The James Cancer-Free World Podcast

Early in his career, William Farrar, MD, learned an important lesson from his mentor, Arthur G. James, MD. “The patient comes first … and I practiced that through my entire career,” said Farrar, who recently retired after a remarkable 46-year career at the OSUCCC – James. In this episode, we spend some time with Farrar, who was CEO of the James Cancer Hospital when he retired. He talks about the i...

When David Carbone, MD, PhD, began treating lung cancer patients in the 1980s, “it wasn’t clear if anything helped survival.” However, over the past few decades the treatment options and results “have changed dramatically,” said the director of the James Thoracic Oncology Center. In this episode of the James Cancer Free World podcast, Carbone explains the advances made over the years: precision ca...

David Carbone, MD, PhD, is determined to reduce the number of lung-cancer deaths. “Lung cancer is the number-one cause of cancer deaths for men and for women in this country, and worldwide,” said Carbone, a lung cancer expert and director of the James Thoracic Oncology Center. “That’s why lung-cancer screening is so important.” In this episode, Carbone discusses the new James mobile lung cancer sc...

Where you live, work, play and pray can impact your health. In this episode, Samilia Obeng-Gyasi, MD, MPH, discusses research studies and clinical trials that have shown how the social determinants of health and the healthcare inequities that impact many lower-economic populations can lead to cancer diagnoses in the later stages and poorer outcomes. Obeng-Gyasi is a James surgical oncologist and a...

The new HALT Clinic at the James is improving methods to detect blood cancers, and making earlier diagnoses possible. “The goal is to identify patients or people at higher risk of developing leukemia due to either an inherited genetic mutation or an acquitted genetic mutation,” says Uma Borate, MBBS, co-director of the cutting-edge clinic. In episode, Borate explains how advances in sequencing DNA...

Adrenal cancer is rare, difficult to detect and is often diagnosed in the later stages when it has metastasized. “That’s why it’s so important to have centers of excellence so patients have access to providers who are experts in treating this disease,” says Barbra Miller, MD, co-director of the James Multidisciplinary Adrenal Clinic, a world leader in treating this type of cancer. The body’s two a...

A new clinical trial led by the James that utilizes immunotherapy is showing great promise in treating women with a recurrence of endometrial cancer (also called uterine cancer). In this episode, David O’Malley, MD, director of the James Division of Gynecologic Oncology and Co-Director of the Gyn Oncology Phase I Program, describes the trial and its great promise. Previously, “we had limited optio...

“Every man deserves to be treated in a multidisciplinary prostate cancer clinic,” said Steve Clinton, MD, PhD. In this episode, Clinton gives a great overview of what every man needs to know about prostate cancer. This begins with regular screening – and the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test. This test should begin at the age of 40. A significant, year-to-year increase in a patient’s PSA...

Registration has begun for the 14th Pelotonia, the amazing, fundraising cycling event that has raised $236 million for cancer research at The James. In this episode we talk with Pelotonia CEO Doug Ulman and President Joe Apgar. They describe the new routes, provide some fundraising tips, and give an overview of the new Victoria’s Secret and Pelotonia collaboration to award $8.5 million over the ne...

“I like to say that patients at the James have access to tomorrow’s therapies today,” said David O’Malley, MD, the director of the James Division of Gynecologic Oncology and Co-Director of the Gyn Oncology Phase I Program. In this episode, O’Malley describes a new clinical trial that provides “tomorrow’s therapies today” to patients at the James, and beyond. A clinical trial led by O’Malley utiliz...

The COVID-19 pandemic has created what Amy Rettig calls “a new reality” for healthcare teams. This new reality can be more difficult, but “realizing we are not alone in what we are thinking and feeling, and the knowledge that others are feeling the same way is so supportive,” says Rettig, a James advanced practice registered nurse, who has also earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and a Mast...

Big data and some detective work helped Samkeek Roychowdhury, MD, PhD, and his team find a new target for immunotherapy. In this episode, Roychowdhury and Emily Hoskins, a graduate student in bioinformatics and a member of Roychowdhury’s lab, fill us in on their research to discover a new target for immunotherapy and plans to create a clinical trial that shows great promise in treating patients wi...

