when accessing care, ranging from knowledgeable providers and flexible scheduling to transportation concerns and insurance holdups. Joining Ashley Baker to discuss their recent research on these key facilitators and barriers are Drs. Alyssa Schlenz and Shannon Phillips. Dr. Schlenz is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and Dr. Phillips is an Associate Professor in the College of Nursing at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Host: Hallie Blevins, PhD. Early resistance to hydroxyurea in patients with polycythemia vera (PV) is associated with higher risks of thromboembolic complications, disease progression, and mortality. The PV-AIM study applied machine learning to real-world data and identified simple lab-based predictors that stratify patients by risk, and these findings were later validated in the HU-F-AIM trial. Hear from ReachMD's Dr. Hallie Blevins as she dives into the results and explains implications for optimized therapy and improved long-term outcomes.

Host: Ryan Quigley In relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma, disease control is only part of the equation. In this AudioAbstract, ReachMD's Ryan Quigley explores patient-reported outcomes from the ELM-2 trial, revealing that odronextamab not only delivers high response rates but also helps preserve—and in some cases, improve—quality of life.

Host: Marlene Mimi Maeusli, PhD. A recent Danish population-based study evaluating real-world outcomes of ibrutinib in relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) found lower efficacy and tolerability compared to clinical trials, particularly among older patients and those with high-risk disease features. In this AudioAbstract, ReachMD's Dr. Mimi Maeusli explains how this evidence is reshaping our view of ibrutinib's clinical utility.

Guest: Paola Marignani, PhD, EMBA While smoking remains a key risk factor for lung cancer, up to 25 percent of cases occur in people who have never smoked, leaving significant gaps in our understanding of causation and diagnostics. Dr. Paola Marignani explores emerging discoveries in gene variants unique to never-smokers, uncovered through single-cell RNA sequencing and machine learning. Dr. Marignani is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Novia Scotia, and she spoke about this topic at the 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer.

Host: Ryan Quigley The World Health Organization's new Integrated Lung Health Resolution is the first to explicitly include lung cancer within a global lung health framework. In this AudioAbstract, ReachMD's Ryan Quigley explains what this means for screening, early diagnosis, care pathways, and equitable access to treatment.

Guest: John Cho, MD, PhD, FRCPC While early findings using the SMART protocol for mesothelioma have been encouraging, replication has proven challenging due to steep surgical learning curves, complexities in planning, and skepticism. Dr. John Cho explores why adoption has been limited and what's next for this approach, which he discussed at the 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer. Dr. Cho is a radiation oncologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Toronto.

Guest: John Cho, MD, PhD, FRCPC Surgery for mesothelioma after radiation therapy (SMART) offers new hope for patients with resectable epithelioid mesothelioma by reversing the traditional treatment sequence. Hear from Dr. John Cho as he discusses the rationale behind this decade-long clinical advancement, which he spoke about at the 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer. Dr. Cho is a radiation oncologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Toronto.

Guest: Paola Marignani, PhD, EMBA Single-cell RNA sequencing is transforming our understanding of tumor heterogeneity in primary lung cancers by offering insights far beyond traditional bulk sequencing. In this program, Dr. Paola Marignani explores how advanced machine learning enables faster, more precise profiling of genetic diversity, predictive modeling for recurrence and drug resistance, and personalized treatment strategies. Dr. Marignani is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Novia Scotia, and she spoke about this topic at the 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer.

Guest: Jennifer Caudle, DO Host: Patrick McGill, MD Current cancer screening guidelines cover just five cancers—breast, lung, colon, prostate, and cervical—leaving many aggressive cancers undetected until later stages. But multi-cancer early detection (MCED) testing is reshaping the landscape with blood-based analyses of cell-free DNA and methylation patterns to identify potential cancers earlier than traditional imaging. Designed for the general population over age 50, MCED testing complements rather than replaces standard screenings, helping detect cancers at stages when treatment is most effective. Joining Dr. Jennifer Caudle to share practical strategies for integrating MCED into clinical workflows, addressing misconceptions, and streamlining follow-up protocols is Dr. Patrick McGill, board-certified family physician and Executive Vice President, Chief Transformation Officer at Community Health Network in Indianapolis.

Host: Ryan Quigley Guest: Hallie Blevins, PhD. Guest: Marlene Mimi Maeusli, PhD. With one in three eligible Americans still unscreened for colorectal cancer (CRC), there’s an urgent need for noninvasive and affordable alternatives to colonoscopy. A 2025 study published in ACS Sensors introduces a novel aptamer-based colorimetric assay that targets Parvimonas micra—a gut microbe linked to CRC. To learn more, Mr. Ryan Quigley speaks with Drs. Hallie Blevins and Mimi Maeusli about how this technology works, what sets it apart from current testing methods, and why it could play a role in improving early CRC detection. Reference: Feng S, Zhang P, Chen H, et al. Au@Fe3O4 nanoparticle-based colorimetric aptasensor for noninvasive screening of colorectal cancer via detection of Parvimonas micra. ACS Sens. 2025;10(2):1053-1062.

Guest: Brian Slomovitz, MD Our treatment approach for patients with endometrial cancer is evolving, with antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and biomarker-driven therapies showing promise. Dr. Brian Slomovitz highlights future directions that could redefine treatment pathways for patients with advanced or recurrent disease. Dr. Slomovitz is the Director of Gynecologic Oncology and Co-Chair of the Cancer Research Committee at Mount Sinai Medical Center as well as a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Florida International University in Miami.

Guest: Abiodun Ologunowa Pediatric sickle cell disease treatment, particularly the use of hydroxyurea, NSAIDs, and opioids, has evolved in response to clinical guidelines and regulatory shifts, but gaps still remain in how children receive essential medications. Joining Dr. Charles Turck to discuss these national prescribing trends, disparities in care, and the implications of evolving treatment guidelines for this population is Dr. Abiodun Ologunowa. Dr. Ologunowa is a doctoral candidate and research assistant in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research at the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy.

Guest: Yogindra Persuad Despite the promise of curative therapies for sickle cell disease, access and cost barriers highlight the ongoing need for disease-modifying treatments like hydroxyurea. Tune in to hear Dr. Yogindra Persuad, a physician in the Department of Hematology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, discuss a multimodal approach to care, emphasizing research on oral agents and broader symptom management beyond pain.

Guest: Parul Rai Hydroxyurea and chronic transfusions remain cornerstone therapies in managing sickle cell disease, with proven benefits in reducing stroke risk and improving anemia. However, considerations remain, including their impact on cardiac health. Learn about these long-standing therapies and best practices for using them to manage sickle cell disease with Dr. Parul Rai. Dr. Rai is a physician in the Department of Hematology at St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.