Advancements in treatment combined with a multimodal approach are improving outcomes for patients with head and neck cancer. However, the unique challenges of a head and neck cancer diagnosis and its treatment side effects—such as speech and communication difficulties as well as negative effects on body image and self-esteem—can significantly impact a patient’s mental health. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Jacquelyn Doenges, LCSW, MSSW, CTTS, clinical oncology social worker at UT...

Female sexual dysfunction is a well-studied adverse effect of cancer treatment. Despite its prevalence, however, it remains vastly underdiagnosed and undertreated in oncology patients, with providers inadequately addressing sexual function before, during, and after treatment. Although most patients prefer that their providers initiate conversations regarding sexual health, providers may be reticent to screen for such problems due to insufficient knowledge and expertise in the diagnosis and...

Effective partnerships between dermatologists and oncologists are an essential component of care coordination for patients with advanced non-melanoma skin cancers. This interprofessional collaboration can be more challenging in the community setting, where fewer resources are available in comparison to large academic medical centers. In this podcast episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Emily Smith, MD, associate professor of Dermatology at St. Louis University School of Medicine, about best...

Novel cancer therapies have emerged over the past 10-15 years with high rates of cutaneous side effects, leading to increased demand for specialists in oncodermatology. These subspecialists have expertise in managing therapeutic complications, cutaneous metastases, and proactive management of potential adverse events. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ TV speaks with guest Meghan Heberton, MD, director of Oncodermatology and assistant professor of Dermatology at UT Southwestern Medical Center –...

Common adverse events associated with treatment of mantle cell lymphoma include gastrointestinal, hematologic, and cardiac toxicities. Proactive management of these toxicities and collaboration between members of the cancer care team, including pharmacists, are key to optimizing patient outcomes. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Karen Fancher, PharmD, BCOP, clinical pharmacy specialist in oncology at University of Pittsburgh – Passavant Hospital, and Victoria Nachar, PharmD, BCOP,...

Effective communication between patients and healthcare providers is crucial to facilitate shared decision-making and meaningful dialogue that supports improved patient outcomes in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) care. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Jean Louise Koff, MD, MSc, associate professor in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, about fostering trust, rapport, and collaboration in the...

Anemia presents a significant challenge in the management of patients with low-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Given the considerable potential for symptom burden associated with anemia in patients with MDS, health care professionals must prioritize enhancing quality of life when evaluating treatment options. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with David Sallman, MD, associate member in the Department of Malignant Hematology at Moffitt Cancer Center, and Karley Trautman, DNP, ANP-BC,...

Enterprise intelligence software analyzes imaging results of all patients treated at UCHealth to identify and stratify those with high-risk findings. When a concerning abnormality is found, patients and providers are alerted to the finding, and patients are referred for additional follow-up. After this system-wide approach led to a 2,514% increase in actively managed patients, a centralized care management function was implemented to streamline processes, reducing the time to recommend next...

New opportunities are emerging for dedicated biomarker testing navigators facilitated by laboratory professionals to better streamline sample collection and optimize test ordering and results for patients with cancer. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ TV speaks with Lynnette Pineault, MBA, SCT (ASCP), chair of the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Biomarker Testing Navigation Feasibility Study and manager of Laboratory Operations and Genetic Counseling Services, Medical Library and...

This accelerated delivery platform improves clinic workflow and speeds up breast cancer diagnosis and treatment planning. From screening mammogram, a clinical pathway flags patients who meet One-Stop Breast Clinic criteria, eliminating the traditional “first come, first served” scheduling model. To date, more than 300 patients have benefited from this rapid diagnostic approach, receiving their diagnosis in 3 to 7 days, far below the national average of 26 days. Guest: Michele Brands ...

Anemia presents a significant challenge in the management of patients with low-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). As clinicians focus on maintaining quality of life, it is necessary to understand the care sequencing of anemia treatment in patients with low-risk MDS. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Steven Gilmore, PharmD, BCOP, Senior Manager of Clinical Content in Pharmacy and Clinical Programs with McKesson Specialty Health, and Christopher Benton, MD, hematologist and medical...

This AI-driven incidental findings program identifies and then monitors pancreatic abnormalities to improve the quality of care to patients who are at increased risk for developing pancreatic cancer. To do so, the patient management software integrates with the electronic health record and facilitates patient identification, risk assessment, care plan tracking, patient and provider communication, outcomes recording, and registry functionality. In the 2 years following program implementation,...

