Project Oncology

Host: Jacob Sands, MD Guest: Andrea B. McKee, MD How can a lung screening program enhance the quality of care for patients with lung cancer? Dr. Andrea McKee, Chair Emeritus in Radiation Oncology and Director of the Lung Screening Program at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, shares how she and her colleagues designed this program at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center.

Host: Jacob Sands, MD Guest: Andrea B. McKee, MD Lung cancer screening is one of the most critical components of reducing cancer mortality rates. Dr. Andrea McKee, Chair Emeritus in Radiation Oncology and Director of the Lung Screening Program at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, joins Dr. Jacob Sands to discuss updates in lung screening.

Host: Jacob Sands, MD Guest: Aaron S. Mansfield, MD There are different treatment options available for early-stage mesothelioma, and there seem to be differences in standard practice from one center to the next. Joining Dr. Jacob Sands to share how he approaches the treatment of early-stage mesothelioma using the latest options is Dr. Aaron Mansfield, an Associate Professor of Oncology and Co-Director of Precision Cancer Therapeutics at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

Host: Jacob Sands, MD Guest: Aaron S. Mansfield, MD Mesothelioma is a cancer with limited treatment options, so how can we manage it in the first and second-line settings and beyond? Here with Dr. Jacob Sands to walk us through the various treatment approaches to mesothelioma is Dr. Aaron Mansfield, Associate Professor of Oncology and Co-Director of Precision Cancer Therapeutics at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

Host: Jacob Sands, MD Guest: Pasi Antero Jänne, MD, PhD Once we’ve confirmed a patient has EGFR-mutated lung cancer, how can we treat them? Joining Dr. Jacob Sands to discuss the current and future treatments for this mutation is Dr. Pasi Janne, a translational thoracic medical oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Host: Jacob Sands, MD Guest: Benjamin Levy, MD What is genomic testing, and how has this advancement become such an important part of lung cancer treatment? Dr. Jacob Sands is joined Dr. Ben Levy, an associate professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine to discuss targeted therapies and testing strategies in patients with lung cancer.

Host: Jacob Sands, MD Guest: Lawrence Nathan Shulman, MD How do challenges in our healthcare system and disparities in access to care impact cancer patients within our communities? Dr. Jacob Sands and Dr. Lawrence Shulman continue their important conversation on oncology around the world.

Host: Jacob Sands, MD Guest: Lawrence Nathan Shulman, MD Oncology is a rapidly evolving field, so what do you we need to know about developments in cancer care around the world? Dr. Jacob Sands joins Dr. Lawrence Shulman, the Deputy Director of Clinical Services, Director of the Center of Global Cancer Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and a senior oncology advisor to Partners In Health, to give us a global perspective on cancer care.

Host: Jacob Sands, MD Cancer care has evolved since the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. What do we need to know about caring for our cancer patients during this winter season? Dr. Jacob Sands, Thoracic Medical Oncologist at the Dana-Farber Institute in Boston shares what cancer patients can do to take care of themselves during the winter season.

Host: Jacob Sands, MD How has cancer care changed from the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic? Dr. Jacob Sands, Thoracic Medical Oncologist at the Dana-Farber Institute in Boston, shares how he has been treating his patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Guest: Mariana Chavez MacGregor, MD, MSC The healthcare disparity crisis in the breast cancer field has prevented the benefits of therapeutic advancements from being equally distributed throughout all populations. What can we do to overcome this obstacle? Dr. Mariana Chavez MacGregor, Associate Professor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, talks about the disparities she's encountered in breast cancer care.

Guest: Christopher Lathan, MD, MS, MPH Healthcare professionals have found that zip code is a better indicator of health for many patients rather than cholesterol or genetics, highlighting a significant disparity in the field of medicine. What can we do to overcome this obstacle? Dr. Christopher Lathan, Associate Medical Director of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute Network, explains how we can better connect with our patients to improve their care.

Host: Jacob Sands, MD Guest: Christopher Lathan, MD, MS, MPH Oftentimes, a patient’s zip code is a better indicator of health than blood pressure or genetics, highlighting a significant disparity among communities. How are barriers such as systemic racism contributing to this disparity, and what can we do to change that? Dr. Jacob Sands is joined by Dr. Christopher Lathan to discuss medical disparities as a result of systemic racism.

Host: Jacob Sands, MD Guest: Taofeek K. Owonikoko, MD, PhD, MSCR After years without new approvals, advancements in small cell lung cancer are at the forefront of oncology. But what do these therapeutic developments mean for the field? Dr. Taofeek Owonikoko, professor and vice-chair for faculty development in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine, joins Dr. Jacob Sands to talk about long-awaited developments in small cell lung cancer.

Host: Jacob Sands, MD Guest: Nabil F. Saba, MD, FACP Since head and neck cancer is still to a large extent a surgical disease, the COVID-19 pandemic had an immediate impact on its management. Here to share how he pivoted his approach and how the pandemic might impact the future of head and neck cancer care is Dr. Nabil Saba, a Professor and Vice Chair for Quality and Safety in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the Emory University School of Medicine.

Host: Jacob Sands, MD Guest: Nabil F. Saba, MD, FACP Emerging research on head and neck cancer has moved away from HPV-negative diseases upon the discovery of HPV-positive diseases, specifically HPV-positive oropharynx cancer. What do we know about managing and treating this disease? Dr. Nabile Saba dives into treatment considerations, specifically immunotherapy, for patients with HPV-positive head and neck cancer.

Host: Jacob Sands, MD Guest: Therese T. Bevers, MD Fear of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to added safety precautions that have prevented patients from receiving much-needed cancer screenings. How will this impact the field of oncology, and what can we do to encourage patients to get their screenings? Dr. Therese Beavers, Medical Director of the Cancer Prevention Center at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, joins Dr. Jacob Sands to discuss the fatal consequences of missed cancer screenings.

Host: John Russell, MD Guest: Nabil Wasif, MD Image: Mayo Foundation For Medical Education and Research. All Rights Reserved. Short for hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, HIPEC is a form of treatment for advanced cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, like metastatic appendix, colon, and ovarian cancers. And after a recent Mayo Clinic study investigated the survival rates of patients who received HIPEC, Dr. Nabil Wasif joins us to discuss the study’s results as well as the benefits and drawbacks of HIPEC. For more information about referring a patient to Mayo Clinic, please visit mayoclinic.org and for continuing medical education opportunities visit ce.mayo.edu.

Host: John Russell, MD Guest: Richard Wender, MD From oncologists to primary care, physicians are witnessing an alarming trend in younger patients: the rising risk of colorectal cancer. To investigate this growing threat, Dr. John Russell speaks with Dr. Rich Wender, Chief Cancer Control Officer at the American Cancer Society. Dr. Wender discusses the new colorectal cancer screening guidelines set forth and the methods behind the conclusion. While comparing past guidelines, Dr. Wender considers changes in our society and environment that may be contributing to increased cancer risks in younger generations. For more information and to review the new guidelines, go to cancer.org

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection remains one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in both females and males, with about 9 in 10 people contracting HPV at some point in their lives. Host Dr. Brian McDonough is joined by Samantha Gottlieb, medical anthropologist and author of Not Quite a Cancer Vaccine: Selling HPV and Cervical Cancer. They explore the history of Gardasil, a vaccine developed for HPV but marketed primarily as a cervical cancer vaccine, which became embroiled in sociopolitical debates about adolescent sexuality and pediatric vaccinations. The two discuss these precedents alongside current controversies, such as whether vaccinating both males and females will induce herd immunity, and if the benefits outweigh the risks.