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Dr. Josh Axe and Jordan Rubin, authors of The Biblio Diet: Live Long, Master Metabolism, Reduce Pain, Fight Depression, and Conquer Cancer with Healing Secrets from the Bible discuss the importance of eating right for overall health.
Dr. Josh Axe and Jordan Rubin, authors of The Biblio Diet: Live Long, Master Metabolism, Reduce Pain, Fight Depression, and Conquer Cancer with Healing Secrets from the Bible discuss the importance of eating right for overall health.
Dr. Josh Axe and Jordan Rubin, authors of The Biblio Diet: Live Long, Master Metabolism, Reduce Pain, Fight Depression, and Conquer Cancer with Healing Secrets from the Bible discuss the importance of eating right for overall health.
Dr. Josh Axe and Jordan Rubin, authors of The Biblio Diet: Live Long, Master Metabolism, Reduce Pain, Fight Depression, and Conquer Cancer with Healing Secrets from the Bible discuss the importance of eating right for overall health.
Dr. Josh Axe and Jordan Rubin, authors of The Biblio Diet: Live Long, Master Metabolism, Reduce Pain, Fight Depression, and Conquer Cancer with Healing Secrets from the Bible discuss the importance of eating right for overall health.
Dr. Josh Axe and Jordan Rubin, authors of The Biblio Diet: Live Long, Master Metabolism, Reduce Pain, Fight Depression, and Conquer Cancer with Healing Secrets from the Bible discuss the importance of eating right for overall health.
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover 2 major stories shaping the Indian economy and global markets:00:04 Intro00:27 Breaking barriers in cancer care12:47 RBI pulls the plug on Simpl20:49 TidbitsWe also send out a crisp and short daily newsletter for The Daily Brief. Put your email here and we'll make you smart every day: https://thedailybriefing.substack.com/Note: This content is for informational purposes only. None of the stocks, brands, or products mentioned are recommendations or endorsements.
Does the Bible really hold answers for cancer, chronic illness, and today's biggest health challenges? In this episode, Lisa Bevere sits down with Jordan Rubin—author of The Biblio Diet—to uncover the surprising ways food and faith intersect. From Solomon's “wisest meal on earth” to his own miraculous recovery, Jordan reveals how what we eat can be part of a much bigger spiritual story. Discover how biblical principles, combined with modern science, can bring healing, strength, and lasting wellness to your life.___________________________________________FREE Show Notes Here: https://page.church.tech/f545d635 ___________________________________________Click here to grab your copy of Jordan Rubin's new book, The Biblio Diet: Live Long, Master Metabolism, Reduce Pain, Fight Depression, and Conquer Cancer with Healing Secrets from the Bible: BiblioDiet.com or grab your copy on Amazon: https://a.co/d/8wLZrTX___________________________________________Our generous listeners who faithfully support this content monthly make the Lisa Bevere Podcast possible. Support this podcast by becoming a Patron here (tax-deductible): https://3szn.short.gy/FFF
When Molly Hones was diagnosed with fibrolamellar cancer for the second time in less than two years, she made two critical decisions. First: She wouldn't focus on the unknowns of her condition and would focus on the positives instead. Second, she would give back by participating in research. And so, in June 2023, Molly traveled to the Johns Hopkins Hospital, where oncologist and Conquer Cancer grant recipient Marina Baretti, MD, was running a clinical trial for people with fibrolamellar cancer. “I like to say I'm donating my body to science while I'm still alive,” Molly says. “And how cool is it to see my legacy when I'm still around?” Which is how she found herself in Baltimore, Maryland, on the day she received an unthinkable phone call: Her husband Grant had passed away at age 45 from a brain aneurysm. Even faced with such devastating news, Molly remained committed to moving forward with her treatment, connecting with other fibrolamellar patients, and celebrating life whenever she could. Being brave and facing challenges with a smile on her face, she says, is her way of honoring the people she's lost and the people she's met through her cancer journey. In this episode of Your Stories, Molly speaks with host Dr. Mark Lewis about her experience with fibrolamellar cancer, the importance of community when facing a rare cancer, and her hopes of contributing to a world where every person with cancer can live life to the fullest.
What if everything we needed to know about what to eat was already written in the Bible?Jordan Rubin—bestselling author, health rebel, and co-founder of Ancient Nutrition—almost didn't make it past 19 thanks to Crohn's disease and a cancer diagnosis. But he discovered biblical health, an easy diet change that saved his life and is now changing millions of others. We're breaking down raw milk, the “war on bread,” A1 dairy vs. gluten, and yes… whether Jesus would even survive a trip to your local grocery store.
As a young person starting over in a new country—one where she didn't even yet know the language—young Yelena faced no shortage of challenges. But she also found opportunity she believes might not have existed in her native country. “As an Armenian individual growing up in Azerbaijan, going by my parents' and my family's experience, I don't think I would have had an opportunity to be a physician there,” Dr. Janjigian says. “There was a clear limitation on who got to be a physician, and it's a prestigious position anywhere in the world. As a relative minority, I wouldn't have been able to do that. My parents certainly had the courage it took to leave and to come to a foreign country.” That same brand of courage led Dr. Janjigian to her current work as a gastrointestinal medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. A specialist in esophageal and stomach cancer, she presented the results of her gastric cancer clinical trial during the plenary session of this year's ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago. The presentation was the culmination of more than eight years of work involving nearly 1,000 patients and collaborators. Much of that work, she says, started when she received her first grant from Conquer Cancer, a Young Investigator Award. Receiving that funding, she recalls, was a career-defining moment. In this episode of Your Stories, Dr. Janjigian speaks with host Dr. Mark Lewis about her journey to become an oncologist, along with her vision for a world where a cancer diagnosis isn't nearly as frightening as it is today.
Matt Dun left school at 17 to join the Australian navy as a submariner and later finished his high school certificate as an adult attending TAFE at night.He then trained in biomedical science and was researching childhood leukaemia when his family received some devastating news, their little daughter Josie was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.Matt turned all his energy and expertise into searching for treatments to help Josie and other children like her.He found running was one thing that helped him cope with the stress and pain of his daughter's illness, and with his wife founded the charity, RUN DIPGFurther informationThe charity founded by Matt and Phoebe Dun is RUN DIPGFind out more about the Conversations Live National Tour on the ABC website.This episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake, executive producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores childhood brain cancer, biomedical science, grief, family, DIPG, drug trials, research, submarines, the Australian Navy, running.
Jocks in Jills Merch is HERE!!!CAN is live here: https://ca.shop.thepwhl.com/collections/jocks-in-jillsUS is live here: https://shop.thepwhl.com/collections/jocks-in-jillsThe Princess Margaret Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer, fueled by Longo's, is the world's largest street hockey fundraiser! Use the PWHL promo code for 50% off the team registration fee. Head to https://roadhockeytoconquercancer.ca/ and use promo code PWHL It's Buckles' birthday, but somehow, she's the one giving out gifts...and PWHL fans were the lucky recipients after a wild night of hockey news! We're breaking down all the chaos following the expansion draft, including massive picks, surprise signings during the exclusive window, and the emotional rollercoaster of player movement. Fans might be feeling all the feels, but this league is only getting bigger, stronger, and more exciting. We're joined by the two newest general managers in the PWHL, Megan Turner (Seattle) and Cara Gardner Morey (Vancouver), who walk us through their strategy, team identities, and how they're setting the tone in year one. Plus, Toronto captain Blayre Turnbull stops by to talk about the Princess Margaret Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer event. Fans can sign up at roadhockeytoconquorcancer.com with code PWHL for 50% off team registration.00:00:00 - INTRO00:01:40 - Happy Birthday Buckles!00:08:33 - HEADLINES00:16:50 - BUCKLES in on Expansion00:39:26 - Vancouver GM, Cara Gardner Morey Interview00:48:09 - Seattle GM, Meghan Turner Interview00:57:27 - Signing Period01:05:43 - Blayre Turnbull & Princess Margaret Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer01:13:09 - End of Show!
This is a personal post and my first post with a request. My wife, life partner and business partner, Ann Hetram, passed away unexpectedly from cancer 2 months ago. She received excellent care at Princess Margaret Hospital, which is the best cancer hospital in Canada. In her honour, I am co-captain of a team in the Journey to Conquer Cancer walk to support research at Princess Margaret Hospital. My team is the Harbour Square Team for my condo building. The walk is on Sunday, June 15 at 9 AM. It starts at the University of Toronto, Varsity Stadium, 299 Bloor Street West, Toronto. Donations support breakthrough research, supporting over 1,600 researchers and scientists working on innovative projects, such as early detection methods, personalized cancer treatments, and immunotherapy advancements. Ann's cancer was classified as an “unknown tumor”. She received a personalized cancer treatment including immunotherapy. I'm hopeful that with your support, research will advance to help others facing rare cancers like hers. Whether you walk with us, join virtually, or donate — every step and every dollar counts. Thank you, Ed
Jocks in Jills Merch is HERE!!!CAN is live here: https://ca.shop.thepwhl.com/collections/jocks-in-jillsUS is live here: https://shop.thepwhl.com/collections/jocks-in-jillsSharkNinja is a proud Founding Partner of the PWHL. Visit https://sharkclean.ca https:// sharkbeauty.ca https://ninjakitchen.ca to learn more.FACTOR _Heat. Eat. Compete. Canada's #1 Ready-to-Eat Meal Delivery ServiceUse code PWHLPOD25 for $75 off your first 4 boxes http://factormeals.ca/pwhlpod25The Princess Margaret Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer, fueled by Longo's, is the world's largest street hockey fundraiser! Use the PWHL promo code for 50% off the team registration fee. Head to https://roadhockeytoconquercancer.ca/ and use promo code PWHL Back to back championships for The Frost, and a little bit sweeter the second time around with the win at home! Tessa, Julia and Buckles go live after the game in Minnesota with a never ending amount of guests. Straight from the Champaigne celebration – Grace Zumwinkle and Taylor Heise keep everyone laughing. Ken Klee and Liz Schepers talk about Game 4 from their POV and Molly Pannek makes her debut on the pod alongside Kelly!What a game, what a season. Find all the action here on Jocks in Jills!00:00:00 - INTRO w SharkNinja00:02:32 - Kelly and Molly Pannek!00:15:03 - Buckles & Becky Kellar00:17:33 - Ken Klee visits the pod!00:23:45 - Liz Schepers joins the party!00:35:01 - Factor of the Game00:40:34 - Pizza Pizza XXL Moment of the Series00:47:44 - Jocelyne Larocque - so classy00:54:44 - Grace Zumwinkle & Taylor Heise are hilarious!01:10:57 - Princess Margaret Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer01:14:07 - That's a wrap!
Jocks in Jills Merch is HERE!!!CAN is live here: https://ca.shop.thepwhl.com/collections/jocks-in-jillsUS is live here: https://shop.thepwhl.com/collections/jocks-in-jillsSharkNinja is a proud Founding Partner of the PWHL. Visit https://sharkclean.ca https:// sharkbeauty.ca https://ninjakitchen.ca to learn more.FACTOR _Heat. Eat. Compete. Canada's #1 Ready-to-Eat Meal Delivery ServiceUse code PWHLPOD25 for $75 off your first 4 boxes http://factormeals.ca/pwhlpod25The Princess Margaret Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer, fueled by Longo's, is the world's largest street hockey fundraiser! Use the PWHL promo code for 50% off the team registration fee. Head to https://roadhockeytoconquercancer.ca/ and use promo code PWHL What a night! Minnesota takes Game 3 of the series in an unforgettable triple overtime thriller. We basically got two games in one—and we're breaking it all down for you.First, we're joined by Becky Kellar, who shares her insights on the gameplay and turning points of the night. Then, the OT hero herself, Katy Knoll, stops by to give us her post-game reaction and what it felt like to score the game-winner.With the stakes sky-high heading into Game 4, we're asking: Will Ottawa force a Game 5 or will Minnesota raise their second Walter Cup? Everything you need to know before puck drop is right here.00:00:00 - Start of Show!00:04:06 - Becky Kellar up for the party!00:18:50 - Buckles!00:25:27 - Katy Knoll Postgame00:35:14 - Pizza Pizza Free Delivery PWHLDEL00:36:38 - FACTOR OF THE GAME00:39:09 - Break it down w Buckles00:46:50 - PWHL NEWS00:52:29 - Princess Margaret Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer00:54:32 - PREDICTIONS00:57:58 - Merch Shop!01:01:37 - End of Show - Thank You!
Jocks in Jills Merch is HERE!!!CAN is live here: https://ca.shop.thepwhl.com/collections/jocks-in-jillsUS is live here: https://shop.thepwhl.com/collections/jocks-in-jillsSharkNinja is a proud Founding Partner of the PWHL. Visit https://sharkclean.ca https:// sharkbeauty.ca https://ninjakitchen.ca to learn more.FACTOR _Heat. Eat. Compete. Canada's #1 Ready-to-Eat Meal Delivery ServiceUse code PWHLPOD25 for $75 off your first 4 boxes http://factormeals.ca/pwhlpod25The Princess Margaret Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer, fueled by Longo's, is the world's largest street hockey fundraiser! Use the PWHL promo code for 50% off the team registration fee. Head to https://roadhockeytoconquercancer.ca/ and use promo code PWHL This game had everything. Tension, late drama, and an OT finish that kept us all on the edge of our seats. Minnesota grinds out a clutch win on the road to even the series—and we're breaking down every key moment.It was a defensive battle until the final three minutes of regulation, when both teams finally broke through with a goal apiece. Then came overtime—and that's where things got wild.We are joined by Becky Kellar who shares her analysis on this heated game while she drinks an Emily Clark beer. Get all caught up on this series with us!00:00:00 - INTRO w SharkNinja00:02:02 - EP 54 - Let's get into it!00:17:07 - FACTOR of the Game00:21:18 - Break It Down w Buckles00:26:55 - PWHL NEWS00:38:08 - Becky Kellar at the Bar!00:45:37 - Princess Margaret Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer00:48:08 - PREDICTIONS00:54:00 - Pizza Pizza Free Delivery PWHLDEL00:54:43 - End of Show - Happy Friday!
Jocks in Jills Merch is HERE!!!CAN is live here: https://ca.shop.thepwhl.com/collections/jocks-in-jillsUS is live here: https://shop.thepwhl.com/collections/jocks-in-jillsSharkNinja is a proud Founding Partner of the PWHL. Visit https://sharkclean.ca https:// sharkbeauty.ca https://ninjakitchen.ca to learn more.FACTOR _Heat. Eat. Compete. Canada's #1 Ready-to-Eat Meal Delivery ServiceUse code PWHLPOD25 for $75 off your first 4 boxes http://factormeals.ca/pwhlpod25The Princess Margaret Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer, fueled by Longo's, is the world's largest street hockey fundraiser! Use the PWHL promo code for 50% off the team registration fee. Head to https://roadhockeytoconquercancer.ca/ and use promo code PWHL OTTAWA TAKES CHARGE OF GAME 1. Ottawa edges out Minnesota in a nail-biting OT finish to take a 1-0 lead in the PWHL Finals—thanks to a clutch goal by Emily Clark! Tessa and Julia are joined once again by the legendary Becky Kellar to break down all the action, and what to expect moving forward in the series.Plus, we dive into PWHL expansion talk—who's safe, who might be exposed, and who we'd protect in the upcoming draft. It's a jam-packed episode you don't want to miss.00:00:00 - INTRO w SharkNinja00:01:09 - GAME 1 - let's get into it!00:06:21 - Becky Kellar joins the fun!00:27:55 - Emily Clark Postgame00:34:20 - Buckles Merch Shop00:39:12 - FACTOR OF THE GAME00:45:39 - PWHL NEWS00:51:33 - EXPANSION RULES01:10:45 - Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer00:52:49 – MTL/OTT PREDICTIONS01:18:08 - End of Show - Thank You Sponsors!
Jocks in Jills Merch is HERE!!!CAN is live here: https://ca.shop.thepwhl.com/collections/jocks-in-jillsUS is live here: https://shop.thepwhl.com/collections/jocks-in-jillsSharkNinja is a proud Founding Partner of the PWHL. Visit https://sharkclean.ca https:// sharkbeauty.ca https://ninjakitchen.ca to learn more.FACTOR _Heat. Eat. Compete. Canada's #1 Ready-to-Eat Meal Delivery ServiceUse code PWHLPOD25 for $75 off your first 4 boxes http://factormeals.ca/pwhlpod25The Princess Margaret Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer, fueled by Longo's, is the world's largest street hockey fundraiser! Use the PWHL promo code for 50% off the team registration fee. Head to https://roadhockeytoconquercancer.ca/ and use promo code PWHL Ottawa takes game 4 – peaking at the perfect time, and heading to the Walter Cup Finals! Tessa, Julia and Buckles continue their postgame live show with Gabbie Hughes, Cheryl Pounder and Kenzie Lalonde. You don't want to miss it! 00:00:00 - INTRO w SharkNinja00:03:24 – XXL Moment Of The Series PRESENTED by Pizza Pizza00:20:23 - Buckles Kazoo playing00:21:14 - Gabbie Hughes post-game00:31:34 - Cheryl Pounder & Kenzie Lalonde00:48:26 - Break it down w Buckles00:55:58 - FACTOR of the Game00:59:14 - PWHL News!01:05:32 - Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer00:52:49 - MTL/OTT PREDICTIONS01:16:22 - End of Show!
Jocks in Jills Merch is HERE!!!CAN is live here: https://ca.shop.thepwhl.com/collections/jocks-in-jillsUS is live here: https://shop.thepwhl.com/collections/jocks-in-jillsSharkNinja is a proud Founding Partner of the PWHL. Visit https://sharkclean.ca https://sharkbeauty.ca https://ninjakitchen.ca to learn more.FACTOR _Heat. Eat. Compete. Canada's #1 Ready-to-Eat Meal Delivery ServiceUse code PWHLPOD25 for $75 off your first 4 boxes http://factormeals.ca/pwhlpod25The Princess Margaret Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer, fueled by Longo's, is the world's largest street hockey fundraiser! Use the PWHL promo code for 50% off the team registration fee. Head to https://roadhockeytoconquercancer.ca/ and use promo code PWHL For the second straight season, Minnesota eliminates Toronto in an unforgettable playoff series. Join Tessa, Julia & Buckles as they break down the intense action from Game 4 and the entire series with Becky Kellar. You don't want to miss post-game with Minnesota goaltender Nicole Hensley after the Frost's big win to hear her thoughts heading into the Walter Cup Final.00:00:00 - INTRO w SharkNinja00:01:25 - Start of Show!00:02:41 - XXL Moment of the Series presented by PIZZA PIZZA00:14:36 - Becky Kellar is awesome!00:28:27 - Break it Down w Buckles00:33:01 - FACTOR of the Game00:35:05 - Nicole Hensley post-game interview00:46:33 - Defender of the Year00:49:50 - Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer00:52:49 - MTL/OTT PREDICTIONS01:02:14 - End of Show!
