Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind

This is OncoSnacks, a new, fortnightly OftIM spinoff! In this new bite-sized series, Michael and Josh try to sink their teeth into more slice-of-life topics, all to help you, our beloved listeners, digest some of the most common problems your patients will serve to you on a platter. This week, a treatment side effect that actually stops people eating (and making lame food-based puns as well): muco...

This week on Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind, Michael dons his cultural hat and begins with an Ode to the Kidneys, organs that are as much a muse for poets worldwide as the heart (probably). However, you didn't come to this podcast for excellent poetry being delivered with all the panache and misguided enthusiasm of a walrus stepping on a piece of LEGO, and Michael and Josh aim to deliver on thi...

As the southern hemisphere basks in summer's beautiful warmth, Michael and Josh skip the beach to explore skin cancer. While melanoma usually takes centre stage in the oncological world, it is far less common than basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma. Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma now has a viable and effective treatment option called cemiplimab. At the other end of the spectrum, M...

New year, new episode of Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind! After enjoying their holiday break, Josh and Michael dive right into 2023 with an episode especially aimed at trainees just about to start their new professional journey in Medical Oncology. Joined by an old friend, the wise-beyond-his-years Dr Andrew Jensen, they discuss life as a trainee, balancing work and life, and how to navigate the...

Oncologists love pushing the limits of what is possible for our patients. To celebrate this and the 20th episode of Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind, Michael and Josh explore the heights of pioneering treatment for early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). A notoriously resistant cancer with no known targetable lesions that affect younger women on average, The  BrighTNess trial, Keyn...

"I'm not in danger; I AM the danger!" So said Bryan Cranston's Walter White, and so too said early-stage lung cancer when confronted with adjuvant chemotherapy (maybe). In this episode, however, Josh and Michael follow in the footsteps of Hank Schrader, Steve Gomez et al., discussing ways to tackle one of the biggest killers in oncology. While we may not have found a way to control early-stage lun...

In this episode, Josh and Mikey travel back millions of years to a time when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, as recent research has demonstrated, unmolested by cancer. Then they come crashing back to the present to discuss this week's topic, metastatic colorectal cancer. Will they discover secrets hidden across the aeons? Was the secret to cancer treatment hidden in the bones of our scaled precursors?...

Movember is an important event focussing on men's health, including cancer. Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer diagnosed in Australia and the second most common in American men. To highlight this and explore the pioneering treatments available, Michael and Josh interviewed the esteemed Dr Megan Crumbaker. Megan is a medical oncologist specialising in genitourinary cancer and works at T...

After looking at early upper gastrointestinal cancers last week, Michael and Josh take the logical next step and discuss the management of their metastatic cousins, the most unsavoury collection since Cassius and Brutus teamed up to assassinate their erstwhile friend Julius. And while our weapons against these cancers are limited, that will not stop our intrepid podcasting pair from taking a deep,...

As we CROSS into another episode, Michael and Josh explore the world of early gastric cancer and esophageal cancer. Interestingly both these cancers have a higher incidence in Asia and North Africa. Your podcast hosts soon find early detection of these cancers can be difficult, often leading to treatment challenges not seen by other cancer streams, such as bowel or breast cancer. Unlike previous e...

After the highs of their special interview with Dr Belinda Yeo on all things breast cancer, Josh and Michael crash back to their usual programming with a banter and dad-joke-filled journey through the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer. A notoriously insidious disease, ovarian cancer is responsible for not just significant mortality but soul-crushing morbidity as well. However, for some very spe...

To celebrate the end of breast cancer awareness month, Michael and Josh are joined by Dr Belinda Yeo, an experienced oncologist specialising in treating breast cancer. Belinda trained at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney, Australia, followed by the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. She now works at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute as a Clinician Scientist with a specific interest in...

In this episode, Josh and Michael take a step down from the dizzying heights of HER-2 positive breast cancer treatment and crash back to earth to metastatic pancreatic cancer, a topic that remains an unconquered Everest, mocking oncologists like that one kid who always stole Josh's lunch money in school... Don't worry; there will be no airing of childhood trauma here. Just two oncologists discussi...

