OncTimes Talk

In this episode, we explore how Lytix Biopharma is advancing a new kind of cancer treatment designed to both destroy tumors and train the immune system to fight back. Dr. Øystein Rekdal joins Dr. Susan McDonald to discuss the science behind LTX-315, a first-in-class oncolytic peptide, and its ability to trigger systemic immune responses even in heavily pretreated patients. From late-stage melanoma...

In this episode, Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH, explains why movement should be treated like medicine for patients with cancer. In conversation with Susan MacDonald, MD, she breaks down the evidence, addresses common barriers, and offers practical guidance for both clinicians and patients. Resources mentioned in the podcast: Moving Through Cancer: An Exercise and Strength-Training Program for the Figh...

In this episode of Oncology Times , Dr. Susan MacDonald speaks with epidemiologist Dr. Mary Beth Terry about the alarming rise in early-onset cancers, particularly among women, and the role of environmental and lifestyle factors. They explore emerging evidence on alcohol use, plastics, vaping, and other exposures. Resources: Top 10 Tips for Healthier Home : General guidance on reducing exposures t...

In this episode of OncTimes Talk , host Dr. McDonald speaks with Rose Gerber, Director of Patient Advocacy and Education at the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) and a 23‑year breast cancer survivor. Rose shares her powerful personal cancer journey and how that experience ignited her lifelong commitment to patient advocacy. She discusses the essential role of community oncology practices, the chal...

What happens when you survive a disaster that steals the lives of thousands of children?   For Dr. Yan Leyfman, surviving Chernobyl as a child wasn't just fate—it became the foundation of a lifelong mission to heal.  In this deeply personal conversation, Yan shares how tragedy shaped his calling in oncology, why empathy is the strongest medicine, and how innovation must not only save lives—but rea...

In this podcast episode, Dr. Christine Ibilibor meets with Dr. Jean-Paul De La O, a Senior Principal Medical Affairs Director at Exact Sciences, to talk about how comprehensive DNA and RNA sequencing of tumors has become easier, faster and more actionable for oncologists. The pair also discuss Exact Sciences' retrospective analysis of over 10,000 solid tumor samples profiled with the OncoExTra® te...

In this episode of OncTimes Talk, we chat with Dr. Janet Kukreja about the evolving landscape of bladder cancer.

In this episode of OncTimes Talk, Dr. Victor Czerkasij, DNP, DCNP, FNP-C, CWCP, MSN, MA discusses the current state of skin cancer in the U.S.

In this episode of OncTimes Talk, we chat with Dr. Eliot Siegel, MD, FACR, FSIM, DABR; Dr. Michael Morris, MD, MS, DABR, DABNM, DCI; Dr. Babak Saboury, MD, MPH, DABR, DABNM; and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Munir Ghesani, MD, FACNM, FACR, FSNMMI from United Theranostics, a national leader in precision cancer care and radiopharmaceutical therapy. Together, these visionary physicians are advancing the...

At 36, Heather Von St. James was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma and given just 15 months to live. Nineteen years later, she's not only surviving, but she's also leading a movement. In this episode, Heather shares how she turned trauma into purpose, created a powerful annual ritual called "Lung Leavin' Day" and became a national voice for mesothelioma awareness. From motherhood to ad...

In this episode of OncTimes Talk, we chat with Joey-Rose Jester, an exhibits manager and survivor of cholangiocarcinoma to explore the personal and professional sides of her cancer journey. From navigating a rare diagnosis to showing up at work during treatment, Joey-Rose shares honest reflections, unexpected lessons, and the moments that shaped her path.

In this episode of  OncTimes Talk , we chat with Tom Hulsey—athlete, author, and prostate cancer survivor—about the life-altering moment he received his diagnosis on his birthday, and how it set him on a path of resilience, advocacy, and renewed purpose. Tom opens up about the emotional toll of staying silent, the power of mindset in healing, and how facing both cancer and heart disease reshaped h...

In this third episode of the OncoExTra® podcast series, host Ruchika Talwar, MD, talks with Christy Russell, MD, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Exact Sciences, about what oncologists can expect when they receive their OncoExTra comprehensive genomic profiling test results, and how they can utilize the report and tap into Exact Sciences' skilled support team to develop a plan of action for th...

