Targeted Talks

In this episode of Treating Together, host Pallav Mehta, MD, medical oncologist and director of Integrative Oncology at Cooper University Health Care and medical director of Reimagine Care, is joined by Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, oncologist and executive vice president at Texas Oncology. Patt also serves as the president of the Community Oncology Alliance (COA). Their discussion focuses on the rapid transformation of community oncology and the growing pressures shaping its future. Themes and Key Discussion PointsThe episode focuses on the central role of community oncology in preserving local, quality care. Highlights include: The Evolution of Community Oncology: Drs Mehta and Patt explore how community oncology has changed over the past 2 decades from largely independent practices to consolidated health systems and clinically integrated networks. Financial forces, including the 340B program and broader reimbursement reform, have significantly influenced consolidation trends. Policy as a Driving Force: Dr Patt explores how legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and evolving Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reimbursement models may impact drug payment, cash flow, and practice viability.  The Explosion of Targeted and Advanced Therapies: Oncology has entered an era of unprecedented therapeutic expansion. With this progress comes more complexity: longer treatment durations, higher toxicity management demands, and logistical hurdles of administration. Digital Transformation and AI Integration: With the accelerating role of digital tools and artificial intelligence (AI) in practice, practices face both opportunity and implementation challenges. Workforce and Rural Access Challenges: The conversation addresses mounting physician and nursing shortages, burnout, and the sustainability of rural cancer care, requiring a reimagining of policy, workflow efficiency, and staffing models. Find a full transcript of the podcast: https://www.targetedonc.com/view/community-oncology-at-a-crossroads-navigating-policy-progress-and-practice

In this episode of Treating Together, host Marc Braunstein, MD, an associate professor of medicine at the Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, is joined by John Burke, MD, from Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers. Both specialists bring their extensive experience in lymphoma and multiple myeloma to a deep-dive discussion on the rapidly evolving treatment landscape of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).Key Discussion PointsThe episode focuses on the refinement of CLL therapy, moving away from traditional chemoimmunotherapy toward targeted approaches. Highlights include: Continuous vs. fixed-duration therapy: A debate on whether patients benefit more from indefinite BTK inhibitor use or time-limited regimens. The role of MRD: Exploring how minimal residual disease (MRD) driven duration is becoming a sophisticated option for tailoring treatment. Clinical trial updates: Analysis of recent data regarding frontline treatment outcomes and infectious risks. Relapsed/refractory strategies: Insights into the recent FDA approval of pirtobrutinib (Jaypirca) for second-line therapy and beyond. Looking Toward the FutureAs the experts look ahead into 2026, they discuss the promising emergence of BTK degraders, which have shown high response rates in heavily pretreated patients and are moving toward potential market availability in the coming years.

This episode of Treating Together, hosted by Chandler Park, MD, featuring guests Benjamin Garmezy, MD, and Manoj Bupathi, MD,  centers on the intersection of clinical research and community oncology, specifically within the field of genitourinary (GU) oncology.Core Themes and Discussion Points The Community Oncology Gap: Park highlights a critical statistic: 80% to 85% of patients with cancer are treated in community settings rather than academic centers. The podcast aims to support these community clinicians by translating complex data into practical applications. Rapidly Evolving Data: The group discusses the immense challenge of staying current with novel biomarkers, immunotherapy, targeted therapies, and AI in pathology. The Burden on Generalists: Garmezy notes that while specialists find it hard to keep up, the "real heroes" are the general community oncologists who see a wide variety of conditions and may only see a handful of GU-specific cases per year. Bridging the Research Divide: A primary goal is to narrow the gap between clinical trial findings and real-world clinical practice, ensuring that patients in the community benefit from the latest research. Find a full transcript of the podcast at https://www.targetedonc.com/view/supporting-community-oncologists-in-a-gu-research-era

Benjamin Garmezy, MD, and Alexander Kenigsberg, MD, discuss strategies for preserving organs in GU cancers in the Treating Together podcast.

