Cancer Covered

The 20th century saw the fast development of medicine and medical intervention. Alongside this incredible advancement came the assumption that medicine could cure anything—and the refusal to believe that something is incurable. For most of medical history, however, palliative care and relief from suffering was not just the norm but the only option. Though medical advancements have lengthened the l...

Dr. Bradley Heraly joins us today to delve into the world of blood tests in cancer clinics. We demystify the reasons for frequent testing, clarify the misconceptions about the information they provide, and discuss the present and potential future role of these tests in cancer treatment. We discuss how routine blood tests help doctors determine if patients have sufficiently recovered from treatment...

Matthew and Brian join us today for an insightful discussion discussing the pivotal role of evidence-based medicine, a cornerstone in optimizing patient outcomes and healthcare strategies. This conversation navigates through the historical tapestry of medical research, spotlighting James Lind’s 1753 seminal scurvy experiment as a monumental benchmark initiating systematic medical experimenta...

Alisa, Mary Jo, and Tony join me today to discuss Alisa’s breast cancer diagnosis and how it impacted her fertility. Tony explains the rarity of breast cancer in young adult women and the unique challenges younger cancer patients face during treatment. He illustrates his experience working with Alisa as both her oncologist and colleague and discusses why her story continues to inspire him. Alisa s...

Alisa and Mary Jo join us today to share their story of resilience, familial support, and the power of hope and love in the face of adversity. They describe Alisa’s journey through breast cancer and how her diagnosis impacted her fertility. They explain how the cancer diagnosis and treatment brought them closer together and illustrate how Alisa navigated her life between cancer and college. They a...

Chris joins us today to share her cancer treatment journey while facing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and worldwide quarantines. We discussed why she chose to attend her care appointments in person instead of virtually and the challenges many cancer doctors faced in treating patients during the quarantines. We discuss how Chris leveraged her passion for quilting, embroidery, and crafting...

Dr. Ryan joins us again today to discuss the origins of chemotherapy treatment. We discuss how earlier chemotherapy treatments were initially derived from poison and how chemotherapy research and development have improved over the years. We discuss the challenges researchers and medical oncologists faced during the early days of using chemo to treat cancer and how the mustard gas leak in Bari, Ita...

Dr. Brian Burnette joins us again today to discuss the myths surrounding clinical trials. We debunk some of the biggest myths around clinical trials and cancer research and why doctors are required to request a patient’s informed consent prior to starting any treatment. We discuss how the enactment of the Affordable Care Act impacted patients’ ability to participate in clinical trial research and...

In this episode of Cancer Covered:  Dr. Mitch Winkler and Dr. Kamal Abbi delve into the complex dynamics of cancer treatment in the palliative setting, exploring the struggle between curative goals and the potential toll aggressive therapies can take on a patient’s quality of life. Kamal highlights the challenges patients and physicians face in understanding the trade-offs between quantity a...

In this episode of Cancer Covered: Highlighting the impact of gene therapy on Mason’s life and the potential for this treatment to revolutionize the lives of individuals with bleeding disorders, Dr. Mitch Winkler, Andrea Miller, Dr. Matthew Ryan, and Mason Buxton discuss the Hemophilia Outreach Center and the advancements in gene therapy for Hemophilia B. Mason, who has Hemophilia B, shares...

Dr. Ruth Warren joins us today to discuss alcohol, cancer risk, and society’s relationship with alcohol consumption. We explore how our relationship with alcohol is conditioned at a young age and how we’re taught to love the drink as we grow up, even if we don’t like the taste. We describe the two ways of connecting and our tendency to use substances—alcohol, cannabis, and others—to enhance our ex...

Michael joins us today to discuss the history of radiation treatment for various types of cancers. We discuss why it was initially perceived as a magical solution to treating cancer and why regulations were eventually implemented on the use of radiation therapy for cancer patients. We discuss how doctors obtained the radiation they needed to treat their patients in the early days of its discovery....

