Oncology and Hematology

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Guest: Marie Wood, MD Traditional cancer screening has always focused on individual organs, but now, multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests are changing that paradigm. By analyzing multiple biomarkers through a single blood draw, MCED testing can detect signals from a variety of cancers—many of which currently lack effective screening tools. These multi-biomarker approaches not only outperform single-marker tests, but also demonstrate scientific rigor and clinical utility. Still, challenges remain, including false positives and integration with standard screening protocols. Joining Dr. Brian McDonough to explore the rationale for using a multi-biomarker approach to MCED testing is Dr. Marie Wood, Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Medical Director of the Hereditary Cancer Program at the CU Cancer Center.

Guest: Aasma Shaukat, MD, MPH As fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) becomes more common in colorectal cancer screening, questions remain about post-FIT follow-up, especially when colonoscopies yield negative results. To explore this further, a recent review looked at the risk of colorectal cancer postcolonoscopy and analyzed the most common reasons it may occur. Hear Dr. Aasma Shaukat, a coauthor of the review, discuss the rationale behind it and its findings, which highlighted the importance of colonoscopy quality. Dr. Shaukat is the Robert M. and Mary H. Glickman Professor of Medicine and a Professor in the Department of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She also serves as the Director of Outcomes Research in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at NYU Langone Health.

Guest: Aasma Shaukat, MD, MPH Despite available options like stool-based testing and colonoscopy, colorectal cancer screening rates remain low. Blood-based testing, however, has the potential to improve adherence by offering a convenient alternative. Join Dr. Aasma Shaukat as she discusses the clinical performance of blood-based testing, its limitations, and its role in real-world settings. Dr. Shaukat is the Robert M. and Mary H. Glickman Professor of Medicine and a Professor in the Department of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She also serves as the Director of Outcomes Research in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at NYU Langone Health.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Forat Lutfi, MD Guest: Nilanjan Ghosh, MD, PhD For patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma, timely access to CAR T-cell therapy can be life-saving, but communication gaps between referring physicians and CAR T centers can lead to delays or missed opportunities. Fortunately, practical strategies like building strong referral networks, improving direct communication, and aligning on shared care responsibilities can streamline access and improve outcomes. Joining Dr. Charles Turck to share their insights on how we can bridge these communication gaps are Drs. Forat Lutfi and Nilanjan Ghosh. Dr. Lutfi is an Assistant Professor of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapeutics at University of Kansas Medical Center, and Dr. Ghosh is a Professor of Cancer Medicine at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Host: Gerard A. Silvestri MD, MS, Master FCCP Guest: Fabien Maldonado, MD, FCCP Guest: Adam H. Fox, MD, MSc Cutting-edge biopsy methods and streamlined biomarker testing are transforming early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) care. Hear from Drs. Gerard Silvestri, Fabien Maldonado, and Adam Fox as they discuss the evolution of bronchoscopic techniques, insights from landmark trials, and the role of pragmatic clinical research in refining biopsy approaches. Dr. Silvestri is a pulmonologist and the Hillenbrand Professor of Thoracic Oncology at the Medical University of South Carolina; Dr. Maldonado is a Professor of Medicine and Thoracic Surgery, the Pierre Massion Director in Lung Cancer Research, and the Director of Interventional Pulmonology Research at Vanderbilt University; and Dr. Fox is a pulmonologist and Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina. This program is produced in partnership with the American College of Chest Physicians and is sponsored by AstraZeneca.

Host: Gerard A. Silvestri MD, MS, Master FCCP Guest: Jeffrey B. Velotta, MD, FACS Guest: Anne Gonzalez, MD, M.Sc. For patients with non-small cell lung cancer, staging accuracy is critical in guiding treatment decisions that can significantly affect outcomes. In this expert-led discussion, Dr. Gerard Silvestri sits down with Drs. Anne Gonzalez and Jeffrey Velotta break down what clinicians need to know, including how to perform thorough EBUS staging, why PET scans alone aren’t enough, and what the updated TNM classification means for surgical planning. Dr. Silvestri is a pulmonologist and the Hillenbrand Professor of Thoracic Oncology at the Medical University of South Carolina; Dr. Gonzalez is a pulmonary and critical care physician, a researcher in the Translational Research and Respiratory Diseases Program, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at McGill University in Montreal; and Dr. Velotta is a leading thoracic surgeon specializing in complex cancers, a Clinical Professor in the Department of Clinical Science at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, and a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at UCSF School of Medicine in California. This program is produced in partnership with the American College of Chest Physicians and is sponsored by AstraZeneca.

