Oncology On The Go

• S1 Ep191: Why Sexual and Gender Minority Care is an Oncologic Imperative

  In the most recent ONCOLOGY On the Go hosted in collaboration with the American Psychosocial Oncology Society, Daniel C. McFarland, DO, spoke with Charles S. Kamen, PhD, MPH, about health equity for sexual and gender minority groups in oncology.  Sexual and gender minority groups, who constitute approximately 9.3% of the US population, experience significant and preventable disparities across all stages of the cancer care continuum, according to Kamen.1 He detailed how these inequities are largely driven by minority stress: the chronic psychological and emotional burden resulting from anticipated and experienced prejudice, discrimination, and stigma within health care settings.2 McFarland and Kamen highlighted that a lack of comprehensive sexual and gender minority training in medical education often leaves clinicians feeling unprepared, compounding the patient’s anxiety and mistrust. The path to correcting these disparities requires a fundamental shift to cultural humility: the readiness to acknowledge one’s own lack of knowledge and learn directly from the patient’s lived experience. The most critical, actionable step discussed was the systematic, safe, and affirmative collection of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) data.3 Kamen emphasized that SOGI data is a clinical tool, not just a demographic marker. When collected routinely—ideally non-verbally via intake forms—SOGI data are used to: Ensure Biologically Appropriate Surveillance: Confirming that all necessary cancer screenings are offered based on the patient’s existing organs, regardless of current gender identity. Facilitate Relationship-Centered Care: Appropriately recognizing and engaging the patient’s partners and chosen family; a critical component of sexual and gender minority support networks. Tailored Psychosocial Navigation: Moving beyond a general "disparities mindset" to an "equity mindset" by using SOGI data to connect patients with LGBTQ-specific psychosocial resources that directly address discrimination-related distress drivers. McFarland is the director of the Psycho-Oncology Program at Wilmot Cancer Center and a medical oncologist who specializes in head, neck, and lung cancer, in addition to being the psycho-oncology editorial advisory board member for the journal ONCOLOGY. Kamen is an associate professor in the Department of Surgery, Cancer Control (SMD) and holds joint appointments as an associate professor at the Center for Community Health and Prevention and the Department of Psychiatry (SMD) at the University of Rochester Medical Center.  References 1.        Jones JM. LGBTQ+ identification in U.S. rises to 9.3%. News release. Gallup. February 20, 2025. Accessed December 3, 2025. https://tinyurl.com/48n8j8bd 2.        Minority stress. American Psychological Association. Updated November 15, 2023. Accessed December 3, 2025. https://tinyurl.com/5n888ynr Learning resources — collecting sexual orientation and gender identity data. National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center. Accessed December 3, 2025. https://tinyurl.com/4btrn5y3

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• S1 Ep190: Evolutions Across NSCLC, Multiple Myeloma, and AML at Georgia Cancer Center

  As part of a visit to Georgia Cancer Center in Augusta, Georgia, CancerNetwork spoke with a variety of experts and faculty members regarding ongoing research and future initiatives dedicated to improving outcomes across different patient populations. These conversations touched upon potential developments in diseases including non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), multiple myeloma, and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). First, Girindra Raval, MD, an associate professor in the Department of Medicine: Hematology and Oncology of the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, discussed current studies at his institution that may help optimize treatment for patients with lung cancer. This research ranged from retrospective trials analyzing how demographic features may influence outcomes to biomarker-based assessments intended to augment the efficacy of immunotherapy. Looking towards the future, Raval stated that determining how to sequence and de-escalate treatment amidst several available therapeutic options will be a key concern in the field. Additionally, Amany Keruakous, MD, director of Myeloma Research at Georgia Cancer Center and assistant professor in the Department of Medicine: Hematology and Oncology at the Medical College of Georgia of Augusta University, detailed strategies for mitigating current challenges in multiple myeloma care. She emphasized fostering collaborative relationships between colleagues in community settings and academic institutions to help reduce barriers to treatment access among patients. Furthermore, she noted the importance of conducting additional clinical trials at community centers.  Finally, Daniel Peters, MD, an assistant professor at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University and bone marrow transplant & cellular therapy faculty member at Georgia Cancer Center, focused on key developments across the AML space. At his institution, Peters and colleagues are evaluating potential drivers of immune dysfunction, which may inform less intensive cellular therapy approaches or determine who is suitable to receive autologous types of treatment. Peters also discussed how additional research set for presentation at meetings like the 2025 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition (ASH) may affirm a shift away from 7+3 intensive chemotherapy for patients who are younger and fit with newly diagnosed AML. 