Edward S. Kim, MD, MBA, and Neel Shah, MD, discuss advancing lung cancer care and tackling real-world access barriers for community physicians.

In our first episode of Treating Together, Benjamin Garmezy, MD, and Ralph J. Miller Jr, MD, discuss multidisciplinary prostate cancer care.

 In this episode of Emerging Experts, Xiaojie Zhang, MD, a hematology/oncology fellow, and Akshat Singhal, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar, both at UC San Diego, shed light on innovative research leveraging deep learning to predict how patients with ER-positive/HER2-negative (ER+/HER2-) breast cancer will respond to palbociclib (Ibrance), a common first-line treatment for this patient population. Their work, fueled by the desire to improve precision oncology, demonstrates the significant potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in guiding cancer care. 

In this episode of Targeted Talks, Alfred L. Garfall, MD, discusses the phase 2 BMT CTN 1902 trial (NCT05032820) of idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel; Abecma), a study focused on patients with multiple myeloma who had a suboptimal response to first-line therapy, including autologous hematopoietic cell transplant and lenalidomide (Revlimid) maintenance.

David A. Russler-Germain, MD, PhD, physician-scientist at Washington University School of Medicine and Siteman Cancer Center, discusses his path in oncology and the many advancements shaping lymphoma treatment today.

In this episode of Targeted Talks, Aditya Bardia, MD, MPH, FASCO, discusses the recent FDA approval of datopotamab deruxtecan for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer who have received prior systemic therapy.

In this episode of Targeted Talks, Sanjay K. Juneja, MD, hematologist & medical oncologist at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, discusses the exciting advancements of artificial intelligence in 2024, specifically focusing on its transformative impact on early cancer detection.

In this episode of Targeted Talks, Douglas Flora, MD, LSSBB, FACCC, executive medical director of oncology services at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, discusses the transformative impact of artificial intelligence in oncology.

In this episode of Targeted Talks, Seth Wander, MD, PhD, medical oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, discusses the clinical importance of ESR1 mutations in hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer and how these mutations influence treatment approaches.

Antonious Hazim, MD, hematology medical oncology fellow at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, shares insights on his journey into oncology, his experiences at the Mayo Clinic, and his ongoing research.

In this episode of Targeted Talks, Virginia Kaklamani, MD, DSc, professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology-Medical Oncology at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio and the leader of the breast cancer program at the Mays Cancer Center, home to UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the background, findings, and implications of the phase 3 EMERALD trial.

In this episode of Targeted Talks, James M. Foran, MD, discusses the presentation and diagnosis of blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm. 

In this episode of Emerging Experts, Paolo Tarantino, MD, researcher at the European Institute of Oncology, and clinical research fellow at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discusses the latest developments in breast cancer research and treatment, focusing on the evolving understanding of HER2-low breast cancer subtypes and the potential advantages of using antibody-drug conjugates.

In this episode of Targeted Talks, Edwin Choy, MD, PhD, discussed the FDA approval of afamitresgene autoleucel for the treatment of patients with advanced synovial sarcoma.

In this episode of Emerging Experts, Yu Fujiwara, shares his journey from Japan to the United States and his path to becoming a specialist in hematology and oncology.  

In this episode of Targeted Talks, Omid Hamid, MD, discusses data supporting the use of lifileucel for the treatment of advanced melanoma. 

Adam Weiner, MD, discusses his journey toward becoming an oncologist with a focus in urology in this episode of Emerging Experts.

In this episode of Targeted Talks, Binod Dhakal, MD, MS, discusses the recent FDA approval of ciltacabtagene autoleucel for the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

In this episode of Targeted Talks, Nini Wu, MD, MBA, chief medical and development officer at Cardinal Health, shares her insights on the ever-changing world of technology in the community oncology setting. 

In the latest episode of Emerging Experts, Michael LaPelusa, MD, hematology and oncology fellow at MD Anderson Cancer Center, shares his insights, experiences, and passion for cancer research, particularly in the realm of gastrointestinal cancers.

