West Wind (Audio)

Host Dr. Jack West speaks with Sarah Mojarad, communications expert training scientists and medical students in how to integrate social media and build an online brand to extend the reach of their work while maintaining professionalism.

Dr. Jack West, medical oncologist at City of Hope Cancer Center, considers how the risks & new medical landscape borne of COVID-19 is streamlining cancer care in some constructive ways and bringing overdue advances to how we run clinics & meetings.

Dr. Christian Rolfo, now at University of Maryland after training in Argentina, Italy, & other parts of Europe, speaks with Dr. West about his focus on phase I clinical trials & liquid biopsies, and having close connections with people around the world.

Host Jack West speaks with Dr. Nate Pennell of Cleveland Clinic about his path into thoracic oncology, the role of social media, & uncertainty about larger medical conferences & a growing place for virtual learning in the wake of a COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Charu Aggarwal from University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center joins Dr. Jack West to discuss new data on plasma-based testing for tumor mutational burden (TMB) & the current state of liquid biopsies, TMB, & immunotherapy-based options today.

Dr. Jarushka Naidoo, medical oncologist at Johns Hopkins, speaks with host Jack West about her path from childhood TV star in South Africa, to medical training and stage acting in Dublin, to US-based expert on toxicities of cancer immunotherapy.

Host Jack West reviews the gulf between the best evidence-based cancer care guidelines & performance in broad clinical practice, exploring contributing factors & potential new models to improve US-based molecular oncology practice.

Dr. Alfredo Addeo, Sr Oncology Consultant at Geneva University Hospital, chats with Dr. Jack West about his path of growing up in Italy, moving to the UK, then Switzerland, & his adventures practicing medicine in different cultures & health care systems.

Host Jack West traces the remarkable path of Dr. Brandon Mahal from disadvantaged childhood immersed in gang culture to UCLA, then Harvard Medical School, training in radiation oncology, & a promising career focused on cancer care disparities.

Host Jack West chats with Dr. Marina Garassino, lung cancer specialist in Milan, about how she developed her interest in lung cancer and clinical research as a single mother of two daughters, as well as how she prioritizes mentorship of women trainees.

Dr. Petros Grivas, genitourinary (GU) cancer expert at the Univ of Washington/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, describes his path from Greece to the US, his compulsion to deliver, & the challenge of deciding when to stay vs. move on for new opportunities.

Host Dr. Jack West chats with Dr. Nina Niu Sanford, radiation oncologist at UT-Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX, about her efforts to weave her commitments to her young family into her efforts to define her clinical & research trajectory.

Dr. Nina Niu Sanford, radiation oncologist at UT-Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX, speaks with host Jack West about moving from China in childhood, being raised in Boston, & the path into radiation oncology.

Host Dr. Jack West chats with Dr. Stacy Gray, expert in molecular testing patterns and attitudes, about current hurdles in broad adoption of comprehensive testing in cancer care, as well as ways to overcome them.

Dr. Stacy Gray from City of Hope Cancer Center speaks to host Jack West about the evolution of her career focus on adoption of and attitudes about molecular testing, including an early interest in direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing.

Dr. Jack West speaks with London-based thoracic oncology expert Dr. Sanjay Popat about delivering the best molecular testing & cancer care possible in a nationalized system limited by cost concerns, & looming uncertainties around Brexit.

Dr. Sanjay Popat from London, UK chats with host Jack West about his background growing up in London, medical and oncology training in the UK, and how he entered into thoracic oncology as a career focus.

Host Dr. Jack West speaks with Dr. Fumiko Chino, radiation oncologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering and caregiver to a young spouse who died of cancer, about the under-appreciated but severe and shame-inducing impact of cost and financial toxicity among families of patients with cancer.

Dr. Fumiko Chino, radiation oncologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, describes to host Jack West the impact of a mother as a successful radiation oncologist, & the many struggles of serving as a caregiver to a young adult spouse with cancer.

Dr. Taofeek Owonikoko of Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University speaks with Dr. Jack West about his decision to retrain in oncology, the draw he felt to thoracic oncology and small cell lung cancer, & a few cultural challenges he felt along the way.

Host Jack West speaks with Dr. Taofeek Owonikoko of Emory University, who traces his childhood & medical training in Nigeria as a pathologist, followed by a move to Düsseldorf, Germany before settling in the US & re-training in oncology.

Dr. Jack West chats with breast cancer specialist & ASCO Annual Meeting Education Committee chair Dr. Tatiana Prowell about how she engages oncologists & patients alike through live teaching, longitudinal mentoring, & social media.

Dr. Tatiana Prowell of Johns Hopkins & US FDA speaks with host Dr. Jack West about how she came to focus on breast cancer, her path to working at FDA, & how her clinical practice & research complement her regulatory work & vice versa.

Dr. Tatiana Prowell, breast cancer specialist at Johns Hopkins Univ/Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center & the US FDA, traces her meandering path into medicine & discusses the struggle to choose what to say no to when balancing career & personal life commitments.

Thoracic surgeon Brendon Stiles, MD, speaks with host Jack West about alternatives to open surgery for smaller lung cancers, which patients with locally advanced NSCLC should undergo surgery, and whether we should aim to "downstage" patients with marginally resectable or unresectable lung cancer.

Host Jack West speaks with cardiothoracic surgeon Brendon Stiles, MD, who describes his path from being raised on a farm in rural VA to cancer research and surgery in NYC, & how debating medicine outside of your echo chamber raises everyone's game.