Host: Ryan Quigley Guest: Hallie Blevins, PhD. Guest: Marlene Mimi Maeusli, PhD. With one in three eligible Americans still unscreened for colorectal cancer (CRC), there’s an urgent need for noninvasive and affordable alternatives to colonoscopy. A 2025 study published in ACS Sensors introduces a novel aptamer-based colorimetric assay that targets Parvimonas micra—a gut microbe linked to CRC. To learn more, Mr. Ryan Quigley speaks with Drs. Hallie Blevins and Mimi Maeusli about how this technology works, what sets it apart from current testing methods, and why it could play a role in improving early CRC detection.

Host: Ashley Baker, MSN, PMHNP Guest: Heather Allen, PhD Guest: Ran Li, PhD Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is emerging as a powerful tool for distinguishing cancerous from noncancerous tissue during colorectal cancer surgery. In a recent study, Drs. Heather Allen and Ran Li leveraged a broad dataset from multiple sources to identify and validate biomarkers—most notably B1—that demonstrated strong correlation with standard pathology. Hear Drs. Allen and Li walk through their study and the implications of its findings with Ashley Baker. Dr. Allen is a Full Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry as well as the Department of Pathology at Ohio State University in Columbus, and Dr. Li is a researcher who completed a PhD in Analytical Chemistry at The Ohio State University in 2015.

Guest: Theodore Levin, MD In light of guidelines for the starting age of colorectal cancer screening shifting, a recent study explored how screening outcomes compare in adults age 45 to 49 and adults over 50. Across metrics like initiation, adherence, adenoma detection, and colonoscopy yield, the evidence shows support for earlier screening. Tune in to hear Dr. Theodore Levin, Professor of Health System Science at the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine, the Associate Director at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, and the Clinical Lead for Colorectal Cancer Screening for the Permanente Medical Group, break down the research.

Guest: Theodore Levin, MD For younger adults needing to get screened for colorectal cancer, fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) may help with initiation and adherence because of its speed, ease, and noninvasiveness. Hear Dr. Theodore Levin discuss FIT and its potential benefits, particularly in younger adults. Dr. Levin is a Professor of Health System Science at the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine, the Associate Director at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, and the Clinical Lead for Colorectal Cancer Screening for the Permanente Medical Group.

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD Guest: Jim Foote, MBA Functional precision medicine is reshaping oncology by integrating real-time drug testing, genomic data, and artificial intelligence to guide individualized treatment. Dr. Matt Birnholz sits down with Jim Foote, CEO of First Ascent Biomedical, to explore how this approach delivers clinically actionable insights for relapsed and resistant cancer and empowers oncologists with faster, more targeted decision making.

Host: Ryan Quigley Guest: Mallik Greene, PhD A recent study showed that tailored Spanish-language navigation paired with the multi-target stool DNA (mt-sDNA) test can significantly improve colorectal cancer re-screening adherence among Spanish-speaking patients. Hear Ryan Quigley speak with Dr. Mallik Greene, a coauthor of the study, about how these findings could shape the future of colorectal cancer screening in Spanish-speaking populations. Dr. Greene’s educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy, a PhD and a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Health Economics and Outcomes Research, and a Doctorate in Business Administration.

