Focus On Cancer

Guest: Laurie Zoloth, PhD Host: Maurice Pickard, MD Dr. Laurie Zoloth, director of the Northwestern University Center for Bioethics, Science and Society, talks about ovarian cryopreservation, maturation of oocytes in vitro, and politicized laboratory breakthroughs that were intended to meet the needs of female cancer survivors. She argues that we need to be prepared to deal with patients who will use the tools offered by oncofertility to delay childbearing, and meet the need for tissue in stem cell research. Hosted by Dr. Maurice Pickard.

Guest: Laurie Zoloth, PhD Host: Maurice Pickard, MD The preservation of female cancer patients' fertility after treatment is a new area of concern for researchers, clinicians, and patients. Dr. Laurie Zoloth, professor of medical humanities, bioethics, Jewish studies and religion and also director of the Northwestern University Center for Bioethics, Science and Society, talks with host Dr. Maurice Pickard about broad issues of reproduction, as well as breakthroughs in the lab and how clinicians can handle treatment discussions when they're compounded by the topic of fertility.

Guest: Stephen B. Baylin, MD Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) has recently reported results from its first comprehensive study focusing on glioblastoma multiforme. How might this new research help us develop new therapies? Dr. Stephen Baylin, professor of oncology and medicine at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, joins host Dr. Leslie Lundt to explain how the TCGA may guide future cancer treatment.

Guest: Anil Vachani Host: Lee Freedman, MD Dr. Anil Vachani, assistant professor of medicine, and director of clinical research in interventional pulmonary services, at the University of Pennsylvania Health System, joins host Dr. Lee Freedman. They talk about Dr. Vachani's exciting work on the development of a blood test that may be useful in distinguishing benign from malignant in patients with lung nodules. Along with researchers at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, Dr. Vachani has developed a test utilizing the profiling of gene expression of peripheral blood lymphocyte involved in tumor immunity. Still in the early stages of development, this work has led to a 24 gene 'signature' that has a sensitivity of 85 percent and specificity of 87 percent. Find out how soon this test might be available for clinical use, and other potential applications of this technology in clinical medicine.

Guest: Jeffrey Settleman, PhD Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD Cancer cells almost always defeat drug therapies. Can combination therapies prevent or overcome drug resistance? Join host Dr. Bruce Bloom as he discusses the research and clinical issues of cancer treatment with Dr. Jeffrey Settleman, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and scientific director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center.

Guest: Alan Astrow, MD Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD All the technology and advances in medical science hasn't changed the most difficult thing we do as physicians - relay emotionally charged diagnostic and prognostic information to our patients. How can we do a better job? Communication skills do not automatically improve with increasing physician experience. Dr. Alan Astrow, the director of the division of hematology and medical oncology at Maimonides Cancer Center in New York City explains how we can break bad news to patients in a more effective and supportive way.

Guest: Désirée Ratner, MD Host: Mary Leuchars, MD In the next year, nearly 120,000 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in the United States, more than half of which will be invasive disease. Unfortunately, trends indicate the overall incidence will continue to rise in the coming years. Who are the key at-risk populations, and how do we identify early warning signs of cancer? Dr. Désirée Ratner, director of dermatologic surgery at Columbia University Medical Center, shares her expertise with host Dr. Mary Leuchars on strategies to recognize early development and initiate treatment of melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers.

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: Edgar Staren, MD, PhD, MBA The customer is often first when seated at a restaurant table or when he or she walks into the lobby of the Ritz Carlton, but such an experience can still be a new phenomenon in health care. Dr. Edgar Staren, Senior Vice President for Clinical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer at Cancer Treatment Centers of America tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen how these hospitals provide customer-friendly care with specialized food, massage therapies and alternative treatments to complement the traditional chemotherapy and cancer treatment regimens.

Guest: Devra Davis, PhD Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD In America and the UK, one out of every two men and one of every three women will develop cancer in their lifetime. How did a disease that was once so atypical become so ordinary? Author and researcher Dr. Devra Davis joins host Dr. Leslie Lundt to discuss why cancer may be so common.

Host: Susan Dolan, RN, JD Guest: Robert Schimmel Robert Schimmel, one of Comedy Central's 100 Greatest Comics, authored Cancer on $5 a day* *chemo not included: How Humor Got Me Through the Toughest Journey of My Life. Mr. Schimmel discussed how he survived his battle with stage three non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Host: Susan Dolan, RN, JD Guest: Robert Schimmel Robert Schimmel, named one of Comedy Central's 100 greatest Comics, had Showtime and HBO specials, bestselling CDs, a Fox pilot, and consistently sold-out club dates. A recipient of the celebration of Life Award from the National Lymphoma Society, Mr. Schimmel was the author of the book, Cancer on $5 a Day* * Chemo Not Included: How Humor Got Me Through the Toughest Journey of My Life.

Host: Susan Dolan, RN, JD Guest: Robert Schimmel Robert Schimmel, named one of Comedy Central's 100 greatest Comics, had Showtime and HBO specials, bestselling CDs, a Fox TV pilot, and consistently sold-out club dates. He was a recipient of the Celebration of Life Award from the National Lymphoma Society and author of the book, Cancer on $5 a day* * Chemo Not Included How Humor Got Me Through the Toughest Journey of My Life. Mr. Schimmel discussed how humor helped save his life during his battle with stage 3 non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

Host: Susan Dolan, RN, JD Guest: Robert Schimmel Robert Schimmel, named one of Comedy Central's 100 greatest Comics, had Showtime and HBO specials, best selling CDs, a Fox TV pilot, and consistently sold-out club dates. He was a recipient of the Celebration of Life Award from the National Lymphoma Society. Mr. Schimmel discussed his book, Cancer on $5 a day* *Chemo Not Included: How Humor Got Me Through the Toughest Journey of My Life.

Guest: Loren Walensky, MD, PhD Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD Loren D. Walensky MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Oncology at Harvard Medical School and Medical Director of the Program of Cancer Chemical Biology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, discusses life as a research scientist in cancer research.

Host: Lee Freedman, MD Guest: Aditya Bardia, MD Guest: Victor Montori, MD What is the efficacy of Vitamins and Antioxidants in cancer prevention? Dr. Aditya Bardia and Dr. Victor Montori, from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN discuss a meta-analytical study designed to answer this question. Specifically covered are beta carotene, vitamin E, and selenium.