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• S1 Ep189: Decision-Making Capacity: The Ethical Core of Patient-Centered Oncology

  In a collaborative podcast with the American Psychosocial Oncology Society hosted by Daniel C. McFarland, DO, guests Louis P. Voigt, MD, and Yesne Alici, MD, discussed the ethical and clinical complexities of assessing decision-making capacity (DMC) in oncology, emphasizing its role as the ethical core of person-centered care. The discussion began by dissecting modern medicine’s need for formal DMC assessment. Voigt framed DMC as a fundamental issue of patient rights and respect, asserting that every human being has absolute rights and that the integrity of a person requires honoring their self-determination. He advocated for clinicians to act as professionals, earn trust, customize their approach based on individual needs through precision medicine, and demonstrate humility by re-explaining information when a patient cannot summarize their understanding. Alici provided a detailed clinical framework for DMC, defining it as a person’s ability to decide on the specific issue at hand while appreciating the foreseeable consequences. She outlined the 4 key elements, or pillars, of the assessment: the patient’s ability to understand the information, to appreciate the risks and benefits, to provide a rationalization for the decision to ensure no delusional thinking interferes, and to communicate a consistent choice. She clarified that DMC is decision-specific and time-dependent, emphasizing that conditions like dementia, schizophrenia, major depression, or even a central nervous system malignancy do not automatically mean a patient lacks capacity; it must be assessed for each situation and may be restored if cases like delirium are reversible. She cautioned that clinicians must be mindful of potential mislabeling when patients with aphasia interact, as simple gestures may not fully represent informed consent. Finally, the experts addressed the crucial implications that follow an assessment of incapacity. Voigt highlighted that a lack of DMC is not a "stop sign"; decisions must still be made, requiring the health care team to look to a designated proxy or the patient’s next-of-kin. He stressed the need for hospitals to establish system-wide processes and workflows to prepare all stakeholders for these contingencies and help patients become familiar with advanced directives, thereby reducing the immense emotional burden placed on surrogates who must perform substituted judgment. McFarland concluded that being aware of DMC elevates the quality of care, reinforces an ethical climate, and enhances the entire organization. McFarland is the director of the Psycho-Oncology Program at Wilmot Cancer Center and a medical oncologist who specializes in head, neck, and lung cancer, in addition to being a psycho-oncology editorial advisory board member for the journal ONCOLOGY. Voigt is an intensivist and chair of the Ethics Committee at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). Alici is vice chair of Clinical Operations in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, clinical director, associate attending psychiatrist, and medical director of the Biobehavioral Health Clinic at MSKCC. 

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• S1 Ep188: How Can Chlorotoxin-Directed CAR T-Cell Therapy Impact Glioblastoma Care?

