CANCER BUZZ

From the moment a woman learns that she has breast cancer, her life is forever changed—from the treatment challenges of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery to the personal and emotional challenges of a change in identity, a loss of control, and physical self-acceptance. For many survivors, the difficult journey of emotional healing continues long after active treatment ends, and this phase deserves to be addressed with the same urgency and compassion as diagnosis and treatment. To dive into this defining moment of the cancer care continuum and learn how providers can support patients as they navigate vulnerable moments, CANCER BUZZ spoke with Taylor Keeney, an areola restoration tattoo artist, licensed esthetician, and owner of TayK Cosmetics, and her client Eraina Bartholomew, a survivor of breast cancer. Together, the guests explore the human side of cancer care, how paramedical tattooing bridges a critical gap in breast cancer survivorship care, and the importance of restoring not just physical health, but dignity and joy. "Unfortunately, cosmetics can be seen as superficial in today's society, especially with women. But [paramedical tattooing] plays a big role in [survivors'] mental and emotional health, their psyche, [and] how they view themselves. It's very symbolic to help them close that chapter of breast cancer and move forward in their life." – Taylor Keeney "That experience changed my life. It meant so much to me...at the end of this journey, to find some sense of normalcy in feeling [complete and] like a whole woman...being able to look in the mirror and not cringe at myself." – Eraina Bartholomew Guests: Taylor Keeney Areola Restoration Tattoo Artist Licensed Esthetician Owner TayK Cosmetics Eraina Bartholomew Breast Cancer Survivor Resources: Restoring Wholeness: The Role of Paramedical Tattooing in Continuous Cancer Care Efficiency and Safety of the Dual Surgeon Bilateral Mastectomy Approach A Legacy of Healing, A Future of Hope for Egyptian Women: Spotlight on the Baheya Foundation A New Frontier— Where Women's Health Meets Oncology

Bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) are an emerging and fast-developing area of immunotherapy, particularly in the treatment of hematologic malignancies. However, access to this therapy remains limited, particularly for Veterans. Administrative hurdles and challenging adverse events have slowed adoption of BsAbs in the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Nicholas Burwick, MD, hematologist in the Puget Sound VA Health Care System, about how his VA site tackled these challenges and made BsAbs available to its patient population through a collaborative hub-and-spoke model. Guest: Nicholas Burwick, MD President, Association of VA Hematology/Oncology Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant Puget Sound VA Health Care System "We set expectations, we came up with a plan, and we didn't have too many bispecific antibody patients at the same time. At least initially, we wanted some control." — Nicholas Burwick, MD "The collaboration among different VA centers has been something that I've come to appreciate. We have a heme malignancy group, for example, so we can compare notes, work together, and in some cases even collaborate on VA initiative proposals or industry-sponsored clinical trials." — Nicholas Burwick, MD Resources: Addressing Care Disparities for Veterans: Tackling Barriers and Identifying Solutions Bispecific Antibodies Bispecific Antibodies Are Moving Forward; So Are the Implementation Questions Service, Sacrifice, and Survival: Advancing Cancer Care for America's Heroes

At the inaugural ACCC Leadership Summit, C-suite executives and senior-level decision makers in oncology convened for strategic dialogue, panel discussions, and peer-to-peer exchange focused on the most pressing issues in cancer care today. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Misha Kaur, chief operating officer at Cureety, about her key takeaways as a member of the panel: Value-Based Care in Oncology: From Pilots to Scale. Kaur discusses the importance of keeping quality and affordability at the heart of value-based care, and how Cureety's remote monitoring solution effectively captures nuanced patient insights in precision oncology care. "[Value-based care] was never meant to be a contract. The original spirit was [about] aligning incentives [and creating] better outcomes for patients. But in practice, over time...it can sometimes become just a contracting discussion [about] targets, benchmarking, reporting, utilization, [and] cost reduction." – Misha Kaur Guest: Misha Kaur Chief Operating Officer Cureety Resources: 2026 ACCC Leadership Summit Innovation, Policy, and Partnership: Key Takeaways From the Inaugural ACCC Leadership Summit From Hospital to Home: A Solution for Proactive Symptom Monitoring and Precise Care Staying Connected Between Visits: A Sustainable Model for Remote Monitoring

