PancChat Podcast with Alisyn Camerota

Roberta Luna is a  24-year pancreatic cancer survivor. When she was diagnosed in 2002, her doctors gave her months to live. But she was determined that the same disease that had already taken her father and uncle would not take her. In this episode, Roberta talks with host Alisyn Camerota about navigating a stage three diagnosis, the role of clinical trials, the diet and lifestyle changes she cred...

What is it like to live with pancreatic cancer?. Randi Ervin was diagnosed with a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (PNET) in her 30s. Even after a total pancreatectomy she remains in treatment to keep the tumor in check.   In the years since her diagnosis she has become an insulin-dependent diabetic, lost her mother to pancreatic cancer, and built a full life as a health equity advocate and volunte...

What if artificial intelligence could catch pancreatic cancer before a radiologist's eye does? In this episode of PancChat, host Alisyn Camerota speaks with Dr. Elliot Fishman, professor in the Departments of Radiology and Radiological Science, Oncology, and Surgery at Johns Hopkins Medicine, member of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, and co-principal investigator of the FELIX Project for E...

Pancreatic cancer is most often caught late — but that is starting to change. In this episode of PancChat, host Alisyn Camerota sits down with Dr. Raymond Wadlow, a gastrointestinal oncologist at the Inova Schar Cancer Institute and director of the High Risk Pancreatic Clinic, to talk about what screening and surveillance actually mean for people at elevated risk of developing pancreatic cancer. D...

So far, immunotherapy has been a game-changer in other cancers but not pancreatic cancer. Is that finally changing? In this episode of PancChat, host Alisyn Camerota sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Jaffee, deputy director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins and chief medical advisor of the Lustgarten Foundation . Dr. Jaffee breaks down the science behind pancreatic cance...

In this episode of PancChat, host Alisyn Camerota sits down with Dr. Vinod Balachandran, a surgeon-scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the founding director of the Olayan Center for Cancer Vaccines, to take a closer look at vaccines being developed to prevent recurrence of pancreatic cancer. Dr. Balachandran breaks down three promising vaccine approaches currently in developmen...

Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy — known as PERT — may be one of the most important yet overlooked tools for pancreatic cancer patients and survivors. In this episode of PancChat, host Alisyn Camerota sits down with Dallas Lawry, an advanced oncology certified nurse practitioner at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, to break down why up to 90% of pancreatic cancer patients experience exocrine...

Eating during pancreatic cancer treatment can be challenging. In this episode, PancChat host Alisyn Camerota sits down with Audrey Caspar-Clark, an outpatient oncology dietitian specializing in pancreatic cancer at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the Abramson Cancer Center, to tackle the real challenges patients face — from treatment side effects and appetite loss to persistent...

What's on the horizon for pancreatic cancer treatment and earlier detection? In this episode, host Alisyn Camerota sits down with Dr. Andrew Ko, professor of medicine and associate chief of hematology oncology at UC San Francisco, to explore the most promising advances in the field. Dr. Ko breaks down the current state of pancreatic cancer vaccines and explains why they're showing promise for earl...

Where does pancreatic cancer research stand today — and what does it mean for patients and families right now? In this episode, host Alisyn Camerota sits down with Dr. Emil Lou, physician scientist and medical oncologist at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, to break down the latest developments in pancreatic cancer research. From KRAS-targeted therapies and the challenge of drug resistan...

In this continuation of our conversation about clinical trials, host Alisyn Camerota and Martin D Hynes, III, discuss the real obstacles patients face when pursuing clinical trials. Marty, a chemist and pancreatic cancer survivor, explains that while clinical trials require additional testing beyond standard of care, pharmaceutical companies cover these costs, including scans, blood work, and ofte...

January is Pancreatic Cancer Clinical Trial Awareness Month. In this episode of PancChat, host Alisyn Camerota speaks with Martin D Hynes, III, a chemist who spent much of his career in the pharmaceutical industry, including years with Eli Lilly developing Gemzar, a chemotherapy drug used to treat pancreatic cancer. In 2021, Marty was diagnosed with stage I pancreatic cancer and found himself on t...

