Healthcare Unfiltered

Chadi sits down with Ezra Cohen, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Oncology at Tempus AI, for an in-depth discussion on the evolving role of next-generation sequencing (NGS) across the cancer continuum. Together, they explore how tissue-based testing, liquid biopsy, and measurable residual disease (MRD) assessments are reshaping precision oncology, why NGS remains underutilized in many patients, and th...

Healthcare Unfiltered Podcast and FASE 3 Podcast are collaborating on a new venture called "Hematology Sin Filtros" - a new podcast in Spanish that will be broadcasted once a month discussing various topics in hematology and cancer. Please share with your friends, colleagues and subscribe and join the conversation. Los podcasts *Healthcare Unfiltered* y *FASE 3* colaboran en una nueva in...

In this deeply personal episode, Gabby shares her extraordinary journey of being diagnosed with stage IV metastatic colorectal cancer with liver involvement during the final stages of her pregnancy. She discusses the emotions and decisions surrounding her diagnosis, what she looked for when choosing her oncology team, how openly she communicated with her husband and young children, and the realiti...

Maen Abdelrahim, MD, PhD, Section Chief of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology at Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center—home to the nation’s highest-volume liver transplant program—joins the show to discuss the expanding field of transplant oncology, including which patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal cancer metastatic to the liver, biliary cancers, and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma...

Chadi hosts Dr. Chandana Banerjee of City of Hope and Kevin Diaz, CEO and President of Compassion & Choices, for a thoughtful conversation about Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) – what it is, who qualifies, how the process works, and why it remains one of the most debated issues in modern healthcare. Together, they explore the legal, ethical, and cultural complexities surrounding MAID, including th...

Chadi sits down with Dr. Daniel Olson to discuss the growing excitement surrounding tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy in melanoma, including how these personalized cellular therapies are created (and sometimes engineered in the lab), the logistical challenges of collection and reinfusion, and the clinical data that led to FDA approval based on a single-arm study. Dr. Olson also explores...

Chadi is joined by Dr. Sewanti Limaye to discuss what precision oncology looks like in India, exploring the realities of access, affordability, infrastructure, and innovation in cancer care. Drawing on her experience training and practicing in the United States before returning to Mumbai to lead oncology and translational research programs, Dr. Limaye explains which genomic tests, liquid biopsies,...

Chadi sits down with sit down with Sue S. Yom, MD, PhD, FASTRO—radiation oncologist at UCSF, Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, and leader within NRG Oncology—to explore the critical role of cooperative groups in advancing cancer research. She unpacks their history, the benefits and challenges of large-scale collaboration, and how federal funding an...

Gary L. Simmons, DO, MSHA—physician and entrepreneur in a Virginia community practice—dives into the rapidly evolving world of cell and gene therapy (CGT), including bone marrow transplant, CAR-T, and TILs, and what it takes to bring these cutting-edge treatments safely into the community setting. He unpacks the operational, financial, and workforce challenges of building and scaling a CGT program...

Returning guest Dr. Tom Beer, Chief Medical Officer for Multicancer Early Detection (MCED) at Exact Sciences, joins the show to break down the promise and complexity of MCED testing—what it is, the clinical gap it aims to fill, and how it could reshape cancer diagnostics. He explores which patient populations may benefit most, the current limitations across different cancer types, and whether MCED...

Chadi sits down with Dan Golden, MD, MHPE, Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at Rush University, to discuss his deeply personal and recently published account of physician burnout. He shares the mental and physical toll of burnout, clarifies how it differs from depression and anxiety, and reflects on the pressures of academic medicine’s “say yes to everything” culture that leaves little ro...

Chadi sits down with Nina Sanford, MD, Chief of Gastrointestinal Radiation Oncology Service at UT Southwestern, to explore the evolving landscape of radiation therapy in upper and lower GI malignancies. They discuss how advances in systemic treatments are reshaping radiation strategies, current standards of care in colorectal, gastroesophageal, pancreatic cancers, and liver cancers, and the growin...

Chadi sits down with Amy Comander, MD, a breast cancer medical oncologist at Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute and author of “Paving Your Path Through Breast Cancer and Beyond,” to discuss how patients can take control of their health and quality of life after a breast cancer diagnosis. She shares the inspiration behind her book and offers a practical, lifestyle medicine–focused roadmap—coveri...