The first cancer diagnosis was scary enough. “I feel like Hollywood actually gets this moment pretty darn right,” Emma says, recalling the day—not long before her 18th birthday—that she learned she had cancer. “The world around you kind of slows down, you get tunnel vision, maybe a little dizzy. The only thing you can really hear is your breathing and your heart rate.” Eventually—following multiple rounds of chemotherapy—Emma was declared cancer-free. But then came the second diagnosis. “The key difference between the first and second time is that the first time, you have fear of the unknown. You don't know what's coming for you, and you don't know what you don't know,” Emma says. This time, however, she knew all too well. “I did know what was coming for me. I know what I'm going to be facing. And I would argue that that is almost worse. But, if you're gonna relapse, there's only one positive: You know how to do it better this time.” In this episode of Your Stories, Emma joins her oncologist, Conquer Cancer-funded researcher Dr. Molly Taylor, for a candid discussion about resilience, recovery, and what helped her make a major comeback after facing cancer twice.
This week on the Undwinding Podcast, Blake takes on hosting duties to discuss all things watch design with Zach and Matt Smith-Johnson, a designer whose work you've likely seen on the pages of Worn & Wound and the halls of the Windup Watch Fair. Matt has designed watches for brands including Vero, Laco, Prevail, and more. Blake interviews Zach and Matt to discuss what goes into designing a great watch, how they got into the design industry, and their unique perspectives on watches.But that's not all. Matt and Blake are gearing up for the 2025 Ride to Conquer Cancer, a cycling event raising funds for cancer research. They discuss why the cause of cancer research is so personally important, and Matt shares stories from his 10 years of participating in the Ride. Please see this link for more details if you'd like to support Matt and Blake's ride with a charitable donation. To stay on top of all new episodes, you can subscribe to The Worn & Wound Podcast on all major platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, and more. You can also find our RSS feed here.And if you like what you hear, don't forget to leave us a review.If there's a question you want us to answer, you can hit us up at info@wornandwound.com, and we'll put your question in the queue.
In this talk for the women participating in The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation's The Ride to Conquer Cancer and Northern Pass to Conquer Cancer, Molly covered: apparel and gear choice, saddle sores, chafing , pad vs. tampon, doing a bike check , training basics , nutrition 101 and event day checklists. Molly is joined by accomplished endurance athlete Karen Duff in this fun discussion of women's cycling and taking on a charity ride, fondo or similar endurance event. This Episode is Brought to You By: PAYABLE APPS - Use our link Payableapps.com/ATHLETE – to pay no app fees for 6 months plus for a limited time new users , who use Square , can save on $200 of square App Fees! Payableapps.com/ATHLETE – Try it out for your next Event, Pizza day, jersey order or clinic/camp! Consummate Athlete Event and Goal Based Training Plans, available in the Training Peaks Store. This ready to go plans are available to start whenever you are and provide a valuable and proven workouts to guide you to your goal or event. Use Code ‘CAPOD' to get 25% of any of the plans . bit.ly/PGPLANS Shop Amazon - Use this link to support the show (for free!) while you shop: https://amzn.to/3Aej4jl Curious about becoming a Consummate Athlete Podcast Sponsor? Please Connect with us HERE Listen to the Consummate Athlete Podcast Find links to your favorite Podcast App (remember to rate and review!) https://pod.link/1100471297 List to the Consummate Athlete Podcast on Spotify Watch The Consummate Athlete Podcast on Youtube Show Notes For Consummate Athlete Consummate Athlete Phone Consultation Our CA Best Gran Fondo Training Plan on Training Peaks A post on Consummate Athlete about Gran Fondo Preparation The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation's The Ride to Conquer Cancer and Northern Pass to Conquer Cancer, Saddle sores, chafing, etc. (remember Molly's book, Saddle, Sore?) Connect with Molly & Peter Subscribe to our Newsletter Books By Molly Hurford https://amzn.to/3bOztkN Follow The Consummate Athlete on Instagram and Facebook Follow Molly Hurford on Instagram Follow @PeterGlassford on Instagram Consummate Athlete Links for Coaching and other services Past Consummate Athlete Guests: Steve Magness, Dr. Stacy Sims, Dr. Stephen Seiler, Simon Marshall,Frank Overton, Dean Golich, Joe Friel,Marco Altini, Katerina Nash, Kelly Starrett, Geoff Kabush, Ellen Noble, Phil Gaimon, Dr. Stephen Cheung, David Roche, Matt Fitzgerald, Dr. Marc Bubbs, Christopher McDougall, Rebecca Rusch, Kate Courtney, David Epstein ,Kelly Starrett, Juliet Starrett, and many more
Whether you find it on social media, via search engine, or on a popular news website, it often seems like medical misinformation is everywhere, including in the cancer space. Maybe it's the claim that sugar causes cancer to spread faster. Maybe it's someone saying that people with dark skin don't get skin cancer. Or maybe it's the conspiracy theory that drug companies and government agencies are withholding the cure for cancer so they can continue to profit from expensive oncology care. These are just a few examples of purported cancer facts you might encounter online—and none of them are true. From misinterpreted oncology research to race-related stigmas and myths, the spread of cancer-related misinformation runs rampant, taking an increasing toll on global health and often hampering our efforts at early detection and prevention. In one 2022 study, researchers found harmful misinformation in approximately 32.5 percent of the cancer-related English-language publications they analyzed. “Unfortunately, what we're frequently seeing in online networks is that the worst-quality information actually receives more engagement than the high-quality information,” says one of the study's lead authors, Dr. Stacy Loeb, a Conquer Cancer recipient whose spent years researching the consequences of misinformation for patient health. “The structure of online networks can lead to much more rapid and widespread misinformation than we ever would have seen in the past.” In this episode of Your Stories, Dr. Loeb joins ASCO's Sybil Green to discuss the rise of misinformation online, its impact on the cancer landscape, and how people across the cancer community can help to turn the tide.
Every 14 seconds, someone is diagnosed with breast cancer, making it one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in the world, second only to lung cancer, and the leading cause of cancer-related death among women globally. And, while a cancer diagnosis can be devastating for anyone of any age or gender, one group faces a particularly unique and complex set of challenges: young working mothers. It's a reality that Irish patient Aisling O'Brien knows all too well. Aisling spent most of 2023 undergoing numerous rounds of treatment—including breast-conserving surgery right before the winter holidays—all while parenting three young children. “I'm slowly getting back to what is now my new normal,” says Aisling, now that she's through treatment and cancer-free. “It's given me a lot of perspective. I don't sweat the small stuff. I don't get nervous about things anymore, because what's the worst that could happen? It's shown me that I have a strength that I never knew I had.” It helped that Aisling had a medical oncologist who was there to support her and her family every step of the way: Dr. Michaela Higgins. A two-time Conquer Cancer grant recipient based at St. Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, Dr. Higgins has led numerous clinical trials for patients with breast cancer, helping to advance new treatments and cures. In this Your Stories episode, Aisling and Dr. Higgins join host Dr. Mark Lewis for a conversation about the many challenges that come with balancing motherhood and breast cancer, along with the promising future of breast cancer research and care.
With rates of cancer on the rise, how can you increase your odds of staying healthy? Today's guest shares his insight into how to detoxify your life to stay healthy for the long run. The six core causes of cancer are Chronic inflammation Elevated blood glucose Environmental toxins Stress Unhealthy diet Lifestyle behaviors About Nathan Crane Nathan Crane is an award-winning author, inspirational speaker, plant-based athlete, event producer, and 20x award-winning documentary filmmaker. Nathan is the Founder of The Panacea Community, Creator of the Global Cancer Symposium, Host of the Conquering Cancer Summit, and Director and Producer of the documentary film, “Cancer; The Integrative Perspective”. In 2005, at only 18 years old, Nathan began his health, healing, and spiritual journey, eventually overcoming a decade of brutal teenage addiction, house arrest, jail, and challenging times of homelessness to become an international author, filmmaker, and speaker dedicated to health, healing and conscious awakening. Nathan received numerous awards for his contribution to health, healing, and personal development including the Accolade Film Competition 2020's Outstanding Achievement Humanitarian Award and the Outstanding Community Service Award from the California Senate for his work in education and empowerment with natural and integrative methods for healing cancer. With more than 15 years in the health and wellness field, Nathan has reached millions of people around the world with his inspiring messages of hope, healing, and transformation. In This Episode How Nathan learned to live a loving spiritual life [2:04] Why cancer rates are on the rise [11:15] Methods for detoxing your home and body [30:30] Reducing your exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) [41:55] Avoiding mycotoxins in pet food [47:55] The best supplements to support the immune system [54:15] Links & Resources Use Code VITAMIND to get 10% off VITAMIN K2 Use code COQ10 to get 10% off COQ10 Use code Immune Support to get 10% off Immune Support Why Antioxidants Are Important Wisdom of the Body Masterclass D3 5000 120 count D3 5000 60 count D3 + K2 D3 1000 Liquid D3 + K2 Liquid D3 D3 50,000 Find Nathan Crane online “Cancer; The Integrative Perspective” EMF Pollution Solutions Find Your Longevity Blueprint Online Follow Your Longevity Blueprint on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn Get your copy of the Your Longevity Blueprint book and claim your bonuses here Find Dr. Stephanie Gray and Your Longevity Blueprint online Follow Dr. Stephanie Gray on Facebook | Instagram | Youtube | Twitter | LinkedIn Integrative Health and Hormone Clinic Podcast Production by the team at Counterweight Creative Related Episodes Episode 5: From Hodgkins to Healthmaker with Kylene Terhune
Prom. Graduation. College. These are just a few rites of passage that high school seniors everywhere look forward to. But for Auburn, a devastating turn of events tilted her entire world off its axis and put all her senior year plans on hold. At just 18 years old, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. Instead of graduating with her classmates and going to senior prom, Auburn endured numerous rounds of lymphoma treatment, which is notorious for being incredibly taxing, especially for younger patients. Fortunately, one of Auburn's providers, Dr. Raymond Mailhot, is uniquely qualified to help patients find the best and least traumatic course of care. A two-time Conquer Cancer-funded award recipient, Dr. Mailhot focuses on improving radiation oncology for younger patients in the U.S. and in Latin American countries. With his Conquer Cancer funding, he's determined to improve radiation treatment options for pediatric patients—research that has helped inform his approach to Auburn's care. In this Your Stories episode, Auburn and Dr. Mailhot have a heartfelt exchange about the many difficulties that cancer brings, especially for younger patients. Together, they reflect on Dr. Mailhot's thoughtful approach to providing care for Auburn and the ways that Auburn has persevered to carve a promising path for her life.
In this episode, meet Bobby Sahni, a veteran of multicultural marketing with over 20 years of experience. Bobby discusses his journey from corporate roles in banking and telecommunications to his current role as a leader at Ethnicity Matters, a Toronto-based multicultural marketing agency. He emphasizes the importance of understanding Canada's demographic shifts and integrating multicultural strategies into mainstream business practices.Bobby highlights that multiculturalism is now mainstream and should be central to growth strategies, and is the growth strategy in Canada. He also shares insights into the diverse needs of newcomers and the critical role of first impressions in retail marketing. Bobby is set to speak at the upcoming Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing Conference, and he will preview what he will be discussing on the main stage. he will cover data-driven strategies and share examples of successful multicultural marketing campaigns. About BobbyBobby Sahni is a veteran and thought-leader in the multicultural marketing and advertising industry. Bobby was the Head of Multicultural Marketing at Rogers Communications and has been a pioneer in developing, executing and managing diversity and multicultural marketing initiatives for a number of best-in-class organizations. He is Co-Founder and Partner at Ethnicity Matters – a multicultural marketing & advertising agency dedicated to helping companies drive new growth and sales by engaging North America's fast growing, big spending ethnic and new immigrant communities. He is also Partner in Tulsea Sports Marketing, a US-based marketing consultancy focussed on the intersection of multicultural marketing and sports & entertainment. Bobby has earned national and international recognition for his work and thought leadership in multicultural marketing. Bobby also loves teaching, having guest-lectured at many universities/colleges and regularly speaks at industry events and conferences across North America. Bobby has also been on a variety of advisory boards and committees including Hockey Canada, Imagine Canada, Seva Food Bank, Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer, Cricket to Conquer Cancer, Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce, Reel Asian Film Festival and Credit Valley Conservation Foundation. Bobby earned his MBA from the global Kellogg Schulich Executive MBA program with cross-cultural studies in Hong Kong, Germany, Miami, Chicago and Toronto. He also holds a Bachelor of Science & Business degree from the University of Waterloo. About MichaelMichael is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Secure conference with leaders from The Gap and Kroger talking about violence in retail stores, keynotes on the state & future of retail in Orlando and Halifax, and at the 2023 Canadian GroceryConnex conference, hosting the CEOs of Walmart Canada, Longo's and Save-On-Foods Canada. Michael brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael also produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in North America, Remarkable Retail, Canada's top retail industry podcast; the Voice of Retail; Canada's top food industry and the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail influencers for the fourth year in a row, Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer, and you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state of the retail industry in Canada and the U.S., and the future of retail.
For Dr. Kekoa Taparra, cancer is deeply personal. Growing up in a remote area of Oahu, Hawaii, Dr. Taparra witnessed his younger cousin's struggles with neuroblastoma. He watched his mother lift and carry his aunt, too weak to walk because of breast cancer. He heard the sharp cries of another aunt suffering with endometrial cancer. These early experiences drove Dr. Taparra to not only dedicate his career to oncology and cancer research, but to focus on addressing the various inequities that face Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities—from low rates of inclusion in clinical trials to geographic barriers to cancer care. In 2023, Dr. Taparra received the inaugural Dr. Judith and Alan Kaur Endowed Young Investigator Award through Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation. With this support, he launched a research project that uses machine learning to explore the various drivers of NHPI cancer disparities and helps categorize NHPI cancer data more effectively. He joins Your Stories host Dr. Don Dizon to share more about this important work and how his upbringing fueled his dedication to conquering cancer for every patient.
Not only does cancer predate the practice of medicine, but it may also predate the human species entirely. In 2016, archeologists in South Africa unearthed a large 1.7 million years-old bone fragment, ultimately revealed to be the toe bone of an ancient but unknown species of human dating back millennia. On that piece of bone, they discovered something else: a malignant tumor. It's a stark reminder that, for as long as their profession has existed, oncologists have been studying and treating cancer. For many, it raises a frustrating question: After so many centuries of studying cancer, why haven't we cured it yet? The answer is complicated. Dr. Otis Brawley joins the Your Stories podcast to help us better understand what makes cancer such a complex and persistent adversary. In addition to being a professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins University and a former chief medical and scientific officer of the American Cancer Society, Dr. Brawley is a member of Conquer Cancer's Board of Directors and editor of The Cancer History Project, a free online resource dedicated to documenting the history of cancer in medicine. He talks with host Dr. Mark Lewis about why cancer has not yet been “cured” and about how our study and understanding of it has evolved over time.
According to The leukemia and lymphoma Society, approximately every three minutes, one person is diagnosed with blood cancer. The organization has been focusing for years on raising money for research and better supporting blood cancer patients and their families. We spoke with Michele Terra, who continues to partner with the organization after caring for her mom who battled and miraculously survived blood cancer. Learn how she is raising money and why her mission matters. The link to her donation page: Michele's Leukemia & Lymphoma Website - v2 (canva.site) Image Credit: Getty Images
In this episode, your host Amy Milne gets real with Keith Clarke, Director, Corporate & Community Partnerships at The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. Keith started his career at PMCF as a Coordinator, and his passion for fundraising to eradicate cancer in his lifetime is what has kept him going strong 14 years later. You will often hear Keith mention the word "lucky" throughout this episode and while luck may be in the stew, we also know that a lot of hard work, belief and willingness to be bold has helped his organization get to where they are today. Keith talks about the importance of always innovating and reminds us that failing fast, learning from it and trying something new is something to be celebrated. Keith's passion really shines through when he shares about his community events team. Rather than overcomplicate, his team works closely with corporations/companies/families to find out how they want to give back and provides first-class support to make it happen. The bottom line: let's make it as easy as possible for people to fundraise for our organizations!If you're curious to see what an epic DIY program looks like, make sure you check out D.I.Y. to Conquer Cancer.”Every partnership and group we steward or support is unique and different.” – Keith Clarke Connect with us:Beyond Fundraising Inc: https://www.startingbeyond.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-milne-8946791/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milneamyr/https://www.instagram.com/startbeyond/Finding yourself stuck on an event, marketing or communication problem and you wish you had someone you could talk it through with? Well look no further, fill out the form below and sign up for our hot seat coaching. Amy and the team are here to move the pylons out of your way!Sign Up here for more information on how YOU can get on the hot seat!
Imagine receiving a cancer diagnosis, only to immediately learn that not only has it spread to other parts of your body, but it's also incredibly rare for it do so—so rare, in fact, that little to no research exists to inform your treatment. Katie Coleman doesn't need to imagine this: She's lived it. In December 2020, at just 29 years old, Katie was diagnosed with metastatic oncocytoma, a type of kidney cancer so rare that fewer than 10 cases have been recorded in history. Consequently, it's also remained largely understudied, underfunded, and overlooked in cancer research. Luckily, Katie found Dr. Pavlos Msaouel, an oncologist and a three-time Conquer Cancer grant and award recipient with an incredibly niche research focus: targeting rare kidney tumors. Despite a lack of research about Katie's specific type of tumor, Dr. Msaouel's experience with targeting rare kidney tumors—informed by his Conquer Cancer-funded research—enabled her care team to hone in on an approach that ultimately left her cancer-free. Now a cancer survivor and patient advocate, Katie has made it her mission to share her story and help others learn to more effectively navigate cancer care. In this episode of Your Stories, Katie speaks with podcast host and fellow survivor Brenda Brody about what she found most helpful during her cancer experience and the empowering impact of shared decision-making between providers and patients.
