CANCER BUZZ

Live this week from the ACCC 50th Annual Meeting and Cancer Center Business Summit (AMCCBS), CANCER BUZZ interviews Dr. Sarah Hudson-DiSalle, member of the Reimbursement and Economics Subcommittee of ACCC's Governmental Affairs Committee, about this week's Hill Day, when members of ACCC met with Capitol Hill offices to advocate on behalf of patients.  Guest:  Sarah Hudson-DiSalle, RPh, PharmD Assi...

Live this week from the ACCC 50th Annual Meeting and Cancer Center Business Summit (AMCCBS), CANCER BUZZ interviews Krista Nelson, ACCC past president, about the new Institute for Comprehensive Cancer Care Services and resources for cancer centers to implement these services. Guest:  Krista Nelson, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, FAOSW Program Manager of Quality & Research, Cancer Support Services and Compassio...

Live this week from the ACCC 50th Annual Meeting and Cancer Center Business Summit (AMCCBS), CANCER BUZZ interviews Dr. Mandi Pratt-Chapman about new patient navigation payments.    Guest:  Mandi Pratt-Chapman, MD  Associate Center Director for Community Outreach, Engagement, and Equity Associate Professor of Medicine Associate Professor of Prevention and Community Health George Washington Cancer...

Live this week from the ACCC 50th Annual Meeting and Cancer Center Business Summit (AMCCBS), CANCER BUZZ interviews Wendi Waugh, ACCC financial navigation committee member, about resources for financial advocacy.   Guest : Wendi Waugh, BS, RT(R)(T), CMD, CTR Administrative Director, SOMC Cancer Services & Ambulatory Infusion, Southern Ohio Medical Center   Resources: ACCC Financial Advocacy Networ...

 Recent advancements in treatment and a multimodal approach to care are improving outcomes for patients with head and neck cancer, however access to therapies and unique patient challenges due to disease symptoms, difficulty eating, difficulty communicating, and other psychosocial factors can reduce patient quality of life. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Angelea Bruce, RD, CSO, OPN-CG, r...

Founded in 2019, this inclusive lab is comprised of 42 members ranging from undergraduates to faculty from 12 different countries, most of whom self-identify as women and/or individuals who are under-represented in medicine. This virtual lab meets monthly to discuss projects, grants, and future collaborations. Joint research efforts focus on professional development of the health care workforce; c...

Hereditary breast cancer is a significant concern, with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations accounting for many inherited breast cancer cases. However, a 2018 survey by ACCC revealed the underutilization of BRCA testing, showcasing a significant gap in care. In this podcast, Joy Larsen Haidle, Genetic Counselor at North Memorial Health Cancer Center in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, and Lillie Shockney, University...

#AdvocateHealth is leading the way in rebuilding its 150,000+ workforce post-pandemic. Recognizing wellness as an institutional imperative and creating a new C-suite role—Enterprise Vice President, Well-Being for All Teammates—underscores this commitment. In this podcast, Mila Felder, MD, FACEP, teases her keynote at the ACCC 50 th Annual Meeting & Cancer Center Business Summit, why it's important...

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive disease whose management is complex and requires open communication amongst a multidisciplinary care team. It has a high rate of relapse, with up to 40 percent of patients relapsing within the first two years after primary treatment. Management of a patient with DLBCL begins with prognostic evaluation of the disease and assessing the potential...

As the use of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy continues to expand as an effective treatment for hematologic malignancies, understanding how to identify eligible patients early and implementation of an effective framework for identification can improve care coordination and better prepare community cancer programs for widespread use of CAR T-cell therapy. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ...

The aging US population is predicted to drive an increase in cancer incidence of almost 50% by 2050. At the same time, some cancer programs face capacity and resource constraints—which will continue to increase as demand for cancer services rises. Many cancer programs are also facing significant challenges with patient access. This podcast explores 4 pillars for creating a differentiated patient e...

Health technology performance and integration of electronic health record (EHR) systems—the creation of interfaces between EHRs and reference labs performing biomarker testing— have become critical factors in conducting efficient and equitable biomarker testing at cancer programs nationwide. At ACCC's 40th Annual National Oncology Conference, an exclusive EHR Working Summit was held to understand...

