CancerCast

Thanks to advances in cancer care, more people are living longer after a cancer diagnosis than ever before. People are also being diagnosed at earlier ages, leading to an increased number of cancer survivors worldwide. In this episode of CancerCast, Dr. Manish Shah speaks with Dr. Emily Tonorezos about the growing field of cancer survivorship and what it means to live well after a cancer diagnosis...

As we age, our blood cells naturally develop mutations. With new sequencing technology, we can now identify very rare and specific mutations in human blood more easily and precisely than ever before. It’s like we now have a path to find the needle in a haystack. Researchers have discovered that some of these age-related blood mutations, collectively known as clonal hematopoiesis, may be linked to...

Lung cancer care is changing rapidly and new advances in surgery and medicine are at the forefront. In this episode of CancerCast, Dr. Manish Shah is joined by two lung cancer experts, Drs. Jonathan Villena and Christine Garcia, to explore how innovations in surgery, biomarker testing, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy are transforming outcomes for patients with lung cancer. The conversation cov...

Bispecific T-cell engager, or BiTE, therapy is an immunotherapy approach that helps the body’s own immune system target cancer cells by bringing immune cells and cancer cells together. In this episode of CancerCast, Dr. Manish Shah is joined by Dr. Mateo Mejia to explain how this form of antibody-based treatment works by directly connecting T cells and cancer cells. It is a new treatment in the ar...

Prostate-specific membrane antigen, or PSMA, is a protein expressed on the surface of prostate cancer cells that has become an important target for both diagnosing and treating the disease. In this episode of CancerCast, Dr. Manish Shah speaks with prostate cancer expert Dr. Scott Tagawa about how this PSMA protein helps identify whether prostate cancer is confined to the prostate or has spread, a...

Discover how liver cancer treatment is evolving in this episode of CancerCast. Dr. Manish Shah and Dr. Juan Rocca discuss the liver’s complicated and critical role in cancer care, from its position as a hotspot for metastasis to the role of the liver in impacting how well certain immunotherapy, chemotherapy and other cancer therapies will work. They explore the newest and most cutting-edge treatme...

In this episode of CancerCast, Dr. Manish Shah is joined by Drs. Gail Roboz and Rick Furman, two internationally renowned Weill Cornell leaders in advancing therapies for leukemia and lymphoma, to preview groundbreaking research from the 2025 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting. Drs. Roboz and Furman highlight some of the most impactful abstracts to be presented during the meeting,...

A liquid biopsy is a blood test that looks for cancer cells or genetic material, such as DNA, that are shed into the bloodstream in patients with cancer. In this episode of CancerCast, Dr. Massimo Cristofanilli and Dr. Manish Shah explore how liquid biopsies unlock real-time insights into cancer evolution through molecular diagnostics, painting a more comprehensive and holistic picture of what’s g...

Mismatch repair deficiency is a condition caused by DNA errors in the body that lead to a high number of mutations, increasing cancer risk. Mismatch repair deficiency is also commonly associated with Lynch syndrome, an inherited genetic syndrome linked to higher rates of many cancers at younger ages, including colon cancer. In this episode of CancerCast, Dr. Manish Shah is joined by two guests, Dr...

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte, or TIL, therapy is a new form of cellular immunotherapy that targets cancer cells by leveraging the body’s immune system and specialized cells called T-lymphocytes. This treatment is currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for metastatic melanoma with additional research ongoing in other types of cancer. Dr. Manish Shah spoke with melanoma e...

Drs. Manish Shah and Sarah Rutherford explore the groundbreaking research presented at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting. They discuss key developments from this year’s meeting, including new immunotherapy and targeted therapy options, the use of circulating tumor cell (ctDNA) and minimal residual disease (MRD) testing, the importance of selecting the right patients for the right treatments, and more....

A familiar voice in a new role. Drs. John Leonard and Manish Shah reflect on the past seven years of cancer care and research as Dr. Leonard passes the microphone over to Dr. Shah as the new host of Weill Cornell Medicine’s CancerCast podcast. They reflect on how far podcasting has come since the launch of CancerCast in 2018 and discuss the biggest breakthroughs in cancer care and research, includ...