[music] ASCO: You're listening to a podcast from Cancer.Net. This cancer information website is produced by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, known as ASCO, the voice of the world's oncology professionals. The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. Guests' statements on this podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement. Cancer research discussed in this podcast is ongoing, so data described here may change as research progresses. Greg Guthrie: Hi everyone, I'm Greg Guthrie, a member of ASCO's patient education content team, and I'll be your host for today's podcast. ASCO is the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and we're the world's leading professional organization for physicians and oncology professionals caring for people with cancer. Today we're going to be talking about what patients should know about cannabis, cannabinoids, and cancer. ASCO recently published a clinical practice guideline on cannabis and cannabinoids for adults with cancer. I'm happy to have 2 of the co-chairs from the committee that developed this guideline as our guests today. Dr. Ilana Braun is an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. Thanks for joining us, Dr. Braun. Dr. Ilana Braun: Thanks so much for having me. Greg Guthrie: It's a pleasure to have you here today. And Dr. Eric Roeland is an associate professor of medicine at Oregon Health and Science University. Welcome Dr. Roeland. Dr. Eric Roeland: Thanks, Greg. Greg Guthrie Great. So before we begin, I want to note that neither Dr. Braun nor Dr. Roeland have any relationships to disclose related to this podcast, but you can find their full disclosures in this podcast's show notes. So let's start with the fundamental question about this discussion, and that is what is a clinical practice guideline and how does it help guide cancer care? Dr. Roeland, can you start with this? Dr. Eric Roeland: Of course, yeah. A clinical practice guideline describes the best practices or what clinicians call the “standard of care” with regard to a specific topic. So this is kind of the blueprint that clinicians use to guide their practice when taking care of people with cancer. And the American Society of Clinical Oncology clinical practice guideline on the use of cannabis and/or cannabinoids summarizes the best available data collected specifically from humans in clinical trials, and we combined that with a multi-disciplinary panel of expert opinion. Greg Guthrie: Yeah, I think it's really important to always remember that best evidence comes from research in humans as well as from clinical expertise. So it's the best recommendations that we can have to support cancer care. Dr. Eric Roeland: Greg, I also think it's very important to understand that there are different places that we gain knowledge in research. One is specifically when we are trying to figure out how a drug works, and we will test that in what we call “preclinical models,” which is usually within animals. And then, once we've determined safety and efficacy, then we start taking that information and approach studies in humans. And so when our listeners are learning about new data in the use of cannabis or cannabinoids, I encourage everyone to always stop and ask, is this data coming from the animals or is this from humans? Greg Guthrie: That's such an important point. And I think it's so essential to always look for that piece of evidence whenever you're reading about scientific advances. Alright, so let's take a moment to talk about what it means when we say cannabis and cannabinoids. Dr. Braun? Dr. Ilana Braun: Cannabis, which is better known as marijuana, is a plant that humans have turned to for thousands of years as a medicine, in manufacturing—for instance, in the making of rope—and for enjoyment. It's often mistakenly viewed as having one main ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, but it actually has more than 300 ingredients that act in the body. Some of those ingredients are referred to as cannabinoids. There are 2 cannabinoids of greatest interest, THC, which I just mentioned, and CBD, cannabidiol. THC is responsible for the high feeling some people experience with cannabis. CBD is not. Currently in the U.S., some cannabis products containing these cannabinoids can be sourced at the pharmacy, others at cannabis dispensaries, and some through more informal means. Greg Guthrie: That's great. Thank you for that definition here as we continue this discussion. So what do people with cancer typically think cannabis and cannabinoids will do to help them? Dr. Roeland? Dr. Eric Roeland: Well, it's a great question, Greg, because in clinic, when patients and their loved ones express interest in either starting cannabis or cannabinoids or are currently using them, I always want to explore what their goal of use is. And interestingly, the goals of use are far-reaching. And I have heard everything from, to help with everything, to cure my cancer. And so it's incredibly important to understand why people are reaching towards these products, to understand what their goals are. If they're focused on using this to treat the underlying cancer, or instead of standard cancer therapies, we have grave concerns about this approach. And it may lead to worse outcomes of your cancer. However, if cannabis or cannabinoids are being used to help with controlling some symptoms during their cancer treatment, it may be helpful. And especially in one particular case where people have really bad nausea and vomiting that persists despite our best medicines to prevent it. Greg Guthrie: Thank you for that, Dr. Roeland. Dr. Braun, did you have anything to add? Dr. Ilana Braun: Maybe I will just point out that decisions on what to target with cannabis are often made through trial and error or in consultation with dispensaries, but not as much as I would prefer in consultation with clinical teams. Dr. Eric Roeland: So I would also add that it's incredibly important to bring these topics up with your clinical team because although cannabis and cannabinoids are considered safe by many because they're quote “natural,” it's important to recognize that they actually can interact with many of the other medications that you're already taking. For example, patients with cancer might be experiencing really bad pain or anxiety and taking things like opioids or benzodiazepines. And when you combine that with cannabis, it can prolong some of the effects of sedation or confusion. I'd also like to point out that this is not a time where people want to try cannabis for the first time, when they are weak and/or experiencing poor appetite and higher risk of falls. This is not the best time to be trying cannabis or cannabinoids without clear guidance from the clinical care team. Greg Guthrie: Do you find in writing this guideline and through your clinical experience that most people who are asking about cannabis and cannabinoids, that they already have been trying to use it or are considering it? Because there's a difference there, right? What goal are they looking for, and do they already have a predetermined assumption about what's going to happen with these? Dr. Eric Roeland: You know, Greg, as clinicians, we talk about a lot of hard stuff. We talk about challenges in terms of health care, access to care, cultural differences, financial toxicity. And it's so fascinating to me that we don't talk about something as simple as whether or not patients are using cannabis. And the reality is that when patients actually bring it up in clinic, I would say that most times they're already using it and are just simply asking for some advice on how to use it safely and effectively. So once I decided to lean in on this topic and create a space for patients and their loved ones to bring it up in clinic, I have found that it's brought up during most clinical encounters. Greg Guthrie: Fascinating. And so that's likely why the first recommendation of this guideline addresses the importance of communication between doctors and patients on this topic, correct? Dr. Eric Roeland: Yes, absolutely. I think that doctors are reticent to talk about this topic because of concerns around legal issues, which can be highly varied across the country. And Dr. Braun can speak to this more. Dr. Ilana Braun: Yeah, so in order to offer the very best care possible, I think that medical teams should know about all the medicines and supplements a person is taking. And this includes cannabis and cannabinoid products. Why? Well, because, as Dr. Roeland mentioned, cannabis and cannabinoids can sometimes decrease the effectiveness of some therapies that a person is on, likely including some cancer treatments, and they can also worsen side effects of other therapies. And then at the same time, cannabis and cannabinoids can be helpful in managing some symptoms of cancer and side effects of cancer treatment. So using them involves a careful weighing of risks and benefits. So for these reasons, oncology teams really do want to be part of the conversation as someone thinks through decisions around cannabis and cannabinoids. The ASCO guidelines encourage clinicians to be open and non-judgmental and welcome transparent discussions with patients about cannabis and cannabinoids. From there, clinicians should either assist personally if they feel qualified to do so, or refer a patient to high-quality information or an advisor with greater expertise. As for the types of information that might be helpful to share with the clinical team, a person with cancer who consumes cannabis or cannabinoids might wish to share why they're turning to cannabis, where they get their products, the active ingredients in them—so is it mainly THC or is it mainly CBD—how they consume them, are they smoking, are they vaporizing, are they taking them by mouth, how often they consume them, what do they experience as the benefits and risks of using cannabis and cannabinoid products? Their clinicians may wish to know whether or not the cannabis products are being used as an add-on to standard treatments or whether they're being used in the place of standard treatments. And as Dr. Roeland suggested, they probably will want to know how much this practice is costing the patient each month and whether it is affordable. I think it's especially important to speak with your clinical team if you are considering using high-potency cannabis paste in an attempt to treat cancer itself. So not just manage symptoms, but actually treat cancer itself. The reason I think it's so important to share with your cancer team is that these cannabis pastes tend to have very, very high concentrations of THC and sometimes even CBD. And I think your cancer team can be helpful in thinking through the risks and benefits of that, helping to monitor side effects that might arise. It is commonly the case that people feel a little bit of confusion with very high doses of oral THC. Dr. Eric Roeland: I absolutely agree. And I think these high doses of cannabis products, they're often a tincture and delivered in a syringe. And it might look like black tar. And people are told to start off with the dosing of a grain of rice. But then they're told that the dose to treat their underlying cancer can be higher than a gram of cannabis a day. In some places it's a gram and a half. This is very high dosing, and it's going to cause people to feel extremely fatigued and increase the risk of falls and being sent to the emergency department. So I want to warn people about this practice in particular, because it can cause harm. We have no evidence that it actually works. Greg Guthrie: Thanks for that information there. I was wondering, is there a certain person on the health care team that patients should consider talking to, or anyone? Dr. Ilana Braun: I think anyone. Health care teams keep in close contact with each other. And so this kind of information would be shared amongst the team. So lots of cancer patients begin by sharing with their infusion nurse or their nurse practitioner. They don't even need to share necessarily with their oncologist as a first step. And anyone on the team should, after these guidelines, be able to access high-quality information through their institutions. Dr. Eric Roeland: And for those patients who might be in a location where they don't have access to an expert or don't have access to educational resources, I think one of the strengths of this current guideline is that we include an appendix, which clinicians can actually use as a 1-page handout for patients and caregivers to answer some of these most basic questions. For example, I think there's a lot of misunderstanding about how to take cannabis or cannabinoids. And what we do see is there's a big difference between ingesting orally an edible versus smoking or inhaling cannabis. And so, for example, cannabis when eaten by mouth can take up to 2 hours to have its peak effect. And unfortunately, what happens is that patients won't feel anything after several minutes to a half hour and then stack doses to the point that they get a much higher dose than they really need. And so we really encourage people to be aware of, if it's an edible, that it can take up to 2 hours. Whereas with your breathing it in or vaping, the effects can happen almost right away. But again, it's important to recognize that cannabis, whether it's smoked, vaped, or ingested, can be in your body for up to 12 hours and may even impact your ability to drive. So it's important that if you are going to use these tools in combination with the rest of your medicines, it's important to do it in a safe way. Another product that is now available, even over the counter at many grocery stores, is cannabidiol, or CBD. CBD in its pure form doesn't have the euphoria associated with products that contain more THC. Most people are using this as an anti-inflammatory, or targeting sleep. I would like to recognize that in our review of the literature, we discovered that high doses, meaning more than 300 milligrams of cannabidiol a day, actually changed the measurable enzyme levels of the liver. These enzyme levels in the liver are the same levels that we use to determine whether or not you can get your chemotherapy. So you want to make sure that you're not taking excessive doses of cannabidiol, meaning more than 300 milligrams a day, because you don't want your chemotherapy delayed because your liver enzymes might be elevated falsely from the use of high doses of cannabidiol. Greg Guthrie: That's great, Dr. Roeland. Thanks for adding that. As an additive or part of the cancer care plan, like with all medications, we need to be aware of what we're taking and report to our health care team so we can watch for interactions and potential side effects, right? So what are the rest of ASCO's guideline recommendations when it comes to this guideline for cannabis and cannabinoids? Dr. Ilana Braun: So as a committee, we submitted cannabis and cannabinoids to the same level of rigorous scrutiny that we would any other aspect of oncologic care. I can think of few other ways to validate this area of oncology science than to do so. And after an in-depth evaluation, the ASCO committee concluded that of all the reasons that a cancer patient might medicate with cannabis, the best scientific evidence supports using cannabis or cannabinoids to help with nausea and vomiting caused by cancer drugs when standard medications for nausea and vomiting don't work well enough. Of note, ASCO guidelines make clear that there isn't evidence to hang our hats on that cannabis and cannabinoids can treat cancer itself. What's more, early evidence suggests that cannabis and cannabinoids may actually worsen outcomes for people taking a cancer treatment called “immunotherapy.” Gold-standard clinical trials are necessary to confirm these worrisome findings, but for the time being, people on immunotherapy should probably best avoid cannabis and cannabinoids. I think Dr. Roeland and I and the rest of the committee have hope that more scientifically proven indications will emerge as cannabis research progresses. Dr. Eric Roeland: Dr. Braun has also pointed out to me that there's literature and evidence supporting the use of cannabis and/or cannabinoids for the management of chronic pain not related to cancer. And this has been actually described in other guidelines, and we need to recognize that our patients living with cancer often have chronic pain that may even predate their cancer experience. However, we do not have strong evidence to support that the use of cannabis and/or cannabinoids helps with cancer pain, which is a common reason that people are reaching for these medicines. Greg Guthrie: Great, thank you, Dr. Roeland. Thank you, Dr. Braun. So this guideline also recommends the use of cannabis or cannabinoids mainly within the setting of a clinical trial, and why is that? Dr. Eric Roeland: Well, Greg, I think it's incredibly important for people living with cancer and their loved ones to recognize that access to cannabis has far outpaced our ability to validate and study the best methods of using cannabis and cannabinoids in people living with cancer. Meaning access has far outpaced the science that supports its use. We also recognize that just because something is quote, “natural,” doesn't necessarily mean it is also safe, especially in combination with many of the drugs and cancer therapies that patients must receive while they're on treatment. Therefore, for those of you very frustrated by the lack of evidence to support the use of these medicines in people living with cancer, you should be the first in line to volunteer for any studies that help us collect prospective evidence to demonstrate not only safety but efficacy. I would also like to recognize how challenging it can be to perform these types of clinical trials based off of the formal designation by the federal government classifying this—cannabis and/or cannabinoids—as a Schedule 1 medicine, which creates multiple barriers for those clinical researchers who want to fully describe the safety and efficacy of these drugs. Therefore, if there is someone near you who is doing clinical research in this space, we greatly would appreciate your involvement in those clinical trials. Dr. Ilana Braun: I agree with Eric. By participating in clinical trials, a person is doing a very kind thing for others, helping to advance the science behind cannabis and cannabinoids. Only through this controlled, systematic testing will the medical community understand whether cannabis and cannabinoids can be helpful for indications beyond the chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting. And we as a society need to understand whether cannabis or cannabinoids can be helpful for cancer pain, for cancer-related poor appetite, to name just a few. These clinical trials will help us move the field forward. And in terms of personal benefit, I could imagine that clinical trials might offer someone more quality-assured cannabis products, more scientifically based dosing guidelines, careful clinical observation should side effects present, and potentially efficacy. But of course there are no guarantees. That's why we're doing the trial. Greg Guthrie: Thanks, Dr. Braun. Yeah, clinical trials are a safe way to grow our knowledge in cancer care and treatment. And definitely, as Dr. Roeland said, if we don't have evidence, the evidence in this current guideline to support recommendations, then the only way we can truly find that is by participating in clinical trials. And so I would just note that if you're interested in participating in a clinical trial, talk to a member of your health care team. And there are a number of online resources, such as ClinicalTrials.gov, where people can look for research. That's how we advance the science. So is there anything else people with cancer should know about using cannabis or cannabinoids during cancer treatment? Dr. Eric Roeland: One key message I think for our listeners is to recognize that people have varying tolerances to this class of medicines. And what I frequently observe is that an older patient is offered an edible by their well-intentioned children who want their mom or dad to start eating more in the setting of their cancer. Unfortunately, I've experienced taking care of people that have had side effects associated with the use of cannabis or cannabinoids leading to even emergency department visits and hospitalizations. And although these products are overall very safe and you cannot quote “overdose” on them or stop breathing because you're taking too much cannabis, it can be very uncomfortable to feel very confused and unable to stand or walk. That can be prolonged for many people, especially those who feel especially weak during their cancer therapy. And our loved ones mean well, but sometimes the advice that they're providing could actually cause harm. And sadly, I've had many children of patients who have felt incredibly awful after their loved one had a side effect from these medicines, which actually delayed their cancer care. Greg Guthrie: Excellent point, Dr. Roeland, thank you for that. Dr. Braun, any final notes? Dr. Ilana Braun: Yeah, so following on Dr. Roeland's thoughts, I would also add that it's important to think about safe storage for such products, particularly if there are children or pets in the home. Cannabis products sometimes look like medicine and sometimes look like candy or baked goods. And so it's important to store them out of the reach of minors and pets. And the last thing I'll emphasize is this: if you are living with cancer and medicating or thinking of medicating with cannabis or cannabinoids, please consider sharing this information with your clinicians so that they can help you strategize about an optimal course. Dr. Eric Roeland: I would like to take a moment to thank the American Society of Clinical Oncology for recognizing that we need to address this important need for people living with cancer. And rather than ignore something that's happening every day in the clinic, ASCO chose to convene a panel of experts and coalesce the data and try to figure out what best practices are in this space. And to that, I am very proud to be a member of ASCO who chooses to lean into these difficult topics rather than run away. I would also say this is a keen opportunity for everyone to advocate for more research in this space. Because talented folks like Dr. Braun, who want to do research in this space, need advocates, need participants, and need funding to fund this type of research. So again, kudos to ASCO, the members of the panel, and, of course, our patients. Dr. Ilana Braun: Thank you, Eric, for saying that. I am so grateful to have been a part of this really cutting-edge process. And I think that clinical guidelines will help to de-stigmatize cannabis care in a meaningful way in the oncology clinic. Greg Guthrie: This has been great. Thanks, Dr. Braun. Thanks, Dr. Roeland. If I can interject, I think one of my biggest takeaways here is every patient, caregiver, if they are or are considering cannabis or cannabinoids, the biggest question is to ask, why am I choosing this? And then to find a member of their health care team and talk to them about that. And that's how we protect each other's health and we ensure the best results possible for everyone. So I want to thank you both so much for this engaging discussion. Dr. Braun, Dr. Roeland, thanks for joining us today. And our listeners, if you'd like to learn more about this guideline, please visit www.asco.org/guidelines. Thanks so much for joining us today, and be well. ASCO: Cancer.Net Podcasts feature trusted, timely, and compassionate information for people with cancer, survivors, and their families and loved ones. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts for expert information and tips on coping with cancer, recaps of the latest research advances, and thoughtful discussions on cancer care. And check out other ASCO Podcasts to hear the latest interviews and insights from thought leaders, innovators, experts, and pioneers in oncology. Cancer.Net is supported by Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, which funds lifesaving research for every type of cancer, helping people with cancer everywhere. To help fund Cancer.Net and programs like it, donate at CONQUER.ORG/Donate. [music]
