Backstage @ Upstage

A Biomarker Dialogue Between Patient and Scientist HOST: Hildy Grossman, CO-HOST: Jordan Rich GUEST: Marc Muskavitch, PhD, ALK+ & Zachary Rogers, PhD, Research Fellow, Koch Institute at MIT This episode features a powerful conversation between two scientists, one now navigating life as a Stage 4 ALK+ lung cancer patient. Most lung cancer patients only learn … Continue reading Living with ALK+: Diagnosis, Treatment, & Hope →

HOST: Hildy Grossman, CO-HOST: Jordan Rich GUEST: Zachary Rogers, Ph.D. Postdoc at MIT | American Cancer Society Fellow Lung cancer treatment is undergoing a revolution. In the last 15 years, we've transitioned from broad chemotherapy to precision medicine, targeting the specific genetic drivers of each patient's cancer. This shift, along with the rise of immunotherapy, … Continue reading THE RIDDLE OF DRUG RESPONSE: Why Does A Drug Work For One Person And Not Another? →

HOST: Hildy Grossman, CO-HOST: Jordan Rich GUEST: James Hiter, Streak for A Cure James and Hildy had a similar experience in having their lung cancer found by accident. James, a “streaker” who runs daily, epitomized health. So, a lung cancer diagnosis—discovered accidentally during a bout of the flu—came as a devastating shock. A routine X-ray … Continue reading Improvise Life! Seize The Day While Living With Cancer →

HOST:  Hildy Grossman, CO-HOST: Jordan Rich GUEST: James Hiter, Streak for A Cure James and Hildy had a similar experience in having their lung cancer found by accident. James, a “streaker” who runs daily, epitomized health. So, a lung cancer diagnosis—discovered accidentally during a bout of the flu—came as a devastating shock. A routine X-ray … Continue reading Improvise Life! Seize The Day While Living With Cancer →

HOST: Hildy Grossman, CO-HOST: Jordan Rich GUEST: Zofia Piotrowska, MD, MHS, Massachusetts General Hospital This podcast delves deeper into the evolving understanding of the HER2 biomarker in lung cancer, twenty years after its discovery. We're joined by Dr. Zofia Piotrowska, renowned oncologist and researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital, to build on our previous discussion, “HER2 … Continue reading Beyond the Breast: Unraveling HER2 in Lung Cancer, What A Difference 20 Years Makes! →

HOST: Hildy Grossman, CO-HOST: Jordan Rich GUEST: TERRI CONNERAN, Founder of KRAS Kickers Imagine facing five recurrences of cancer in seven years. Terri Conneran did, and she turned her adversity into a powerful force for change. Terri embodies the strength of the will to defy the odds of a cancer diagnosis and emerges as a … Continue reading Kicking Cancer! From Diagnosis to Defiance: One Survivor's Story →

HOST: Hildy Grossman, CO-HOST: Jordan Rich GUESTS: Carl Gay, MD, MD Anderson, Misty Shields, MD, Ph.D., Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. Hildy shares her experience of losing a friend who was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumors of the gastrointestinal system. Knowing that neuroendocrine cells are present in the lungs prompted Hildy to wonder if lung … Continue reading Size Matters! Small Cell Neuroendocrine Tumors Pack A Mighty Wallop →

HOST: Hildy Grossman, CO-HOST: Jordan Rich GUESTS: Jaime Cheah, Ph.D., Director of Collaborative Screening in the Center for the Development of Therapeutics at the Broad Institute and Jane Wilkinson, co-founder and president of CANCollaborate Our guests, Jane Wilkinson and Jaime Cheah join the conversation to tell us about some incredible work to expand the use … Continue reading Everything Old Is New Again! Imagine This: Repurposing Existing Drugs For New Uses →

HOST: Hildy Grossman, CO-HOST: Jordan Rich GUESTS: Geoff Oxnard, MD, VP Clinical Development, Global Head Thoracic Cancer | Thoracic Oncologist, Boston Medical Center With so many misunderstandings about clinical trials, this podcast aims to clarify what a clinical trial is, how they have changed over time, why it is important to inform patients about them … Continue reading Misunderstandings About Clinical Trials Reflecting On Past Lessons to Future Innovations →