In part two of their HER2 breast cancer dive, Josh and Michael explore the optimistic world of metastatic breast cancer. Once a desolate space with limited options, HER2 metastatic breast cancer represents the frontier of targeted therapy, like the industrial age or landing on the moon. While neither Josh nor Mikey have been to the moon, these researchers have landed among the stars bringing hope...

In this episode, Josh and Michael begin their second two-part expedition, this time exploring HER2-positive breast cancer, an area of oncology that has been much like your favourite Instagram or TikTok celebrity: at the forefront of the hottest new trends. Neither Josh nor Mikey have a favourite Instagram or TikTok celebrity because they are old and out of touch, but the shifts in HER2-positive br...

In this episode, Josh and Michael once again tackle immunotherapy in its application to metastatic urothelial cancer. Some say immunotherapy should be used up front. Others say that it should be used when all previous treatments have failed. And still, others are wondering about that Richard Nixon/Spock impression from last week and how it could be topped. For answers to all those questions and mo...

In this extraordinary episode, Josh and Michael continue their journey to the earth's centre and the unknown with more European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) highlights.  Since last week, Michael has realised that his French needs a bit of work, so they stuck to their guns and avoided google translate. Josh feels they should work on their Spanish to prepare for ESMO in Madrid in 2023. Bu...

In this very special episode, Josh and Michael hope to fulfil their fantasy of attending the European Society of Medical Oncology's (ESMO) yearly Congress, where they rub elbows with oncology's biggest movers and shakers; learn about the latest groundbreaking studies; and, in Michael's case, speak French with an accent lifted from a Monty Python sketch. The fact that they were stuck at home for th...

"Hepatobiliary cancer, the final frontier." So begins our double-headed sojourn into two of the most challenging to-treat cancers many oncologists will encounter, but one that ends on a surprisingly positive note. Also, there's a cameo that absolutely no one will see coming... Links to studies discussed in this episode (subscription may be required): TOPAZ-1: https://evidence.nejm.org/doi/full/10....

In episode 5, Michael and Josh dive into the complex world of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. While early-stage breast cancer boasts fantastic cure rates many other cancers can only dream of, this evolving space must contend with multiple players, including aromatase inhibitors, tamoxifen and now abemaciclib (CDK 4/6 inhibitor). How best to approach adjuvant endocrine therapy is difficult...

Four episodes already! How time flies when you're having fun. In this episode, Josh and Michael discuss metastatic lung cancer, an area of oncology where a survival benefit of a few months generates cheers, tears and standing ovations. So what happens when studies start to improve patients' outcomes by YEARS? I don't know, but there were almost certainly minds that were thoroughly blown. Join us f...

In this episode, Michael and Josh discuss the scourge that is metastatic mesothelioma. This genuinely awful disease continues to inflict significant mortality and morbidity on patients exposed to asbestos worldwide. One of our more grim episodes thus far, but never fear; we have still crammed in more dad jokes than one can wave a bag of chemotherapy at. Links to papers discussed in this episode (s...

In this episode, Josh and Michael discuss the incredible story of the treatment of metastatic melanoma, the immunotherapy revolution, and why this relegated a perfectly decent targeted therapy to second place on the podium. Join us for a titanic battle on a par with Macbeth vs Macduff, Rocky Balboa vs Apollo Creed, or Regina George vs that bus... Links to papers discussed (subscription may be requ...

In their inaugural episode, Michael and Josh discuss one of the most common cancers a budding oncologist will encounter: prostate cancer. But is there more to this cancer than meets the eye? Will they make sense of the whole confusing mess? Is this whole podcasting thing way too much for them to handle? Listen on to find out! Links to papers discussed (subscription may be required): CHAARTED: http...

Cancer is a fascinating but rapidly evolving discipline - it's a full-time job just keeping up to date. In this podcast, Dr Michael Fernando and Dr Joshua Hurwitz explore the latest trials, research, and practice-changing updates, as well as regular interviews with renowned oncology specialists. Ideal for those starting their training journey, esta...