In Episode 12 of PancChat, host Alisyn Camerota speaks with Diana Jupp, CEO of Pancreatic Cancer UK, about global advocacy, differences between UK and US approaches, and the power of collaboration through the World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition. Learn how awareness campaigns, patient voices, and international partnerships are helping drive progress in pancreatic cancer research, diagnosis, and care....

In this episode of PancChat, host Alisyn Camerota speaks with Kerry McKean Kelly, founder of Kelly's Heroes, about the power of collaboration in pancreatic cancer advocacy. Kerry shares her personal journey after losing her husband Steve to stage IV pancreatic cancer and how she channeled her grief into global advocacy work. As outgoing chair of the World Pancreatic Cancer (WPCC) Day Committee, Ke...

Join host Alisyn Camerota as she welcomes Dr. Asaf Maoz from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to explore the science behind genetic mutations in pancreatic cancer. Building on Episode 9's discussion of the genetic testing journey, this episode dives into hereditary risk and the specific types of mutations patients and families may encounter.  Dr. Maoz, an attending physician in the Division of Genetic...

Join host Alisyn Camerota as she welcomes Jessica Everett, MS, CGC, Senior Research Strategy Director at UC San Diego's Moores Cancer Center, to discuss the critical role of genetic testing in pancreatic cancer. Since becoming part of the standard of care in 2018, genetic testing is now recommended for all pancreatic cancer patients. Jessica, a genetic counselor specializing in pancreatic cancer,...

In Episode 8 we continue our discussion of pancreatic cancer surgery. Host Alisyn Camerota welcomes Dr. Nipun Merchant , Chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center , in Miami, Florida, to learn more about the evolution of surgical techniques for pancreatic cancer. Dr. Merchant explains the differences between open surgery, minimally invasive laparoscopic pr...

Join host Alisyn Camerota as she sits down with Dr. Niraj Gusani , a board-certified surgical oncologist at Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center in Jacksonville, Florida, to discuss the role of surgery in pancreatic cancer treatment. In this episode, we learn how doctors determine if a patient is a candidate for curative surgery, the impact of tumor location on surgical approach, and dive deep into t...

How do doctors decide when to use standard chemotherapy, explore immunotherapy, or recommend a clinical trial? In this episode of PancChat , host Alisyn Camerota speaks with Dr. Andrew Hendifar about how tumor sequencing, genetic testing, and emerging KRAS-targeted therapies are reshaping pancreatic cancer care. They discuss the challenges patients face navigating clinical trials, why timing and a...

When facing a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, patients and families are often met with difficult choices. In this episode of PancChat , host Alisyn Camerota speaks with Dr. Michael Pishvaian about what “standard of care” really means, the role of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, and why clinical trials remain such a critical -- yet underutilized -- option. Together, they unpack the treatment opt...

Who should be screened for pancreatic cancer, and when should it start?   In this episode of PancChat , host Alisyn Camerota speaks with leading experts Dr. Michael Goggins (Johns Hopkins) and Dr. Anirban Maitra (MD Anderson / NYU Langone) about identifying higher-risk individuals and creating personalized surveillance plans. From genetic mutations like BRCA to family history, pancreatic cysts, an...

In this episode of PancChat, host Alisyn Camerota is joined by Dr. Michael Goggins and Dr. Anirban Maitra for an in-depth discussion about the risk factors for pancreatic cancer. Together, explore lifestyle, inherited, and disease-related risks, explain how genetics and new-onset diabetes may signal increased vulnerability, and share proactive steps listeners can take to manage their risk. Whether...

In this episode of PancChat, host Alisyn Camerota speaks with Dr. Anna Berkenblit, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at PanCAN, and Dr. Allyson Ocean of Weill Cornell, co-founder of Let’s Win and chair of its Scientific Advisory Board. They discuss the current state of pancreatic cancer treatment, including promising developments in KRAS inhibitors and cancer vaccines, as well as the practical...

Welcome to the PancChat Podcast! Journalist Alisyn Camerota sits down with Let’s Win CEO Cindy Price Gavin and PanCAN President and CEO Julie Fleshman  in the premiere episode of PancChat. Together, they explore the evolution and impact of advocacy in the fight against pancreatic cancer and why the time was right to launch a collaborative podcast between Let’s Win and PanCAN. From our nearly nine...