ASCO: You're listening to a podcast from Cancer.Net. This cancer information website is produced by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, known as ASCO, the voice of the world's oncology professionals. The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. Guests' statements on this podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement. Cancer research discussed in this podcast is ongoing, so data described here may change as research progresses. In this Meaningful Conversations podcast, Dr. Karan Jatwani talks to Dr. Amy Case about what people with cancer should know about hospice care, including the difference between palliative and supportive care and hospice care, who is eligible to enroll in hospice care, and the types of support available for people receiving hospice care and their family and caregivers. Meaningful Conversations is a Cancer.Net blog and podcast series that describes the important discussions people may need to have with their providers, caregivers, and loved ones during cancer and offers ways to help navigate these conversations. Dr. Jatwani is a Medical Oncology Fellow at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Case is the Lee Foundation Endowed Chair of the Department of Palliative and Supportive Care at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Professor of Medicine at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of the University at Buffalo. View disclosures for Dr. Jatwani and Dr. Case at Cancer.Net. Dr. Jatwani: Hi, everyone. My name is Karan Jatwani. I'm one of the 3-year fellows at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. I have finished my palliative care fellowship from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. And I am interested in the integration of oncology as well as palliative care, and that is where I envision my future career to be. And it's my pleasure to be involved in a podcast with Cancer.Net and looking forward to it. Dr. Case: Hello. My name is Amy Case, and I'm the chair of the Department of Supportive and Palliative Care here at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, and we're in Buffalo, New York. So I appreciate being invited to speak today. And we also have a fellowship that we run here and a pretty comprehensive department with 8 divisions that include palliative, social work, psychiatry, psychology, spiritual care, bioethics, and geriatrics, and also employee resilience. So we have a lot of kind of passion projects we work on in our supportive care department. Dr. Jatwani: Thank you so much, Dr. Case, for joining us today. I think I've always admired your work. And just to start off, just for our listeners and our audience, if you can just give us a brief idea of what palliative care is, I think that would be the best segue to enhance the discussion. Dr. Jatwani: So “to palliate” means to make feel better. And when I talk to patients about what it is that we do, I talk about how we take care of the whole person, which includes the physical symptom management, the emotional support, which could include psychiatry, psychology, or social work support of the emotional piece. And then also the spiritual support, which often we work as a team. In order to be palliative care, you actually need to be a team. It can't just be one physician, for example, doing palliative. You need to work as a team. So generally, a core team consists of a physician, a nurse, a chaplain, a spiritual care professional, and a social worker at its core. But sometimes it can be a nurse practitioner providing that or other specialists helping on that team. Dr. Jatwani: I think one of the key questions that always arise with the patients is, as soon as you talk about palliative care, patients start equating it to death. How do you make sure that the patients you're interacting with, how do you differentiate it with them, and how do you relieve that anxiety whenever the patient hears “palliative care”? Dr. Case: So no matter what you call the work that we do, there will always be a stigma. So if we change the name to yellow banana, people would be afraid of yellow bananas, right? So I think that the word hospice has-- I joke that it's kind of like a 4-letter word type of situation. We call it “the H word.” Sometimes patients are really fearful to hear that word. And even now, palliative has adopted this stigma. So generally, what I do is I kind of say that it's focused on quality of life. The main goal is to help people feel better, live a better quality of life, to get through their cancer treatments. And I also educate them that people who receive palliative care tend to have better outcomes. Patient-reported outcome metrics are better. So patients often have a prolonged survival. They may be able to tolerate their cancer treatment better and get through those treatments. And that generally, I would say, is something that they're happy to hear. That's something that they're usually, "Yeah, sign me up for that." When we start with somebody-- we spend an hour with every patient for a new visit. When I start with them, they're really skeptical. Oftentimes, they're looking at me mistrustfully, like, "What is this?" And by the end of the visit, they say, "Where has this been from the beginning of my cancer journey? And why am I only getting this now? This was the best interaction I've had at this organization." And it's because we give them kind of what we call a “wrap-around care,” which is almost like a big hug. We use a lot of skills that include empathy. And with our communication, we often spend a lot of time listening. And I think people really walk out feeling heard. Even if you can't solve it or cure it, you can discuss things that can just make them feel that you were there for them and you listened. And that is very powerful. Dr. Jatwani: I 100% agree. I mean, that has been my sort of experience as well during my fellowship. I took a lot of those learnings with me when I see my patients. But also, I think coming from an oncology standpoint, I can definitely now understand that I have been at fault when I have not given that palliative blanket that you were talking about at different times. And so my question is, when can patients ask for palliative care? And we'll discuss “the H word,” as you mentioned at the beginning. So we'll discuss with that as well. But when should patients undergoing cancer treatment, when should they ask for involvement of palliative care, or they should advocate for themselves or even the caregivers should advocate? Dr. Case: Yeah. So I think that generally, palliative care, the beauty of palliative care is that it doesn't really have a time limit. Someone can ask for it anytime. And often, we encourage people right from the beginning. So there's people who may be looking for that extra added support right from the beginning. And so we usually encourage oncologists and the oncology teams to start those discussions themselves. Dr. Jatwani: And I think at this point of time, I would like to definitely ask you. I think you mentioned “the H word” in the beginning. So can we discuss a little bit more about what is hospice care? Dr. Case: So palliative care is provided on a trajectory. So it can be provided anytime, even for survivors, for people who are earlier in their diagnosis. But hospice has a timeline on it because it's actually a Medicare benefit that it's like almost like an insurance benefit that kicks in, but the government pays for the patient's care. And so in order to enroll or sign up for hospice, a patient has to have certain criteria in order to meet that. In order to get those things paid for. And so hospices have to—generally, it's when a patient has a life expectancy of 6 months or less, and they have decided that the cancer treatment, meaning chemotherapy, radiation in most cases, immunotherapy, the burden of that is higher than the benefit. Most of the patients who see us in palliative are still getting their cancer treatment, and we're helping them walk the journey with them through their treatment, helping them feel better, starting those conversations. And then we do something called a transition to hospice. So many of the patients we see in palliative end up transitioning to hospice. How is palliative care different than hospice? How is hospice different than palliative care? They're very similar. The philosophy of care and the way it's provided is almost exact, meaning that it's a team-based approach made up of physical, emotional, and spiritual support for the patient provided by a team. Although in palliative care, many times that's done in a clinic or an inpatient setting. There are home palliative programs that exist. We have one here at Roswell as well. But hospice, 80% of the time, is done at home. Because generally, when people prefer to pass away and we talk to them, where do they want to be at the end of their life? I'd say 95% of people do want to be at home if that's feasible. The biggest barrier that they are worried about dying at home is that they worry about being a burden on their loved ones. And so that's the way I frame those discussions, is that I ask them about what are the things that they're hoping for. What are the things that they're worried about? And when I find out, inevitably, like I said, it's probably the number 1 fear of people to be a burden on their loved ones. It's this wonderful thing that can reduce burden on family to help care for you and have you be at peace in the place that you wish to be. Dr. Jatwani: I 100% agree. I think you framed it perfectly that if the discussions-- I think, as you said, they should happen at the right time point. And the other thing is I think they should happen often. They should not happen only once. They should happen at every juncture of time when the cancer care has sort of transitioned into going into the more risk and less benefit window. And that's a spectrum, as you mentioned. It does not have to happen only once, and the provider feels, “OK, I've done that discussion. Now I don't have to do it again.” Dr. Case: It's a journey. Dr. Jatwani: It's a journey, yes. Dr. Case: I think we always talk about a journey and that advanced care planning does not happen, excuse me, just once in the trajectory. It happens over multiple time points. And I call it “loosening the lid,” where the lid is often on really tight. There's maybe often mistrust of the health care system. People are really scared. And you really need to give them that emotional support. And that's why palliative is so beautiful because we provide them that wrap-around hug when they're feeling at their most vulnerable. And then when they have comfort with us, then it's much easier to discuss these really tough topics. And I think establishing rapport, getting to know them as a human being and who they are is extremely important. So, for example, my style is to start any medical visit with a social interaction and asking them about themselves socially. I say, “Let's put the cancer aside. I want you to tell me about you. Tell me about your family. Tell me about the things that you enjoy doing for fun.” And they often laugh because they want to talk just about the cancer, right? They say, “I don't have fun anymore.” And then I try to ask them about the things they did before they had cancer. And you see them light up, and you see the rapport being built, and you see the trust. And once you have those types of relationships, these discussions become much easier. Dr. Jatwani: I agree. So just to transition a little bit more about hospice care, I think you talked about that this hospice care is a Medicare benefit. Can you tell our audience, is it only at home or is it available inpatient as well? And can you speak a little bit about that? Dr. Case: Sure. So I mentioned before that generally, the majority of hospice care is preferred to be in the home, and really taking care of someone at the end of life actually can be less scary when you have the support of hospice. And so anyone who's in the hospital where a discussion is had and then advanced care planning is done, and they say, “You know what? I don't want to end up being on a ventilator. I'm going to elect to be a, “do not resuscitate or allow natural death.'" If that happens, I actually think it's almost imperative for hospice to also be consulted and offered. Because if you send someone home that is a “do not resuscitate” without those family support in place, the family will struggle. And so I think that it goes hand in hand. So dying at home goes hand in hand with having hospice in place. End of story. You need to have those supports in place. I do not think it will work out well for the family if you do not. And so there are rare circumstances where some physicians provide that support or home palliative can provide that support. But hospice really is the gold standard. So I'd say most of it is in the home. But once someone enrolls in hospice, there is caveats where if a patient is having uncontrolled symptoms that are not managed by the nurses in the home and the physicians by phone or by home visit, that the patient may be able to be brought in to an inpatient hospice unit or a hospital. They can unelect—to come off of, or unenroll—in hospice. For example, they change their mind. They decide, oh, they fall they break a hip, OK? And hospice is not going to fund a non-cancer-related hip fracture repair. So they would have to unenroll from that Medicare benefit, hospice Medicare benefit, and enroll in a different part of their insurance. And it's very easy to enroll and unenroll. And so there are different parts of that Medicare benefit that pay for different things. And so if somebody gets a hip fracture, it doesn't mean they have to not have it repaired. I mean, so you adjust and unenroll them from hospice, get the hip repaired, and then enroll them back in the hospice. And so those types of things can totally be done. It doesn't mean the patient can never come back to the hospital. It doesn't mean they can't change their mind. It doesn't mean that if, say, they get pneumonia, that they can't have their pneumonia treated. So simple infections, like Clostridium difficile (C. diff), pneumonia, the hospice actually gives antibiotics. They manage a lot of medical treatments like anticoagulation and things like that. So there are, depending on the hospice, leeway with some of those medical treatments. For example, total parenteral nutrition (TPN), percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tubes, some of those things can be managed in hospice. However, if a PEG tube or a TPN is causing more burden, they will continue to have those discussions about, is this treatment in the best interest of comfort and quality of life? And so that's generally the philosophy of care. And so, yes, they can be inpatient. There can be coming back to the hospital. And there are hospice inpatient units kind of all over the country. Some cities may not have hospice inpatient units, and they have other things like something called a “comfort home,” where comfort homes are depending on the area, the region that you live. Comfort homes exist in some cities where they're run by volunteers, and a patient may not be able to be at home, but they can go to a comfort home. Sometimes hospice can be provided in an assisted living where a patient's home is actually not home, it's in a facility or it can be provided in a nursing home. However, I think there's a misperception that hospice pays for the room and board of those places, and that is actually not true. So if someone needs a facility to live, then the family or the patient is on the hook, unfortunately, for the room and board. And so a lot of times, that delays discharge. So, for example, family does not want to take that patient home. They are not able to do that. The patient then needs a facility with hospice. The assumption is the hospice will pick up the bill of the facility. So that does not happen. But hospice covers all of the costs related to the care of the patient that's related to their hospice diagnosis. Dr. Jatwani: For patients who are living alone, who are in the elderly population, who are undergoing cancer-directed treatments, for those patients, is hospice an option? If it is, because that is always a challenging area that we face, how do you deal with those patients? Dr. Case: That's very challenging. Generally, we would call on social work and some of those specialties to help us figure out a support care network for that patient. And so often, you can actually recruit folks to take shifts coming in and checking on that patient. And so, yes, you can have hospice care for a patient who has a care-- generally, you need to have a caregiver who is around for that patient. Ideally, in an ideal world, there's somebody with that patient 24/7 when the patient is really ill. If the patient is pretty functional and they're on hospice, walking around, there may be some hours out of the day where they may not need someone with them. And really, we kind of determine that on a case-by-case basis. I would say it's not a door-shut situation that if someone lives alone, they could never have hospice. I would not say that. But in an ideal world, we do need to recruit someone to be there with the patient. If someone has absolutely no one to be there with them during hours during the day, which I think is pretty rare, then generally, if the person is too ill to stay home alone, it'll be a conversation that you have with that patient that they may be moved to a higher level of care, meaning that they may need a skilled nursing facility with hospice on board coming in and checking on them. That's their new home, or they may need an assisted living. And there are some facilities that provide their own hospice, meaning that if you go to that facility, they have a team that's built into that facility that provides them the end-of-life care at the facility, and they don't allow in external hospices. So it kind of depends on your area where you're practicing and asking those questions as, "Do you have an external hospice or do you provide hospice services internally?" And those are questions I often steer patients to ask. Dr. Jatwani: Just some parting thoughts on in terms of, as you said, hospice has a very selective criteria. And some patients might say, "How can you prognosticate me for living less than 6 months?" That's a challenging question that we often get. And I think you have answered it partly, that it's enroll “on and off switch” kind of situation. But what if a patient starts feeling much, much better on hospice and they feel that they want to come back and get cancer-directed treatment, how does palliative care and hospice care come into that domain? Dr. Case: Prognostication, when a physician is asked to prognosticate a patient, we call it “the art of prognostication” because you can't always look it up in a textbook and get the right answer. And what one physician may determine is a prognosis for a patient, another one may give a different one. Because we look at the same things, but a lot of times, there's a clinician estimate that comes into it that is really one of those, you put a bunch of facts together and you come up with what we call an estimate. And so sometimes, we may be correct. Sometimes, we may underestimate or we may overestimate. If a patient enrolls in hospice and they, for example, are doing a lot better, they're outliving the 6 months, the hospice programs often reevaluate those patients, and they do allow folks to stay enrolled with hospice care sometimes quite longer than the 6 months. Sometimes, people are on hospice a year or even longer. What they need to document is that the patient has an ongoing need where they need the multi-disciplinary team supportive care. And so as long as you meet certain criteria, and generally, the criteria are often that they have the continuing progression of the cancer or whatever the other medical illness is, the disease itself, and advancing illness, whether that be chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure (CHF). It doesn't have to just be cancer. And you need to also have often a documentation of potentially continued functional decline or functional impairment. So prognosis is tied hand in hand with functional status. And so we don't just look at the computed tomography (CT) scan when we're determining prognosis. We look at nutritional. We look at weight loss. We look at appetite. We look at functional status and comorbidities. And there's a lot of other things that go into that, not just, “Is the tumor growing on the scan, yes or no?” So it's really important to look at a wide array of things when we're determining prognosis. Dr. Jatwani: Yes. And I think that sort of I just wanted to give our patients some idea of how we determine. I know there are a lot, many things that we have not covered, and we haven't even touched the expertise of Dr. Case, which we hope to do that in the future. And from my end, these are the questions that I had. And we hope to reconnect soon Dr. Case, and get some more insights into other aspects of palliative care, which you have done a lot of wonderful work in. Dr. Case: Thanks, Dr. Jatwani. ASCO: Thank you, Dr. Jatwani and Dr. Case. Find more podcasts and blog posts in the Meaningful Conversations series at www.cancer.net/meaningfulconversations. Cancer.Net Podcasts feature trusted, timely, and compassionate information for people with cancer, survivors, and their families and loved ones. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts for expert information and tips on coping with cancer, recaps of the latest research advances, and thoughtful discussions on cancer care. And check out other ASCO Podcasts to hear the latest interviews and insights from thought leaders, innovators, experts, and pioneers in oncology. Cancer.Net is supported by Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, which funds lifesaving research for every type of cancer, helping people with cancer everywhere. To help fund Cancer.Net and programs like it, donate at CONQUER.ORG/Donate.