This machine learning algorithm runs nightly and is linked to a smart texting application that goes out to patients every morning for 7 days following chemotherapy, asking about symptoms like diarrhea, fever, nausea, vomiting, and pain. Patients reporting severe or worsening symptoms have the smart text escalated to the oncology clinic where they received chemotherapy. Initial analysis broken down by responders (those that opted in and answered the daily text messages) and non-responders...

While molecularly targeted therapies based on actionable biomarkers are improving outcomes for patients with lung cancer, access to biomarker testing continues to hinder equitable and comprehensive care for underserved patients. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ TV speaks with Tom Lycan, DO, MHS, assistant professor of Hematology & Oncology at the Wake Forest School of Medicine, about a practical tool that can provide a care plan roadmap for providers and patients to mitigate precision...

Development of this comprehensive bispecific antibody program included policy development; toxicity management; creation of patient and staff education documents; creation of clinician tools like a toxicity scoring and charting tool and an electronic order set that segregates treatment options; and a monitoring system to safely transition patients from inpatient to outpatient care. Guest: Courtney VanHouzen, PharmD PGY-2 Oncology Resident Munson Healthcare, Cowell Family Cancer Center ...

This rule-based informatics solution pulls from the electronic health record to automate the election of an appropriate biosimilar therapy based on the patient’s insurance and hospital formulary preferences, streamlining prior authorization and approval processes. This e-tool decreased administrative burden to providers, pharmacists, and prior authorization specialists and increased biosimilar utilization by 21.9%. Guest: Sarah Hudson-DiSalle, PharmD, RPh, FACCC Assistant Director of...

As the use of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy continues to expand as an effective treatment for hematologic malignancies, understanding how to identify eligible patients early and implementation of an effective framework for identification can improve care coordination and better prepare community cancer programs for widespread use of CAR T-cell therapy. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with David L. Porter, MD, director of Cell Therapy and Transplant at Penn Medicine, about...

Social determinants of health have been proven to impact access to care, but further delineation is necessary to describe their effect on treatment selection itself. To mitigate this knowledge gap, the Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC) sought to identify the impact that social determinants of health may have on guideline-concordant treatment selection in hormone receptor positive, HER2 negative, metastatic breast cancer and early breast cancer. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with...

Immunotherapy is redefining survivorship to include an increasing population of patients who live with cancer and navigate toxicities that differ from those that accompany traditional treatments. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Brittney Baer, BSN, RN, patient care coordinator for the Immune Effector Cell program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, about key strategies and solutions to prioritize patient quality of life by addressing barriers to...

Germline and somatic testing for  in prostate cancer can improve outcomes and promote early detection and prevention, yet many patients are not aware of testing and the impact it can have on treatment options. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with David Gill, MD, medical oncologist at Intermountain Healthcare’s Intermountain Cancer Center and Lindsey Byrne, MS, LCGC, licensed certified genetic counselor at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, who discuss how genetic...

Anemia can negatively affect quality of life and treatment outcomes for patients with high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Amy DeZern, MD, MHS, director, Bone Marrow Failure and MDS Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, Donald Moore, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP, DPLA, FCCP, clinical oncology pharmacy manager, Atrium Health Levine Cancer in Charlotte, North Carolina, and David Sallman, MD,...

Prior to 2020, patients newly diagnosed with breast cancer at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist’s Comprehensive Cancer Center experienced high variability in the number of days it took to see a breast cancer provider. Scheduling was decentralized across the departments and rarely could multiple visits be coordinated to occur on the same day, within the same location. Addressing this issue required a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach that involved engaging the cancer center leadership...

Prior to 2020, patients newly diagnosed with breast cancer at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist’s Comprehensive Cancer Center experienced high variability in the number of days it took to see a breast cancer provider. Scheduling was decentralized across the departments and rarely could multiple visits be coordinated to occur on the same day, within the same location. Addressing this issue required a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach that involved engaging the cancer center leadership...

Improving timely identification and referral of patients who may be eligible for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is critical for improving outcomes for patients with hematologic malignancies. On February 7, 2024, ACCC hosted a virtual Working Summit: Advancing CAR T-Cell Therapy Care Continuity and Collaborative Patient Education to explore topics including patient and caregiver needs as well as care coordination between referring providers and certified CAR T-cell therapy...