Join Dr. John Leonard for his special annual “Leonard List” episode. He shares his top 10 most interesting lymphoma and blood cancer-related abstracts to be presented at the 2024 American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting. The ASH annual meeting features the latest and most exciting research in the field from global blood cancer experts. For the 7th year in a row, the Leonard List podcast tradit...

Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that helps your immune system fight cancer. In the last 10 years, immunotherapy has joined the list of standard cancer treatment approaches, alongside chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. There are a number of different types of immunotherapies that work in different ways to target cancer cells in the body. Immunotherapy expert...

The American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO, Annual Meeting is the largest global oncology conference and features state-of-the-art research presentations and cancer care insights from oncology professionals around the world. Every year on the CancerCast podcast, two of Weill Cornell Medicine’s leading experts discuss exciting research stemming from this annual meeting. This episode delves...

Pathology has a crucial place in the medical field working behind the scenes to ensure patients and their care teams have the most up-to-date information. In cancer care, pathology plays an essential part in not only diagnosing cancer, but also treating and managing it. From examining tissue biopsies to evaluating blood samples, pathologists utilize a variety of tests and tools to ask and answer q...

The skeletal system keeps the body upright, but did you know that the bones play a number of pivotal roles in the body? From storing minerals to providing the home for new cell creation, the body’s bones are dynamic and critical to the body in various ways. When things go awry, deterioration, fractures, and pain can occur. Cancer and its treatments – especially those involving or disrupting hormon...

Pancreatic cancer can be a difficult cancer to diagnose and treat because symptoms don’t often appear until the disease is very advanced. New imaging techniques, personalized therapies and genetic knowledge are helping to change the landscape, as well as enabling families and loved ones to access better screening tools and technologies. Ongoing pancreatic cancer research is leading to continued ad...

Dr. John Leonard shares his list of the 10 most interesting lymphoma-related abstracts to be presented at the 2023 meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH). The ASH annual meeting brings together blood cancer experts from around the world to present the most exciting research in the field. This annual special episode features an in-depth look at this year’s cutting-edge research and als...

The 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO, Annual Meeting brought together oncologists from around the world to share cutting-edge updates and scientific advancements. Every year, two of Weill Cornell Medicine’s top experts come together to discuss the latest research presented across both solid tumors and blood cancers as it pertains to patient care. Guest: Manish Shah, MD, Chief of...

Every child inherits a set of “germline” DNA from each of their biological parents. At times there are also mutations that are passed down. This differs from what are referred to as “somatic” mutations that are only present in cancer cells, but not in every cell in the body. Environmental factors can also contribute to the development of cancers. Knowing your family history and genetic makeup can...

Nutrition plays an important role in cancer care, including helping people to navigate treatment side effects. Many people like to dish out diet advice, but for cancer patients, there are unique considerations to be mindful of before, during, and after treatment. From sipping to snacking, registered oncology dietitians provide invaluable advice and recommendations to optimize health. Guests: Emily...

Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States with an increasing number of new diagnoses under the age of 55. Screening guidelines continue to evolve in an effort to find these cancers at an early stage. New surgical advancements are increasingly less invasive, reducing recovery times and hospital stays. Guest: Jeffrey Milsom, MD, colon and rectal cancer surgeo...

Dr. John Leonard shares his list of the 10 most interesting and impactful lymphoma and blood cancer abstracts to be presented at the 2022 meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH). This episode also features 5 “bonus” podcast-only abstract selections in addition to offering extra insight into one of this year’s plenary sessions. Host: John Leonard, MD, a leading hematologist and medical...

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, yet it receives far less research funding than other common cancers, in part due to the stigma surrounding this disease. However, smoking is not the only risk factor – many patients are diagnosed with lung cancer who have never smoked in their entire lives. Recent advancements in screening and treatment, including targeted therapies, have helped im...