Live and Learn with Katie, Learn Something New! In this powerful and inspiring video, Dana Conway opens up about her courageous battle with breast cancer and her incredible journey as a volunteer for the Road to Recovery program with the American Cancer Society. Join Dana as she recounts her personal story of resilience, from the moment of her diagnosis to her triumphant victory over cancer. Through heartfelt anecdotes and candid reflections, she shares the challenges she faced, the support she received, and the invaluable lessons she learned along the way. As a volunteer for the American Cancer Society's Road to Recovery program, Dana has dedicated her time and energy to helping others navigate the difficult road of cancer treatment. She discusses the impact of this volunteer work on her life and the profound sense of fulfillment she experiences by giving back to her community. Throughout the video, Dana's positivity and strength shine through, serving as a beacon of hope for anyone facing a similar journey. Her story is a reminder of the importance of resilience, support, and the power of volunteering in the fight against cancer. Whether you're a survivor, a caregiver, or someone looking to make a difference, Dana's story will inspire you to embrace life's challenges with courage and compassion. Don't miss this incredible testimony of hope, healing, and the enduring human spirit. Join Dana Conway on her journey of survival and service today. • Learn More About Road To Recovery - https://bit.ly/3OKYZei • Volunteer for Road To Recovery in Phoenix - https://bit.ly/3I59tBq • Cancer Screening Recommendations - https://bit.ly/49SX6EP • Climb to Conquer Cancer of Phoenix - https://bit.ly/3SDtc07 (Update to this link in your FB Event) • Online Help - http://www.cancer.org - Chat live or call 800.227.2345 - The American Cancer Society 24/7 cancer helpline provides information and answers for people dealing with cancer. They can connect you with trained cancer information specialists who will answer questions about a cancer diagnosis and provide guidance and a compassionate ear. While the American Cancer Society doesn't provide individual financial support, their specialists can help refer individuals to patient-related programs or resources in your local area. • Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women in the United States. It is the 2nd leading cause of death from cancer among women. Only lung cancer kills more women each year. • The American Cancer Society estimates there will be 6,830 new cases of breast cancer in 2024. • Breast cancer screening recommended beginning at age 45, with the option to begin at age 40, for women who are at average risk. Knowing your family health history will help you and your doctor determine your risk profile. • Clinical breast exam (CBE) and breast self-exam (BSE): - Research has not shown a clear benefit of regular physical breast exams done by either a health professional (clinical breast exams) or by women themselves (breast self-exams). There is very little evidence that these tests help find breast cancer early when women also get screening mammograms. - Most often when breast cancer is detected because of symptoms (such as a lump in the breast), a woman discovers the symptom during usual activities such as bathing or dressing. - Women should be familiar with how their breasts normally look and feel and should report any changes to a health care provider right away. Follow and Connect with The American Cancer Society here: https://www.facebook.com/americancancersocietyarizona Brought to you by Team EvoAZ at eXp Realty and MOMnation Connect and Follow us at https://direct.me/momnationaz or http://MOMnationUSA.com
ASCO: You're listening to a podcast from Cancer.Net. This cancer information website is produced by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, known as ASCO, the voice of the world's oncology professionals. The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. Guests' statements on this podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement. Cancer research discussed in this podcast is ongoing, so data described here may change as research progresses. In this podcast, the Reverend Jane Jeuland discusses what people with cancer should know about the role of chaplains in cancer care, including how chaplains are trained, the type of support they can provide for people with cancer and their family members and caregivers, and how someone with cancer can ask for spiritual support from their health care team. Ms. Jeuland received her Masters of Divinity from Yale Divinity School. She is an ordained Episcopal priest. She received her chaplaincy training from Yale New Haven Hospital and is a board-certified chaplain. She has served as an oncology chaplain and was the first palliative care chaplain at Yale New Haven Hospital. She has no relevant relationships to disclose. Jane Jeuland: Hi, my name is Jane Jeuland, and I am the palliative care clinic chaplain at Yale New Haven Hospital. I'm here today to talk a little bit about what I do at Yale New Haven Hospital, and also, what is a chaplain? What is it that we offer and provide? How are we trained? And some other questions that people have for us as chaplains. So I'll start by just describing a little bit about what I do at Yale New Haven Hospital in my role. In addition to seeing patients in our clinic, I visit with patients one-on-one through video platforms, phone, and I also visit with patients in person for scheduled appointments. And in those appointments, we get to know each other, we build a rapport and a relationship. And I help people process how they make meaning, find purpose and belonging in their lives, and how that is impacting their cancer care, but also how their cancer is really impacting their meaning, purpose, and belonging. In addition to those individual meetings, I also visit with patients in group settings. I host several groups over Zoom where patients get to talk to one another and share deeply and support each other. And last but certainly not least, I also have started a podcast with my patients called In the Midst of It All, which you can find on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. And in that podcast, patients share their stories that they've written about their lives, about their cancer journey, and about their spirituality, and how that has helped them through all that they're going through. So, how do chaplains get trained? I think this is one thing that people ask me quite a bit. What is your training like? Our training is pretty extensive. We need to have a 3-year Master's degree, typically a degree of divinity. And then after that, we have a year of training called Clinical Pastoral Education, CPE for short. And in that year of training, we are with a cohort of about 4 to 5 other chaplains in training. And we are supervised by a highly trained supervisor as well who has quite an extensive and long process to get certified to do that. And what our supervisors do is they help us really go out, visit with patients, and then reflect on those visits. We do things called “verbatims.” So what is a verbatim? When we write up a verbatim, we're writing up word for word an interaction that we have with a patient. And obviously, we will keep the patient confidential. But we do this with our group and with our supervisor to really kind of drill down and see where are the places that we are inserting ourselves, our own beliefs, our own needs, and how can we really better meet the patient where they are? We talk a lot about positive use of self so that we become really aware of our own self in the midst of our interaction with patients. And over the course of the year, we really learn how to focus on the patient's spirituality, their beliefs, their values, what they need in that moment. And we're all about helping people discover their spirituality and their faith. I think sometimes a lot of people think that we might be coming in to convert someone or to make them believe a certain belief system or a certain religion. But actually, we're really here to help any patient and caregiver really figure out what it is that they believe, and how that's impacting their cancer care or how their cancer is impacting their beliefs. So that means that we do visit with people of all different faiths. We visit with people who are atheists and agnostic as well. And really, again, just try to help people discover, what is that value that you have? What are your beliefs? Where do you find meaning, purpose, and belonging? And so what are some things that come up as we meet with patients? I, again, work in palliative care in the clinic settings. I'm outpatient. But a lot of chaplains work inpatient in a variety of settings. And so you'll have chaplains in a medical intensive care unit (ICU), or you'll have a chaplain in an infusion suite or on a floor as well. And so we see patients at all different stages. We see patients who are just newly diagnosed and have a cancer that's highly treatable. We see patients who are doing really, really well on their treatments. And we also see patients who are starting to kind of struggle with lots of symptoms, pain through sometimes months or years of cancer treatments. And then on the other end of this spectrum, we see patients who are very advanced in their cancer, have a terminal diagnosis, and we really see them through all that that entails, the outpatient visits as well as the inpatient, and even as someone comes to the end of their lives. And so what can come up in our meetings as I meet with patients? When someone's diagnosed with a terminal diagnosis, there is a lot of discussion about fear of dying, what happens in the process of dying, and then also, of course, what happens after we die? What is there after we die? Is there anything after we die? Or what is the afterlife like? And so often, again, I try to help people really reflect on what they may think the afterlife is like, if there is one. And then we have rich discussions around that. For kind of that big question of what happens as we're dying, that's when I like to pull in other members of the team. But certainly, chaplains can help process that as well. We also really do help people articulate their thoughts about the divine and whatever name they give to the divine. And often, what I hear in my appointments is not so much, “Is the divine as God giving me this cancer?” but, “Why would God allow it?” So as I talk with folks, folks will say, "I really believe in a loving God and a God that heals and a God that helps us. Why would a God like that allow me to have this cancer? Why would God allow my loved one to have this cancer and for their lives to be taken far, far too soon?" And for that, it's a tricky one. We, as chaplains, don't have a pill that we can give you and send you home and say, "OK, here's your prescription. Take that, and you'll get all the answers to why would God allow this?" So it's really a process of talking through this. It's a process of kind of discovering a little bit more about what we believe God is, what the patient believes about God, and God's character in the midst of it all. And it's also just sitting in the mystery of it that we don't know. We don't know why a loving God would allow this, why a God that heals would heal some people and not others, why a God who heals would heal at this point in your life, and then not at a different point in your life, and why this happens at all. And so chaplains don't rush quick to give advice. We allow sitting in that grief, in that suffering, in the sorrow. But then again, as we talk about who is God for this person, I also like to help people see, OK, if God isn't healing right now, if we can't understand why God is allowing this to happen, where is God in the midst of it? And this is what I love about my job so much is that I hear from such a variety of faiths and people of different values and spiritualities, how they do see the divine working in their lives. And so for some, "I have a lot of pain, but I know that God is with me, and I don't feel alone in this." Or, "I was feeling grief and loss over a loved one and wondering what my afterlife's going to be like as I face the end of my life and I was having this turmoil. And all of a sudden, I felt this deep, deep, deep peace wash over me. And I feel like that might be God." Or for someone who maybe doesn't have a particular religion, they may say, "I know that the love of my family and friends is so powerful. It's helping me through this. It's getting me through the dark times. And I know that that is what holds us together. And it's more than just what we can see and taste and feel, that that love is something greater and bigger." So it's really rich conversations like that that I get to have. I think also some other topics that come up is cancer is grueling. Cancer, it can be long. And there are things, people talk about scan anxiety. Of course, the side effects and physical pain. I hear a lot about insurance and how that's just so difficult and such a struggle to get on the phone, talk about insurance when time is so precious and so short. And for others who are healing from cancer, it sometimes is a lot of conversation about, "Well, how do I get back to life? And I used to do this amazing job, but I don't think that I can do that anymore. I don't have the stamina. I don't know how I would be able to do that job." And so I help people process that a lot. And again, that goes back to how do we find purpose in life, that meaning, purpose, belonging. And a lot of us find our purpose in work, in what we do. And so chaplains can help people through topics like that as well. And for survivors, we're always so happy in our palliative care clinic to help people heal. A lot of people think palliative care is just end of life. It is not. I have a lot of survivors I meet with, and they'll talk about kind of always looking over their shoulder. Is it going to come back? And finding a way to give back and to help other patients. And that is something I really love helping people with is, how do we give back? What are some ways to help others after I've had cancer? How can I help people? And so I have to say, I've been really, really privileged in my work as I meet with patients and individually in groups and help them write their stories and read their stories and interview on the podcast. I've just been so, so struck by all of the beauty, the resilience, the strength that I hear, the really depth and the richness of people's spirituality as they go through cancer care and really do some hard work to unpack and process all that's going on. And some of the common themes that I've heard is people will talk about how cancer has completely changed their perspective. And so people will talk about how before they had cancer, they were focused on their wonderful job, but also the pay and making sure they get ahead and can have stuff, that newest car or that bigger home. And when they have come through cancer and all that that entails, they start to think, "Gosh, you know what? I like those things, but what's much more important is the people that are right in front of me. It's the things that are free. It's time. It's talking with a loved one. It's really sharing deeply what's on your heart and mind, knowing that time is precious." And so I really am so struck by some of the things that people will share with me about their loved ones, their caregivers. If you are a caregiver, you know that you are loved, and that everything you're doing is really helpful and so, so appreciated, and that the time that you spend together and the things that you're able to share is so important. It doesn't have to be a big trip or people think about bucket list things, and it doesn't have to be all that. It's sometimes just that conversation over coffee or as you're going to sleep at night, those words that are shared are so important. And so people's perspectives, I think, really do shift and change and deepen. And people also find God in the midst of everything that they're going through. I had a patient who heard stories on the podcast and said, "I really want to write my own." So we worked together. And we talked a lot about her faith, and she wasn't really sure what to believe. She had had a hard time growing up in terms of her spirituality. And through her writing, and also through her cancer journey, she was able to really articulate her sense of God as a loving companion to give her peace, not one that's punishing, but a God that's loving. And now, as she comes to the end of her life, she's really finding a great more deal of peace, thinking about God and knowing that God is with her. I think as I share stories like these, though, I'm always so mindful, too, that I think in our culture, we think a lot about things being 5 easy steps. You can do this, and you can get better, and you can find insight and meaning in 5 easy steps. And it's really not that. It's really a process. And so as you hear stories from other cancer patients who may be in that place of peace and accepting and belonging and you're not there, also know that they were not there at a certain point and that it is a process, and it does take time. And so, again, that's what chaplains are really here for. We're here to help unpack a lot of that, to help people process that. And so you might be actually wondering, "You know what? I am going through a lot of cancer care here where I am, and I really would actually like to talk to a chaplain. How do I do that?" So the best way is to simply ask for a chaplain. We're most often called chaplains, but sometimes we're called spiritual counselors, spiritual care providers. So maybe a different term where you're located. But you can ask a nurse, your oncologist, anyone on the team, your social worker, to contact a chaplain. There are different levels of care in different settings. So you may have a chaplain in an outpatient setting, but maybe not. And so most likely, most hospitals have inpatient chaplains. If you are outpatient, though, and you really want to talk to a chaplain, I still encourage you to ask for one. And in that case, call the spiritual care or chaplaincy department directly, and you should be able to do that through your information line in your hospital. But in the hospital, for the most part, the hospitals have inpatient chaplains. Many have 24/7 on-call chaplains. And so always don't hesitate to ask the nurse, and we're happy to come by. We also do provide support for families. And so this is something that we do quite often, especially in the inpatient setting, in an ICU setting, at those times when decisions are being made. What should we do? What we often call in our hospital setting “goals of care” conversations. What is the goal of care here? Are we going to continue with aggressive interventions? Are we going to start to move to aggressive comfort care? And so chaplains help talk through that as well. So you can always call or ask for a chaplain when you're inpatient, certainly when those decisions are being made. And we're there for you as a patient, but again, we're also there for your caregivers, your loved ones. And in those settings, we're often meeting with families sometimes outside of the room even. And we help your loved ones process as well. Just like I've mentioned, all the other things that I help patients process, we also help caregivers with a lot of those topics. In addition, of course, for a caregiver, we sit with them in the pain and the suffering and the loss and the anxiety, and talk through their ways that they find meaning, purpose, and belonging, and how they're processing all that's going on with their loved one, who's the patient. I've heard from more than one patient that they say, "I feel like as hard as cancer is, it's easier on me than it is on my loved one. I hate to see what they're going through. I sometimes feel like a burden." But whenever I talk to a caregiver about that, they always say, "Absolutely not. You're not a burden. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world." If they're sitting there in the ICU, long hours, surviving on coffee, very little sleep, lots of interruptions, sleeping in a chair beside your bed. Every single time, those caregivers will say, "I would not want to be anywhere else in the world. I want to be here. This is what I want to be doing." If you're the patient, feeling like a burden, know that more often than not, your loved one is really wanting to do what they're doing. But caregiver burnout is real, too, especially if your care is going on for a long, long time. And so chaplains can help caregivers process that burden. And we also work with the team, sometimes social workers and others to find support systems so that if they need help, so that they can just have a moment to themselves, go for a walk, that we can help them think about resources that may be their faith community, their church, their synagogue, their mosque, their faith community can come and help give that relief or that respite for them, but also other resources in the hospital. So you may have an integrative medicine component. So I hope that you've been able to learn a little bit more about chaplains, about how we're trained, about what we typically hear from patients, and what we can provide support around. How we also support caregivers. We are inpatient, we are outpatient, we are 24/7 most often, and how you can get in touch with a chaplain. I really encourage you to reach out to a chaplain. We're always happy to help. It's what we're here to do. So thank you so much for having me on the podcast today. It was really a delight to be here. And I hope you have peace. I hope that you find strength, meaning, purpose, and belonging in the midst of it all. ASCO: Thank you, Ms. Jeuland. Learn more about the role of chaplains at www.cancer.net/palliative. Cancer.Net Podcasts feature trusted, timely, and compassionate information for people with cancer, survivors, and their families and loved ones. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts for expert information and tips on coping with cancer, recaps of the latest research advances, and thoughtful discussions on cancer care. And check out other ASCO Podcasts to hear the latest interviews and insights from thought leaders, innovators, experts, and pioneers in oncology. Cancer.Net is supported by Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, which funds lifesaving research for every type of cancer, helping people with cancer everywhere. To help fund Cancer.Net and programs like it, donate at CONQUER.ORG/Donate.
