Cancer Covered

Dr. Fred Appelbaum, Executive Vice President of Fred Hutch Cancer Center, joins Green Bay Oncology physicians Dr. Brian Burnette, Dr. Kamal Abbi, and Dr. Evan Wenig, along with Dr. Brian Merkel, Associate Professor and Chair of Human Biology at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, to reflect on the bold and uncertain early days of stem cell transplantation and how that work reshaped the treatment of leukemia. From experimental procedures in the 1970s to today’s highly refined transplant and cellular therapies, this conversation traces how risk, collaboration, and perseverance laid the foundation for modern cancer care. “Whoever saves a life, saves the world. And when you sit with a patient, you have to remember that you could just as easily be on the other side of the table.” ~ Dr. Fred Appelbaum On this episode of Cancer Covered, you will learn: We’ve Got Cancer…Covered. Thanks for tuning into this week’s Cancer Covered with Green Bay Oncology episode. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | Pandora | Spotify | iHeart | TuneIn | Podcast Index Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more oncology professionals, cancer patients, and their families. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more exclusive content and information, visit our website. Join Our Free Monthly Support Group No one should carry the burden of cancer alone. A cancer diagnosis can make you and your loved ones feel isolated and alone – just when you need support the most. Our social workers at Green Bay Oncology know that meaningful connection brings strength and healing. Sharing the experience in a safe space with others on a similar path is often powerful and therapeutic. That’s why we offer a free monthly virtual and in-person cancer support group facilitated for you and your loved ones. Wherever you are on your cancer journey – you are always welcome. To join us, visit: https://gboncology.com/events/

Medical oncologist and hematologist Dr. Harsha Poola discusses his journey from a small town in southern India to joining Green Bay Oncology. He shares how witnessing his parents’ dedication to their patients and his own family’s experience with a cancer diagnosis shaped his holistic, patient-centered approach to medicine. “I strongly believe that the paternalistic approach to medicine is no longer valid. The days of a doctor telling you what to do and what not to do are not entirely appropriate anymore. I strongly believe in being a partner to my patients.” ~ Dr. Harsha Poola On this episode of “Cancer Covered,” you will learn: We’ve Got Cancer…Covered. Thanks for tuning into this week’s Cancer Covered with Green Bay Oncology episode. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay |Deezer | Spotify | iHeart Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more oncology professionals, cancer patients, and their families. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more exclusive content and information, visit our website. Join Our Free Monthly Support Group No one should carry the burden of cancer alone. A cancer diagnosis can make you and your loved ones feel isolated and alone – just when you need support the most. Our social workers at Green Bay Oncology know that meaningful connection brings strength and healing. Sharing the experience in a safe space with others on a similar path is often powerful and therapeutic. That’s why we offer a free monthly virtual and in-person cancer support group facilitated for you and your loved ones. Wherever you are on your cancer journey – you are always welcome. To join us, visit: https://gboncology.com/events/

Medical oncologists Dr. Brian Burnette and Dr. Kamal Abbi discuss how to bridge the gap between finishing treatment and finding a new normal. They dive into the overlooked complexities of survivorship, exploring how the end of clinical care often marks the beginning of a different, more personal battle with anxiety, physical recovery, and the shifting identity of life after a diagnosis. “We can sometimes get people to that spot where they don’t actually look at cancer as having been a bad thing for them. They may actually live longer and live better after cancer because they’ve made better health choices and better lifestyle choices moving forward with their life.” – Dr. Brian Burnette On this episode of Cancer Covered, you’ll learn: GEM-SFoRtitude Helpful links Clinical trials exploring ways to improve cancer survivorship: Geriatric Evaluation and Management With Survivorship Health Education for Older Survivors of Cancer, GEM-S Trial (GEM-S)A Targeted Electronic Health Approach to Reduce Fear of Recurrence in Breast Cancer Survivors (FoRtitude) (FoRtitude)E-Mindfulness Approaches for Living After Breast Cancer (HEAL-ABC)LIVESTRONG at the YMCA We’ve Got Cancer…Covered. Thanks for tuning into this week’s Cancer Covered with Green Bay Oncology episode. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay |Deezer | Spotify | iHeart Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more oncology professionals, cancer patients, and their families. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more exclusive content and information, visit our website. Join Our Free Monthly Support Group No one should carry the burden of cancer alone. A cancer diagnosis can make you and your loved ones feel isolated and alone – just when you need support the most. Our social workers at Green Bay Oncology know that meaningful connection brings strength and healing. Sharing the experience in a safe space with others on a similar path is often powerful and therapeutic. That’s why we offer a free monthly virtual and in-person cancer support group facilitated for you and your loved ones. Wherever you are on your cancer journey – you are always welcome. To join us, visit: https://gboncology.com/events/