HOST: Hildy Grossman CO-HOST: Jordan Rich GUESTS: David Barbie, MD and Elliott Brea MD, Ph.D. As Albert Einstein said, “If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.” That said, our guests on this podcast share groundbreaking research that investigates new ways of using one's own immune system to fight cancer. Understanding … Continue reading GROUNDBREAKING TREATMENTS FOR CANCER What's New in Immunotherapy for Lung Cancer? →

HOST: Hildy Grossman CO-HOST: Jordan Rich GUESTS: Francine Jacobson, MD, MPH, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston The process of being diagnosed and treated for lung cancer is often an arduous one. Hildy discusses her own winding road – how slipping on the stairs while wearing new shoes ultimately led to diagnosis and successful treatment. The … Continue reading WHAT NO ONE EVER TOLD YOU: HOW TO SUPPORT LUNG CANCER PATIENTs AND FAMILIES →

HOST: Hildy Grossman CO-HOST: Jordan Rich GUESTS: Jacob Sands, MD and Julia Rotow, MD, Dana Farber Cancer Institute Do you worry about cancer? Do you, or does someone you love, have cancer? Our guests today explore the often-worrisome journey from screening and diagnosis to treatment. This podcast features a thoughtful conversation among oncologists who share … Continue reading WHAT'S UP DOC? Current and Future Lung Cancer Care →

HOST: Hildy Grossman CO-HOST: Jordan Rich GUESTS: Cheryl Davis, of Red Thred Solutions; Lauren Coye, Patient and Patient Advocate What often goes unheard in medical situations is the patient's voice. Our guests have a lot to say about this matter. Cheryl Davis has extensive experience in patient advocacy in the pharmaceutical industry. Now she aids … Continue reading LISTENING TO THE PATIENT'S VOICE: We Are All Patients, Sometime →

HOST: Hildy Grossman, Co-Host: Jordan Rich GUESTS: Chi Fu Jeffrey Yang, MD with Alexandra Potter and Deepti Srinivasan Our podcasts have focused on disparities in healthcare, particularly in Hispanic, Asian, and rural communities. This podcast considers the Black community in the US, and in particular, black women. What do we know about lung cancer differences … Continue reading BLACK WOMEN AT HIGH RISK FOR LUNG CANCER? It Takes a Village →

HOST: Hildy Grossman, Co-Host: Jordan Rich GUESTS: Jacqueline Nixon and Gloria Linnertz Radon is a radioactive gas released in rocks and soil, possibly in your home or where you work. It's odorless, tasteless, and invisible and can seep up through the ground and circulate into the air. As a result, Radon can enter homes through … Continue reading RADON: A MAJOR CAUSE OF LUNG CANCER- TAKE ACTION! →

What Women Need to Know About Lung Cancer Host: Hildy Grossman with Jordan Rich, co-host Guest: Narjust Duma Flores, MD Lung Cancer has a reputation of being a man's disease. Today this notion couldn't be further than the truth. Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer of women as well as men, taking more … Continue reading DID YOU KNOW LUNG CANCER'S A WOMEN'S DISEASE? →

HOST: Hildy Grossman, Co-Host: Jordan Rich GUESTS: Pasi Janne, MD, Ph.D., Director, Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and the Scientific Director of the Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Research Gabrielle Goodman, HER2 patient Bill Brand, HER2 patient Caren Suesserman, Exon 20 Group Virtual Meeting Leader and Patient Advocate Most people are … Continue reading HER2 BIOMARKER ISN'T JUST ABOUT HER Not Just a Breast biomarker! →

HOST: Hildy Grossman, Co-Host: Jordan Rich GUESTS: Anthony Sireci, MD, and Hilary Hammell, MD In this podcast, we ask the question, “Along with an accurate cancer diagnosis, why is comprehensive biomarker testing so important? Our guest, Dr. Anthony Sireci, vice president of clinical biomarker and diagnostics development at Loxo@Lilly, has devoted his career to biomarker … Continue reading Have You Heard Of Biomarker Testing? If So, How To Get It When You Need It →