Live and Learn with Katie, Learn Something New! In this impactful video, Katie from MOMnation and Carla from the American Cancer Society come together to raise awareness about the critical importance of early detection and lung cancer screening, especially for individuals who have a history of smoking. Carla courageously shares her personal journey as a lung cancer survivor, shedding light on the challenges she faced and the hope she found through early detection and treatment. As Katie and Carla discuss the sobering statistics surrounding lung cancer, they emphasize the fact that early detection can significantly improve outcomes and save lives. They highlight the American Cancer Society's commitment to providing resources and support for individuals at risk of or affected by lung cancer, including access to screening programs, informational materials, and community networks. - Learn More About the Hope Lodge - https://bit.ly/3uvZwKp - How to Stay Away from Tobacco - https://bit.ly/3HXrlye Carla's firsthand account serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of being proactive about one's health, regardless of past smoking habits. She shares how her decision to undergo a lung cancer screening ultimately led to the detection of the disease at an early stage, enabling her to receive timely treatment and improve her chances of survival. Throughout the video, Katie and Carla underscore the message that no smoker is immune to the risk of lung cancer, and early detection can make all the difference in the fight against this devastating disease. By encouraging viewers to prioritize their health and take advantage of available screening resources, they aim to empower individuals to take control of their well-being and potentially save lives. Don't miss this heartfelt discussion about the importance of early detection and the invaluable support provided by organizations like the American Cancer Society. Join Katie and Carla as they advocate for greater awareness, access to screening, and support for those affected by lung cancer, offering hope and encouragement to viewers everywhere. - Cancer Screening Recommendations - https://bit.ly/49SX6EP - Climb to Conquer Cancer of Phoenix - https://bit.ly/3SDtc07 - Join the MOMnation team for the Climb! - https://fb.me/e/5jfsbzB2y - Online Help - www.cancer.org - Chat live or call 800.227.2345 - The American Cancer Society 24/7 cancer helpline provides information and answers for people dealing with cancer. They can connect you with trained cancer information specialists who will answer questions about a cancer diagnosis and provide guidance and a compassionate ear. While the American Cancer Society doesn't provide individual financial support, their specialists can help refer individuals to patient-related programs or resources in your local area. Follow and connect with the American Cancer Society: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/americancancersocietyarizona/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/acsarizona/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/acsarizona YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/amercancersociety X - http://www.twitter.com/americancancer Brought to you by Team EvoAZ at eXp Realty and MOMnation Connect and Follow us at https://direct.me/momnationaz or http://MOMnationUSA.com
ASCO: You're listening to a podcast from Cancer.Net (Cancer dot Net). This cancer information website is produced by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, known as ASCO, the voice of the world's oncology professionals. The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. Guests' statements on this podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement. Cancer research discussed in this podcast is ongoing, so data described here may change as research progresses. In this podcast, Dr. Fay Hlubocky and Shelly Rosenfeld discuss what people should know about returning to work after cancer treatment. This podcast is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. Dr. Hlubocky is a licensed clinical health psychologist with an expertise in psychosocial oncology and a health care ethicist at the University of Chicago. She's also the Cancer.Net Associate Editor for Psychosocial Oncology. Ms. Rosenfeld is the director of the Disability Rights Legal Center's Cancer Legal Resource Center, which provides free information and resources about cancer-related issues. View disclosures for Dr. Hlubocky and Ms. Rosenfeld at Cancer.Net. Claire Smith: Hi, everyone. I'm Claire Smith, a member of the Cancer.Net team, and I'll be your host for today's Cancer.Net podcast. Cancer.Net is the patient education website of ASCO, the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Today, we'll be talking about what people with cancer should know about returning to work after treatment, including information about the legal protections available to people with cancer in the United States. Our guests today are Dr. Fay Hlubocky and Ms. Shelly Rosenfeld. Dr. Hlubocky is a licensed clinical health psychologist with an expertise in psychosocial oncology and a health care ethicist at the University of Chicago. She's also the Cancer.Net Associate Editor for Psychosocial Oncology. Thanks for joining us today, Dr. Hlubocky. Dr. Fay Hlubocky: Thank you, Claire. It's such an honor and a privilege to be with you and Shelly today. Claire Smith: Wonderful. Our next guest, Ms. Rosenfeld, is the director of Disability Rights Legal Center's Cancer Legal Resource Center, which provides free information and resources about cancer-related legal issues to members of the cancer community across the U.S. Thanks so much for being here, Ms. Rosenfeld. Shelly Rosenfeld: Thank you. I'm honored and grateful to be here today. Claire Smith: Before we begin, I should mention that Dr. Hlubocky and Ms. Rosenfeld do not have any relationships to disclose related to this podcast, and you can find their full disclosures on Cancer.Net. So, to start, Dr. Hlubocky, can you talk a little bit about some of the ways that people might think about work differently after an experience like cancer? Dr. Fay Hlubocky: Thank you, Claire. That's such an important question to start today's talk with. For many, the thoughts and decision-making surrounding returning to work can be very complex. Perspectives on if, how, and when to return to work will differ from person to person. Although one may feel quite motivated and even inspired to return to work after the cancer experience, the idea to return to work immediately after this post-cancer journey phase may simply seem overwhelming and bring about anxious and worrying thoughts. Thoughts and questions such as, "Am I ready to return to work after all I've been through?" or "Can I do the job like I did before?" are common and expected. For some who may experience financial burdens, these individuals feel compelled to return to work with thoughts of, "I have to get back to work," and feel like that's the only option is to return to work immediately even if not ready. Yet others may ask themselves, "Should I work full- or part-time? How can I return to work?" Or, "Can I return to that same busy schedule as I had engaged in before?" Finally, some may wonder if that same job is right for them after all one has been through. Again, these are very normal, common, and expected thoughts and questions regarding return to work that the individuals certainly may hold after the cancer experience. Claire Smith: Wonderful. Thank you for that overview. And next, you touched on some concerns, but I'd love to hear about what concerns someone might have about returning to work after cancer. Let's go to you, Ms. Rosenfeld. Shelly Rosenfeld: Well, one concern for someone returning to work, it could be either, of course, returning to their job, but it can also be returning to work and starting a new job. And that might be when one might need to perhaps take additional days off, and whether it's for treatment or follow-up care or perhaps just monitoring as well. But to use up those sick days and then to need additional sick days, there is protections out there such as Family and Medical Leave Act, or FMLA. But a concern for someone starting a new job is, in order to be covered by FMLA or the Family and Medical Leave Act, someone has to have worked for the employer for a total of 12 months and have worked at least 1,250 hours in the last 12 months, which comes out to a little more than part-time. But that is certainly a concern because taking time off whether to care-- actually, it could also be a caregiver taking care of someone with cancer, that they need to have worked for that employer for at least 12 months. Later, I think we might be talking about one way to work with the employer in terms of - just to kind of hint with the Americans with Disabilities Act - kind of a creative way to ask for additional time off and to see if that can work out with the employer. So I want to wait until we talk about that a little more in depth, but I just want to say there is hope and there is something that perhaps can be worked out with your employer if there is that concern. But I just want to say that while FMLA, and just to kind of briefly touch upon it, it allows certain employees to take up to 12 work weeks per year to take care of oneself or certain family members with a serious health condition. For example, that could include a spouse, parent, or child. So it is unpaid, but one's job has to stay open for that person until the end of that 12-week period, and the employer has to keep providing health benefits. So it's something to keep in mind if somebody is returning to work and is at their job now for some time and needs to take those days off. Beyond those sick days, there are protections out there. But if they're just returning to work and they haven't been at a job for that long, then they should consider, "OK. Maybe the state has additional protections that the federal law does not have," or to think about-- and we'll talk about reasonable accommodations in Americans with Disabilities Act in a bit, I think, as a solution. So with every challenge, I think there is some kind of option, but that is certainly a concern. Claire Smith: Yeah. Absolutely. I think it's so important to sort of think about these concerns as people are going to worry about them, but there are ways to sort of address and hopefully cope with them. Dr. Hlubocky, do you have anything else to add? Dr. Fay Hlubocky: I agree, many survivors we know with cancer do desire to return to work. Just recognizing the fact that holding a job provides a routine, a schedule, freedom, income, meaning, it makes us feel fulfilled, it gives us a sense of purpose, and work specifically for survivors can bring a sense of normality, especially after that cancer experience. Yet for others, we know that the thought of returning to work can be very concerning. Folks might be worried over their energy and their endurance and ability to really perform at their job due to continuing or existing cancer-related or treatment-related symptoms, such as fatigue or insomnia or pain. Others may worry about colleagues' attitudes and relationships, concerns and fears over if colleagues will judge them for their appearance or their performance may arise. As well, many survivors question, “How will I be treated?” or “Will they work with me as they did before?” These are also frequent and commonly held concerns by many patients and survivors. For all survivors, it's important to recognize that this is a new normal, a new phase in this journey post-cancer and cancer treatment that can really bring a new perspective with greater meaning and purpose. This new perspective - really, this growth - can be a motivator and inspire not only you in the work environment but your colleagues as well. Claire Smith: So talking about maybe some of the things that we can share with our listeners to help assuage some of these concerns that they may have. I want to start, if someone is applying for a new job after cancer treatment, maybe they've been out of the workforce for a little while while going through cancer and its treatment, are there any legal protections available to them during that process, Ms. Rosenfeld? Shelly Rosenfeld: There are. So I briefly mentioned the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, which is a federal law that makes it illegal for employers with 15 or more employees to discriminate against, and it includes qualified job applicants or qualified employees with disabilities in any stage of the employment process. So that includes the interview process. A lot of people don't know that before someone even starts working, that they do have those protections. So that is really important for someone to keep in mind as they go through the interview process. So an employer is not allowed to ask about a job applicant's medical history, whether they've taken any leave in the past, or whether they expect to take leave. The only 2 questions related to disability or cancer that employees are allowed to ask are, "Are you able to perform the essential job functions?" and "How will you perform the essential job functions?" So, in order for someone to receive protection under the ADA, they have to be able to do the essential job functions. For example, without anyone knowing me, I don't have experience playing football. So, I do not have the ability currently to do the essential functions of being an NFL football player, not at this time and not in the past, so far. So, for example, the ADA, no matter what, wouldn't protect me because I can't do those job tasks. But if someone can do the essential functions of a job, right, they're applying for it, hopefully they're able to do those essential functions, if they have cancer or are affected by the effects of cancer treatment, they could be protected. So it is really important to keep in mind during that job application process, the employer can't ask if you're disabled. I know that sometimes they'll have things on the end of an application, but those are optional, right? So someone does not have to answer that, but they can ask, of course, if you can do the essential functions of the job. And so, yeah, I think that's just something to really keep in mind as someone's going out through that process. Claire Smith: You talked a little bit about the ADA and how we can use those protections. And a lot of people with cancer, they may have mental changes like brain fog or even physical changes, fatigue, or other side effects, long-term side effects of their cancer and treatment, where they might need some accommodations to be able to accomplish those essential job functions that they can do. Can you talk a little bit about what that process looks like to ask for those accommodations? Shelly Rosenfeld: Just to recap, cancer, the effects of cancer can be a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act. I know for some people affected by cancer, thinking of the word “disabled” as it relates to cancer might be just a new way to think about it. So I'm only talking legally. So somebody might have been in the best health of their life and been in the best shape and then they're affected by cancer, and then the law may consider them as disabled. So we're talking about disability in terms of the legal definition for the Americans with Disabilities Act. So let's talk about reasonable accommodations. So as you mentioned, of course, the effects of cancer can be a disability because they might substantially impair major life activities such as eating, sleeping, concentrating. And so reasonable accommodations can range anywhere from making changes to a physical environment, such as moving file drawers to a more accessible location, or changes to the way that someone works. For example, teleconferences into meetings rather than in person. Whether an employer has to give someone the type of accommodation they're trying to get depends on whether giving it would be an undue hardship to the employer. Being an undue hardship usually means practically that it will cost the employer too much to give someone the accommodations, so what costs too much really depends on the specific job and the specific employer at issue. So, for example, what might be easy to do for one employer may actually be really difficult for another, but we usually ask for folks to ask for accommodations before their work performance starts to suffer. So if your performance suffers at work, an employer may take negative action against you if they don't know you have a disability or a need for accommodation. So if an employer sees someone sleeping at their desk, they can be fired. So if the employee decides to ask for a reasonable accommodation under the ADA and tells the employer that they have fatigue from cancer treatment and need more frequent breaks due to fatigue before the employer has a chance to see them sleeping on the job, the employee has more protection at work. It is a personal decision, and I just want to touch upon this because this question sometimes comes up where people say, "Should I talk to my employer or not?" I know, the CLRC, we don't take a position, yes or no. It is completely that person's decision, and I would respect someone either way. So that might on the one side be a little nerve-racking, but it could also on the flip side be reassuring. But there's no wrong choice. It's best to do what is best for that person. I do recommend, however, if you do want to have that discussion with your employer, if you can find someone trusted, whether it's a parent or a friend or just even a doctor or patient navigator, and try to have that conversation, because it can be difficult talking to an employer about that. Even if you feel like you really have a good relationship with that employer, it is still a different type of discussion. And I just want to also mention that it is an interactive process. So suppose someone asks for accommodation, a reasonable accommodation under the ADA, and the employer says, "This is not something that we can do. It's going to cost too much. It's not practical." Then hopefully they come back with something and say, "How about this option?" And then the employee could say, "It still doesn't really help what is the ultimate challenge here. How about this?" And hopefully it's both sides working together in the interactive process. Now, of course, if someone asks for a reasonable accommodation, it may very well be granted in its original request. But just to keep in mind that if an employer pushes back, it is designed to be reasonable for both sides. And just to give an example, because I think it could be hard when someone says, "It depends on the employer. It depends on the employee." Right? So many people have such different jobs and employers are also so different, but here's an example. Suppose, for example, someone is a cashier, and they have to interact with people. They have to ring them up and take money and work at the cash register, but they're going through cancer treatment. And they're still able to work, but they do need a reasonable accommodation. So, for example, they might ask for a stool to sit between helping people. So if there's not someone else next in line, they can at least sit down. Giving them a separate office with a gold chair might not be reasonable, because they actually have to be there to help folks, but a stool doesn't take too much space, gives someone the opportunity to sit down, could very well be reasonable. So that's just kind of a way to think about it as an example. And I think the doctor or also patient navigator team can be partners in this. You can ask, "When someone has this treatment, what side effects can I expect? I do this as my job. Have you had patients like this in the past? What are some things that might have helped them?" And you just start that conversation going and also think about your job and how you go about your job and what might help, or how you're feeling and what could really make a big difference. It might be that snacks are not allowed at the desk, but having a snack and being able to eat it can really combat nausea. It can also be more than one accommodation. There might be more than one side effect that needs to be addressed. So it is something to keep in mind. Be aware of yourself and what helps you ultimately succeed so you can keep having that income, keep having that job, and hopefully keep having that health insurance. Of course, there's the FMLA protections if someone needs to take that time off, but that is something to keep in mind. And because I promised this, I just want to raise it now, is that if someone is not eligible for FMLA based on they haven't worked at their job long enough to qualify and there's no additional state protections that apply, they may be able to ask for some additional time off under the Americans with Disabilities Act beyond their sick days. Saying, "I don't know when I'll get back," and kind of an indefinite time of leave, that might be harder to get approval for as a reasonable accommodation. But saying, "I need X number of days, and then I'll check in with you about that." Or, "I need X number of days," might be something that the employer might be more willing to work with that person. So like I said, there is something to be worked out potentially. Claire Smith: Oh, wonderful. Thank you for outlining all of that. I think that's really helpful to sort of understand what that process looks like, what maybe some reasonable accommodations are, and the fact that it is sort of an interactive process. So another thing that Dr. Hlubocky mentioned earlier as maybe being a concern is how to talk to coworkers. Are there questions that coworkers might have after you've been out for cancer treatment, how to manage perhaps uncomfortable conversations. Can you talk about some of the ways that someone with cancer can kind of help prepare mentally for those kinds of conversations, Dr. Hlubocky? Dr. Fay Hlubocky: Reactions will be different, and they'll vary from person to person, colleague to colleague. Some colleagues will be supportive, know when to ask or not to ask questions, and these colleagues will also try to be helpful with tasks as you return to work. Yet others might be very avoidant because they simply don't know what to say, and that can be hurtful because we all want to feel supported by our colleagues, especially after an experience like cancer. Therefore, it's important for you to prepare and plan on what you want to say before you're returning to work. Honestly, there's really no right or wrong way to address this, as everybody deals with the cancer experience differently. You may desire to talk openly about the cancer experience, or you might wish to simply move on in order not to be treated differently by colleagues. Empowering yourself by setting boundaries on how to address these questions is key. For example, you can thank your colleagues for their concerns. However, express that, for you, now is not the time or the place to discuss your experience. Remember, you have to feel comfortable and safe in discussing your experience. Accept help if offered, especially in the initial stages of returning to work. Also, it's important to be prepared that some relationships may change. For example, those who were supportive and close to you before the cancer may distance themselves afterwards. You will learn who you can count on, and that is what's important. If you do feel comfortable, talk to your supervisor regarding any concerns that you may have about returning to work and addressing colleagues' questions so the supervisor can also help prepare the staff as well. But, again, only if you are comfortable. Be sure to check in with your supervisor, especially if you feel that the work environment is not supportive. Claire Smith: Wonderful. Great advice. And working can sometimes be stressful under the best of circumstances, and especially if you've gone through cancer treatment, you're maybe starting a new job or returning to a workplace. What are some tips for coping with some of those emotions and stresses that might arise? Dr. Fay Hlubocky: First and foremost, it's talking with your oncology team about when is the best time to return to work given your specific phase in the cancer survivorship journey, as well as inquiring about symptoms that you may have, like fatigue or cancer-related cognitive dysfunction and any other worries or symptoms that may interfere with returning to work. We want to be sure that you're physically healthy to return to work, and be sure to talk to them about any fears associated with working. Remember, we, your cancer team, are here to help you. Also, knowledge is power, and thus education on what is needed or how to return to work after cancer, taking into consideration life changes and symptoms can help to alleviate some of this distress. Also, again, if comfortable, talk to your supervisor about your options and to determine a plan. With the change in work environment, you may have the option to return slowly, gradually to the work environment first, maybe virtually, then part-time with fewer hours and gradually full-time. Again, if comfortable, talk to your supervisor about any time and work accommodations you may feel. Planning this return to work in partnership with your supervisor can really help you prepare as well as address any worries and anxieties you may hold. If the stress and the anxiety associated with returning to work is just really simply too overwhelming, talk to your therapist to help you plan to return to work. If you're not already connected to psychosocial support, engaging in the service can be a really valuable tool to help you determine your readiness to return to work. A psychologist, a social worker can really help you with preparing and problem-solving and planning when or if returning to work is an option now or in the future. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is a research-based psychotherapy that we use that can help to address anxious and worried thoughts that you may have. And the goal of CBT is really to learn to control, challenge, and overcome distressing thoughts and beliefs about returning to work and helps you learn skills to really change your behaviors. It's also OK to realize that your job is now not right for you. Remember, a comprehensive plan in collaboration with your doctor, potentially your supervisor and psychosocial support, can really help prepare you, empower you as you begin the process of returning to work. Claire Smith: One other thing I wanted to touch on a little bit is issues around workplace discrimination. If someone is worried that they might face workplace discrimination after cancer, are there any resources available to them, Ms. Rosenfeld? Shelly Rosenfeld: Yes. If someone believes they've been discriminated against in the workplace or have questions about anti-discrimination protections, first of all, the Cancer Legal Resource Center, or CLRC, we have handouts on our website about someone's right to be free from discrimination in the workplace. Our website is thedrlc.org/cancer, and we recommend that someone speak with an employment attorney to discuss their legal options if someone thinks that they've been faced with discrimination. Someone also might want to file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC. The person can bring a claim for a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, file a complaint with their state fair employment agency - of course, that depends on the person's state, where they live and work - or file a lawsuit against their employer. So, there's also an organization called the Job Accommodation Network, or JAN, which is a service of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, where someone can learn more about resources available to them. So certainly, there are different options. We hope that no one experiences discrimination because of cancer, their history of cancer, an association with someone with cancer. Hopefully, no one ever experiences that. But if they do, hopefully they feel empowered already that there are options out there for them to assert their rights and hopefully ensure that others in the future will be free from discrimination as a result of cancer in the workplace. Claire Smith: Thank you for sharing those resources. Absolutely. Do either of you have any final thoughts before I let you go today or anything else you wanted to touch on for our listeners? Shelly Rosenfeld: I just want to say that, at times, it can be overwhelming, in addition to having a cancer diagnosis, to encounter so many different legal issues that are kind of these non-medical side effects of cancer. And I just want to say that at the Cancer Legal Resource Center, and I know that patient care teams really do care about keeping someone informed of their rights, and so it is important to know that there are rights out there and not to be hopeless about their rights because there might be things that you just never knew were possible. But just by making that effort to learn more about what's out there and what you might be entitled to, whether it's a health insurance appeal, whether if someone has to take a longer time off their job more than a year because of cancer, that there are income replacement options potentially through Social Security, that there are just health insurance options potentially out there for them, that there is hope and it is worth trying. It is worth appealing. And to work with your doctor and medical team saying, "Can you give me a letter? Can you write this for me? Do you have something that you've submitted for someone else for appeal for this medication or for this type of treatment?" And try to seek support in a practical way to stand up for yourself because the results and the upside of doing so are so important. So I just hope that someone comes away with this knowing-- you don't have to memorize or take notes or be an expert to know this after this podcast, just know that it's out there and that there are resources, and you can learn. And what the CLRC does, we do free. So just to know that there is something out there for them. Claire Smith: Wonderful. Great message. Dr. Fay Hlubocky: That's great, Shelly. Thank you. I've learned so much from this podcast. And to all the Cancer.Net audience out there, whether you're a patient or a caregiver or even part of the team, please know that we're here to help you in any capacity. Don't fight this alone, have self-compassion, be patient with oneself. This process does take time, and there's lots of resources here to help you to decide if returning to work is right for you now or in the future. Again, we're here to help you. Claire Smith: I love that. Thank you. And thank you both so much for sharing your expertise today. It was really wonderful having you, Dr. Hlubocky and Ms. Rosenfeld. Thanks for joining us. Shelly Rosenfeld: Thank you. Dr. Fay Hlubocky: Thank you so much. It was an honor and a pleasure to be with you all. Thank you. ASCO: Thank you, Dr. Hlubocky and Ms. Rosenfeld. You can find more resources and information about life during and after cancer treatment at www.cancer.net/survivorship. Cancer.Net Podcasts feature trusted, timely, and compassionate information for people with cancer, survivors, and their families and loved ones. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts for expert information and tips on coping with cancer, recaps of the latest research advances, and thoughtful discussions on cancer care. And check out other ASCO Podcasts to hear the latest interviews and insights from thought leaders, innovators, experts, and pioneers in oncology. Cancer.Net is supported by Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, which funds lifesaving research for every type of cancer, helping people with cancer everywhere. To help fund Cancer.Net and programs like it, donate at CONQUER.ORG/Donate.
