S12 Ep41: Oncodetect MRD Detection Aids Treatment Decision-Making in CRC and Other Solid Tumors: With Eric Christenson, MD

In today’s episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Daniel P. Petrylak, MD, about Lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan (Pluvicto) in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Dr Petrylak is a professor of medicine (medical oncology) and urology, as well as the chief of Genitourinary Oncology, at Yale School of Medicine and Smilow Cancer Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut. In our exclusive interview, Dr Petrylak discussed the current role for Pluvicto in patients with mCRPC, the safety profile of this radiotherapeutic, the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration when delivering this therapy, and future directions for investigating radioligand therapies in combination with other classes of agents.

In today’s episode, supported by Exact Sciences, we had the pleasure of speaking with Eric Christenson, MD, about the Oncodetect test, which is available for use in molecular residual disease detection in patients with solid tumors. Dr Christenson is an assistant professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. In our exclusive interview, Dr Christenson discussed the capabilities of Oncodetect, its clinical applications, key findings from the Alpha-CORRECT study, and the prognostic value of this test.

In this week’s episode of MedNews Week’s Oncology Unplugged, host Chandler Park, MD, a medical oncologist at Norton Cancer Institute in Louisville, Kentucky, was rejoined by Paul Hanona, MD, to give advice to up-and-coming oncology content creators. Dr Hanona is the chief Hematology Oncology Fellow at Beaumont Health in Royal Oak, Michigan. He is also is content creator under the handle @doctordiscover. In part 2 of a 3-part series, Drs Park and Hanona discussed effective social media strategies for sharing oncology information. Dr Hanona emphasized the importance of watch time, using a strong hook, captions, and consistent posting. He also talked through the simple recording equipment he uses and noted that different social media platforms favor different content styles. The conversation focused on the importance of finding one's voice and defining the brand's focus, as well as the need to tailor content to the specific audience of each platform. 

In this week’s episode of MedNews Week’s Oncology Unplugged, host Chandler Park, MD, a medical oncologist at Norton Cancer Institute in Louisville, Kentucky, sat down with Paul Hanona, MD, to talk about their shared passion for using social media to share accessible information with oncologists and patients alike. Dr Hanona is the chief Hematology Oncology Fellow at Beaumont Health in Royal Oak, Michigan. He is also is content creator under the handle @doctordiscover. Drs Park and Hanona discussed the broad influence of Dr Hanona's social media posts and videos, which have reached millions of viewers. They also emphasized the role of social media in educating patients and health care professionals about new oncology treatments and screening methods. Additionally, they explained how Dr Hanona's social media content affects patient care and the challenges of predicting patient outcomes due to rapid advancements in oncology treatments.

This PER® Spectives™ featured podcast reviews the 22nd Annual Winter Lung Cancer Conference® held in January/February 2025. Multiple successive generations of ALK inhibitors have provided increasing benefits as first-line treatment for the thousands of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that harbors rearrangements or mutations in the ALK gene. This program focuses on the practical aspects of managing patients with ALK-positive advanced or metastatic NSCLC, putting recent clinical trial data into clinical context. The program is designed for those who did not attend the live meeting and to help reinforce learnings for those who did.

In this week’s episode of MedNews Week’s Oncology Unplugged, host Chandler Park, MD, a medical oncologist at Norton Cancer Institute in Louisville, Kentucky, concluded a 3-part series with Vadim Koshkin, MD, an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, as well as a genitourinary medical oncologist at the UCSF Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center. In part 3 of this 3-part episode series, Drs Park and Koshkin explored the clinical implications of practice-changing data from the phase 3 NIAGARA trial (NCT03732677) of perioperative durvalumab plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with resectable bladder cancer and discussed how the evolving perioperative treatment paradigm may affect future treatment sequencing decisions for this population. Additional topics included ongoing research efforts focused on bladder-sparing strategies, the utility of circulating tumor DNA and advanced imaging to guide treatment intensity, and the role of biomarker-driven approaches to personalize therapy for patients with muscle-invasive disease.

In today’s episode, we sat down with Liliana Bustamante, MD, and Jessica Stine, MD, to discuss their experiences as women in oncology. Dr Bustamante is a medical oncologist and hematologist at Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute in Tampa. Dr Stine is the medical director of Gynecologic Oncology at Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute. In our exclusive interview, Drs Bustamante and Stine discussed their unique journeys toward choosing careers in oncology, the emotional fulfillment of treating patients with cancer, the importance of mentorship between colleagues, and the evolving nature of work-life balance. They also emphasize the importance of honesty, peer support, and self-grace in navigating oncology careers.

In this week's episode of MedNews Week's Oncology Unplugged, host Chandler Park, MD, a medical oncologist at Norton Cancer Institute in Louisville, Kentucky, sat down with Vadim Koshkin, MD, an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, as well as a genitourinary medical oncologist at the UCSF Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center. In part 2 of this 3-part episode series, Drs Park and Koshkin discussed considerations for sequencing and combining antibody-drug conjugates for patients with bladder cancer, the potential future role of sacituzimab govitecan-hziy (Trodelvy) in this disease following the withdrawal of this agent's United States indication for use in patients with metastatic bladder cancer, and the evolution of treatment options for patients who progress on enfortumab vedotin-ejfv (Padcev) plus pembrolizumab (Keytruda).

In today’s episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Neal Shore, MD, FACS, about prostate cancer management and the use of androgen receptor (AR)–directed therapies. Dr Shore is the medical director for the Carolina Urologic Research Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  In our exclusive interview, we sat down with Dr Shore during the 2025 Bridging the Gaps in Prostate Cancer meeting to discuss the importance of multidisciplinary meetings to address unmet needs for patients with prostate cancer, the need for treatment strategies that improve upon the activity of current standards of care in this disease, the evolving roles of neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies, and the significance of biomarkers and imaging. He also highlighted treatment advances that have been achieved with AR-directed agents, such as apalutamide (Erleada) and darolutamide (Nubeqa), along with considerations for the optimal intensification and de-intensification of these agents to balance efficacy and quality of life. 

In today’s episode, supported by EMD Serono, we had the pleasure of speaking with Chandler Park, MD, about the first-line treatment of patients with bladder cancer. Dr Park is a medical oncologist at the Norton Cancer Institute in Louisville, Kentucky.  In our exclusive interview, Dr Park discussed the core regimens in the current frontline bladder cancer treatment paradigm, ways that this paradigm is expected to evolve in the coming months and years, and how the choice of frontline therapy influences treatment decision-making regarding subsequent lines of therapy.