“Our cancer patients are truly remarkable,” said David Cohn, MD, MBA, FACHE, chief medical officer of The James. “The vast majority are fully vaccinated and fully boosted and that’s been a key to their protection [from COVID-19].” In this episode, Cohn discusses why cancer patients are more at risk to contract COVID-19 and have more serious symptoms; the precautions James patients and their family...

“I work with an amazing group of [ultrasound technologist] who go above and beyond on a daily basis to make sure each of their patients and their families are cared for, loved, comforted and well informed,” said Martini Tolley, an ultrasound technologist at the Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center. In this episode, Tolley explains the difference between a mammogram and an ultrasound, the...

Are you ready for a music therapy session? In this episode, Terel Jackson, not only discusses the one-on-one and group sessions she leads at the James, and how she adapted during COVID, she also gives a music therapy demonstration using a Suzuki chime. "Think of [music therapy] as a tool to help people make positive changes in their lives," she explained of her goals for the cancer patients she wo...

“Knowledge is power,” said Sally Hughes, who was treated for endometrial cancer at the OSUCCC – James and was a participant in the Ohio Prevention and Treatment of Endometrial Cancer (OPTEC), a statewide program funded by Pelotonia. In this episode, Hughes and David Cohn, MD, the chief medical officer of the James, discuss the ongoing impact of OPTEC. In the program, women diagnosed with endometri...

Soon after the veterinarians at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium discovered a large tumor on the liver of Shaila, a 19-year-old gorilla, they contacted Allan Tsung, MD, director of surgical oncology and a specialist in liver, bile duct and pancreatic cancer. When he listened to their message, “I thought it was a practical joke from one of my friends,” Tsung said. It wasn’t, and in this episode, Tsung...

Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer, according to statistics gathered by cancer epidemiologists. “Those are the statistics that started us on this path,” said Electra Paskett, PhD, co-leader of the OSUCCC – James Cancer Control Program and one of the country’s leading cancer epidemiologists. The path led to the creation of the new OSUCCC – James Turning the Page on Breast Cancer...

Ko Un (Clara) Park, MD, is leading a new, robotic-assisted, nipple-sparing mastectomy clinical trial that is funded by Pelotonia. In this episode, Park describes the advances in the surgical techniques of mastectomies and reconstructive surgery over the years, including the introduction of a traditional nipple-sparing technique that led to … This new, robotic-assisted surgery, that is less invasiv...

Every rider’s first Pelotonia experience is special, and so it was for Dr. Kristina Johnson, president of The Ohio State University, and a cancer survivor. “To think that all these people are riding because they have (had cancer), or a sister or a brother or a mother or father or a friend who’s gone through cancer, and they know what they’re doing that day is helping them and the next generation i...

“We put a tremendous effort into developing and sustaining relationships with our patients and their families, with our colleagues, to one’s self, and to the community,” said Ruth Frankenfield, a James psychiatric mental health advanced practice nurse. In this episode, Frankenfield explains how she teaches the basics of D.E.S.C. to members of the James team, and how it fits in with the patient-bas...

“I’m never satisfied with the status quo, I’m always looking to move the needle, how can we advance,” said Allan Tsung, MD, the James director of surgical oncology and a specialist in liver, bile duct and pancreatic cancer. Advances in surgical techniques have led to better outcomes for patients, and include minimally invasive surgical techniques, as well as a new method to directly infuse chemoth...

The annual Steps for Sarcoma event has raised more than $1.2 million and funded several research programs that have improved the outcomes for sarcoma patients at the James, and beyond. “It’s so fantastic for us, as caregivers, to see them walking and doing the things they want to do because of the care we’ve given them,” said Joel Mayerson, MD, director of the James sarcoma program. In this episod...

Taking care of one another is "always important and doubly important during the pandemic,” said Amy Lindsey, a James psychiatric mental health clinical nurse specialist (PMHCNS-BC)who works with patients and the staff. “That’s what’s gotten us through this – teamwork and our relationships with the people we work with.” In this episode, Lindsey describes the Brief Emotional Support Team (BEST) prog...

Advances in cellular therapy “are becoming more-and more a part of our multi-disciplinary approach to treating cancer,” said Marcos de Lima, MD, the new leader of the Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy programs of the OSUCCC – James. In this episode, de Lima discusses the advances in blood and bone marrow transplants, and the next step: cellular therapy. This fairly new type of treat...