Guest: Mateo Mejia Saldarriaga, M.D. Mateo Mejia Saldarriaga, M.D., a hematologist/oncologist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine, explains how he and his team conducted a retrospective study that identified a biomarker to enhance treatment planning for BCMA CAR T-cell therapy in multiple myeloma. By measuring absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) through a routine CBC 15 days after a CAR T-cell therapy injection, they found patients with an ALC > 1,000 had a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 30 months whereas patients with an ALC ≤ 500 had a median PFS of 6 months. This new biomarker is now being leveraged to help doctors predict whether a patient is benefiting from treatment in as early as 15 days. © 2025 NewYork-Presbyterian

Guest: Pedro Nascimento de Lima, PhD Conflicting colorectal cancer screening (CRC) guidelines have sometimes led to confusion over optimal starting ages and strategies. Join Dr. Pedro Nascimento de Lima as he walks through a comprehensive modeling study that tested 26 different strategies over 4,000 scenarios to test how and when it is most effective to screen. Dr. Nascimento de Lima is an Engineer at RAND, a Professor at the RAND School of Public Policy, and an investigator with the colorectal modeling group of the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Sairah Ahmed, MD The treatment landscape for relapsed/refractory (R/R) large B-cell lymphoma has significantly shifted, with CAR T-cell therapies now offering curative potential in the second-line setting. But these advances also raise important questions, like how to identify the right candidates and navigate logistical barriers to ensure timely, equitable access. Joining Dr. Charles Turck to explore these critical considerations is Dr. Saira Ahmed, Associate Professor in the Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma and the CAR T Program Director in the Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma at the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Neil M. Iyengar, MD Guest: Komal Jhaveri, MD, FACP The second-line treatment of HR+/HER2-advanced breast cancer has evolved in recent years, particularly with the rise of biomarker-driven strategies targeting PI3Kα and other mutations. But given these advances, there’s a lot we need to think about when selecting therapy, like the differences between selective and non-selective inhibitors, toxicity profiles, and shared decision-making. Joining Dr. Charles Turck to share their insights on those key considerations and how we can personalize care for patients with PI3Kα-mutated HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer are Drs. Komal Jhaveri and Neil Iyengar. Dr. Jhaveri is the section head for the Endocrine Therapy Research Program in the Breast Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Dr. Iyengar is the Co-Director of the Breast Oncology Program at the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Hope S. Rugo, MD, FASCO Not only is PI3Kα the most common mutation seen in patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer, but it’s also associated with endocrine therapy resistance and more aggressive cancer growth. Given its prevalence and impact on outcomes, it’s important to know how and when to test for this mutation and how emerging targeted therapies might change our approach in clinical practice. Joining Dr. Charles Turck to share her insights on PI3Kα testing and targeted therapies for HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer is Dr. Hope Rugo, Director of the Women's Cancers Program, Division Chief of Breast Medical Oncology and Professor of the Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Neil M. Iyengar, MD Due to their wild-type inhibition, first-generation PIK3CA inhibitors for HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer were limited by significant toxicities, including hyperglycemia, rash, and diarrhea. But now, mutation-specific PIK3CA inhibitors could help improve tolerability and adherence as well as simplify dosing strategies—all while maintaining efficacy. To learn more about the efficacy and safety of current and emerging PIK3CA-targeted therapies, Dr. Charles Turck speaks with Dr. Neil Iyengar, Co-Director of the Breast Oncology Program and Director of Cancer Survivorship Service at Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University.

Guest: Reid Ness, MD The NCCN Guidelines for Colorectal Cancer Screening recently provided updates for patients at average and increased risk—most notably, lowering the recommended starting age from 50 to 45. Hear Dr. Reid Ness walk through the updates in depth, providing insight on screening protocols for different patient populations. Dr. Ness is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, faculty with the Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, and the Chairman of the committee that developed the colorectal cancer screening guidelines.

Guest: Reid Ness, MD According to the NCCN Guidelines for Colorectal Cancer Screening, there is mixed evidence around the impact of vitamin D, calcium, folate, and aspirin on colorectal cancer risk. Join Dr. Reid Ness as he discusses considerations for recommending these supplements based on patient-specific factors. Dr. Ness is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, faculty with the Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, and the Chairman of the committee that developed the colorectal cancer screening guidelines.