Advanced practice providers (APPs) are both an integral part of the care team and a driving force behind innovation in oncology. This special state society episode of CANCER BUZZ will explore how oncology APPs are stepping into leadership roles—formally and informally—to advocate for role clarity and equitable compensation, improve mentorship, and elevate the value of APPs within the multidisciplinary cancer care team. Jessica Leibelt, AGNP-C, AOCNP, from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Carlin Callaway, DMP, RN, ACNP-BC, ACNS-BC, AOCNP, from the University of Colorado Cancer Center, and Rachel M Stevenson, PA-C, from ECU Health, will share their real-world experiences of driving systemic change while paving the way for the next generation of APPs. Guests: Jessica Leibelt, AGNP-C, AOCNP Manager, Community Advanced Practice Providers Nurse Practitioner, Hematology Oncology + Oncosexology Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center at UW Medical Center – Northwest Seattle, WA Carlin Callaway, DNP, RN, ACNP-BC, ACNS-BC, AOCNP Assistant Professor, School of Medicine Lead Advanced Practice Provider, Medical Oncology University of Colorado Cancer Center – Anschutz Medical Campus Aurora, CO Rachel M Stevenson, PA-C Physician Assistant ECU Health Greenville, NC "We have a huge role in educating and doing symptom management, but also really creative things like doing APP-led clinics." - Jessica Leibelt, AGNP-C, AOCNP "It takes a heck of a lot of work to hire people, and it takes even more work to let somebody go when it's not a good fit. So much of what I do is trying to help find [APPs] who will be a good fit for the organization" - Carlin Callaway, DNP, RN, ACNP-BC, AOCNP "Our main goal is the same [as doctors]: to make sure there is excellent health care for all individuals that come to our door. As long as we can work together, I think we can provide great health care." - Rachel M Stevenson, PA-C This podcast is part of the Optimizing the Role of the APP in Oncology Care program, made possible through the support from the Colorado Oncology Society, Iowa Oncology Society, Empire State Hematology & Oncology Society, Nevada Oncology Society, North Carolina Oncology Association, and Washington State Medical Oncology Society. Resources: Blog: A Day in the Life of an Oncology APP Across Various Practice Settings Blog: Maximizing the Role of APPs in Oncology Care CANCER BUZZ Podcast: Real World Models for APP Onboarding Colorado Oncology Society APP Resources Iowa Oncology Society APP Resources Empire State Hematology & Oncology Society APP Resources Nevada Oncology Society APP Resources North Carolina Oncology Association APP Resources Washington State Medical Oncology Society APP Resources

CAR T-cell therapy is a potentially life-saving treatment for patients with certain hematologic malignancies. Yet, the logistical challenges and the need for specialized management of adverse events have limited its availability in community settings. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Jeremy M. Pantin, MD, FACP, clinical director of the Adult Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program at TriStar Centennial Medical Center, part of the Sarah Cannon Transplant and Cellular Therapy Network. Dr. Pantin discusses the cancer center's community-based, outpatient model, impact on outcomes for patients with hematologic malignancies, and shares his perspective on future changes needed to help further expand access to CAR T-cell therapy. "Education of community oncology staff at their offices—coordinators, nurses, physicians, advanced practice providers—also goes a long way in helping facilitate patients to be recognized when they are candidates for cell therapy." - Jeremy M. Pantin, MD, FACP "It did not matter the distance to the center; did not matter the socioeconomic background. Many of the other factors one would think would lead to decreased access, we did not find among our centers. It was really the delay from consult to treatment." - Jeremy M. Pantin, MD, FACP Guest: Jeremy M. Pantin, MD, FACP Clinical Director, Adult Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program Sarah Cannon Transplant and Cellular Therapy Network At TriStar Centennial Medical Center Nashville, TN Resources: Bringing CAR T-Cell Therapies to Community Oncology Outpatient Administration of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy Using Remote Patient Monitoring FDA Eliminates Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) for Autologous Chimeric Antigen Receptor CAR T cell Immunotherapies

Relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma (R/R FL) is challenging to treat, requiring thoughtful clinical decision-making during treatment selection and sequencing. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Benjamin Heyman, MD, hematologist and clinical associate professor at City of Hope, about the importance of individualized care, shared decision-making, clinical trial referrals, and multidisciplinary collaboration. CANCER BUZZ also speaks with Laurie Adami, patient advocate with R/R FL, about her real-world experience with multiple lines of therapy, clinical trials, and patient advocacy. "There are lots of options available, which is really great for patients, so you get to have a good conversation with patients about what they value." - Benjamin Heyman, MD "The medications you receive in clinical trials may not be the standard of care today, but it may be the standard of care 5 years from now." - Benjamin Heyman, MD "Patient advocacy organizations have patients that can talk to you. They know what you're talking about. They're on the road ahead of you." - Laurie Adami Guest: Benjamin Heyman, MD Hematologist Clinical Associate Professor City of Hope San Diego, CA Laurie Adami R/R FL Patient Advocate Los Angeles, LA Received care at UCLA Lymphoma Program Additional Reading/Sources ACCC Follicular Lymphoma Effective Practice Guide: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Treating Patients With R/R FL Putting Guidance Into Practice: Real-World Approaches to Relapsed/Refractory Folicular Lymphoma ACCC's Community Oncology Research Institute

US Veterans are at a heightened risk for lung cancer due to service-related exposures. Integrating clinical research into routine oncology care at the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can help bring clinical trials closer to where Veterans live and improve access to cutting edge therapies. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Millie Das, MD, chief of oncology at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, about the collaborations and institutional support that allowed them to launch lung cancer clinical trials and the role industry has played. "My primary motivation was just to allow veterans access to trials in the same way that I saw my patients at Stanford have access to clinical trials." - Millie Das, MD "One of the biggest myths is that you can't work with pharma within the VA and I think just trying to break down some of these old myths was a challenge." - Millie Das, MD Guest: Millie Das, MD Chief, Oncology VA Palo Alto Health Care System Clinical Professor Stanford University Stanford, CA Additional Reading/Resources · Veterans Care Resource Library · Improving Cancer Care for Native American Veterans: A Model of Interagency Collaboration

In metastatic breast cancer, resistance to therapy remains one of the most challenging aspects to care. A key driver of resistance in hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative disease is the ESR1 mutation, a genetic change that alters the estrogen receptor and limits the effectiveness of certain standard therapies. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Eleonara Teplinsky, MD, FASCO, head of breast and gynecologic medical oncology at Valley-Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care, about how the ESR1 mutation shapes treatment decisions and explains communication strategies, such as the "lock-and-key" model. Then CANCER BUZZ speaks with Maimah Karmo, president and CEO of Tigerlily Foundation about the importance of communicating with patients in ways that foster clarity and compassion through relatable analogies. Guest: Eleonora Teplinsky, MD, FASCO Medical Oncologist Valley Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care Paramus, NJ Maimah Karmo President/CEO Tigerlily Foundation "If you had molecular testing of your tumor done at the time of diagnosis, that may not be enough. If there is disease progression, we might need to repeat it. So it's really important to stress that there are points in the disease course where we're going to be checking for these biomarkers." - Teplinsky "The more that we can know about the tumor, how it's going to behave, what treatment it may or may not respond to, really can help us." - Teplinsky "Having a physician that is a true partner with the patient, that has a relationship, that's trusted, and that feels safe and secure, it's really, really critical." - Karmo Resources: Unlocking the Conversation: Navigating ESR1 Mutations in Metastatic Breast Cancer