Live and Learn with Katie, Learn Something New! In this video, we're diving into one of the most important topics concerning our health: cancer prevention. Did you know that early detection through screenings and adopting certain lifestyle habits can significantly reduce your risk of developing cancer? First, we'll discuss the importance of regular cancer screenings. Early detection is key to successful treatment, and many cancers are treatable if caught in their early stages. But screenings are only part of the equation. Lifestyle choices play a crucial role in cancer prevention too. We'll share practical tips and habits that can help lower your risk of developing cancer. From maintaining a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, to staying physically active and avoiding tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption, small changes can make a big difference in your overall health. - Eat Healthy and Get Active - https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/diet-physical-activity.html?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=SORdiet&utm_content=link - Stay Away from Tobacco - https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/tobacco.html?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=SORtobacco&utm_content=link Join us as we empower you with knowledge and actionable steps to take control of your health and reduce your risk of cancer. Together, let's prioritize prevention and live our healthiest lives possible. Cancer Screening Recommendations - www.cancer.org/getscreened?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=SORGetScreened&utm_content=link Climb to Conquer Cancer of Phoenix - https://secure.acsevents.org/site/TR/ACTIVEFundraising/CFPCY24SOR?pg=entry&fr_id=106567&utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=SORClimb&utm_content=link Join the MOMnation team for the Climb! - https://fb.me/e/5jfsbzB2y Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more informative content on health and wellness. Let's spread awareness and make a positive impact on our health and the health of those around us. Follow and connect with the American Cancer Society: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/americancancersocietyarizona/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/acsarizona/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/acsarizona YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/amercancersociety X - http://www.twitter.com/americancancer Brought to you by Team EvoAZ at eXp Realty and MOMnation Connect and Follow us at https://direct.me/momnationaz or http://MOMnationUSA.com
You're listening to a podcast from Cancer.Net. This cancer information website is produced by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, known as ASCO, the voice of the world's oncology professionals. The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. Guests' statements on this podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement. Cancer research discussed in this podcast is ongoing, so data described here may change as research progresses. In this podcast, members of the Cancer.Net Editorial Board discuss the latest research, innovations, and discussions taking place across the field of genitourinary cancers, including prostate cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, and testicular cancer. This podcast is led by Cancer.Net Associate Editor for Genitourinary Cancers, Dr. Petros Grivas. Dr. Grivas is the clinical director of the Genitourinary Cancers Program at University of Washington Medicine and a professor in the clinical research division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. He is joined by Dr. Neeraj Agarwal, Dr. Shilpa Gupta, Dr. Tian Zhang, and Dr. Timothy Gilligan. Dr. Agarwal is a Professor of Medicine, and a Presidential Endowed Chair of Cancer Research at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. He directs the Genitourinary Oncology Program and Center of Investigational Therapeutics at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. He is also the Cancer.Net Specialty Editor for Prostate Cancer. Dr. Gupta is the Director of the Genitourinary Medical Oncology Program at Taussig Cancer Institute and Co-Leader of the Genitourinary Oncology Program at Cleveland Clinic. She is also the Cancer.Net Specialty Editor for Bladder Cancer. Dr. Zhang is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and a medical oncologist at the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is also the Cancer.Net Specialty Editor for Kidney Cancer. Dr. Gilligan is a Medical Oncologist, Associate Professor of Medicine, and Vice-Chair for Education at the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute. He is also the Cancer.Net Specialty Editor for Testicular Cancer. View full disclosures for Dr. Grivas, Dr. Agarwal, Dr. Gupta, Dr. Zhang, and Dr. Gilligan at Cancer.Net. Dr. Grivas: Hello. I'm Dr. Petros Grivas. I'm a medical oncologist in Seattle, a professor at the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. I'm really excited and thrilled today to host wonderful superstars in the field of GU Medical Oncology who will share insights about the highlights of kidney cancer, prostate cancer, and bladder, urothelial, urinary tract cancers that happened in 2023. And this highlight aims to inform our great audience about what are the clinically relevant insights, what patients should be aware, what patients should ask for when they go to the clinic, or overall, how they can be most well-informed and have the necessary tools to improve their care and feel well-supported in regards to education. So without further ado, we're going to cover in first prostate cancer, a very important update in this year. So all the people out there that are interested in hearing about prostate cancer will find this very, very useful and insightful. I'm very excited to host Professor, Dr. Neeraj Agarwal from University of Utah. Neeraj, do you want to introduce yourself? Dr. Agarwal: Of course. It's such an honor to be here. My name is Dr. Neeraj Agarwal. I'm a professor of medicine and director of genitourinary oncology program at the University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute. Dr. Grivas: Neeraj, thank you so much for accepting the invitation and being with us. I would like to ask you, what's your take on the current state of genetic testing in patients with prostate cancer? And when we say genetic testing, maybe you can clarify the distinction between germline and somatic and comment on both if you could. Thank you. Dr. Agarwal: Of course, a very important topic. I must tell you that it is very clear from all the guidelines that in patients with advanced prostate cancer or metastatic prostate cancer, meaning when prostate cancer has spread to different parts of the body, both germline testing to look for hereditary mutations in the DNA repair genes and testing for the same genes inside the tumor tissue are considered standard of care. So, a patient with advanced prostate cancer should have germline testing and somatic tumor tissue testing to look for mutations that can predispose them to have prostate cancer, and if they have genes in the tumor which can be targeted by the current approved drugs, like drugs which are already approved right now or which are in clinical trials. Unfortunately, less than 50% of patients in many areas of the country and in the world, less than 20% of patients are being tested. And even more, unfortunately, patients are less likely to be tested are those who are not well-resourced, who are not living in rich countries, if you will. They are poor- or low-resourced countries. Even with high-income countries, within those countries, patients who are living in relatively not-so-affluent neighborhoods, they are less likely to be tested. From racial perspective, patients who are Black or who are Hispanics are less likely to be tested. Based on how many drugs are out there in the clinic and emerging through clinical trials. And the fact that we can use many of these mutations for prognostication, to inform survival, to inform aggressiveness of the disease. It is not only to treat those patients, but also how to monitor the disease. The genetic testing is very important. Dr. Grivas: Thank you so much, Neeraj. It's very insightful. And I think you did a great job outlining the clinical relevance for both the patient in terms of treatment decision-making and therapy options, especially for advanced prostate cancer, as well as the broader family and implications for cancer prevention and cancer screening for the broader family members. So definitely a very important topic. Neeraj, the other question I have, if you could tell us more about this class of medications called PARP inhibitors. If you can comment on the currently approved PARP inhibitors, either as a single agent, what we call monotherapy or combination therapies for patients with prostate cancer in the United States, and who is eligible to receive those therapies? Dr. Agarwal: And this is such a nice segue to talk about PARP inhibitors as we were just talking about genetic testing of prostate cancer. So, PARP inhibitors are a class of drug which are instrumental, critical in treatment of patients who harbor mutations in those DNA repair genes. And two monotherapies, meaning using these PARP inhibitors as single agents have been already approved in the United States and several other countries. These are olaparib or rucaparib. Olaparib is approved after patients have had disease progression on novel androgen-blocking therapies or androgen blockers such as enzalutamide or abiraterone or apalutamide. And these PARP inhibitors such as olaparib or rucaparib can be used for those patients as single agent if they have these DNA repair mutations. Now, last year, we saw several combinations of PARP inhibitors with these androgen or novel hormonal therapy, as we call them. And these include abiraterone plus olaparib, abiraterone plus niraparib, and talazoparib plus enzalutamide from various phase 3 trials. Now, I'd like to bring to your attention that these PARP inhibitor combinations are approved with different indications in the United States and in the European Union. And they continue to get approved in various other countries. So the combination of abiraterone and a PARP inhibitor, whether it is olaparib or niraparib, they are approved for patients who have new metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer, and they have BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations in the cancer cells or they have germline BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Enzalutamide and talazoparib combination is approved in the United States for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, but also several other DNA repair gene mutations. And that's a big difference as far as approval is concerned in the U.S. In the European Union, for our patients who are listening from European Union, the combination of abiraterone and olaparib and enzalutamide and talazoparib are approved for patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer where chemotherapy is not clinically indicated, regardless of whether they have mutations in the DNA repair genes or not. And the combination of abiraterone and niraparib is only approved for patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation. So I just wanted to outline the different indications in the United States and in the Europe. Dr. Grivas: Thank you so much, Neeraj. So eloquent and very relevant to multiple patients globally, as you pointed out, with some differences in terms of the regulatory approval and availability of those agents in different countries. So great insights. Maybe we'll ask you 1 more question again since we are doing the highlights of the year. Another very important area of therapeutic development has to do with these novel agents that target the prostate cancer cells, and we call them theragnostics as a broader term. And I will let you explain what that means maybe in lay terms for our audience. And specifically, if you can comment on the recently presented PSMAforetrial at the ESMO meeting in Madrid with lutetium-177 PSMA. What are the implications of these results for our patients, and what is the role of lutetium therapy in this particular therapy setting? Dr. Agarwal: Of course, very important and pertinent topic indeed. As our patients may know that lutetium-177 therapy, or simply speaking, lutetium therapy, has already been approved for patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer who have had disease progression on this novel hormonal therapy and a chemotherapy with docetaxel or cabazitaxel. And this indication is already there in the U.S. and in various other countries. And patients are eligible to receive lutetium therapy as long as their disease has progressed on docetaxel or one of the taxane chemotherapy and a novel hormonal therapy. Now, in the European Society of Medical Oncology meeting, Dr. Oliver Sartor presented the data on PSMAfore trial where lutetium therapy was used before chemotherapy. In this trial lutetium therapy was compared with another novel hormonal therapy after disease progression on 1 novel hormonal therapy. And there was approximately 6-month improvement in progression-free survival, meaning there was a delay in disease progression by 5 to 6 months in patients who were receiving lutetium therapy. And at the time of the report, there was no improvement in overall survival, with the caveat that 84% patients who were receiving novel hormonal therapy, actually, they switched over to lutetium therapy after disease progression. So, overall, survival data may not be met. Having said that, we already know that lutetium therapy is an effective therapy, and it has a definitive role in treatment of our patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer. Dr. Grivas: Thank you, Neeraj. That's very, very important data. And I'm so glad we have many more therapy options for our patients with prostate cancer. So involvement and accrual in clinical trials, I'm sure you will agree, is a very important and high priority. And I always encourage people with prostate cancer to ask about clinical trials that are relevant to their situation. Dr. Agarwal: Yeah. I'd just like to add a point regarding lutetium therapy that there was a phase 2 trial in from Australia which compared lutetium therapy with cabazitaxel therapy after disease progression and docetaxel chemotherapy. And efficacy of both agents were not very different. So just wanted to make that point. Dr. Grivas: Thank you, Neeraj. It's a very important point. And obviously, always want to think about pace and preference, convenience, distance from the cancer centers, all the relevant points, how we can individualize suggestions or recommendations for our patients. Thank you so much, Neeraj, for your wonderful input, insights, and all the work you do in the field. Dr. Agarwal: Thank you very much for having me. Dr. Grivas: Of course, of course. And now we're going to transition to a different cancer type. We're going to talk about bladder cancer and urothelial cancer in general, urinary tract cancer. And we're delighted and excited to have Dr. Shilpa Gupta from Cleveland Clinic, who's a professor there of oncology. Shilpa, I want to introduce yourself? Dr. Gupta: I'm Shilpa Gupta. I'm a genitourinary medical oncologist and the director of the GU Program at Cleveland Clinic. I'm really excited to be doing this podcast with you all. Dr. Grivas: Thank you, Shilpa. You have done amazing work in the field, pushing the field forward. You are part of those transformative studies. I will ask you in the beginning where I'm going to focus my first question for people who have advanced or metastatic bladder cancer or urinary tract cancer or upper or lower tract. And we saw really exciting, impressive data at the recent ESMO Congress in Madrid a couple of months ago. And I know you were there and were enjoying to see the improvement in patient outcomes that comes with better quality of life for patients in the last several years. And the question I have for you, if you want to summarize the key data in the first-line treatment, patients who have no prior treatment for metastatic urothelial cancer, what are the key data we showed at the ESMO meeting? Dr. Gupta: Thank you, Petros. As you said, this is a really exciting time for both patients as well as the physicians treating bladder cancer because of all the new developments which we've seen after decades. So at ESMO 2023, we saw the key data from the EV-302 trial, which was a phase 3 trial, which randomized patients to the standard of care, platinum-based chemotherapy, gemcitabine-cisplatin or gemcitabine-carboplatin, versus a novel drug, which is an antibody-drug conjugate called enfortumab vedotin and the immunotherapy pembrolizumab. And the primary endpoint was to see if patients lived longer and this delayed progression. And we saw that in this the progression-free survival, we saw that it was 12.5 months with enfortumab vedotin and pembrolizumab compared to 6.3 months, which means that the risk of progression or death was decreased by 55% with this new combination. And the benefit was seen across all the various factors, especially patients with liver metastases, visceral metastases, whether or not they had contraindications to receiving cisplatin or not or PD-L1 expression. So this is the first time we saw such a remarkable benefit with any treatment that beat platinums. And the overall survival was also doubled: 16 months in chemotherapy versus 31.5 months with this combination. So the risk of death was reduced by 53%. And we also saw that the overall response rates were 68% with this compared to 44% with chemo. And 29% of patients had complete responses. And this was really remarkable because we have not seen such data before. And in the same session, we also saw another phase 3 trial that was presented, which was the Checkmate 901 trial, in which the investigators tested whether the addition of immunotherapy called nivolumab to the standard of care, gemcitabine and cisplatin was better than gemcitabine and cisplatin alone. So this was a study only looking for patients who can receive cisplatin. So patients were randomized to 6 cycles of gemcitabine cisplatin versus nivolumab, gemcitabine cisplatin for up to 6 cycles. And after that, they continued nivolumab maintenance every month for up to 2 years. And in this, the primary endpoint of overall survival was also met, although the difference was not as huge as the other study. It was 18.9 months with chemotherapy versus 21.7 months with the combination. And progression-free survival was also improved by just 0.3 months with the combination. And the objective response rates were higher with the combination, 57% versus 43%, and there were 21% complete responses. So the bottom line is that both these trials showed us that the frontline treatment is not going to be just platinums anymore moving forward. We will have the option of the enfortumab vedotin and pembrolizumab for all comers, patients who can get platinums, and nivolumab and gemcitabine cisplatin for patients who are cisplatin eligible. Dr. Grivas: Thank you, Shilpa. Wonderful summary. Really, really exciting time to see the field moving forward and translate those results to longer life for our patients. In that context, I will also ask you—I asked Neeraj before about genetic testing in prostate cancer. I will ask you a similar question about genetic testing in bladder cancer. Again, reminding the audience about the distinction between germline testing, which is the DNA we are born with, and somatic testing, which is the cancer-specific genomic changes. Could you comment on the importance of genetic testing in bladder cancer? Dr. Gupta: Yes. Absolutely, Petros. Genetic testing in urothelial cancer is very important because for the first time a few years ago, we saw a drug targeting the fibroblastic growth factor receptor or FGFR alterations. This drug is called erdafitinib. It is the first targeted therapy to be approved in urothelial cancer. It is only seen in up to 20% of patients who harbor these alterations for whom this option may be viable. And we saw initially that erdafitinib was approved in patients who harbor these alterations in the phase 2 BLC2001 trial where it showed response rates of 40% and encouraging progression-free survival, and overall survival. And then we also saw in a phase 3 trial called the THOR trial where patients who harbored these alterations by genetic testing, erdafitinib was much better than chemotherapy, prolonged survival by almost 4.2 months compared to chemotherapy. So unless we are testing, we won't find this. So it is really important to test all our advanced disease patients so we are not depriving them of this additional targeted therapy. Dr. Grivas: Thank you, Shilpa. Very important message for our patients to definitely discuss the value of genetic testing. And if we think about therapy implications, specifically genomic changes, DNA changes in these FGFR-2 and FGFR-3 genes are very relevant and important for potential therapy with this agent called erdafitinib. Shilpa, a quick comment. We saw data from THOR cohort 2 comparing erdafitinib with this inhibitor of this FGFR that we just talked about compared to pembrolizumab, which is an immunotherapy drug inhibiting a checkpoint of the immune system. Could you quickly comment on that? And I think both options are available for our patients and sometimes just comes down to the sequence based on a particular patient case. Dr. Gupta: So Petros, as we had thought that patients who harbor these alterations in their tumors, they may benefit from using targeted therapy before immunotherapy. That was the premise of the cohort 2 of the THOR trial, that patients will do better if they received erdafitinib first after progressing on 1 prior line of therapy, which is not an immunotherapy. So patients were randomized to erdafitinib versus pembrolizumab. Of course, all of them had to have the FGFR alterations. The primary endpoint was overall survival. Initially, like I said, the study assumed that there'll be 46% improvement in overall survival with erdafitinib over pembrolizumab. However, the study was a negative study. There was no difference in the overall survival. And what that means for our patients is that erdafitinib right now is positioned for patients who've had prior platinums and immunotherapies. So erdafitinib should not be used before immunotherapy. So I think this is the first study that really settles the question of sequencing for our patients. And I think the message is that in a patient's journey, they should be getting all these therapies. We just now know that it's better to use pembrolizumab before erdafitinib and not vice versa. Dr. Grivas: Thanks, Shilpa. And then really, really interesting to see these trials being reported. And as you said, individual discussion with the patients and the response rate may be another factor to consider. If someone wants to have a more rapid control of the cancer of the disease, we may potentially think about an agent with high response rate and vice versa. So I think to your point, individual decisions. And I think patients asking those questions is very important in the clinic to help select the right patient for the right treatment for the right patient. Dr. Gupta: Yeah. Absolutely, Petros. They did see that the response rates were 40% with the erdafitinib versus 21% with the immunotherapy. So using that information can sometimes guide us if a patient has high disease burden. Dr. Grivas: Thank you, Shilpa. That was very insightful. And thank you for all you are doing for the patients and the field in general. You really, really have helped the field move forward. So congratulations and thank you. And we're going to transition to another superstar in the field of GU cancers. Very excited to host Dr. Tian Zhang. Dr. Zhang is in UT Southwestern in Dallas. Tian, you want to introduce yourself? Dr. Zhang: Hi, Petros. Thank you so much. Tian Zhang, I'm a GU medical oncologist and associate professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Dr. Grivas: Wonderful. Thanks, Tian. Again, the same comments. All the work you're doing in the field is tremendous. Thanks for joining us today. Tian, we saw some very interesting data at the ESMO meeting. And since we're doing the highlights of the year, I think the predominance of the data we saw at the ESMO meeting was about this drug called belzutifan, where I will ask you to enlighten us what exactly this is. And particularly, we saw 3 different trials. I would probably ask you to focus more on the