Plumbing the Core and Nibbling at the Margins of Cancer

Cancer Commons Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, is the face and curator of this invitation-only column

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    Cancer Commons Helps Patients Benefit from Clinical Trials

    With: Emma Shtivelman, PhD

    For many years, people with advanced cancer who turn to Cancer Commons have benefitted from working with Chief Scientist Emma Shtivelman, PhD. Here, she shares three patients’ stories. Curious Dr. George: You have helped many hundreds of patients with advanced cancer to feel valued, to better understand their disease and their clinical situation, and to explore their options. Will you please share with our readers… Read more »

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    People With Prostate Cancer See Their Journey Differently From Their Doctors

    With: Nicole Jardine, BASc

    Typical approaches to cancer research don’t necessarily capture the whole picture of what a patient might experience. Here, our Curious Dr. George asks Nicole Jardine, BASc, how real-world evidence can improve cancer research. Jardine is Associate Manager, Patient Journey Analytics at the company Self Care Catalysts, recently acquired by Alira Health. Curious Dr. George: In your role at Self Care Catalysts, you have access… Read more »

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    A New Champion for Cancer Caregivers

    With: Mike Looney, PhD

    Many people with advanced cancer can benefit from helpful caregivers, but family and friends who take on this role may have little background or training to do such a difficult job well. A new organization called Courage Groups aims to provide education and guidance in this collaborative journey. The founder is Mike Looney, PhD, a client and generous supporter of Cancer Commons, whose family… Read more »

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    Using AI and Drug Testing to Design Personalized Cancer Drug Combos

    With: Noah Berlow, PhDDiana Azzam, PhD

    Advanced cancer treatment often involves combining multiple drugs. But with a huge number of possible combinations, it is difficult to know which mix might work best for each patient. Here, our Curious Dr. George asks two leaders to describe how the company First Ascent Biomedical is addressing this challenge. Curious Dr. George: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved many thousands of… Read more »

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    How an Emory Professor would Treat Her Own Advanced Endometrial Cancer

    With: Jane Meisel, MD

    When facing a frightening new cancer diagnosis, some people ask their doctors, “What would you do if you were me?” Here, our Curious Dr. George asks Jane Meisel, MD, how she would handle her own advanced endometrial cancer. Dr. Meisel is Associate Professor of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Curious Dr. George: Please consider a hypothetical… Read more »

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    How an Expert Would Manage His Own Advanced Prostate Cancer

    With: Marc B. Garnick, MD

    When facing a new cancer diagnosis, some people ask their doctors, “What would you do if you were me?” Here, our Curious Dr. George asks Marc B. Garnick, MD, how he would handle his own advanced prostate cancer. Dr. Garnick is the Gorman Brothers Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA. He is also… Read more »

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    Harnessing Each Patient’s Data to Help Many More

    With: Kaumudi Bhawe, PhD

    At Cancer Commons, we don’t just help people navigate cancer treatment; we learn from everyone we help. Here, our Curious Dr. George asks Cancer Commons Clinical Scientist Kaumudi Bhawe, PhD, to share how new knowledge can be captured from every patient to help many more. Curious Dr. George: Cancer Commons has accumulated in-depth data on many hundreds of patients with various cancers. Because of the… Read more »

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    Plain Language Summaries Improve Access to Medical Research

    With: Chris Winchester, DPhilAdeline Rosenberg, MSc

    Cancer Commons helps people make sense of the latest research on treatments for their distinct type of cancer. Meanwhile, a growing number of research papers now include a plain language summary (PLS)—an overview of the paper written for anybody to understand. Here, our Curious Dr. George discusses plain language summaries with Adeline Rosenberg, MSc, Senior Medical Writer at the healthcare communications company Oxford PharmaGenesis,… Read more »

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    Can Immunotherapy Be Effective for Brain Cancer?

    With: Matt Warner, PhD

    Immunotherapy has reshaped the cancer treatment landscape. This type of treatment boosts the immune system to fight cancer. However, for people with advanced brain cancer, immunotherapy options remain slim. Here, our Curious Dr. George asks Cancer Commons Scientist Matt Warner, PhD, about the challenges and future potential of immunotherapy for brain cancer. Curious Dr. George: An accomplished molecular oncologist, you have now helped many… Read more »

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    Cancer Commons Adapts to Remain True to Our Mission

    With: Shelley Frisbie

    People facing advanced cancer come to Cancer Commons to ensure they have all the information they need to make their best-possible cancer care decisions. Here, Curious Dr. George asks our CFO & COO Shelley Frisbie about recent updates to our organization. Curious Dr. George: You have been the CFO of Cancer Commons for some time and recently added the COO title and duties to… Read more »