As the number of patients and survivors of cancer grows each year, awareness of the disease's emotional toll—including depression, anxiety, and deep existential distress—is increasingly recognized as a critical aspect of cancer care. In response, psychedelic-assisted therapy is gaining attention as a promising alternative to traditional mental health interventions, providing relief for some patients. To shed light on the patient experience with this treatment, CANCER BUZZ spoke with breast cancer survivor Judy Wight; Jennifer Bires, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, FACCC, executive director of Life with Cancer and Patient Experience at Inova Health System; and Manish Agrawal, MD, cofounder and CEO of Sunstone Therapies, about the human side of psychedelic-assisted therapy, promising existing research, and how it can shape the future of psychosocial care.

"It's not that I'm a different person. It's more like I'm becoming the person I was meant to be. And all those layers of trauma and sadness...I've been able to shed a lot of that." – Judy Wight

"When I started to learn about psychedelic-assisted therapy, read some of the patient accounts, and see some of the research, I said, 'I've got to learn about this. I think that this could be another tool that would be useful for people in this space where we don't have the perfect answer, and we don't have the perfect treatments.'" – Jennifer Bires, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, FACCC

"When I give talks around this, I have an iceberg. Above the iceberg I have chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation, and underneath the iceberg I have what's called psychosocial, psycho-spiritual, psychological care. And I think true cancer care is treating everything in the iceberg, not just what's above the water." – Manish Agrawal, MD

Guests:

Jennifer Bires, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, FACCC Executive Director, Life with Cancer and Patient Experience

Inova Health System

Fairfax, VA

Judy Wight

Breast Cancer Survivor

Manish Agrawal, MD

Cofounder and CEO

Sunstone Therapies

REKINDLE Investigator

This podcast is sponsored by Reunion Neuroscience.

Resources:

• The REKINDLE Study

• ClinicalTrials (NCT07002034)

• REKINDLE Brochure

• Reunion Neuroscience

• Adjustment Disorder Associated With Medical Illness: Unmet Needs and Rationale for RE104 as a Novel Psychedelic Therapy

• Exploring Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in Oncology

• Addressing the Psychological Burdens of Cancer on World Mental Health Day

• Psychosocial Care in Oncology: Advocating for Policy Changes that Improve the Culture of Care

• Collaborative Care: A Model for Embedding Counseling in Oncology and Palliative Care

• Spirituality and Cultural Humility: Core Components of Comprehensive Palliative Care

• Psychosocial Care in Oncology

• Collaborative Care: A Solution for Increasing Access to Psychosocial Care in Cancer Programs and Practices

Scan to learn more about the REKINDLE study:

Of the barriers to innovation and adopting new strategies, human hesitation is one of the greatest. Health care is a rapidly evolving field by nature, which is compounded by near constant technological advancement. For insight into overcoming hesitation while navigating frequent change in a burnout-oriented industry, CANCER BUZZ spoke with Michelle Rozen, PhD, behavioral scientist, bestselling author, and keynote speaker at the upcoming 2026 ACCC Leadership Summit. Dr. Rozen shares concrete strategies that oncology leaders can implement in their programs to not just survive, but thrive in an unprecedented era of change.

"You can't control change around you. You can't control change in [your] organization. You can't control change in the health care industry. You can't control change in the world...but you are not helpless. There is a way to set goals and actually follow through that gives you a sense of control in this fast-paced, rapidly changing world that we live in." – Michelle Rozen, PhD

Guest: Michelle Rozen, PhD Behavioral scientist and bestselling author

Resources:

• Lessons in Leadership: Thriving as Women at the Top

• Developing Effective Cancer Program Leadership

• Spring Into Action- Essential Leadership Tools to Help the Team Win Together

• Effective Leadership Strategies: Defining + Helping Others with Their Purpose

In the second installment of Oncology Unscripted, an unfiltered, honest dialogue about the state of cancer care today, hosts Mark Liu and Deirdre Saulet invite Meagan O'Neill, MS, Executive Director of ACCC, to discuss the Association's plans for the upcoming year, honing in on challenges and opportunities within its membership. O'Neill shares the vision behind expanding the CANCER BUZZ podcast, the continued development of ACCC's 2030 vision, and how she views crisis as a path forward for innovation.

"When I look at 2026, [I look] at crisis as an opportunity...How can we use this time to try something new and solve some of these problems?" – Meagan O'Neill, MS

"Unfortunately, [with] cancer care in this country, the outcomes and experience you [have] are too dependent on who you are, your zip code—even down to the door that you enter and the provider you see...There's no shortage of opportunities to help programs start chipping away at that." – Meagan O'Neill, MS

Meagan O'Neill, MS Executive Director Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC)

To submit a topic of discussion to the podcast, please email [email protected] and [email protected].

Resources

• ACCC 2025 Impact Report

• Introducing Oncology Unscripted

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

Cancer cases, cancer-related deaths, and survivorship are projected to rise exponentially—yet oncology faces critical workforce shortages. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Tristan Blanco, a biology major and fellow in VCU Massey's Cancer-focused Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Program, who shares his experience as part of a program designed to scale oncology education and meet the evolving needs of cancer care nationwide. Get behind the scenes of an innovative training model that's preparing the next generation of oncology leaders.