Immunotherapy is a cutting-edge treatment for lung cancer. Learn all about it. HOST: Hildy Grossman, Co-Host: Jordan Rich GUESTS: David Barbie, MD, Oncologist, Dana Farber Cancer Institute We often hear about our immune system, but outside of science class, few of us understand how it works. Whether your last brush with science was high school … Continue reading How in The World Does Our Immune System Work? Immunotherapy 101 for Lung Cancer →

HOST: HILDY GROSSMAN   CO-HOST: JORDAN RICH GUEST:  RAYMOND OSAROGIAGBON, MD, FACP, Director of the Multidisciplinary Thoracic Oncology Program at Baptist Cancer Center in Memphis, Tennessee. Many of us living in urban areas have some awareness and experience of barriers to healthcare, but we seldom consider the obstacles that face people living in rural areas. This is especially … Continue reading ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE IN RURAL AND BLACK COMMUNITIES    Understanding Common Barriers and Overcoming Hurdles →

HOST: Hildy Grossman, Co-Host: Jordan Rich GUESTS: Jacob Sands, MD, Oncologist, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and Andrea McKee, MD, Chair of Radiation Oncology, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center (LHMC) In previous Backstage @ Upstage podcasts, we've discussed the importance of low dose CT scans to detect lung cancer early. Both of today's guests are dedicated … Continue reading Changing Failing Grades for Lung Cancer Screening Removing Barriers to Screening Can Save Lives →

Host: Hildy Grossman Co-Host Jordan Rich Guest: Francine Jacobson, MD, MPH Dr. Francine Jacobson discusses the value of screening for early detection of lung cancer. From the perspective of patients and care givers, facing radiation can be concerning. Dr. Jacobson discusses the lowering doses of radiation to help find lung cancer early, with the benefit … Continue reading Radiation for Diagnosis and Treatment What's New for lung cancer? →

HOST: HILDY GROSSMAN CO-HOST: JORDAN RICH GUEST: GLORIA ZHANG, Executive Director of Strategic Alliances at New Tang Dynasty The Asian and Pacific Islander population represents over 30 countries and contains ethnic groups that speak more than 100 different languages! Chinese- Americans represent over 24% of the Asian-American population and are the focus audience for our … Continue reading Asian- Americans face disparities in lung cancer healthcare →

HOST: HILDY GROSSMAN CO-HOST: JORDAN RICH GUESTS: KEVIN SALINAS, MD AND FRACINE JACOBSON, MD, MPH By 2060, the Census Bureau projects that the Hispanic/Latino population will make up almost one third of the US population. In addition, the Hispanic population is a diverse group who trace their heritage to more than 20 Spanish-speaking countries, regardless … Continue reading ¿Está el doctor? (Is the doctor in?) Barriers to Healthcare for the Hispanic Community →

Hosts: Hildy Grossman with Jordan Rich co-host Guests: Susan Smedley, Founder, Resilient Souls Anyone receiving a cancer diagnosis wonders what else they can be doing to cope that isn't dependent on a physical protocol. Too often medical treatment overlooks the emotional component of diagnosis and treatment in facing lung cancer. Patients undergo the emotional and … Continue reading Wending Her Way to Wellness: Improving the Emotional Impact of Lung Cancer →

Lung Cancer detected early saves lives. Hosts: Hildy Grossman with Jordan Rich co-host Guests: Francine Jacobson, MD, MPH; Dusty Donaldson; Dan Cardigan, MD Three exceptional guests join the conversation about the importance of lung cancer screening from a medical and personal point of view. Dr. Francine Jacobson is a founding director of the lung cancer … Continue reading The Power of Scans: Lung Cancer Screening Matters! →