  In a conversation with CancerNetwork®, Michael Barish, PhD, spoke about an investigational CAR T-cell therapy that he and colleagues are developing as a treatment for patients with glioblastoma. He and his team designed the agent to harness chlorotoxin, an amino acid peptide toxin component of scorpion venom, as a vehicle for intratumoral delivery of therapy for this patient population. Barish, a chair in the Department of Neurosciences/Developmental & Stem Cell Biology at City of Hope, discussed the background and mechanisms surrounding this novel compound, which he and colleagues evaluated as part of a phase 1 trial (NCT04214392). Early findings published in Cell Reports Medicine showed that among 4 patients with recurrent glioblastoma, 3 (75%) achieved a best response of stable disease. Additionally, the chlorotoxin-directed cellular therapy was found to be well-tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities. Although responses were not as strong as Barish and colleagues had hoped, he described how the study nevertheless demonstrated the safety and feasibility of this CAR T-cell therapy formulation.  After establishing the safety of the novel agent in patients with recurrent glioblastoma, Barish highlighted how next steps for research included engineering different versions of the chlorotoxin and modifying the T cells that express the chimeric receptor. He stated these reconfigurations may help yield additional power and efficacy of the cellular therapy in future studies. Overall, Barish noted how the potential therapeutic application of the neurotoxin represented a “proof of principle.” “[V]enoms of many invertebrates are, in fact, very powerful biologically. In a sense, evolution has honed them to be relatively specific. Neurobiology is very much driven by the specificity of different toxins for different ion channels,” Barish stated. “This idea—that one could use biological products efficiently this way for something as heterogeneous as glioblastoma—might be an example of how it could be more efficacious for other solid tumors as well.” Reference Barish ME, Aftabizadeh M, Hibbard J, et al. Chlorotoxin-directed CAR T cell therapy for recurrent glioblastoma: interim clinical experience demonstrating feasibility and safety. Cell Rep Med. 2025;6(8):102302. doi:10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.102302.

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• S1 Ep187: How Supportive Care Methods Can Improve Oncology Outcomes

  The latest episode of Oncology On the Go focused on survivorship and supportive care. Stemming from conversations with leading clinicians in the field, the compilation highlights gaps and educational insights into multiple areas.  Covering topics like nutrition, oncodermatology, body image, sexual health, and mortality, these conversations explored how to truly optimize multidisciplinary cancer care.   Declan Walsh, MD, chair of the Department of Supportive Oncology at Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute: 1:01-2:44: What is the importance of developing and managing supportive care at major oncology centers, and how can it be adapted across the US? 2:45-4:19: Supportive care is one piece of the multidisciplinary team. How can clinicians work with supportive care specialists to ensure that patients are receiving all the help that they need? Denise Reynolds, RD, of Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute: 4:20-5:46: Some adverse effects (AEs) include severe nausea and vomiting. What nutritional strategies do you recommend to ensure adequate intake? 5:47-7:29: Taste and smell changes are common AEs. What advice do you give to patients to help cope and combat them? Adam Friedman, MD, FAAD, professor and chair of dermatology, director of the Residency Program, and director of translational research at George Washington Medical Faculty Associates in Washington, DC: 7:30-9:24: Your study found that a significant proportion of respondents, including those who have been previously treated for cancer, would decline anti-cancer therapies due to dermatologic AEs like hair loss. What are some crucial communication strategies oncologists should employ to address this? 9:25-11:37: What should all oncology clinicians know about how to manage mild to moderate dermatologic AEs? 11:38-24:54: Daniel C. McFarland, DO, the director of the Psycho-Oncology Program at Wilmot Cancer Center; a medical oncologist who specializes in head, neck, and lung cancer; and the psycho-oncology editorial advisory board member for the journal ONCOLOGY®, spoke with different psycho-oncology colleagues regarding topics like body image, sexual health, and mortality. These colleagues included Michelle Fingeret, PhD, founder of Fingeret Psychology Services; Christian J. Nelson, PhD, chief of Psychiatry Service, attending psychologist, and codirector of the Psycho-Oncology of Care and Aging Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; and William S. Breitbart, MD, attending physician and the Jimmie C. Holland Chair in Psycho-Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. All psycho-oncology episodes are now available on our website.  Reference Menta N, Vidal SI, Whiting C, Azim SA, Desai S, Friedman A. Perceptions and knowledge of dermatologic side effects of anti-cancer therapies: a pilot survey. J Drugs Dermatol. 2025;24(8):e57-e58.

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