"It's one of the smartest ways to address the workforce shortage. We're making sure more students get the chance to discover oncology and have that opportunity." — Tristan Blanco

Tristan Blanco Biology major and fellow in the Cancer-focused Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Program VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Richmond, VA

Resources:

Building a Scalable Model to Train the Next Generation of Oncology Leaders

Pipeline Partners: Developing Training and Recruitment Programs for the Oncology Workforce

Pipeline Partners - [mini podcast] Ep 183

Combatting Healthcare Workforce Issues with Proven Leadership Skills

Onboarding Experienced Non-Oncology Nurses to Address Staffing Shortages

(Re)Building the Oncology Workforce: ACCC President Dr. Ajayi's 2023-2024 Theme

VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Spotlight

Addressing Social Determinants of Health through a Medical-Legal Partnership

Introducing a brand new podcast from ACCC: Oncology Unscripted. In this inaugural episode, hosts Mark Liu and Deirdre Saulet lay out what listeners can expect from the show, including unfiltered, honest dialogue about the state of cancer care today, the most pressing challenges providers are facing, and how they can move forward with hope amid unpredictable headwinds. Liu and Saulet will approach a variety of topics, from operational to financial to clinical, as they explore how providers can help one another, continue to hold important conversations, and act as agents of change in oncology.

"I think about my grandmother who spoke Spanish, Chinese, and English...If she was here, and needed to navigate our health care system with a serious illness or diagnosis of cancer, what would that look like for her? I often put my family members in these scenarios...What would they do? What would I do if I was on the other side?...How can we make a complicated health care system work for everyone?" -- Mark Liu, MHA

"We can have all the innovations in the world, but if the people who need them most can't access them, what's the point? What are we doing this for?" -- Deirdre Saulet, PhD

Mark Liu, MHA Senior Director of Oncology Strategy Transformation & Analytics Mount Sinai Health System

Deirdre Saulet, PhD Chief Strategy Officer Jasper Health

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

Claudin 18.2 is a novel biomarker for advanced gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer. Patients who test positive for claudin 18.2 may be candidates for the monoclonal antibody, zolbetuximab, which directly targets this biomarker. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Manish A. Shah, MD, FASCO, director of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Program at Weill Cornell Medicine, about how claudin 18.2 is shaping treatment decisions and some of the clinical trials pursuing more information about the potential for this biomarker. CANCER BUZZ also speaks with Sasha Watson, PharmD, outpatient medical oncology clinical pharmacist at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, about the importance of engaging the whole multidisciplinary team in biomarker testing for optimal patient outcomes.

"I often talk to my gastroenterologist and ask them to get more than 1 biopsy to make sure that we have enough tissue for now and even in the future." - Manish A. Shah, MD, FASCO

Instead of lumping all gastric cancers into one group, we use these biomarkers to split them out... We have more refined and tailored treatments for patients with gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma based on these biomarkers." - Manish A. Shah, MD, FASCO

"Nurses in the infusion center are a huge help that we absolutely need, and administering this treatment would be very difficult if we didn't have scaled and experienced nurses here." - Aleksandra (Sasha) Watson, PharmD

"What I see is just a lot of patients having hope—some new part of their cancer that we can target with a drug that we previously didn't have any options for." - Aleksandra (Sasha) Watson, PharmD

Guests:

Manish A. Shah, MD, FASCO Director, Gastrointestinal Oncology Program Weill Cornell Medicine New York, NY

Aleksandra (Sasha) Watson, PharmD Outpatient Medical Oncology Clinical Pharmacist (GI + Sarcoma) Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center Miami, FL

Resources

ACCC Biomarkers Webpage

ACCCBuzz Blog: Importance of Biomarker Testing, Patient Goals and Education When Treating Gastric Cancer

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

After 6 years of bringing listeners key insights into the most pressing topics in oncology, ACCC's podcast, CANCER BUZZ, has gotten a facelift! In this episode, CANCER BUZZ brings back our first podcast guest, Tina Curtis, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, executive director of cancer services at Froedtert Hospital. In the June 26, 2019, inaugural CANCER BUZZ episode, Dr. Curtis spoke about her institution's 24-hour, oncology-only urgent care clinic, which earned the cancer program a 2018 ACCC Innovator Award. Today, she's returned with her colleague Jayme Cotter to share an update on that program, as well as recent innovations happening at Froedtert Hospital.

"I would venture to guess I've probably talked to no less than 20 or 25 different organizations that found out about the 24-hour urgent care clinic through ACCC's journal and podcast…to have meaningful conversations about where and how to start."

Tina Curtis

"Another piece that we are looking at expanding is the ability to have a virtual visit from the 24-hour clinic advanced practice providers."

Jayme Cotter

Guests

Tina Curtis, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC

Executive Director of Cancer Services

Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center,

Froedtert Hospital Campus

Milwaukee, WI

Jayme Cotter, DNP, RN, ACNS-BC, AOCNS

Director for Clinical Practice & Program Development for the Cancer Service Line

Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center,

Froedtert Hospital Campus

Milwaukee, WI

Additional Resources:

A Pilot 24-Hour Urgent Care Oncology Clinic Reduces ED Use and Cuts Costs

Ochsner Chemotherapy Care Companion: Improving Outcomes through Digital Medicine

Leveraging Technology to Develop an Express Symptom Management Program & Prevent ED Visits

Expediting Cancer Treatment Through a Rapid Access APP-Led Diagnostic Clinic

Shaw at Home: An Oncology Specific Home and Community-Based Palliative Care Program – [Mini Podcast] Ep 193

Delivering Hospital Level Acute Care at Home: Learning from Huntsman at Home