Host: Hildy Grossman Co-Host: Jordan Rich Guest: Bill Shields, Journalist and TV Field Reporter Bill Shields has had a celebrated career as a Boston area broadcaster for over forty years. Originally from Texas, Bill began his career at a local TV station before moving to Boston for a job at WBZ-TV where he happily spent … Continue reading A Journalist Journals His Own Journey: TV reporter, Bill Shields' Own Lung Cancer Story →

Hosts: Hildy Grossman with Jordan Rich co-host Guests: Francisco J. Sánchez-Rivera, Ph.D. and Jane Wilkinson Our prior podcast, “What Did the Human Genome Project Ever Do For Us?” was so exciting and enjoyable that we all felt there was no stopping the conversation with just one podcast. We just had to go on. Our guest, … Continue reading GENETIC ENGINEERING AND LUNG CANCER, This Isn't Science Fiction →

Hosts: Hildy Grossman with Jordan Rich co-host Guests: Jane Wilkinson and Francisco J. Sánchez-Rivera, Ph.D. In this podcast, we do our utmost to help make a complicated topic something we can all understand. Many of us have heard about the Human Genome Project (HGP), but few of us could explain it to someone else. There … Continue reading WHAT DID THE HUMAN GENOME PROJECT EVER DO FOR US? Genetics of Lung Cancer Made Simple →

Hosts: Hildy Grossman with Jordan Rich co-host Guests: Heather Smith Heather Smith was only 34 when she was diagnosed, simply by accident, with lung cancer. It had already spread to other areas of her body. After experiencing this frightening curve ball, she was grateful that biomarker testing revealed that she was ALK+. Knowing this genetic … Continue reading She Refuses To Be Knocked Down! One woman's strategy for thriving with lung cancer →

Co-Hosts: Hildy Grossman and Jordan Rich Good friends, Hildy Grossman and Jordan Rich put their heads together to talk about the importance of creativity when initiating innovative new research. They compare this experience in the lab to one of a songwriter and composer looking at a blank sheet of paper to come up with a … Continue reading Creativity at the Heart of Research and Music →

Listen to caregivers for spouses diagnosed with rare biomarkers HOST: HILDY GROSSMAN CO-HOST: JORDAN RICH Guests: Marcia Horn, JD. President and CEO at ICAN, International Cancer Advocacy Network and Executive Director, Exon 20 Group; Caren Suesserman, Care Partner, Spouse, and Patient Advocate, Exon 20 Group; Sandy Kitchner, Care Partner, Spouse and Patient Advocate, Exon 20 … Continue reading What is Exon 20 in Lung Cancer? →

How a positive attitude and biomarkers can guide your journey Hosts: Hildy Grossman with Jordan Rich Guests: Jill Feldman and Ivy Elkins with Dann Wonser, EGFR survivors Two of our other Podcasts have emphasized how important it is to get your tumor tested for biomarkers. We focused on one specific biomarker, EGFR, with two outstanding … Continue reading FROM THE PATIENT'S EYE VIEW →

Jill Feldman and Ivy Elkins Hosts: Hildy Grossman with Jordan Rich Guests: Jill Feldman and Ivy Elkins Two outstanding and determined women share how their lung cancer diagnosis, along with the ability to detect a particular biomarker, EGFR, has had a significant effect on the course of their lives. Biomarkers indicate alterations in your DNA … Continue reading Biomarkers Benefit Lung Cancer Resisters →

HOST: HILDY GROSSMAN CO-HOST: JORDAN RICH GUESTS: Jacob Sands, MD, and Catherine Meador, MD, Ph.D. Small cell lung Cancer (SCLC) is often called the smoker's lung cancer, since it is most often diagnosed in heavy smokers. While this type of lung cancer is less prevalent than non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), it's more aggressive. Two … Continue reading SMALL CELL: BIG PROBLEM →

Host: Hildy Grossman Co-Host: Jordan Rich Guests: Jane Wilkinson, Tarek Fadel, Jesse Kirkpatrick, Christina Cabana Imagine the scene of a murder. Detectives are called in to figure out how to solve the case. Sherlock Holmes was created by Sir Arthur Canon Doyle. Holmes was the most famous mastermind detective, whose powers of observation led him … Continue reading What if Sherlock Holmes Had Cancer? Innovations in Detecting Lung Cancer →