In 2020, this community-based cancer program started laying the foundation for a disease-site specific oncology patient navigation program that would grow exponentially over the next 2 years. In addition to a rapidly growing patient caseload, nurse navigator responsibilities grew extensively, largely due to increasing physician and system support of the program and role. To date, this 3-person onc...

Since 2014, the widespread use of germline and somatic testing in gynecologic oncology has dramatically increased. The use of genetic testing can support actionable changes which may influence treatment decisions. Test results can inform risk for other malignancies and prompt preventive screenings for at-risk relatives. Despite an increasing awareness of the benefits of genetic testing, many patie...

Coordination of care for patients diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, particularly those who are ineligible for transplant, can impact access to specialist care, clinical trials, and cancer programs with advanced capabilities to treat patients with acute myeloid leukemia. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Geoffrey Uy, MD, professor of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Leukemia at Washingto...

 Live this week from the ACCC 40th National Oncology Conference, CANCER BUZZ  interviews Doug Flora, MD about AI in Precision Oncology, the first- ever peer-reviewed journal on the topic. The journal shares meaningful information on the evolution of these tools, especially for clinicians and decision makers to help make a case for artificial intelligence. Guest:  Doug Flora, MD Editor-in-Chief, AI...

The oncology community is facing staffing shortages across disciplines and specialties, as well as pressure from organizations and individuals for clinicians to practice at the top of their license and nonclinical staff to work at their highest skill set; that's where technology can help. Live this week from the ACCC 40th National Oncology Conference (NOC), CANCER BUZZ interviews Karline Paul, Ass...

The science of oncology is rapidly evolving, as cancer programs and practices around the US continue to make cutting-edge discoveries in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. In addition, there is an increased spotlight on the effects social drivers of health have on cancer care delivery, as health equity initiatives continue to permeate the oncology landscape. Building on these successes, NCI re...

Live this week from the ACCC 40th National Oncology Conference (NOC), CANCER BUZZ interviews Debbie Rimmele, Nurse Retention Specialist at the Loyola University Medical Center, about recruiting strategies and her session at the NOC: Looking Under the Hood of the Employment Process.    Once candidates are in the hiring queue, there are many internal processes that need to go smoothly to offer poten...

Live this week from the ACCC 40th National Oncology Conference (NOC), CANCER BUZZ interviews Steve Kennedy, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Tennessee Oncology, about his session: Leadership Engagement and Sustainment During Challenging Times.    The Tennessee Oncology Leadership Academy launched in July 2020 with the purpose of building a culture of collaborative and agile leaders. Sin...

Live this week from the ACCC 40th National Oncology Conference, CANCER BUZZ  interviews Dr. Michael Gieske about best practices to increase lung cancer screenings and ACCC's Rural Appalachian Lung Screening Initiative.   ACCC launched the Appalachian Community Cancer Alliance (the Alliance) in partnership with several state oncology societies representing the Appalachian region. The focus is on im...

CANCER BUZZ previews the sessions, people and topics of this week's ACCC 40th National Oncology Conference. We interview Kathy Oubre, MS, CEO of the Pontchartrain Canter Center, about helping patients overcome access barriers to biomarker testing.  Guest:  Kathy W. Oubre, MS Chief Executive Officer Pontchartrain Cancer Center Hammond, Louisiana   Resources:  Access to Biomarker Testing - American...

CANCER BUZZ previews the sessions, people and topics of this week's ACCC 40th National Oncology Conference. We interview Dr. Margaret Liang, about ACCC's Financial Advocacy Network (FAN), and the Financial Advocacy Services guidelines.   Guest:  Margaret Liang, MD, MSHPM Associate Director, Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Cedars-Sinai Cancer Center Los Angeles, CA   Resources:  ACCC Financial Advo...

Bladder cancer cases continue to rise regardless of treatment advances. In addition, disparities in bladder cancer persist, especially with respect to race. There is a  documented connection between patient demographics and the impact on health outcomes. ACCC launched the Addressing Disparities in Bladder Cancer Care project to help cancer centers apply evidence-based health literacy and shared de...

It is important for the cancer team to be able to recognize what a small cell might look like— such as central location of the tumor, bulky adenopathy generally. Sometimes patients present with unexplained weight loss and/or hemoptysis because of the central location of the tumor. It is important to be able to pick up on risk factors and understand the importance from symptoms to diagnosis and dia...