The robotic-assisted biopsy platform Ion is a “game-changer” for patients with lung cancer, as it provides a quicker, less invasive surgical method for conducting a lung biopsy, according to Richard Lazzaro, MD. In a conversation with CancerNetwork, Lazzaro, the chief of Thoracic Surgery at the Southern Region of RWJBarnabas Health, spoke about his experience with adopting the Ion robotic bronchoscopy platform for the early detection of lung cancer at Monmouth Medical Center. He highlighted how the tool may enable practices to acquire tissue and perform disease staging with fewer complicatio ..read more

During the 2024 Society of Surgical Oncology Annual Meeting (SSO), CancerNetwork® spoke with a variety of surgical oncology experts regarding the topline data they presented. Each conversation also expanded upon how these results can be implemented into the clinical space and the next research steps.  First, Adrienne Bruce Shannon, MD, a complex general surgical oncology fellow at Moffitt Cancer Center, discussed findings from her presentation highlighting responses to neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors among select patients with mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) gastroesophageal c ..read more

As part of Breaking Barriers: Women in Oncology, Maha H. Hussain, MD, and Sarah E. Fenton, MD, PhD, spoke with CancerNetwork® about developments in their careers and the evolution of research in the genitourinary oncology (GU) field. Additionally, they discussed their personal experiences in the field, which ranged from applying key pieces of advice from former mentors, handling challenges, and maintaining a healthy work/life balance. Hussain is a Genevieve E. Teuton Professor of Medicine at Northwestern Medicine, and her mentee and fellow colleague, Fenton, is an assistant professor of Medi ..read more

In a conversation with CancerNetwork®, Rian M. Hasson Charles, MD, MPH, FACS, spoke about her career in thoracic surgery and her visions for increasing equitable care in the field as part of a new, first-of-its-kind role at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She will serve as the inaugural vice chair for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the Department of Surgery as well as an associate surgeon in the Division of Thoracic Surgery. Hasson contextualized the acceptance of her new role by highlighting her previous experiences in lung cancer surgery, which included pursuing a psychology major ..read more

In a conversation with CancerNetwork®, Gregory Peter Kalemkerian, MD, spoke about the publication of updated guidelines for managing small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with systemic therapy, which was developed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in collaboration with Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario).1 Kalemkerian, a clinical professor at The University of Michigan and senior author of the guidelines, discussed developments in the SCLC field that inspired the creation of the revised guidelines since the last publication from ASCO in 2015.2 Although the latest guidelines contai ..read more

CancerNetwork® collaborated with OncLive® to speak with Edward S. Kim, MD, MBA, and Richard T. Lee, MD, about ongoing initiatives to expand integrative oncology for patients with cancer at City of Hope. Kim is the physician-in-chief and senior vice president at City of Hope Orange County as well as the Construction Industries Alliance City of Hope Orange County physician-in-chief chair. Lee is the Cherng Family Director’s Chair of the Center for Integrative Oncology and a medical director of Supportive & Integrative Medicine in the Department of Supportive Care Medicine as well as a clin ..read more

In a conversation with CancerNetwork®, Robert A. Winn, MD, spoke about current obstacles in achieving equitable care for patients with cancer and discussed how initiatives from community health centers and federal bodies alike may help increase access to anti-cancer therapy. Winn, director and Lipman Chair in Oncology at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, senior associate for Cancer Innovation, and professor of pulmonary disease and critical cancer medicine at VCU School of Medicine, began the discussion by defining health equity as a principle. By eli ..read more

Starting April 1, 2024, Diane M. Simeone, MD will start her new position as director of the University of California San Diego (UCSD) Health Moores Cancer Center.1  In a conversation with CancerNetwork®, Simeone highlighted her excitement to be working with an institution that she said aligns with her goals and values. During her time as director, she said that she wants to focus more on early detection of pancreatic cancer, which may help save many patients. Additionally, some of her short- and long-term goals include submitting a Cancer Center Support Grant to the National Institutes ..read more

After the 2024 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, Jun Gong, MD, and Daneng Li, MD, sat down to discuss the most relevant trial data to have come from the conference. They convened for a live X Space hosted by CancerNetwork®. During the discussion, they covered different trials across the gastrointestinal space, which included those evaluating different disease states from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to colorectal cancer (CRC), and those assessing circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) dynamics. Gong, a hematologic oncologist focusing on gastrointestinal and genitourinary cancers at Cedars-Sinai ..read more

Although strides have been made with Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors and CAR-T cell therapy, relapse and resistance remain significant hurdles in treating patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). The Lymphoma Research Foundation's 2023 MCL Scientific Consortium and Workshop addressed these complexities, aiming to dissect the intricate biology of MCL and propel progress towards a cure. CancerNetwork® spoke with leaders in the MCL field to better understand the aim of the consortium and the advancements they hope to see in the space. The journal ONCOLOGY® published these findings ..read more