Dr. Jean-Charles Soria reviews the challenge in academic research of "champagne dreams on a beer budget", his decision to pursue a research leadership role at AZ, & shares his vision of a future of molecular oncology & a growing role for liquid biopsies.

Jean-Charles Soria, MD, PhD, Senior VP of R&D Oncology at AZ, traces his path from Bolivia to France to the US & how he was influenced by his sister's struggle with ALL to enter medicine & oncology, as well as the humbling impact of his own son's illness.

Dr. Benjamin Besse, Head of Medical Oncology at Institut Gustave Roussy, reviews his path into oncology & describes how strong national programs & a collaborative oncology community conduct translational research together across France.

Dr. Reshma Jagsi, radiation oncologist at University of Michigan, discusses her work on gender equity and disparities in medicine along with the challenges in overcoming them with host Dr. Jack West.

Dr. Reshma Jagsi, radiation oncologist at University of Michigan, speaks with Dr. Jack West about her parents settling in Texas, her childhood, her move to Harvard to study government, & shaping her career & personal life priorities.

Dr. Ben Solomon, thoracic oncologist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia, recounts unique aspects of cancer care in Australia & his circuitous path from Sri Lanka to Zambia and Colorado before settling in Australia.

Host Jack West speaks with Dr. Yuman Fong, surgical oncologist at City of Hope, about a multidisciplinary approach to metastatic cancer that includes local therapies to improve survival & potentially cure selected patients with colon & other cancers.

Dr. Yuman Fong, surgical oncologist at City of Hope Cancer Center, recounts how he defined career goals, the experience of raising 3 daughters in NYC with a wife who is a successful lawyer, & his efforts to balance his work with personal commitments.

Dr. Tony Mok of the Chinese University of Hong Kong reflects with host Dr. Jack West on his circuitous career path that led him back to Hong Kong after training in Edmonton & Toronto, as well as the exciting career opportunities he has cultivated.

Lung cancer advocates Ivy Elkins and Jill Feldman talk with Dr. West about the role of cancer patient advocates working with researchers, attending professional conferences, as well as how different cultures manage a life-threatening cancer diagnosis.

Lung cancer advocates Jill Feldman and Ivy Elkins discuss the value in terms of both needed support & information sharing from fellow patients, whether in direct local contact or via online connections, & value of the EGFR Resisters group.

Lung cancer patient advocates Ivy Elkins & Jill Feldman reflect with host Dr. Jack West on the difficulties of facing a new diagnosis of lung cancer, navigating the work-up, developing a treatment plan, & connecting with fellow patients.

Host Jack West chats with Dr. Narjust Duma about her activity on social media, her Latinas in Medicine initiative, her work on gender equity, and the connections she has forged through the Women in Hematology & Oncology Facebook group.

Dr. Narjust Duma recounts her childhood and early education in South America & Central America, followed by her transition to additional training in the US, including fellowship at Mayo Clinic and a new faculty position at the University of Wisconsin.

Dr. West asks Dr. Cathy Eng, Co-Director of GI Oncology at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, about several debated questions in management in GI oncology, ranging from liver resections in colorectal cancer to HIPEC to optimal aggressive chemo regimens.

Dr. Cathy Eng, GI oncologist at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, discusses growing up as a rare Asian child in Phoenix, her path into MD Anderson & then Vanderbilt, her dedication to running and now kickboxing, & rising in her field as a woman.

Lung cancer advocate Chris Draft & cancer survival Tabitha Paccione speak with host Jack West about the momentum & energy of the lung cancer community, both online and in real life, along with the remaining challenges to maintaining momentum.

Dr. Jack West speaks with NFL player & lung cancer activist Chris Draft, as well as lung cancer survivor Tabitha Paccione, about the devastating experience of facing a new, unexpected diagnosis of lung cancer, then building a team & moving forward.

Host Jack West & Dr. Mimi Knoll explore the ways in which she uses both social media & other media channels to reach a professional and lay public audience to address tough questions of gender equity & work-life balance as a physician leader.

Radiation oncologist Miriam Knoll traces her family’s history in medicine, raised by two physicians and living in a household that also served as a medical clinic, while also describing the experience of having children early in her career path.

Dr. Jack West & Dr. David Palma, expert radiation oncologist in London, Ontario, discuss challenges in delivering radiation in Canada as well debates in radiation oncology care ranging from proton beam radiation to SBRT for oligometastatic NSCLC.

Dr. David Palma, radiation oncologist, traces his path into the field by way of Vancouver and Amsterdam, while touching on his becoming a triathlete and bestselling author of a book for the lay public, Taking Charge of Cancer.

Dr. Gilberto Lopes, medical oncologist at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, chats with host Dr. Jack West about the growth of global oncology as a field, new training programs, and his role as Editor-in-Chief of ASCO’s Journal of Global Oncology.

Dr. Gilberto Lopes from U Miami Sylvester Comprehensive School of Medicine recounts his path from childhood & education in Brazil to training in Miami, then Singapore, back to Brazil, & his return to Univ of Miami to develop a new global oncology program.

Dr. Anne Tsao reviews her early pivot from engineering to medicine, her commitment to oncology and path to training at and then forging her career development at MD Anderson Cancer Center, & the emerging research in malignant pleural mesothelioma.