LITESPARK-005. What was the trial design and what was the primary goal of the study? When patients go on this drug, what they should be aware in terms of side effects? And what was all this discussion that the take-home message at the end of ESMO regarding belzutifan? Thank you. Dr. Zhang: Sure. We'll parse that one at a time. Belzutifan, I hope many of our audience knows is a small molecule inhibitor of the HIF complex, a hypoxia-inducible factor complex, which is implicated in the development of kidney cancers. And this biology actually contributed to the Nobel Prize in 2019. Understanding the structure of the HIF complex and how to target it. For a long time, HIF was thought to be un-targetable. And so the fact that there were small molecules identified actually here in Dallas at UT Southwestern that inhibits the dimerization of the HIF complex is really novel and shows us the bench-to-bedside translatability of these preclinical discoveries. And so there were a couple of molecules that were discovered here on campus and they paved the way for what became molecules that have now made it to clinic, in particular belzutifan. And so we've had belzutifan now approved for Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome over the last 2 years or so. So many of us are familiar with using this drug in the clinic. It's an oral agent that's able to target the HIF complex and block it and really control the spread of clear cell kidney cancers, in particular in Von Hippel-Lindau disease. LITESPARK-005, the trial that you're alluding to, there was a registrational trial for belzutifan across other kidney cancer populations. And this trial was the 1 that made, I think, the biggest impact of the 3 trials that were presented at ESMO this year. LITESPARK-005 was a phase 3 trial of patients who had metastatic or locally advanced clear cell kidney cancer who had progressed after prior systemic therapies, not more than 3 prior lines. And they were randomized to either belzutifan at the 120 milligrams daily dose or everolimus at the 10 milligrams daily dose. And the primary endpoint was delay of progression. So progression-free survival as well as overall survival. So we saw the primary endpoint of these was met for progression-free survival. There was about a 26% risk reduction for progression for patients treated with belzutifan versus those that were treated with everolimus. The objective response rate I would highlight is also significant for the patients treated with belzutifan. There was actually a 3.5% complete response rate and objective responses. So including partial responders was about 23%. I would say that patients who are treated with belzutifan need to be aware of the side effects of anemia and also hypoxia [low levels of oxygen in the body]. And in fact, higher grades of anemia can occur in up to a third of patients and higher rates of hypoxia. So low oxygen saturations can occur in up to 10% or so of patients. And so that's really important when we're thinking about those toxicities and how we might hold or support the side effects with growth factors, for example, for the anemia. Otherwise, it's quite well tolerated as a single agent. As you alluded to, there was 1 controversial aspect of this particular trial because the control cohort was treated with everolimus. And everolimus as a single agent may not be what people use at this point in the refractory setting. But it is an acceptable approved treatment option for patients in the refractory kidney cancer setting, and therefore, it was chosen as the control cohort. And belzutifan did improve compared to a known standard of treatment. So I think that's really important to add to our armamentarium in refractory disease. Dr. Grivas: Wonderful, Tian. Thank you so much for a really, really comprehensive and detailed review. We'll have to see whether it will be available for patients with advanced clear-cell kidney cancer. To your point, it's already available for patients with this condition that you mentioned, the Von Hippel-Lindau genetic condition. So it's great to see more options available for our patients. Maybe I'll ask you another quick trial to comment on Tian, and I'll ask you individual questions to make it easier, to your point, for the audience to follow. And I'm referring to the RENOTORCH trial. This was conducted in China, and I think it was practice-changing there. Could you tell us the study design? Dr. Zhang: RENOTORCH was another phase 3 randomized trial. It was conducted all in China of patients with unresectable metastatic clear cell kidney cancer, no systemic prior therapy, and also intermediate- and poor-risk disease by IMDC criteria. So these were all first-line metastatic disease, and patients were randomized to either toripalimab, which is their PD-1 inhibitor, plus axitinib versus sunitinib. So this is a trial design that mirrors many of our prior trials in the first-line metastatic setting that have led to approvals of VEGF IO [immunotherapy] combinations. But this is the first one that was carried out purely in the Chinese population and important for the Chinese population to gain access to these types of combinations. Dr. Grivas: Thank you, Tian. Very important to see this global approach, as you mentioned, oncology and see trials from different countries. What were the main findings of this trial? Dr. Zhang: Sure. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival of the 2 cohorts. And they randomized about 420 patients. About 80% per cohort had intermediate-risk disease. And the combination of axitinib with toripalimab did improve progression-free survival. So it had a 35% risk reduction for progression over time. So it did meet its primary endpoint. Dr. Grivas: Thank you, Tian. It's great to see progress in the field. As I mentioned, new agents, positive trials. Could you comment a little bit on the side effect profile and the significance of this trial for our patients worldwide? Dr. Zhang: Sure. When we're talking about VEGF IO combinations very similarly as to the prior trials that we've seen in the toxicity profiles, we're thinking a lot about the immunotherapy toxicities of rashes and colitis [inflammation of the colon], endocrinopathies [hormone problems], as well as the rare inflammatory reactions of the liver, lungs, or kidney, but also added in the small molecule effects of hypertension, hand-foot syndrome, and mucositis [mouth sores] and taste changes. So very important to think through those side effect profiles as our patients are being treated with these combinations. Dr. Grivas: Thank you so much, Tian. Great to see, again, this progress made worldwide. And I think it speaks to the idea of how we can have equitable healthcare delivery across the globe, right, and have agents accessible in different parts of the world. Dr. Zhang: Absolutely. In fact, I would just add that the Chinese population haven't actually had access to drugs like cabozantinib. And this is their first phase 3 grade 1 evidence for a combination of VEGF with IO combination. So it's really important that these trials are carried out in the populations where we try to find the effect and see that the consistent benefit is there so that those patients have access to all of these treatment options. Dr. Grivas: Thank you, Tian. I appreciate your wonderful insights and all your amazing contributions in the field and your research. It's really, really inspiring to see. And I'm going to transition now. Last but not least, we're having the honor of hosting professor, Dr. Tim Gilligan, who is in Cleveland Clinic, and Tim is a world-known expert in urinary cancers, including testicular cancer. Tim, would you like to introduce yourself? Dr. Gilligan: Yes. Hi. So I think you just did. Tim Gilligan, an oncologist at Cleveland Clinic. I chaired the NCCN panel on testis cancer and edit the UpToDate sections on testis cancer with their help. Dr. Grivas: Fantastic. Thanks, Tim, for being with us today. And all the work you have done for our patients with GU cancers, testicular cancer, and a lot of work is being done with the NCCN and other guidelines. And you are co-chairing the NCCN guidelines, to your point. Tim, a lot of discussion is happening nowadays across cancer types regarding the role of what we call biomarkers, which are potential features that can help us select patients for the right treatment or help us estimate the prognosis, how long people live. Could you comment a little bit on this biomarker called microRNA in patients with testis cancer? How do you envision this being developed in the future? Is it ready for prime time or not yet? Dr. Gilligan: And that's an important question. It's not ready for prime time yet, but we are making progress. There are a couple of areas where it could be very useful. So for example, in stage I testicular cancer, we tell patients to go on surveillance because they're usually cured with orchiectomy [surgical removal of the tumor and testicle], but there is a risk of relapse, and that risk of relapse is highly variable. And our current risk stratification systems for predicting who's going to relapse, who has stage 1 disease, are helpful, but they're far from perfect. And so there was data presented this year that mRNA may be more accurate at predicting for men with stage I non-seminomas who's destined to relapse. And so the implication of that would be if you are positive for mRNA, this particular mRNA for non-seminoma and you have stage I disease, normal scans, normal markers, you could identify a high-risk group of patients who maybe should get a cycle of BEP chemotherapy rather than waiting. If you know they're going to relapse, you're going to have to get them 3 cycles of BEP, why not just treat them right away? Or maybe RPLND [retroperitoneal lymph node dissection] could be helpful in that setting. We don't know. But we would need to do studies validating that approach. There is data showing that it does predict relapse, but it's not at the point of saying, "Are the patients really going to do better with immediate treatment and which treatment is going to be best for them?" But I thought that was an important finding and really an example of how we think we're going to use it, which is to find relapse a lot earlier and so that we can give a less toxic treatment. And the benefit of that is that we know more and more that chemotherapy is toxic and resulted in second cancers. For men who get multiple cycles of cisplatin-based chemotherapy, or if they get radiation therapy, they're at higher risk of dying of other cancers than the general population. So if this could help us find early relapses, treat it more gently, less aggressively, have late, less toxicity, and the same cure rate. That would be great. So we're not there yet, but I think we're going to get there. Dr. Grivas: Thanks, Tim. Very, very helpful to know. So this microRNA 371 that we talk about is not ready for prime time, but you definitely see promise for the future, and more trials, more studies are being done. Again, illustrating the importance of clinical trials that can help us evaluate the added value of a particular biomarker, including this particular microRNA that we talked about. Dr. Gilligan: Before you change the subject on getting to crude biomarkers, there was also an interesting abstract showing that for stage I seminoma. If we actually use our current markers, we may be able to predict much more accurately. And it'll be interesting to see if that changes. They looked at the variables of lymphovascular invasion, invasion of the hilum of the testis, whether or not preoperative markers were elevated, LDH, and beta HCG. What was interesting to me about that paper was that this is about 900 patients. It was pretty large. That if you had all 4 risk factors, the relapse rate was about 64%. Whereas your average relapse risk for stage I seminoma is about 15%. We put everyone on surveillance. If we started if that model is persuasive to the community and starts getting used, then maybe patients with those 4 risk markers who most of whom are going to relapse, according to this data, maybe you want to treat those people and not put them on surveillance. So that'll be interesting to follow up on too. Dr. Grivas: Thanks, Tim. And you are referring to currently available blood tests, right, that can be used, and we use them in clinical practice. So we just put them together, try to get a sense of the chance of cancer coming back, what we call recurrence, and how long people may live. That can help us make a therapy decision. Thank you, Tim. This is very, very interesting. And I'm glad to see the progress in the field. I think you alluded to that before, but there is a trend discussing when we have a removal of the testicle for a patient with testis cancer, what to do next, depending on the stage, those markers that the blood tests you told us about. What about the role of surgery for removal of lymph nodes, for example? And do you see a trend going forward that in many selective cases, certain scenarios, we may potentially select surgery as opposed to chemotherapy or radiation to avoid these potential complications down the road? And if so, which are those patients who may benefit from surgery? Dr. Gilligan: Yeah, an important question. I think surgery, there's been a growing interest in using surgery rather than chemotherapy in order to avoid late effects. So retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) is the most obvious example of that. There is data now showing that most patients with stage II seminoma can be cured with retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. We used to treat those patients with chemotherapy or radiation, but as I've noted, both of those are associated with an increased risk of second cancers down the line. So there are papers on both sides of the Atlantic showing that you can cure most people. However, it is important to note that the relapse rate after surgery is significantly higher than the relapse rate after chemotherapy or radiation. If you take a stage II patient and treat them with chemotherapy or radiation, you're going to cure well over 90% of them. Whereas the relapse risk with surgery, depending on what you find at surgery, is going to be higher. So on average, it's going to be in the realm of 20%, maybe as high as 30%, depending on which paper you look at. And if you take patients who have PN2 disease, so a lymph node is 2 centimeters or bigger, 25% or more of those patients are relapsing after surgery. So it's important for patients to understand that this treatment has the benefit of avoiding chemotherapy for most patients, but it also has a higher risk of relapse than the old treatments. We still think it's attractive because if you can avoid chemotherapy in 3 out of 4 patients or 4 out of 5 patients, that's a benefit to those patients. And also, if you go in and find a significant amount of cancer at surgery, you can give 2 cycles of chemotherapy right away and almost eliminate the risk of relapse, which is less chemo than they would be getting upfront, which would be 3 or 4 cycles. So one of the emphasis now is really trying to avoid late toxicities if we can. You sometimes see that even in the metastatic setting in terms of resecting residual masses and situations where we maybe in the past would have thought about second-line chemotherapy. I think people are more thinking about opportunities to use surgery instead to try to limit the quantity of chemo that we're giving. Those are much trickier decisions than the stage II decisions, but definitely a growing interest in surgery rather than chemo. Dr. Grivas: Thank you so much. It's really, really exciting to see that testis cancer was really transformed in the past with developments of therapies like chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. And it's great to see this evolving down the road. And I think all of the above that you mentioned evolves through the conduction of clinical trials. And as I mentioned before, I think it's so important to give the opportunity for patients and families to review clinical trial options. I think it's critical to try to help them, but also help other patients, the community, the society in general. So I always try to underline the importance of clinical trials across the board. And on that note, I think we had such a successful year, 2023 across GU cancers. It's so great to see the progress being made. All of us are looking forward for more exciting research being done in 2024 and beyond. And on that note, I want to thank so much Dr. Agarwal, Dr. Gupta, Dr. Zhang, and Dr. Gilligan for wonderful insights and all the great work they're doing in the field of GU cancers. As the editor for the GU Cancers for the wonderful Cancer.Net, I'm so proud of this team and really, really looking forward to further podcasts like this and how we can better serve the educational mission for ASCO, working with the wonderful staff at Cancer.Net. Thank you so much, all of you, for your time today and all you are doing. Dr. Gupta: Thank you, Petros. Dr. Zhang: Thank you, Petros. ASCO: Thank you, Dr. Grivas, Dr. Agarwal, Dr. Gupta, Dr. Zhang, and Dr. Gilligan. You can learn more about new research in genitourinary cancers at www.cancer.net. Cancer.Net Podcasts feature trusted, timely, and compassionate information for people with cancer, survivors, and their families and loved ones. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts for expert information and tips on coping with cancer, recaps of the latest research advances, and thoughtful discussions on cancer care. And check out other ASCO Podcasts to hear the latest interviews and insights from thought leaders, innovators, experts, and pioneers in oncology. Cancer.Net is supported by Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, which funds lifesaving research for every type of cancer, helping people with cancer everywhere. To help fund Cancer.Net and programs like it, donate at CONQUER.ORG/Donate.
Long before he was a world-renowned neurosurgeon, Dr. Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa was a 5-year-old boy selling food at gas stations in his native Mexico. But he wanted to dream bigger: At 19, he left his native Mexico in hopes of a better future. Despite speaking little English and having no money, he felt it was his chance at better supporting his loved ones. He was right. After two years of working manual labor, he decided to build a better future for himself, ultimately earning a scholarship to the University of California Berkeley. Next, he applied and was accepted to Harvard Medical School. After earning his medical degree, Dr. Quiñones began his career as a neurosurgeon in 2005 at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He subsequently received a Conquer Cancer grant to help advance research for patients with brain tumors and other neurological cancers. In this Your Stories episode, Dr. Quiñones tells host Dr. Don Dizon about the challenges he faced on the path to becoming a physician-scientist. He also discusses the inspiration he derives from providing care for patients, how his grandmother influenced his career path, and the role that philanthropy has in building the next generation of cancer researchers.
In this episode of KAJ Masterclass LIVE, join host Khudania Ajay as he engages in a powerful conversation with Fitz Koehler, a fitness innovator, race announcer, speaker, and cancer survivor. Fitz shares her inspiring journey of overcoming cancer, discussing the importance of resilience, mental fortitude, and taking control of one's health. Discover how Fitz turned challenges into triumphs and find motivation to conquer obstacles in your own life.
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You've seen them: the pink ribbons pinned to your senator's suit jacket. Runners dressed in head-to-toe pink athletic gear, racing for a cure. Football players streaking down the field in pink cleats. It wasn't always like this. Long before people began thinking pink, breast cancer remained fairly stigmatized, a taboo subject only discussed behind the closed doors of a doctor's office. Today, though, the conversation around breast cancer has reached a level of nearly unrivaled ubiquity, thanks in large part to a huge collective of philanthropists, advocates, physicians, scientists and patients around the world who, more than 30 years ago, decided it was time—perhaps even long past time—for a change. In this episode of Your Stories, Conquer Cancer's executive vice chair Dr. Clifford Hudis is joined by Dr. Judy Garber, scientific director of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and CNN reporter and two-time breast cancer survivor Athena Jones. Together, they talk about the history behind the advocacy movement for breast cancer, what it is that keeps the conversation going, and what everyone—including those trying to conquer other cancers—can learn from this rise in breast cancer advocacy.
As a little girl, Kenedi loves eating ice cream, drawing stories about her family's chickens, and playing with her sister. But at age 7, after feeling sick for some time, a cancer diagnosis upended Kenedi's life. Despite being the top disease-related cause of death for children, pediatric cancers are still considered rare. As with most rare diseases, childhood cancer receives far less research funding compared with more common cancers. The consequence? Fewer breakthroughs or treatment options for patients. Even so, elevated investment in childhood cancer research has provided a lifeline for kids like Kenedi, ultimately increasing their odds of survival. Funded by a Conquer Cancer grant, her own oncologist, Dr. Wendy Allen-Rhoades, dedicated significant effort to identifying warning signs signaling the presence of sarcoma cells in the body. This donor-supported research resulted in a clinical trial that ultimately — and successfully — informed Kenedi's treatment. By age 8, Kenedi was in remission. In our latest Your Stories podcast, Dr. Allen-Rhoades talks to host Brenda Brody about caring for Kenedi, why raising awareness and funds for childhood cancer research is so critical, and how supporting Conquer Cancer helps pediatric oncologists and the children they treat.
Imagine you—or a loved one—receives a cancer diagnosis. Overnight, you find yourself trying to become an oncology expert, desperately looking for information about options. You stumble across a research paper that looks promising—if you could make sense of all the science-speak. Then you find Cancer.Net, the patient information website of Conquer Cancer and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). This doctor-approved resource makes cancer terminology easier to digest and offers the latest guidelines on research and treatment. In this episode of Your Stories, host and cancer survivor Brenda Brody is joined by Dr. Jyoti Patel, a clinical oncologist and the editor-in-chief of Cancer.Net. Together, they unpack some of the year's biggest research breakthroughs, explain what makes these findings meaningful for patients, and talk about the long-term impact of donor-funded research. They also share why providing cancer information in lay terms is essential to raising awareness and support.
For patients with oral cancers, treatment is often just the beginning of their journey. Even after they emerge cancer-free, many still face a long journey to recovery and restored quality of life As a maxillofacial surgeon and oncologist, Dr. Chi Viet concentrates heavily on helping her patients to not only conquer this rare cancer, but to more easily and effectively manage their pain along their road to recovery. Using a Conquer Cancer grant, Dr. Viet worked to find epigenetic biomarkers –– or hereditary indicators –– of oral cancer survival, with the goal of personalizing patient care In this episode of our Your Stories podcast, Dr. Viet speaks with host Dr. Don Dizon about her early career evolution from dentist to cancer surgeon and how her own patients help to advance rare cancer research for current and future patients.
Toronto Maple Leafs Legend Doug Gilmour joined OverDrive earlier today after taking part in an activation event for the Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer! He touched on that, how media coverage has changed & we take a look back on the 1993 high stick that went uncalled.
Hour 2 as we continue a Wednesday on OverDrive with Brendan Dunlop and Dave Feschuk as the guys are joined by Maple Leafs Legend Doug Gilmour to chat about the Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer and some Leafs talk. Plus TSN Golf Analyst Bob Weeks updates the senate hearing from yesterday and we look ahead to the ESPY's tonight!
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