Healthcare Unfiltered

Dr. Lecia Sequist, an expert in lung cancer and early detection, and Dr. Jeff Yang, a renowned thoracic surgeon, join Chadi to unravel the complexities of early lung cancer detection. Together, they explore the nuances of lung cancer screening, including the challenges of overdiagnosis and managing false-negative and false-positive results. The discussion delves into cutting-edge advancements like...

Maz Jobrani, star standup comedian and actor, joins the show to share his career journey and his beginning as an immigrant turned comedian and celebrity. Maz shares his sister's journey when diagnosed with breast cancer at a very young age. He opens up with details on challenges of being one of her caregivers and how he balanced comedy with tragedy. His sister catalogued her journey in a docu...

Chadi sits down with Dr. Matt Davids, Director of Clinical Research in the Division of Lymphoma at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, to unpack the latest breakthroughs in leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) from the ASH annual meeting. A pioneer in CLL treatment, Dr. Davids recounts the development of venetoclax, a transformative therapy he helped bring to clinical use over a decade ago, s...

As the holidays approach, questions about maintaining nutrition, wellness, and a healthy lifestyle take center stage. Australian nutrition icons Kim Morrison and Cyndi O'Meara join Chadi to explore vitalistic principles that emphasize natural health approaches without relying on medication. They dive into how the holiday season amplifies mental health and nutritional struggles and share actio...

Leading into the ASH Annual Meeting, Dr. Kami Maddocks, professor in the Division of Hematology at The Ohio State University and medical director of infusion services at The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, provides an in-depth analysis of advancements in non-Hodgkin lymphoma care, with a focus on aggressive B-cell lymphoma. She explores the evolving roles of immunotherapies like CAR-T cells and...

Dr. Vivek Subbiah returns for another edition of Vivek's Takes, sharing his insights on key updates from ESMO Congress 2024, including breakthroughs in neuroendocrine tumors, gastric cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer. He also delves into the highlights of his AACR debate on integrating early cancer detection with AI, arguing for the transformative potential of humans with AI versus the r...

Chadi welcomes Dr. Andrea Apolo, an internationally recognized leader in bladder cancer research from the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Apolo shares her expertise on recent advancements in urothelial cancer therapy, including key breakthroughs in checkpoint inhibition that have marked a significant turning point in treatment. The conversation delves into optimal sequencing and combination strateg...

Dr. Joe Mikhael, Chief Medical Officer of the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) and Professor at TGen, takes us beyond his medical career to explore the personal experiences that have shaped his journey in oncology. Dr. Mikhael discusses the IMF’s targeted strategies for reducing health disparities among diverse ethnic and racial groups affected by myeloma, shedding light on specific initiati...

Tom Beer, Chief Medical Officer of the Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) program at Exact Sciences, delves into the groundbreaking science behind MCED tests, which use advanced biomarkers for early detection of multiple cancer types. He explains who may be eligible for these tests, how to interpret results to avoid unnecessary intervention from over-detection, and the varying sensitivity levels...

In this special episode, Chadi gives up the microphone to guest host Kelly Ryerson, who takes over the show asking questions about Chadi's new book "The Cancer Journey."What inspired the book writing? What methods are used? Who is the target audience? What did the author learn? And what did he aim to achieve? Written for everyone who wants to learn more about cancer, this discussion...

Jon Chait never thought he would get cancer, but one day he found he had it. As he navigates his journey alongside his caregiver and wife Heather, he shares with Chadi the good and the bad, the ups and downs, and what he encounters in a broken, complex healthcare system. A fitting episode as Chadi launches his book "The Cancer Journey." It is a must listen to anyone navigating the system...

Kathy Giusti, founder of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) and a two-time cancer survivor, opens up about her first diagnosis and the life-changing conversation with her primary care doctor. She reflects on the overwhelming "age of information," which often leads patients to more questions than answers, and shares her strategies for dealing with the loss of control that com...

