CancerCast

As we age, our blood cells naturally develop mutations. With new sequencing technology, we can now identify very rare and specific mutations in human blood more easily and precisely than ever before. It’s like we now have a path to find the needle in a haystack. Researchers have discovered that some of these age-related blood mutations, collectively known as clonal hematopoiesis, may be linked to increased risk of blood cancer, heart disease, stroke, and chronic inflammation.

In this episode of CancerCast, Drs. Manish Shah and Pinkal Desai explain what clonal hematopoiesis is and why clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminant potential or “CHIP” is being detected more often through advanced blood testing and multi-cancer early detection (MCED) blood tests. They break down what patients should understand if these mutations appear in liquid biopsy results or screening tests and explain why certain patients should consider being monitored for these mutations.

Research into clonal hematopoiesis and CHIP is raising important questions about cancer risk, prevention, and long-term monitoring for cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases. The conversation explores potential health consequences of these blood mutations, the connection between the heart and blood, as well as why CHIP can worsen existing health conditions from autoimmune disorders to gout and beyond. Focused CHIP research efforts are underway to try to better detect and prevent blood cancers such as leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), as well as to intervene earlier for healthy and optimal aging.

Guest: Pinkal Desai, MD, Clinical Director, Englander Institute for Precision Medicine Molecular Aging Institute and hematologist/oncologist caring for patients with leukemia and other blood cancers at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

Host: Manish Shah, MD, Chief of Solid Tumor Service and Director of Gastrointestinal Oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

Lung cancer care is changing rapidly and new advances in surgery and medicine are at the forefront. In this episode of CancerCast, Dr. Manish Shah is joined by two lung cancer experts, Drs. Jonathan Villena and Christine Garcia, to explore how innovations in surgery, biomarker testing, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy are transforming outcomes for patients with lung cancer. The conversation covers the importance of early detection through screening, as well as new tests, tools and technologies to ensure lung cancer patients are getting the right treatment at the right time. From cutting-edge single port robotic surgeries that avoid the ribs and preserve healthy lung tissue to personalized, targeted therapies rooted in the molecular footprint of each tumor, options and outcomes for patients with lung cancer continue to drastically improve. The team discusses everything from reducing recovery time after an operation, to optimizing results with novel therapies, and the importance of a multidisciplinary care team to ensure patients have the best possible treatment and outcomes.

Guests: Christine Garcia, MD, MPH, medical oncologist caring for lung cancer patients at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

Jonathan Villena-Vargas, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

Host: Manish Shah, MD, Chief of Solid Tumor Service and Director of Gastrointestinal Oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

Bispecific T-cell engager, or BiTE, therapy is an immunotherapy approach that helps the body’s own immune system target cancer cells by bringing immune cells and cancer cells together. In this episode of CancerCast, Dr. Manish Shah is joined by Dr. Mateo Mejia to explain how this form of antibody-based treatment works by directly connecting T cells and cancer cells. It is a new treatment in the arsenal of immunotherapy to treat cancer. They explore common side effects, as well as similarities and differences between BiTEs and other forms of immunotherapy. BiTE immunotherapy prevents cancer cells from being able to hide from the natural immune system, helping it to better recognize and attack the cancer. BiTEs are becoming an important treatment tool for several cancers, including multiple myeloma, lymphoma, lung cancer, and uveal melanoma. Drs. Shah and Mejia discuss the future direction and expansion of BiTE therapy, including ongoing research to bring these treatments to patients earlier in their cancer treatment journeys.

Guest: Mateo Mejia Saldarriaga, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine and an Assistant Attending Physician at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

Host: Manish Shah, MD, Chief of Solid Tumor Service and Director of Gastrointestinal Oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

Prostate-specific membrane antigen, or PSMA, is a protein expressed on the surface of prostate cancer cells that has become an important target for both diagnosing and treating the disease. In this episode of CancerCast, Dr. Manish Shah speaks with prostate cancer expert Dr. Scott Tagawa about how this PSMA protein helps identify whether prostate cancer is confined to the prostate or has spread, and the ways it can be used to guide treatment decisions. They discuss how PSMA-based prostate cancer treatments work in the body and why these therapies have become one of the most significant recent advances in modern medicine for prostate cancer.

Guest: Scott Tagawa, MD, MS, Director of the Genitourinary Oncology Program and Medical Director of the Genitourinary Oncology Research Program at Weill Cornell Medicine/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

Host: Manish Shah, MD, Chief of Solid Tumor Service and Director of Gastrointestinal Oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

Discover how liver cancer treatment is evolving in this episode of CancerCast. Dr. Manish Shah and Dr. Juan Rocca discuss the liver’s complicated and critical role in cancer care, from its position as a hotspot for metastasis to the role of the liver in impacting how well certain immunotherapy, chemotherapy and other cancer therapies will work. They explore the newest and most cutting-edge treatment options as part of a growing toolkit to personalize treatment for each patient, including open and robotic liver surgery, ablation, and no-cut technologies like histotripsy, using ultrasound shockwaves to liquefy liver tumors while sparing healthy tissue. The conversation also highlights the role and rise of liver transplantation for select cancers, such as colorectal cancer that has spread (metastasized) to the liver, in addition to tumors that start in the liver. There have been many recent treatment advances for both primary liver cancer and metastatic disease, and Drs. Rocca and Shah discuss how combining these new innovations with a team-based, multidisciplinary approach offers patients more options than ever before.

Guest: Juan Rocca, MD, Surgical Director of the Weill Cornell Liver Cancer Program and an attending surgeon in the Division of Liver Transplantation and Hepatobiliary Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine.

Host: Manish Shah, MD, Chief of Solid Tumor Service and Director of Gastrointestinal Oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.