Social worker Tom Bekkers joins oncologists Dr. David Groteluschen and Dr. Michael Guiou to peel back the curtain on the emotional weight of cancer care. They explore how the care team supports not only the patients and their families, but also one another, through the most difficult moments of the journey. “Acknowledging that…it takes a special person to work with patients day in and day out… making that an open time or giving them the free time to come and talk… It’s okay to come and share it.” – Tom Bekkers On this episode of Cancer Covered, you’ll learn: We’ve Got Cancer…Covered. Thanks for tuning into this week’s Cancer Covered with Green Bay Oncology episode. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay |Deezer | Spotify | iHeart Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more oncology professionals, cancer patients, and their families. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more exclusive content and information, visit our website. Join Our Free Monthly Support Group No one should carry the burden of cancer alone. A cancer diagnosis can make you and your loved ones feel isolated and alone – just when you need support the most. Our social workers at Green Bay Oncology know that meaningful connection brings strength and healing. Sharing the experience in a safe space with others on a similar path is often powerful and therapeutic. That’s why we offer a free monthly virtual and in-person cancer support group facilitated for you and your loved ones. Wherever you are on your cancer journey – you are always welcome. To join us, visit: https://gboncology.com/events/

A cancer diagnosis is more than physical; it requires sufficient nourishment to support the body through treatment and recovery. In this episode, Clinical Dietician Maddi Mleziva joins Oncologist Dr. David Groteluschen Gro to discuss the alarming rate of food insecurity among cancer patients and the collaborative strategies the care team uses to ensure access to vital nutrition. “ Your calorie needs increase pretty significantly with treatment, and that goes in part with the cachexia. Your cells are eating up calories a lot faster because the cancer cells are eating up calories.” – Maddi Mleziva On this episode of Cancer Covered, you’ll learn: We’ve Got Cancer…Covered. Thanks for tuning into this week’s Cancer Covered with Green Bay Oncology episode. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay |Deezer | Spotify | iHeart Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more oncology professionals, cancer patients, and their families. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more exclusive content and information, visit our website. Join Our Free Monthly Support Group No one should carry the burden of cancer alone. A cancer diagnosis can make you and your loved ones feel isolated and alone – just when you need support the most. Our social workers at Green Bay Oncology know that meaningful connection brings strength and healing. Sharing the experience in a safe space with others on a similar path is often powerful and therapeutic. That’s why we offer a free monthly virtual and in-person cancer support group facilitated for you and your loved ones. Wherever you are on your cancer journey – you are always welcome. To join us, visit: https://gboncology.com/events/

A cancer diagnosis is more than physical; it touches every part of a patient’s life. In this vital episode of Cancer Covered, social worker Tom Bekkers joins oncologists Dr. David Groteluschen and Dr. Michael Guiou to discuss the indispensable role of social work in providing comprehensive support for patients and families navigating the emotional, practical, and financial challenges of cancer care. “We address the emotional and psychosocial aspects… Just trying to help give them a chance to feel what they’re feeling and give ‘em permission to experience whatever they’re feeling.” – Tom Bekkers On this episode of Cancer Covered, you’ll learn: We’ve Got Cancer…Covered. Thanks for tuning into this week’s Cancer Covered with Green Bay Oncology episode. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay |Deezer | Spotify | iHeart Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more oncology professionals, cancer patients, and their families. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more exclusive content and information, visit our website. Join Our Free Monthly Support Group No one should carry the burden of cancer alone. A cancer diagnosis can make you and your loved ones feel isolated and alone – just when you need support the most. Our social workers at Green Bay Oncology know that meaningful connection brings strength and healing. Sharing the experience in a safe space with others on a similar path is often powerful and therapeutic. That’s why we offer a free monthly virtual and in-person cancer support group facilitated for you and your loved ones. Wherever you are on your cancer journey – you are always welcome. To join us, visit: https://gboncology.com/events/