Dr. Joe Lennerz, Chief Scientific Officer of BostonGene and a pathologist by training, joins Chadi to break down next-generation sequencing (NGS) in simple terms, discussing why some patients undergo NGS while others do not, along with its advantages and limitations. He also explores the impact of NGS on treatment pathways, the practicality of minimal residual disease (MRD) detection, liquid biops...

Dr. Sanjay Patel of Weill Cornell and Dr. Greg Goldgof of Memorial Sloan Kettering dive into the transformative role of AI in modern pathology. They discuss how large language models are enhancing diagnostic workflows, expediting report synthesis, and shaping the future of patient care. The conversation also touches on the complex training required to ready AI systems for clinical use, the areas o...

David Canes, CEO of WellPrept and a Boston-based urologist, joins the show to share the story behind his innovative platform designed to reduce physician burnout. He explains how WellPrept empowers doctors to streamline patient education by organizing and delivering tailored materials before the first visit, allowing for more personalized and efficient consultations. David also touches on his entr...

Graduating fellows Jennifer Marks and Megan Melody join the show to discuss the challenges of navigating the job search during fellowship. They share insights on when to start looking for positions, the importance of networking through mentors and conferences, and how to handle geographic limitations in the job market. The conversation also covers key interview strategies, tips for compensation ne...

Yelak Biru, President and CEO of the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF), joins the show to share his remarkable personal and professional journey. After immigrating to the US from Ethiopia, Yelak was diagnosed with multiple myeloma at the age of 26, setting him on an extraordinary path as both a survivor and a passionate advocate for myeloma patients. He discusses pivotal moments in his treatm...

Dr. Anish Koka, a cardiologist at Jefferson Health, returns to the show for the first time since the inaugural episode in October 2020. With a sharp focus on healthcare policy, he delves into the impact of the Affordable Care Act on his practice, critiques the influence of political biases in academia, and shares his bold ideas for making healthcare insurance accessible and affordable. Dr. Koka al...

Ziad Bakouny, MD, MSc, and Nazli Dizman, MD, return to the show to discuss the progress made for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) within the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Building on their previous conversation, they explore the origins of their initiatives at ASCO 2022, the goals for integrating IMGs into successful medical careers in the US, and the significant challenges p...

Chadi sits down with Russell Gong, President and CEO of Cabinet Health, and Eric Lessard, Vice President of Pharmacy, to explore their mission to revolutionize the healthcare industry with sustainable practices. They discuss the inspiration behind Cabinet Health, the significance of reducing plastic waste with their eco-friendly refillable medicine system, the startup's success metrics, their...

Dr. Ishwaria Subbiah, Executive Director for Cancer Care Equity and Professional Wellness at the Sarah Cannon Research Institute, joins Chadi to delve into the complexities of professional wellbeing and burnout in the healthcare field. She explores the prevalence of burnout, the concept of "learned helplessness," and effective strategies for improving organizational wellness and resilien...

Christian Rolfo, MD, PhD, of Mount Sinai Medical Center, explores the science and clinical applications of liquid biopsies, including circulating tumor DNA. With Chadi, he explains how this cutting-edge approach compares to traditional tissue samples in terms of concordance, sensitivity, and specificity, and expands on the methods used to distinguish signal from noise in liquid biopsy results. Dr....

It's July/August and this is the time when residents and fellows start their new chapter of their lives. In this special episode, Chadi tackles the fellowship application process using the "hematology/oncology" fellowship as an example, while keeping the conversation broad to most other fellowships in other disciplines. To better understand the process and the issues, he has invited...

Chadi is joined by Drs. Rana McKay and Petros Grivas to discuss the latest genitourinary oncology research updates from the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting, covering topics such as the prognostic ability of KIM-1 in kidney cancer, patient-reported outcomes from enfortumab vedotin/pembrolizumab treatment, and the final overall survival update from the JAVELIN Renal 101 trial. The conversation also delves...

In this exclusive interview, Chadi welcomes Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, a Chinese immigrant who grew up under apartheid in South Africa and rose to become one of the world's most successful physician executives. Now the CEO of ImmunityBio, Dr. Soon-Shiong opens up about his remarkable journey. He shares what inspired him to pursue medicine, his entrepreneurial ventures, his move to the United St...