Chadi sits down again with Dr. Urvi Shah for an in-depth, evidence-driven exploration of the often confusing relationship between food and cancer. They dive into how nutritional research is actually conducted—and why it’s so challenging—while separating widely regarded myths from what high-quality data truly support, including nuanced discussions on processed foods, red meat, plant-based diets, ke...

Chadi sits down with Dr. William “Bill” Small, Jr., a nationally recognized radiation oncologist and cancer center director at Loyola University Chicago, to explore the evolution of radiation oncology from its historical foundations to its rapidly advancing future. They discuss cutting-edge developments including proton therapy, radiopharmaceuticals, and the growing integration of molecular tumor...

Chadi sits down with Katherine Stueland, President and CEO of GeneDx, to explore how genomic sequencing is transforming the diagnosis of rare diseases—especially for pediatric patients who often endure years searching for answers. She discusses the company’s work analyzing the full genome to uncover gene–disease correlations, its efforts to bring advanced genetic testing directly into pediatrician...

Chadi sits down with Dr. Sylvia Owusu-Ansah, a pediatric emergency physician at UPMC, to discuss her role as a medical advisor for the HBO Max series “The Pitt” and how she helped bring real-world authenticity to the show. She explains how the writers first approached her and asked a key question—what stories have not yet been told on medical dramas—which led her to highlight issues such as the ch...

Chadi sits down with Misty Shields, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Indiana University School of Medicine, to explore the evolving translational research landscape in small cell lung cancer. Together, they discuss the pivotal shift in how small cell lung cancer is biologically classified, the modern roles of prophylactic cranial irradiati...

Chadi sits down with award-winning legal scholar Elizabeth (Beth) Chamblee Burch to explore “The Pain Brokers: How Con Men, Call Centers, and Rogue Doctors Fuel America’s Lawsuit Factory,” her deeply reported investigation into a multilevel scam involving a pelvic mesh product that preyed on vulnerable patients and exploited mass tort litigation. Together, they discuss how she uncovered her source...

Paolo Tarantino, MD, PhD, medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, joins Chadi for a deep dive into the rapidly evolving world of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs)—sometimes dubbed “super-chemotherapies.” He traces the fascinating origins of the ADC concept, including a centuries-old scientific insight that foreshadowed their development, and explains the biology behind how these targeted...

Chadi sits down with Nora Disis, MD—Editor in Chief of JAMA Oncology and professor at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center—for a candid, wide-ranging discussion on the modern state of peer review and medical publishing. Dr. Disis reflects on the founding of JAMA Oncology and her role as its inaugural Editor in Chief, then pulls back the curtain on what actually happens when a manuscript is submitted (yes...

Award-winning stem cell transplant pioneer, Dr. Richard Burt, discusses his book “Kill Switch: The History of How Viruses Shaped Humanity and Led to COVID-19,” guiding listeners through the deep, often surprising role viruses like smallpox, polio, HIV, and COVID-19 have played in shaping human civilization and global health responses. With factual clarity and a historian’s eye, Dr. Burt explains t...

Drs. Shaalan Beg, Shruti Patel, and Emil Lou—the “Only Oncologists in the Building”—offer an in-depth, clinically focused review of the most important research presented at the ASCO GI Annual Meeting. The conversation spans the rising incidence and outcomes of early-onset colorectal cancer, survivorship considerations, and a nuanced discussion of ctDNA in the adjuvant setting for high-risk stage I...

In this cross-collaboration episode, Drs. Sam Armstrong and Karine Tawagi—hosts of the “Two Onc Docs” podcast—join the show to share their personal journeys into oncology and the inspiration behind launching a podcast for the oncology community. The conversation then expands into a candid, practical discussion of oncology career paths, offering fellows and early-career physicians real-world guidan...

VK Gadi, MD, PhD, of the University of Illinois Cancer Center, joins the show for a deep dive into antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in breast cancer, tracing the history and basic science that fueled their development and early interest in the field. Dr. Gadi breaks down where ADCs currently fit in breast cancer care, including key toxicities, evolving data presented at ESMO, and findings that may...