Dr. Tony Jaslowski and Outagamie County Veterans Service Officer Kel Bales discuss the health crisis of burn pit exposure, the associated cancers affecting veterans, and the landmark PACT Act legislation that expands VA healthcare and benefits.

In the second half of our discussion, Dr. Brian Merkel moves beyond his 1984 battle with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) to focus on his life as a survivor. Following a successful bone marrow transplant, Dr. Merkel is now dedicated to inspiring and mentoring the next generation of doctors and scientists.

Dr. Brian Merkel, Associate Professor and Chair of Human Biology at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, joins Green Bay Oncology’s Dr. Brian Burnette and his former student Dr. Evan Wenig to share his remarkable journey of surviving acute myeloid leukemia through one of the earliest bone marrow transplants and how that experience continues to shape his life’s work teaching and mentoring future doctors and scientists.

Financial counselors Jordan Karwedsky and Anne Baumgart join this episode of Cancer Covered to break down how Medicare covers cancer treatments, offering practical advice on navigating the system and accessing financial assistance.

Dr. Kamal Abbi and Dr. Brian Burnette discuss BiTE therapy, a cutting-edge immunotherapy that brings the body’s own T-cells into direct contact with cancer cells to destroy them. They highlight its rapid advancements and the potential to transform certain incurable cancers into curable diseases with time-limited treatment.

Dr. Michael Guiou, Dr. Kamal Abbi, and Dr. Matthew Ryan discuss Pluvicto, an innovative radiopharmaceutical treatment for advanced prostate cancer that delivers targeted radiation throughout the body with fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy.

Drs. Michael Guiou and Alex Coffman, radiation oncologists, explain that patients with left-sided breast cancer have a higher risk of heart disease because of the heart's proximity to the radiation field. They detail how modern techniques like deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) and prone positioning are now used to reduce this risk, a significant improvement over earlier methods that unintentionally increased heart exposure.

In the second part of his story, 101-year-old WWII veteran Vaughn Collicott shares his journey of resilience through multiple cancer diagnoses and reflects on his emotional return to Normandy for the 80th D-Day anniversary. He also offers life advice and recounts his continued adventures, including meeting President Biden and Steven Spielberg.

Cancer survivor Vaughn Collicott shares his incredible life story, from growing up in a covered wagon and surviving the London Blitz and D-Day invasion to battling multiple cancer diagnoses, highlighting his lifelong resilience, service, and courage.

medical oncologist and hematologist Dr. Matthew Ryan and pediatric hematology/oncology social worker Emma Lehman, MSW, CAPSW, discuss the significant emotional and logistical hurdles young adults face when transitioning from the supportive, family-centered pediatric cancer care environment to the more independent adult setting.

Dr. Michael Guiou, a radiation oncologist, and Emma Lehman, a pediatric hematology-oncology social worker, explore the unique challenges young adults face when diagnosed with cancer. From treatment adaptations and long-term health concerns to emotional struggles and gaps in support, they shed light on why this age group often feels caught between the pediatric and adult cancer worlds.

Dr. Michael Guiou, Dr. Matthew Ryan, and Dr. Kamal Abbi discuss the key factors that impact the safety and effectiveness of cancer treatments, emphasizing the importance of patient advocacy, understanding treatment options, and working with a multidisciplinary care team.

Dr. Alexander Starr and Dr. Matthew Ryan explain how tumor markers can help track cancer and treatment and emphasize that it's crucial to look at a patient's overall health, not just the numbers.

Insurance can be a maze at the best of times, and when treatments, tests, and ongoing care start to add up, understanding exactly how your coverage works becomes critical.