HemOnc for the Internist

Take notes people, we have master educator and pharmacist Kyle Fraielli from our very own institute, University of Massachusetts sharing some indispensable wisdom on the topic of heparin induced thrombocytopenia. Listen up to the story of Mr. Noah Mo Lovenox and accompany us in the journey of the pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of this interesting disease.

We are back, and so very quick with another BONUS episode :D While the episode with Dr Donald Arnold provided the approach and the structure to think about Thrombocytopenia, we wanted to supplement with this episode with all the factual details for all those who are a fan of the specifics. Benjamin Tanenbaum walks us through which exact areas should we think about under each of the categories introduced in the prior episode- Platelet UNDERPRODUCTION, DESTRUCTION, SEQUESTRATION and LOSS. Cheers to more learning ;)

As promised, we are back with the 2nd episode in the Thrombocytopenia series wherein we have our guest speaker Dr Donald Arnold, McMaster University, Canada walk us through the trials and tribulations of understanding and diagnosing this abnormality. Join us as we understand how to approach low platelets in the inpatient and outpatient settings, thoughts to run through in the elevator as you head to see your patient with thrombocytopenia and how best to cement this approach forever. 

This little guy works hard each day and yet we spend such little time in understanding this one. We bring to our audience a series dedicated to the hero named ‘platelet'. In the first episode of this series, Dr Benjamin Tanenbaum and I shall talk about the production, circulation and function of the platelet- as a preamble to future episodes on the pathologies involving this vital cell.

Welcome to a fun filled episode about…Anticoagulants! We spend too much energy running away from understanding heparin but maybe this is the time where we lend our ears and close our eyes and talk about this genius guy/gal! What is heparin, how it works, low intensity vs high intensity drips and all the stuff we order everyday but don't sit back to think about.

In this episode of HemOnc for the Internist, Benjamin Tanenbaum helps us understand what is neutropenic fever and how to manage a patient being admitted for this condition. A topic relevant to all physicians practicing in an inpatient setting- from the ED docs to the intern on the floor, we will discover the ideal management of this serious diagnosis and the pressing need to address it urgently for improved patient outcomes.

As internists, we practice breast cancer screening and prevention at almost all annual physicals with our targeted population, how often is it though that we talk about it? For teaching us all about the screening and prevention of breast cancer, we have with us my amazing mentor from my time at Yale- Dr Erin Hofstatter. Join us in our conversation about lifetime risk of breast cancer, modalities and practices of screening and providing the best care for our patients.

Multiple myeloma is one of the most fascinating hematological malignancies and I couldn't think of a better way to kick start the "Liquid tumor series". Today, we have with us Dr Jacob Laubach, author of the section on "Multiple myeloma-clinical features and diagnosis" on UpToDate, one of the most referenced and trusted information sources for all internists. Join us in our conversation about the pathophysiology, typical and atypical presentations and the core principles of diagnosis of multiple myeloma.

What does it mean to be taking care of patients with end stage illnesses, an internist knows this better than anyone else. We are entrusted with these decisions everyday in a hospital, yet how many times has someone walked us through what we should truly be doing and saying? While Palliative care offers that solace of help, as Internists we are the first line of communication with the patients and their families. This expects an understanding of Palliative care which I decided to explore through HemOnc for the Internist. With Dr Nagpal and Nancy McCool we introduce the challenges and concepts of Palliative care in this episode.

March is colon cancer awareness month. Nearly 1/3 individuals in the United States who qualifies for screening is not currently screening for colon cancer. This highlights the major role of an Internist to emphasize screening for the population. We bring to our audience an episode that should help us get familiarized with the modalities and screening patterns. We have with us for a second time Dr Venu Bathini to deliver another power packed episode on Colon cancer screening and Surveillance. Also, special thanks to Dr Andrew Siber for being a great teacher and preceptor.

Lung cancer is a disease of the modern man and the management has become pretty modern too, a bit too much to wrap our heads around it! In this episode of HemOnc for the Internist, Alexandra Albert and I break down the alphabet soup of lung cancer so that we can approach our lung cancer patients a little more bravely. The “Buddy Talk Series” hopes to bring to our audience a flavor of conversational interviews with some of the strongest residents and fellows, conversations that might happen in the resident lounge.

Colon cancer and its management is one of the most heavily tested areas of Oncology in the Internal Medicine boards. Additionally, as Internists, we face the challenge of contributing to the diagnosis of colon cancers at every level, which demands an in-depth understanding of "WHY" screening for colon cancers is one of the success stories of modern medicine.  Lets dive right into what molecular pathways are implicated in colon cancer and the hereditary syndromes with one of the most phenomenal teachers and Oncologist- Dr Venu Bathini.

An internist is often faced with the task of Working up a patient with an elevated MCV. A broad range of conditions can be responsible for this lab findings. Today we go through some of the common etiologies of elevated MCV and the approach to a patient who is otherwise asymptomatic.

As Internal Medicine interns and residents, Primary care providers and Hospitalists , we experience the challenges of taking care of patients with Hematological/Oncological diagnoses on a daily basis. As the subspecialty continues to advance, it has become increasingly complicated. The goal of the HemOnc for the Internist series is to simplify the subspecialty and bring to our audience the best minds in HemOnc. Stay tuned!