In this episode of OncTimes Talk, we chat with Sami Mansfield, ACSM-CET, PN1, the founder of Cancer Wellness for Life, an organization dedicated to developing, implementing, and optimizing exercise oncology and lifestyle medicine programs and resources for hospitals, healthcare organizations, pharmaceutical companies, nonprofits, and individuals impacted by cancer. cancerwellnessforlife.com

In this episode of OncTimes Talk, we chat with Katie Colman. Diagnosed with an ultra-rare stage IV kidney cancer in 2020 , her prognosis had a chance to significantly change after six months. Since then, Katie has since become an Author, founded a non-profit organization, and has become a podcast host—all with the goal of giving back to cancer research.   Katiekickscancer.com

In this podcast episode, host Ruchika Talwar, MD, is joined by Amin Mazloom, PhD, Senior Vice President of Bioinformatics, Biostatistics & Data Innovation, and Janine LoBello, DO, Senior Clinical Laboratory Medical Director at Exact Sciences to discuss patient-matched tumor-normal (PMTN) sequencing and why it matters for oncologists. Drs. Mazloom and LoBello discuss PMTN sequencing as a gold stand...

In this podcast episode, host Ruchika Talwar, MD, is joined by Amin Mazloom, PhD, Senior Vice President of Bioinformatics, Biostatistics & Data Innovation, and Janine LoBello, DO, Senior Clinical Laboratory Medical Director at Exact Sciences to discuss patient-matched tumor-normal (PMTN) sequencing and why it matters for oncologists. Drs. Mazloom and LoBello discuss PMTN sequencing as a gold stand...

In this episode, Dr. Ruchika Talwar, a urologic oncologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Dr. Adham Jurdi, a medical oncologist and Senior Director of Oncology at Natera, delve into the groundbreaking world of tumor-informed molecular residual disease testing. Discover how circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is revolutionizing cancer detection and treatment, providing real-time insights that s...

In this episode of the OncTimes Talk, we chat with Susan MacDonald, MD, Associate Professor and Program Director of the Department of Urology at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, in Hershey, PA. MacDonald shares her inspiring journey of facing a life-changing diagnosis with strength and resilience. Discover her insights into the healthcare system, the unexpected joys she found, a...

Masood Moghul, MBBS, a urologist and Research Fellow at the Royal Marsden Hospital and Institute of Cancer Research in London shared findings from a study investigating a mobile, targeted, case-finding approach to prostate cancer detection with 3,379 patients.   Moghul told the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco how the study addresse...

In the third episode of A Deep Dive Into HRD Testing in Ovarian Cancer, a three-part podcast series sponsored by AstraZeneca, we're speaking with Dr. David O'Malley, and Bobbie R, an ovarian cancer patient. Dr. O'Malley will highlight how HRD testing empowers ovarian cancer patients to make more informed decisions with their doctors to help guide their treatment journey, and Bobbie will provide in...

In the second episode of A Deep Dive into HRD Testing in Ovarian Cancer, a three-part podcast series sponsored by AstraZeneca, we're speaking with Dr. Erin Crane who will highlight how HRD testing provides helpful information to ovarian cancer patients.   Erin K. Crane, MD, MPH, is a gynecologic oncologist with Atrium Health Levine Cancer in Charlotte, North Carolina. A graduate of the SUNY Upstat...

In the first episode of A Deep Dive into HRD Testing in Ovarian Cancer, a three-part podcast series sponsored by AstraZeneca, we're speaking with Dr. Kathleen Moore about HRD testing in ovarian cancer and its clinical significance in helping aid precision medicine approaches.   Dr. Kathleen Moore is a Professor of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Associate...

At the 2025 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, researchers from Japan reported marked differences between the populations of several key microbial species in the gut microbiomes of patients with metastatic prostate cancer that distinguished them from those with non-metastatic disease. This was in the PROMISE-JAPAN study with 869 Japanese patients.   After talking about his group's new data, lea...

At the 2025 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco, the Phase III AFU-GETUG-20 trial reported that adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy did not improve outcomes when added to surgery for patients with high-risk prostate cancer.   Using 2 years of androgen deprivation therapy after radical prostatectomy in high-risk patients with undetectable postoperative PSA did not significantly...