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

  • October 6, 2021  

    How Would an Expert Handle His Own Cancer of Unknown Origin Causing Severe Back Pain?

    With: Marc B. Garnick, MD

    Treating cancer that has been fully diagnosed can be a complex challenge. But sometimes the process of diagnosis itself presents an urgent puzzle. Here, our Curious Dr. George asks Marc B. Garnick, MD, how he would approach his own case of an unknown form of cancer. Dr. Garnick is the Gorman Brothers Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Beth Israel Deaconess… Read more »

  • September 10, 2021  

    How an Expert Would Treat Her Own Metastatic Melanoma

    With: Pauline Funchain, MD

    Cancer patients often ask their doctors, “What would you do if you were me?” Here, our Curious Dr. George asks Cleveland Clinic oncologist Pauline Funchain, MD, how she would handle her own diagnosis of advanced melanoma. Curious Dr. George: What would you do if you personally were discovered on a routine exam to have abnormal liver function tests that led to scans and the… Read more »

  • August 16, 2021  

    The Latest in Melanoma Treatment: A Guest Perspective

    With: Ryan Sullivan, MD

    What’s new in melanoma treatment? Our chief scientist Emma Shtivelman, PhD, recently outlined the latest options. Here, our Curious Dr. George invites a response from Ryan Sullivan, MD, Associate Director of the Melanoma Program at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School. Curious Dr. George: As a melanoma expert, what are your thoughts on the treatments outlined in our… Read more »

  • June 29, 2021  

    Helping Patients Access Investigational Treatments

    With: Lea Ann Browning-McNeeSusan C. Winckler, RPh, Esq.

    For some advanced cancer patients, the best course of action may lie beyond standard treatment options. Some of these patients can enroll in clinical trials that investigate promising new treatments. But others may find their best option is to apply for individual “expanded access” to an investigational treatment. Here, our Curious Dr. George asks two leaders from the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and… Read more »

  • May 20, 2021  

    When is the Best Time to Seek a Clinical Trial for Glioblastoma?

    With: Eric Wong, MD

    For some people with glioblastoma brain tumors, enrolling in a clinical trial enables access to cutting-edge treatment. Here, our Curious Dr. George talks clinical trials with Cancer Commons Expert Physician Advisor, Eric T. Wong, MD. Dr. Wong is also Associate Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and Co-Director of the Brain Tumor Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Curious Dr. George: Malignant… Read more »

  • April 28, 2021  

    How Can Detection of Tumor DNA in the Blood Aid Advanced Cancer Treatment?

    With: Alexey Aleshin, MD, MBAPaul Billings, MD, PhD

    As a tumor grows, it may shed fragments of its DNA into the patient’s bloodstream. After treatment, if part of the tumor remains or it begins to grow again, more of this circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) may enter the blood. That raises the possibility that detecting ctDNA could help clinicians monitor molecular or minimal residual disease—cancer that remains after treatment and cannot be detected… Read more »

  • March 29, 2021  

    Can Really Big Data Inform Precise Decisions for Individual Patients?

    With: Matvey B. Palchuk, MD, MS, FAMIA

    New technologies are transforming cancer research. By optimizing research protocols and leveraging data more efficiently and intelligently, these tools hold the promise to improve personalized cancer care. Here, our Curious Dr. George asks Matvey B. Palchuk, MD, MS, FAMIA, VP of Informatics at TriNetX, LLC, about the capabilities of his company’s platform. Curious Dr. George: Translational medicine has evolved to include personalized medicine and… Read more »

  • March 9, 2021  

    How an Expert Would Treat His Own Advanced Lung Cancer

    With: Jack West, MD

    A new cancer diagnosis is overwhelming. Patients often ask their doctors, “What would you do if you were me?” Here, our Curious Dr. George asks lung cancer expert Howard (Jack) West, MD, how he would handle his own diagnosis of advanced lung cancer. Dr. West is a Princeton- and Harvard-educated oncologist with additional training and experience in Boston and Seattle focusing on lung cancer.… Read more »

  • February 2, 2021  

    How an Expert Would Manage Her Own Advanced Ovarian Cancer

    With: Summer Dewdney, MD

    Cancer patients often ask their doctors, “What would you do if you were me?” Here, our Curious Dr. George asks oncologist Summer Dewdney, MD, how she would handle her own diagnosis of advanced ovarian cancer. Dr. Dewdney is Director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. Curious Dr. George: You are an expert clinical oncologist treating patients… Read more »

  • January 26, 2021  

    Behind the Scenes at Cancer Commons: Working with Patients

    With: Emma Shtivelman, PhD

    Cancer Commons helps advanced cancer patients identify and access their best-possible treatments. Here, our Curious Dr. George asks Chief Scientist Emma Shtivelman, PhD, for an inside look at how she helps the people who turn to us for guidance. Curious Dr. George: As Chief Scientist at Cancer Commons for many years, you have helped thousands of patients with advanced cancer to better understand their… Read more »