Conversation with Survivors/Advocates, Physician and Researchers. Clinical trials are research studies aimed at evaluating a medical, surgical, or behavioral interventions. They are the primary way researchers find out if a new treatment, such as a new drug, is safe, effective and works best in certain groups of people. Our outstanding guests discuss the information and misinformation … Continue reading Clinical Trials and Tribulations →

Survivors, Advocates, Performers & Scientists Talk Lung Cancer Host: Hildy Grossman with Jordan Rich, co-host and guest Guests: Bonnie Addario, cofounder and board chair of GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer; Jacob Sands, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Nian X. Sun, Ph.D., Northeastern University; John Berman, musician, Sao Paulo, Brazil Our podcast is a tête-à-tête that took … Continue reading LOOK WHO'S TALKING →

Facing Curve Balls in Times of Illness Emcee: Hildy Grossman Co-Host: Jordan Rich Guests: Ilyse Robbins, Director, Choreographer, Actor, Associate Artistic Director for Greater Boston Stage Company; John King, Deputy Manager–Hudson Theater, NYC, Actor; Leigh Barrett, Actor, Singer, Director Upstage Lung Cancer is unique in that we are the only lung cancer advocacy organization that … Continue reading “WHILE THE THEATER WAS DARK” →

What are biomarkers, and why are they important? Host: Hildy Grossman with Jordan Rich, co-host Guests: Jill Feldman, Lung Cancer Patient and Activist and Jo Ellen Murphy, PhD, Medical Science Liaison, Foundation Medicine This podcast suggests that listening to our guests could save your life. Our first guest, Jill Feldman, discusses how, when she was … Continue reading “THIS PODCAST COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE” →

The focus of this episode is to raise awareness and inform the public that young people get lung cancer, too. It’s not just a disease of old people. It’s not a disease tied specifically to smokers. Corey Wood, a college student, marathon runner, and successful mountain climber was diagnosed with advanced stage lung cancer at … Continue reading Too Young to Get Lung Cancer? →

This podcast celebrates the lives of musicians, composers, lyricists and actors who faced lung cancer. Ron Della Chiesa is our distinguished guest. He’s a member of the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame, the voice of the Boston Symphony Orchestra broadcasts, host of the popular radio show, Simply Sinatra and author of “Radio My Way”. Both … Continue reading Celebrities: Ah Yes, We Remember Them Well →

On today’s episode of “Backstage@Upstage,” Hildy talks about the impact of big pharma on lung cancer treatment and health care in general, and the misconceptions that many have about the industry. Joining her are Cheryl Davis, founder of Red Thread Solutions, helping patients better navigate their way through the medical system, caregiver Christie Leonard, mother … Continue reading Big Pharma – Friend or Foe?
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Hildy welcomes former NFL star and longtime Upstage Lung Cancer supporter Chris Draft to the podcast. The Chris Draft Family Foundation, empowering families to lead healthy lifestyles, is inspired by Chris’s late wife Keasha who creatively faced lung cancer, showing us all that with every breath we need to hold onto life. Hildy and Chris … Continue reading Fighting the Stigma →

Upstage Lung Cancer uses the performing arts to raise awareness and funding for lung cancer research. In this premier “Backstage@Upstage” podcast episode, host Hildy Grossman welcomes three friends from the world of media and entertainment who have teamed up with her to help raise much needed money for cancer research. Nationally renowned film and theatre … Continue reading Finding Joy!
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This podcast is an interview format with guests to talk about Entertainment, Medicine, Thrivers and Survivors of lung cancer. Broader topics include how to cope with adversity, strategies to optimize life, lung cancer in the family, misconceptions about big pharma, how to help when you feel helpless, stigma, why research is important, and personal rewards … Continue reading Backstage @ Upstage Trailer →