This week on Cancer Covered: Differentiating between evidence-based research and myths Debunking common myths around cancer and cancer care Where we believe these myths began How oncologists decide when it’s appropriate to remove cancerous tumors surgically Addressing ‘accurate adjacent’ myths around cancer The dangers of changing the human body’s pH levels to try to cure a cancer diagnosis The tr...

This week on Cancer Covered: Why oncologists need to order scans How scans help doctors diagnose, treat, and monitor cancer Common misconceptions about getting follow-up scans after a cancer diagnosis Only three cancer diagnoses that early detection has been proven to change the survival rate of patients The difference between PET scans and CT scans and why your doctor may choose one over the othe...

This week on Cancer Covered: Why surgery isn’t always the answer for treating or curing cancer Why our ancient ancestors did not perform radical surgeries to treat cancer The discovery of anesthesia and its impact on treating cancer What inspired Dr. Halsted  to explore using surgery as a treatment option for breast cancer Realizing that radical mastectomies are not the ‘end-all-be-all’ cure for t...

Karianne and Tom join us today to discuss healthcare worker burnout and its impact on cancer care delivery. We discuss the importance of taking breaks and time off to manage the challenges of working in oncology and its unique stressors. We examine the shortage of healthcare professionals in 2020 that was caused by pandemic working conditions and explore the symptoms of burnout, strategies, coping...

“Communication is a collaborative endeavor. It requires clarification, resetting, and recalibration all the way through the therapeutic relationship, at every level of where you connect with your healthcare team.” – Dr. Mitch Winkler Good healthcare starts with good communication. But despite good intentions, patients often visit their oncologists with a huge knowledge gap and a lot of anxie...

“Cancer is as ancient as we are.” – Dr. Matthew Ryan Dr. Ryan joins us today to discuss cancer in the ancient world and why it often seems more familiar than many people realize. We discuss the origins of cancer, how Darius the Great’s wife, Atossa, was diagnosed with cancer, and how her feelings and emotions about her condition were similar to how many women feel today when diagnosed with c...

“With more sophisticated testing we can move away from general estimates to more precise ones, guiding treatment.” – Dr. Brian Burnette Dr. Ryan and Dr. Burnette join us today to discuss what’s on the horizon for cancer research. We discuss the exciting progress that has been made in cancer research, particularly immunotherapy treatments, and how it has revolutionized cancer treatment over t...

This week on Cancer Covered: The prevalence of anxiety among cancer patients Abe’s experience with testicular cancer Developing strategies for managing stress and anxiety related to a cancer diagnosis and treatment The value of increasing communication with medical professionals to ensure you fully understand your diagnosis and treatment plan Addressing the emotional and psychological impact of fo...

David and Caitlin join us today to discuss how cancer invades our lives, moving from our professional life into our personal space. Caitlin shares how her father was diagnosed with three different types of cancer and how she felt about the overnight transition from visiting her husband at work for lunch to regularly visiting the clinic as her father’s caregiver. We discuss how our role as medical...

This week, we discuss what makes some conversations more difficult than others and why they’re so important to have with our patients. We discuss why oncologists should acknowledge and embrace the ‘uncomfortableness’ of having difficult conversations with their patients and share tips for delivering serious or difficult news. We discuss what ‘Red Level Concerns’ are and share tips to help healthca...

This week, we discuss the anatomy of a difficult conversation. We discuss the impact of delaying or avoiding a difficult conversation and explore what makes some conversations more difficult than others. We discuss how our emotions play a role in our interactions with patients and how we can cope with these emotions to improve patient care. We also discuss why healthcare workers must identify the...

This week, Dr. Brian Burnette, Dr. Ruth Warren, and Dr. Matthew Ryan join us to discuss our oncologists’ sacrifices to bring cancer care closer to home for our patients. We discuss the average costs and time investments associated with traveling to outreach clinics to provide cancer care to patients and what they do to plan and prepare for travel. We discuss the common mistakes they’ve made...

Dr. Tony Jaslowski joins us today to discuss why providing cancer care close to home is important. We discuss the travel expenses often associated with receiving cancer treatments and why they often cause patients to delay their treatment. We discuss how often many cancer patients need to visit the oncologist for cancer treatments and how they typically feel after a round of treatment. We also dis...