In this episode of Targeted Talks, M. Michele Blackwood, MD, FACS, director of breast surgery, Robert Wood Johnson (RWJ), Barnabas Health, director of women's oncologic health, RWJ Barnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute, and head of breast surgery, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, discusses the current landscape of breast cancer treatment and how personalized medicine with genomic testing is changing the field.

In this episode of Emerging Experts, Nazli Dizman, MD, shares the intricacies of her journey towards becoming an oncologist in the United States. 

In this episode, Joshua K. Sabari, MD, discusses the FDA approval of amivantamab plus chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for patients with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer.

In this episode of Emerging Experts, Peter Zang, MD, highlights research on baseline CD8 lymph node avidity with 89-Zr-crefmirlimab for the treatment of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma and response to immunotherapy. 

In season 5, episode 3 of Targeted Talks, Ben Derman, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago Medical Center, dissects the latest advancements in myeloma treatment, focusing on the role of ClonoSeq and minimal residual disease monitoring.

In our 4th episode of Emerging Experts, Minas P. Economides, MD, assistant professor of medicine at NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center, unveils the challenges and opportunities for renal cell carcinoma treatment, focusing on the lack of therapies available in the second-line setting.

In season 5, episode 1 of Targeted Talks, Badrinath Konety, MD, president of the Allina Health Cancer Institute and the chief academic officer for Allina Health, delves into the critical topic of prostate cancer screening, particularly for men within a community setting, and discusses some of the recent advancements in the prostate cancer space.

In season 4, episode 20 of Targeted Talks, Aaron Lisberg, MD, a thoracic medical oncologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, delves into findings from the phase 3 TROPION-Lung01 study of datopotamab deruxtecan for the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic non–small cell lung cancer.

In our third episode of Emerging Experts, host Jordyn Sava is joined by Matthew Hadfield, DO, a third-year hematology/oncology fellow at Brown University, to discuss his interest and research in immunotherapy toxicities. 

In season 4, episode 18 of Targeted Talks, Arvind Dasari, MD, MS, dives into the recent approval of fruquintinib for patients with with metastatic colorectal cancer.

In this episode of Emerging Experts, host Jordyn Sava is joined by Hemali Batra-Sharma, MD, fellow, Hematology/Oncology, University of California San Diego (UCSD) Medical Center, UCSD Health, to discuss insights into her passion for oncology and some of the experiences that have helped to shape her career.

In season 4, episode 16 of Targeted Talks, Susanne G. Warner, MD, hepatobiliary and pancreas surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, discusses the importance of tailoring treatments for patients with liver cancer, taking into account the staging of the cancer.

In our first episode of Emerging Experts, Aakash Desai, MD, MPH, discusses his journey through the oncology field by reminiscing on the encouraging guidance of his mentors, personal research goals, and his experiences thus far as an oncologist.

Alicia Morgan, MD, MPH on real-world data from the DEAR study.

An interview with Benny Weskler, MBA, MD, FACS, FACCP of Allegheny Health Network.

Federico Albrecht, MD discusses 2 small cell lung cancer cases.

Craig Horbinski, MD, PhD, unpacks the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines for central nervous system tumors.

In season 4, episode 9 of Targeted Talks, Kerry Reynolds, MD of Massachusetts General Hospital discusses the occurrence of myocarditis in patients with cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

An interview with Ruchi Garg, MD of City of Hope.

An interview with Warren Swegal, MD.

An interview with Alice P. Chen, MD of the National Cancer Institute.

Richard D. Carvajal, MD, discusses mucosal melanoma and treatment options for the disease.

In season 4, episode 3 of Targeted Talks, Pedro Barata, MD, MSc, discusses the present and future of prostate cancer precision medicine.

A talk with Sara A. Hurvitz, MD about advances in the HER2-positive breast cancer space.