Focus On Cancer

Host: Michael Krychman, MD Ovarian cancer is among the most highly prevalent and deadly cancers in existence, and in the struggle to care for patients and protect their quality of life, clinical standards in diagnostic screening and treatment protocols must change frequently. Joining host Dr. Michael Krychman to discuss advances in treatment and prevention of ovarian cancer, with special focus on sexual health priorities, is guest Dr. Leslie Randall. Dr. Randall is Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of California-Irvine, and also Director of UC’s gynecologic oncology fellowship program.

[Read the Article] In a new study, researchers from the University of California-Los Angeles studied tumor response and overall survival following the administration of a new treatment among patients with advanced melanoma. This agent, called pembrolizumab, is an antibody that blocks PD-1, a protein which prevents the body's immune system from attacking the cancer.The researchers tested pembrolizumab on more than 650 patients in North America, Europe and Australia. They looked at tumor response before and after treatment and found that the lesions were smaller in about one third of patients. In patients who responded to the treatment, seventy-five percent maintained the response at one or two years. [Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD Cannabis is gaining increased acceptance within the medical community for pain relief and other supportive care applications. But for oncology specialties, the use of cannabis may additionally extend into therapeutic purposes for patients. From the floors of the A4M Conference in Las Vegas, Dr. Matt Birnholz speaks with Constance Finley, Founder and CEO of Constance Therapeutics, a California-based cannabis collective. The two discuss cannabis and cannabis oil applications for cancer patients, and their potential therapeutic effects.

Host: Barnett Mennen, MD Guest: Angela DeMichele, MD, MSCE Penn Medicine’s Breast Cancer Translational Center of Excellence (TCE), known as the 2-PREVENT TCE is led by Drs. Lewis Chodosh and Angela DeMichele. 2-PREVENT TCE aims to address one of the greatest challenges in breast cancer treatment: the high rate of relapse and late treatment effects among breast cancer survivors. Host Dr. Barry Mennen welcomes Dr. Angela DeMichele, the Alan and Jill Miller Endowed Chair in Breast Cancer Excellence, Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, and Co-Leader of the Breast Cancer Research Program at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine.

Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO Joining Dr. Jennifer Caudle to discuss top tips in breast cancer risk, screening, and detection is Dr. Monique Gary, breast surgical oncologist at Grand View Health in Sellersville, PA. Dr. Gary earned her medical degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her internship and residency at University of Massachusetts Hospital and went on to complete her fellowship at Georgetown University Hospital.

Host: Barnett Mennen, MD Guest: Maarouf Hoteit, MD Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the top ten causes of cancer death in the United States, and is the most rapidly increasing cause of cancer death in men. What's more, incidence rates are on the rise. For these reasons, understanding the nuances of early liver cancer detection, and treating underlying liver diseases prior to cancer development, have been more urgently needed. Joining Dr. Barry Mennen to discuss diagnostic, medical, and surgical priorities for managing hepatocellular carcinoma is Dr. Maarouf Hoteit, Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Director of the Multidisciplinary Liver Tumor Clinic, and Program Director of the Transplant Hepatology Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Guidelines in testing intervals and recommended methods for cervical cancer screening have been changing rapidly. What's the bottom line on helping primary care clinicians best protect their patients from this disease development? Joining Dr. Brian McDonough on the floors of Omnia Education's Women's Health Annual Visit in New York to discuss updated strategies drive down cervical cancer risk is Dr. Edward Mayeaux, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine.

[Read the Article] According to a new study, low dose aspirin taken regularly was associated with a reduced risk for cancer.Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital examined data from two large national studies that include about 136,000 men and women who have been providing detailed information about their overall health for decades.Researchers identified 20,414 cancers among 88,084 women and 7,571 cancers among 47,881 men during a 32-year follow-up. Regular use of aspirin, two times or more per week, was associated with a 3 percent lower overall risk for cancer. This was mostly due to a 15 percent lower risk for gastrointestinal tract cancers and a 19 percent lower risk for cancers of the colon and rectum. [Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]

[Read the Article] Rates of genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations have increased among younger women diagnosed with breast cancer, according to a new study. The study focused on nearly 900 women diagnosed with breast cancer at age 40 or younger. Researchers looked at rates of genetic testing, barriers to testing, and how the test results affected treatment decisions.In 2006, the rates of BRCA testing were in the seventy percent range and by 2012 that proportion rose to ninety-five percent. While the majority of women reported being tested for BRCA 1 and 2, many were not, and a small minority reported that no one had discussed genetic risk or testing options. The study authors note that the overall goal of genetic testing is to help women make informed treatment decisions. Assessment of a young woman's genetic risk after a breast cancer diagnosis can affect treatment decisions and the results can also have health implications for her relatives. [Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]

Host: Renée Simone Yolanda Allen, MD, MHSc., FACOG What is the role and importance of the Ob-Gyn Oncologist, especially for women diagnosed with pelvic cancers? What are some barriers patients face in seeing an Ob-Gyn Oncoloogist? And how can clinicians better partner with this group of specialists? In this episode, host Dr. Renee Allen explores answers to these questions with guest expert Dr. Evelyn Reynolds, board certified physician in both General Obstetrics & Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology. She is also an Associate Professor and Division Director of Gynecologic Oncology at the Morehouse School of Medicine.

[Read the Article] To some, end of life care in the United States is considered resource intensive, expensive, and inattentive to patients' needs. So how does the United States compare to other countries? A new study examined several health care measures at the end of life for cancer patients in five European countries, Canada and the United States.Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine compared the health care experience for cancer patients older than 65, in Canada, Belgium, Germany, England, the Netherlands, Norway and the United States. They examined several clinical measures during the final six months of life.The United States and Netherlands had the lowest percentage of patients dying in the hospital. The United States also had the fewest hospitalizations and the smallest number of days patients spent in the hospital. In contrast, intensive care admissions were twice as common in the United States compared to the other countries. During the last six months of life, p

[Read the Article] Glioblastoma is the most devastating form of brain cancer in adults; most patients die within one to two years of diagnosis. A new study examined whether using tumor-treating fields, a type of electromagnetic therapy, combined with maintenance chemotherapy in patients with glioblastoma who had already completed standard chemotherapy and radiation, could increase survival.Researchers from University Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland are conducting a worldwide trial with 695 glioblastoma patients. One out of three received a standard maintenance course of chemotherapy, while the other two received maintenance therapy plus the tumor treating fields for up to two years.The current results are for the first 315 patients. Researchers found that use of the tumor-treating fields increased both progression-free survival and overall survival. Overall survival is prolonged by an average of three months in patients getting the tumor-treating fields therapy. [Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]

[Read the Article] Successful treatment of stage II or stage III rectal cancer relies on surgical removal of the tumor. However, researchers from Baylor University Medical Center wanted to know if a "minimally invasive" procedure called a laparoscopy, would be as effective as a standard or "open" operation for patients with rectal cancer.Researchers assigned 486 patients to receive either a standard open operation or the less invasive laparoscopic approach. All procedures were done by forty-six highly trained surgeons. Specimens from each procedure were examined to see whether all the tumor was removed ("complete resection").Results found that 90 percent of the patients who underwent the open operation had a complete resection, where patients who underwent the laparoscopy only had an 81 percent success rate. The researchers concluded that these findings do not support laparoscopic removal of rectal cancer. [Watch more videos of The JAMA Report] JAMA Report videos provided pursuant to license. ©2015 American M

Host: Maurice Pickard, MD Guest: Olufunmilayo (Funmi) Olopade, MD, FACP Host Dr. Maurice Pickard welcomes Dr. Funmi Olopade, Walter L. Palmer Distinguished Service Professor in Medicine and Human Genetics, Director of the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program, and Director of the Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics at the University of Chicago. Dr. Olopade discusses disparities in health outcomes for black women with breast cancer. Dr. Olopade is an expert in cancer risk assessment and individualized treatment for the most aggressive forms of breast cancer, having developed novel management strategies based on an understanding of the altered genes in individual patients. She stresses comprehensive risk reduction and prevention strategies in high-risk populations, as well as earlier detection through advanced imaging technologies.

Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death and the second most common cancer among both men and women in the United States. But how can clinicians increase awareness and screening for this disease within their practices? Dr. Jennifer Caudle welcomes Dr. Nina Maouelainin, Director of Interventional Pulmonology at The Lung Center of Grand View Health in Sellersville, PA, to discuss the facts about lung cancer, screening approaches, and her personal journey in increasing awareness among primary care providers.

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD Joining host Dr. Matt Birnholz is special guest, Dr. Clifford A. Hudis, President of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and Chief of the Breast Cancer Medicine Service and an attending physician at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Hudis will provide an executive summayr of the recently released State of Cancer Care in America: 2014 report, which will help cancer care providers, policy makers, and others more effectively shape the future of cancer care during these uncertain times. Download and listen to this update! And, to learn more about the websites that Dr. Hudis references in this interview, please visit: State of Cancer Care in America: 2014 report CancerLinq

Guest: Constance Roche Host: Mimi Secor, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP It's estimated that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. 75% of women who are diagnosed have no known risk factors. But the incidence and mortality rate of breast cancer has declined over the last couple of decades. The government released controversial amendments to screening recommendations last year based on mortality outcomes from breast cancer. What are the implications for our patients, and what screening guidelines should advanced practice clinicians recommend to patients? Nurse practitioner Constance Roche, a clinical coordinator at the Avon Comprehensive Evaluation Center in Boston, Massachusetts, joins host Mimi Secor to discuss how to identify high risk patients, the best screening techniques and how primary care providers can find the best specialist for their patients.

Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD Guest: Charles Mullighan, MBBS, MSc, MD How does understanding the genetics of rare disease help us understand other pressing pediatric problems? Dr. Charles Mullighan is assistant member of the faculty, pathology department, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. He joins Dr. Bruce Bloom to discuss the genetics of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Guest: Seth Corey, MD, MPH Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD Physician scientists keep one foot in clinical care and the other in the lab, hoping to bridge that gap to help patients. Are breakthroughs on the horizon? Dr. Seth Corey, the Sharon Murphy and Steven Rosen Professor of Cancer Biology and Chemotherapy at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and director of oncology research at Children's Memorial Hospital and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, joins host Dr. Bruce Bloom to discuss his research on repurposing safe pharmaceutical and botanical medicines for relapsed pediatric cancers.

Guest: F. Anthony Greco, MD Host: Larry Kaskel, MD Cancer is so often an agonizing diagnosis, one that can be that much more difficult for a patient to accept when the origin of the cancer cannot be traced. Novel genetic tests are just one of a few new options that may help us in situations where imaging, therapy, and other genetic markers have not been effective. Dr. F. Anthony Greco, director of the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center in Nashville, tells us that we appear to be making progress toward new ways to diagnose cancers of unknown primary origin. Dr. Larry Kaskel hosts.